Vol. 34, No. 6, 58. Information Connection.

• Author: by Diane Forge Bauersfeld, J.D., M.L.I.S.

Wyoming Bar Journal

2011.

Vol. 34, No. 6, 58.

Information Connection

Wyoming LawyerIssue: December, 2011Information Connectionby Diane Forge Bauersfeld, J.D., M.L.I.S.Public Services Law Librarian

Wyoming State Law Library

Casemaker: Maximizing Your Free

Legal Research Resources

With the myriad of electronic legal research resources available today, it can be time consuming to decide upon an accurate, complete and affordable resource. Since 2006, the Wyoming State Bar has provided Casemaker, a fast growing, online legal research service that is unlimited in access and free to Wyoming State Bar members. Developed in 1999 by the Lawriter Corporation, Casemaker currently partners with 25 states to provide free legal research resources to bar members. Over 475,000 attorneys are members of the Casemaker consortium and 205,000 are active users.(fn1) To log on to Casemaker, simply go to the Wyoming State Bar website, click the Wyoming Casemaker online law library logo, and then log on by entering your attorney number, date of birth, and password.(fn2)

How Can Casemaker Help You?

Upon entering the site, members will see that Casemaker is divided into state and federal libraries. The state libraries provide information for the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Each state bar has different coverage and content. At a minimum, every state library will contain case law, statutes, and the state constitution. The federal libraries provide Federal Court Rules, United States Code, Code of Federal Regulations, use Bankruptcy Reform Act, links to Federal Court Forms, the Constitution, and United States Supreme, Circuit, District, and Bankruptcy court opinions.

For resources specifically tailored to Wyoming, check out Casemaker s Wyoming Library. Here, members will find Attorney General opinions, case law, session laws, statutes, state court rules, the state constitution, and a collection of the Wyoming Lawyer from 2005 to present. Library resources are up-dated on a rolling basis, so it's important to always check the "Currency" link at the top right of the page in each library.

In addition to the state and federal libraries, Casemaker also provides a legal forms section which includes over 36,000 legal documents and state compliance forms from all 50 states. Forms are available for an affordable price and may be viewed prior to...