Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
This is a list of Frequently Asked Questions to help you use KBA Casemaker.
Q: Is there a number I can call if I have questions about Casemaker?
Q: Where can I turn for help if I have questions after business hours?
Q: Are there any fees to access Casemaker online?
Q: What will the Casemaker library contain?
Q: I forgot my username and/or password. How can I get them?
Q: How do I change my username, password, and/or e-mail address?
Q: Why do I need to give you my e-mail address?
Q: What is the minimum number of characters that can be entered as a search term?
Q: How can I narrow my search? It is returning too many results.
Q: I'm getting too few results from my searches. What should I do?
Q: How does the Casemaker search engine decide the rank of a document?
Q: Can you use Casemaker as a case citator?
Q: How do I find cases that discuss a particular statute?
Q: I am using AOL version 6.0 and am having troubled logging in.
Q: Is there a number I can call if I have questions about Casemaker?
A: Yes, call the Kansas Bar Association at (785) 234-5696 and ask for Casemaker assistance during normal business hours. KBA business hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Q: Where can I turn for help if I have questions after business hours?
A: After KBA business hours, click on the Help button in the upper right-hand portion of the Casemaker navigation bar. Casemaker online help provides complete instruction on the use of Casemaker.
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A: Casemaker is a Web-based legal research library and search engine that allows KBA members, through the KBA Web site (www.ksbar.org), to search and browse a variety of useful materials, such as historic-to-current state and federal case law, state statutes and regulations, rules of professional conduct, and much more. .
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Q: Are there any fees to access Casemaker online?
A: Use of Casemaker is free to all KBA members who have paid their current year’s dues.
Q: What will the Casemaker library contain?
A: The Kansas Casemaker library will contain the following. More books are expected to be added in the future as well.
- Supreme Court from July 30, 1945 with Casecheck annotator
- Court of Appeals from February 25, 1977 with Casecheck annotator
- Kansas Board of Tax Appeals
- Constitution
- Statutes with superCODE feature
- Acts
- Regulations
- Attorney General Opinions from 1989
- Historic-to-current editions of the KBA Journal
- Kansas Rules of Civil Procedure
- Kansas Rules of Criminal Procedure
- Kansas Rules of Evidence
- Rules of the Judicial Districts
- Rules of the Court of Appeals and Appellate Practice
- Required Continuing Judicial Education
- Rules Relating to Admission of Attorneys
- Rules Relating to Continuing Legal Education
- Rules Relating to Discipline of Attorneys
- Rules Relating to District Courts
- Rules Relating to Judicial Conduct
- Rules Relating to Mediation
- Rules Relating to Claims under Indigent Criminal Defendants Act
- Media Coverage of Judicial Proceedings
- District of Kansas Interim Federal and local Bankruptcy rules
- 2005 Local Federal District Rules and 2006 Proposed Local Rule Amendments
- Create a Verdict/Settlement Reporter from information sent by Kansas lawyers
- Create a Verdict/Settlement Reporter for Worker’s Comp information sent by Kansas lawyers
- Law Reviews of all Kansas Law Schools who will provide data
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Federal Material
In addition, all member Casemaker Consortium state libraries are available to KBA members. By January 2007, ALL 50 state's libraries will be available to KBA members. Casemaker Consortium State Libraries include:
Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington State and West Virginia. Michigan case law is also available to all lawyers who are members of Casemaker Consortium states.
Q: I currently use a commercial vendor for my online research. Will I still need these services or will Casemaker replace them?
A: This is an individual choice. Casemaker will provide a comprehensive, online legal research library. There will be no monthly, hourly, or per-minute charges to use Casemaker. Only KBA members will have access, which is FREE with their KBA membership.
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Q: I am trying to login to the members-only portion of the KBA Web site for the first time. What do I do?
A: If this is your first time trying to login to the members-only portion of the KBA Web site, your username is the e-mail address you have provided to the KBA, and your password is your KBA Membership Number (assigned by the KBA). If you have misplaced or forgotten your Membership Number, call KBA Headquarters at (785) 234-5696 for assistance.
Q: I am trying to login to the members-only portion of the KBA Web site and am having problems. What should I do?
