Casemaker Comes to Utah
On April 30th the Utah State Bar signed to join the Casemaker Consortium. The implementation plan will have the service coming online for Utah Bar members in late 2004.
On April 30th the Utah State Bar signed to join the Casemaker Consortium. The implementation plan will have the service coming online for Utah Bar members in late 2004.
What is Casemaker?
Casemaker is an online legal research tool built specifically for lawyers. Its simple-to-use interface allows lawyers to easily search and retrieve legal information on the Internet through a browser (e.g. Internet Explorer). The library of information focuses on primary law, which includes state cases, codes and federal equivalents.
Casemaker was initiated by the Ohio State Bar Association in 1999 and has grown to include 15 additional states.
Casemaker will be provided free to active members of the Utah State Bar.
What is the Consortium?
A unique aspect of Casemaker is the consortium approach. Currently there are 16 states signed into this consortium. Each state selects its own state content, but then this content is shared with the other consortium members. This means Utah lawyers will have free access to the libraries of the other state bar members. Currently this list includes: Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas & Vermont. Casemaker originated in the east, but has recently been gaining a presence in western states that should continue to grow.
In addition to providing access to other state’s content, the Consortium gives member state bars a seat at the development table. Member bars have direct input into future features and developments for the Casemaker service. So far this arrangement has proven valuable for the member bars and the service itself.
What will the Utah Library Include?
The Utah Library was selected with two goals in mind. First, we wanted to cover the most valuable primary law for Utah. This would obviously include Utah cases and the Utah code. Second, we needed to balance the amount of content with the cost of the system. Hopefully our initial library has achieved this balance. Going forward we will work with various government agencies to add further content, continuing to increase the value of the Casemaker service to our members.
The initial library will include:
Utah Supreme Court Decisions from 1939
Utah Court of Appeals Decisions since inception (1987)
Utah Code
Utah Administrative Rules
Court Rules
Utah Rules of Court – Annexed Alternative Dispute Resolution
Utah Rules of Civil Procedure
Utah Evidence Rules
Utah Rules of Civil Procedure
Utah Criminal Rules of Procedure
Utah Bar Rules and Opinions
Utah Bar Journal
CLE Materials (selected)
BYU and Utah Law Reviews (as permitted)
Federal Law includes:
US Supreme Court opinions from 1935
US Circuit Court opinions (generally from 1995)
US Code
US CFR – 2003 to date
Federal Court Rules
(Including Circuit court rules)
When will Casemaker be Available?
Based on our contract, we have a 6 to 9 month implementation time frame. This will put Casemaker online in Utah likely in late 2004. Since Utah’s legal history is relatively shorter (compared to eastern states) we hope to be running closer to the six month timing.
Questions about Casemaker?
If you have questions about the Casemaker system or the implementation progress, please send a note to casemaker@utahbar.org or call 801.297.7027.
If you would like a demo of Casemaker for your group, these can be arranged.