Visualizing the law

Imagine getting helpful infographics instead of long lists of names when you search for cases. Some research systems are starting to move in that direction by offering innovative, graphic-focused results that make it easy to see relationships among cases. You might consider trying a search in one of these systems if you’ve already done some background research in secondary sources and are having a hard time finding good cases.

Ravel search results. Larger circle = more frequently cited.
Ravel search results. Query = “quid pro quo sexual harassment.” Larger circle = more frequently cited. Federal cases only (as of early 2013)

Ravel (www.ravellaw.com) is a project that recently came out of Stanford Law School. At this time, there are a few options for the charts, and all of them make it immediately obvious that some cases are more “important” than others. To try Ravel, go to their website and give it a whirl.

FastCase search results. Larger circle = more frequently cited.
FastCase search results.* Larger circle = more frequently cited.

Fastcase (www.fastcase.com) has also been offering a visual search result option for a while now. Fastcase is a research platform that’s popular with many smaller firms; over 20 state bar associations offer Fastcase subscriptions for their members. (California is not one of those states.) To try Fastcase, sign up on their website for a 24-hour trial.

*Fastcase image comes from a talk given by Fastcase CEO Ed Walters on “Who Owns the Law” at the 2013 “Reinvent the Law” conference – skip to about 11:30 to see Walters mention this “Interactive Timeline.” (You can also skip to about 1:15 to listen to the story of how Westlaw “stole” the roots of its online research system from the federal government in the 70s. And then skip to 4:04 to listen to the story of how the state of Georgia has locked away their own state statutes in a contract with LexisNexis.)