I often wonder if law schools still teach research by using books. When I was a 1L, we had to Shepardize cases like that. It was as tedious and boring as it sounds.

Nowadays, computers and the Internet do in seconds what used to take hours or sometimes days. That’s not necessarily good when you’re billing time in tenths of an hour, but generally speaking it makes life easier.

As a trial attorney, I find myself constantly referring to a few helpful websites (in addition to Google and Westlaw). If you haven’t already done so, put them in your rotation.

The Maryland Judiciary Website – Case Search

The Maryland judiciary has a surprisingly comprehensive website, especially when you consider Maryland state courts do not yet have e-filing. Regardless, the case search option allows you search all kinds of matters, including civil, criminal, and traffic. The best part? It’s free.

The most basic use for case search is to check the docket. Filing dates, counsel of record, upcoming events, witnesses, and case dispositions are included.

You can also do quick background checks or see if the citation you got five years ago for speeding or urinating in public is still there for the world to see. (Note: just because the state’s attorney entered a nol pros doesn’t mean it’s off your record. Expungement isn’t automatic.)

For civil litigation, case search is also a quick way to see if a party or witness has a shady past. Certain convictions or guilty pleas in criminal matters within the past 15 years are admissible in civil actions to impeach a person’s credibility.

For example, I once had a case where the plaintiff had a prior conviction for forgery. In another, the plaintiff had pleaded guilty to insurance fraud. Needless to say, the value of those cases dropped dramatically once we knew we were dealing with swindlers and that the jury was likely to find out, too.

SDAT website

The Maryland State Department of Assessment and Taxation (SDAT) has a great website, too. It’s basically two valuable resources in one: a real property data search engine and a site to explore business records and filings.

The SDAT’s real property search feature allows you to see the specifics of a particular property, including its assessments, owner(s), size, and sales history. It’s also good to confirm someone’s address, to get info on a particular plat or parcel, or to see what your neighbors paid for their house.

The business data search engine is important for civil litigation purposes because it lists a company’s resident agent – the person or entity established by the company in Maryland to receive service of process and similarly important legal materials. The site also allows you check a company’s status (e,g, active, forfeited) or to see if the name for your potential new company is already taken.

Accurint.com

This site is a paid search engine powered by Lexis-Nexis. It has numerous features but is a go-to to find a person’s last known address, their phone number, or their last place of employment. This becomes crucial, for example, when you need to find a witness, do surveillance, or serve a subpoena.

Accurint also provides the option of a comprehensive report on an individual, which can reveal things like bankruptcy filings, criminal records, assets owned (vehicles, boats, real property), and the names of relatives and associates. A p.i. might charge you $300 or more for the same information.

Each of these sites has helped provide better results for clients while increasing the efficiency of the entire process. If there are similar sites that help your practice, let us know.

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