Matt Russo -- Law Search Engines

Westlaw and Lexis provide searching capabilities to law students at a cost provided through tuition. Usually there is one database over another that a student will prefer. If cost is an issue, there are a number of search engines that will provide similar results

www.law.cornell.edu , this legal search engine is free, but mainly focuses on federal and state of New York materials.
www.findlaw.com , this site is another cost free search engine, but has a general focus on federal cases and statutes.
www.supremcoutus.gov , expect exactly what the name states, supreme court cases.
www.usa.gov , offers statistical government information.
www.municode.com , this is a site that provides state and county codes for all states and counties in the U.S.
www.google.com , the basic search engines are a great way to begin a search and gather key terms.

There are also alternatives to search engines like Westlaw and Lexis that cost a fraction of the Westlaw or Lexis price. For instance; www.loislaw.com , this site is very similar to West and Lexis but runs for about 160 a month. Also, www.itislaw.com , is the national law library website and provides federal and state caes for around 80 a month. Finally, www.versuslaw.com , is the a similar version of "itislaw" and runs for about 15 a month.

These are not the only sites on the web and favoritism to one site over another is merely my opinion. Keep Searching.

Related articles selected by Jeff Rooney