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Casemaker Frequently Asked Questions and HelpFrequently Asked Questions
General Information A: Call the bar association’s main phone number at (303) 860-1115 and we will gladly look up your member number. Please do not call Lawriter, as they will not have this information.
Q: I entered my logon info and it didn’t work. What is the problem? A: If you entered your attorney registration number, the logon will not work. Enter your CBA member number and password. If that does not work please call the bar association and we will assist you.
Researching A: Your CBA membership gives you unlimited access to Casemaker that includes a comprehensive Colorado library, libraries for all 50 states, and a federal library. From the Colorado Library page, there are tabs that clearly identify "State Libraries" and "Federal Libraries." The Colorado, federal, and some state libraries include statutes, case law, administrative code, attorney general opinions, and most relevant materials needed for legal research.
Q: Why does a search for a specific case typed in the main search box list cases citing my search term instead of the actual case first? A: This happens because of the way the computer system organizes results. To find a case by citation, type the citation into the “Cite” field. To find a case by name, type it into the case name box below the general search box. This will give you the exact case you are looking for listed at the top of the search results.
Q: Will Casemaker allow me to do a Boolean search (search using terms and connecters)? A: The instructions for conducting a Boolean search are located in the “Search Tips” section below the fields for entering your search terms. The Casemaker search engine defaults to Boolean searches; for example, it is not necessary to type “AND” in between two terms. However, if you want to search for documents containing either one of two search terms, you would type: (search term 1, search term 2). See the Casemaker webpage for instructions on additional search techniques. These search instructions are on every search page throughout the Casemaker library.
Q: I am trying to do a search using key words and I keep getting a "No Results Found" answer. What is the problem? A: Casemaker automatically retains your previous search in each book of materials. Try hitting the clear search button located in the upper-right hand corner of the search page. If that does not work, it's possible that your search is too specific. Try simplifying your search and then make it more specific as relevant results are returned.
Q: Does Casemaker include unpublished opinions in any of its case libraries? A: No. Casemaker libraries do not include unpublished opinions.
Q: Does Casemaker include slip opinions in its case libraries? A: Yes. Before the opinion is published in the Reporter, Casemaker includes slip opinions in the case library. However, once the case gets published in the reporter, the slip opinion is removed from the library.
Q: I can’t find a case even though I know the citation is correct. What gives? A: It’s possible that the case has not been uploaded to Casemaker yet. If you can’t find a case, check the currency button first to see if it should be there. To do this, click on the appropriate library for the case you are searching for and then click the currency button in the upper right hand corner of the screen. The currency button takes you to a page listing the currency for cases, statutes, etc. If the item you are looking for should be there based on currency, but is not there then please feel free to call us at (303) 860-1115.
Citations A: Yes. When reading a case, the reporter page numbers appear at the top of the screen, above the page. Black lines indicate page breaks, and the new page number is centered below the line at the top of the next page.
Q: Do cases from Casemaker include anything similar to Westlaw’s Headnotes? A: There are no head notes summarizing the holdings or rules of law, however, Casemaker does list the citing references for the case so that the user can check to see if the case is still good law.
Statutes A: Casemaker includes the most recent session laws for the majority of states (see below). To find the session laws, go to the state libraries page and select the state you are looking for. Next, click on statutes, code, or the appropriate term for the state’s general laws; this will take you to the search page. Then click on the browse button, located next to the search button in the upper left-hand corner of the page. This brings you to a page with a “statues and session laws” link. Click on that link and the titles of the state’s code will appear in numerical order. At the bottom of the code are the session laws.
Q: How many states have their most recent session laws included on Casemaker? A: Casemaker includes the most recent session laws for the following states: Alabama, Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming. For states not updated with the most recent session laws, click on the state’s currency button (see above) and Casemaker will tell you the currency of the statutes.
Q: Do Casemaker’s statutes include annotations? A: For some states. Just like on Westlaw, the annotations are at the bottom of the page below the statutory text if the statutes are annotated. Colorado statutes are annotated.
Colorado Specific Research Questions A: It depends on the type of case. Colorado is named “People” in criminal cases, for example a Colorado criminal case will be cited as “People v. Doe”, whereas administrative cases usually designate Colorado as “State” in the citation. One additional name change applies in Children’s Code cases; that is Colorado will be cited as “People in Interest of F.M.” or “People ex rel. F.M.”.
Q: Are the forms in then Forms Library Colorado-specific, or Colorado-approved? A: The forms link in Casemaker takes you off the Casemaker site and to the US Forms site. The CBA cannot guarantee that these forms are Colorado-specific, valid or enforceable in the State of Colorado, including the courts.
Q: Why does the format of probate forms/sample documents imbedded within the statutes get messed up when I try to print in Word and PDF? A: Casemaker users demanded the two column format for documents, similar to Westlaw's formatting. If you are looking at a statue with a form imbedded, for example C.R.S. 15-22-111, you have to print using the HTML view to maintain the format.
Q: Why aren't the probate court forms available in Casemaker? A: The index of forms is included in Casemaker with a link to their location on the official Colorado Courts website. This is to prevent any problems that might arise from changes to the forms. It is better to obtain the form directly from the state so attorneys will not be responsible if there is a problem with the form.
Q: Can I find an article from the Colorado Lawyer by its citation? A: No. You can search by author or title, but citation searching is not effective. If you know the citation, an easy way to find what you're looking for is to use the browse feature. From the Colorado Library page, click on The Colorado Lawyer, then click the "Browse" button in the top left corner of the screen. This brings you to a page with a single "The Colorado Lawyer" link. Click on this link then click on the year the article was published and scroll down through the issues to find it.
Downloading and Printing A: Yes. Go to the print menu in the upper right hand corner of the screen and select either PDF or Word format to print the case in dual column format. Either of those options defaults to the two column format. However, HTML printing is in a standard document format.
Q: Will Casemaker allow me to download cases in Microsoft Word format? A: Yes. Go to the print menu in the upper right hand corner of the screen and select Word format. Your computer you will prompt you to either open or save the case as a Word document.
Q: What are my options for printing? A: Casemaker gives you three options for printing. You may print the document as a PDF, Word document, or as an HTML page. It also allows you to email documents to multiple recipients.
*For additional FAQs, click on the "Help" link to get a 7-page FAQ that answers basic questions about Casemaker, and an 18-page User Guide that explains very well both the basic search logic and the new advanced search logic. |
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