The free web works well for some types of legal research
There are many sources of authentic legal information on the free web. If you already know what you are looking for, today’s search engines can help you find it quickly. If you don’t know what to look for, the free web can provide you with valuable background information as well.
Don’t be penny wise and pound foolish
In law even small variations in text can have a big effect on meaning, so be sure that any information you rely on comes from a reliable source and can be authenticated against an official copy of the original.
In law incomplete information can be misleading or just plain wrong, so be sure that your research is comprehensive.
When you research on the free web you leave an electronic trail, so be sure that you are not revealing any confidential information in your searching.
There’s a lot of free legal information the web, but not everything is available for free. You may need to supplement your research with a trip to the law library or with the use of a commercial service.