BRIEFS SEPTEMBER 2010 |
The Cleveland Law Library provides free reference services to all current members.
In addition, the Law Library can provide research services to members for a reasonable fee. Research services are free for the first 15 minutes in case we can find a quick answer. After that, we charge $75.00 per hour. Although the distinction between these two types of services is clear to us, some of our members are unclear about what qualifies as free reference service versus what constitutes billable research.
The following are some examples of free reference services for which we do not charge for staff time:
• Searching for a case, where the name, subject matter, approximate date, court, or other identifying information is known
• Selecting books or chapters in a book on a particular legal topic
• Finding forms
• Retrieving a statute or ordinance
• Providing parallel citations
• Cite checking a case using Shepard’s or KeyCite
• Answering ready reference (quick) questions
• Finding legislative history materials
• Obtaining documents from a Court
• Searching PACER and other docket databases
• Searching for jury verdicts when parameters such injuries, age, etc. are provided
• Searching our massive public records databases
Although we charge document delivery fees when members request a fax or email in connection with the above services, there are no extra search or connect charges for most of the electronic databases we use. However, we do pass on charges for specialty databases such as OPEN, which charge us user fees. When we obtain documents from a court, we charge only what the court charges us and do not add any additional surcharges beyond delivery fees.
In contrast, billable research involves finding information on a specific legal issue or issues for a particular case. Our research librarians look for cases, statutes, regulations, law review articles, ALR annotations, practice guides, and/or treatise materials relevant to patron-defined research criteria. Although we cannot interpret legal materials or provide legal advice, we can save you time and effort when we use the print and electronic resources we maintain at the Law Library.
Please contact Kathleen M. Sasala, Esq. if you have a research project.