A: Here are a few things you can check:
Your member status - If you have not paid your KBA dues, you will not be able to access the members-only sections of the Web site, including Casemaker. You may pay your dues online or call Bar Headquarters at (785) 234-5696 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Your web browser configuration - Two factors that may prevent you logging in are:
1. “Cookies” not Enabled - Cookies are small text files created by Web sites on your hard disk. They must be active (“enabled”) to allow our login procedure to work. Please select one of the options below to check that Cookies are enabled for your web browser:
- Enable Cookies on NAVIGATOR
- Enable Cookies on EXPLORER 6
- Enable Cookies on EXPLORER
- Enable Cookies on AOL (v6.0) for WINDOWS
- Enable Cookies on AOL (v5.x) for WINDOWS
- Enable Cookies on AOL (v4.0) for WINDOWS
- Enable Cookies on AOL (v3.x) for WINDOWS or (v4.x) for MACINTOSH
- Enable Cookies on AOL (v3.x) for MACINTOSH
The KBA Web site uses cookies to store limited information on your computer when you login or make purchases online. Cookies pose no security threat to you, your computer, or your network. The KBA Web site does not store critical information such as credit card numbers or passwords in cookies. Cookies cannot be used to retrieve sensitive information from your computer or to peruse your hard drive. For an in-depth look at what cookies are please explore this link:
http://help.netscape.com/kb/consumer/19970226-2.html
2. Full “Cache” - The Cache is an area on your hard disk that keeps a record of web-sites that you have visited. If it is not cleared periodically then it may get so full that it interferes with your use of the internet and other software on your computer. Please select one of the options below to empty the Cache for your web browser:
Go to EDIT. Click on PREFERENCES. Click directly on ADVANCE. Be sure the box that says “ACCEPT ALL COOKIES” is selected. Click OK to exit.
Go to TOOLS. Click on INTERNET OPTIONS. Click Privacy tab. Click on Advanced. Click “Override automatic cookie handling”. Under “First-party Cookies” click “Accept”. Under “Third-party Cookies” click “Accept”. Click “Always allow session cookies. Click OK to exit.
Go to INTERNET OPTIONS. This is under either VIEW or TOOLS depending on version. (Version 4 under VIEW and version 5 under TOOLS). Click Security tab. Click on Custom Level. Scroll Down to COOKIES. “Enable Cookies” should be selected. Click OK to exit.
Enable Cookies on AOL (v6.0) for WINDOWS:
Click on MY AOL. Click SETTINGS on the main toolbar. Click PREFERENCES. Click on Internet Properties (WWW). Click on the SECURITY tab. Click on the INTERNET ZONE, then click on the Custom button on the bottom of the window. The Security Settings window will appear. Scroll down until you see Cookies. Click Enable for the Allow per-session cookies option. Click OK to exit.
Enable Cookies on AOL (v5.0) for WINDOWS:
Click on MY AOL on the main toolbar. Click PREFERENCES. Click on WWW. Click on the SECURITY tab. Click on the INTERNET ZONE, then click on the Custom button on the bottom of the window. The Security Settings window will appear. Scroll down until you see Cookies. Click Enable for the Allow per-session cookies option. Click OK to exit.
Enable Cookies on AOL (v4.0) for WINDOWS:
Click on START MENU from desktop. Click on SETTINGS, then CONTROL PANEL. Click on the INTERNET icon. Click the ADVANCED tab and scroll down until you see the word COOKIES. Click on ALWAYS ACCEPT COOKIES. Click on APPLY and then OK to exit.
Enable Cookies on AOL (v3.x) for WINDOWS or (v4.x) for MACINTOSH:
Click on MEMBERS or MY AOL. Click PREFERENCES. Click on WWW or WEB. Click on ADVANCED TAB and scroll down until you see the word COOKIES. ENABLED should be selected. Click OK to exit.
Enable Cookies on AOL (v3.x) for MACINTOSH:
Cookies are NOT available through v3.x for Mac. AOL recommends upgrading to AOL 5.0. This is available to download at http://free.aol.com.
Go to EDIT. Click on PREFERENCES. Click on the + (plus sign) next to Advanced. Click on CACHE under word Advanced. Click on CLEAR MEMORY CACHE and CLEAR DISK CACHE. When it prompts ‘is this okay,’ click OK. Click OK to exit out of the prompt. **You may want to exit all the way out of the browser and then re-open the browser before attempting to access our Web site again.
Click on INTERNET OPTIONS, which is either under VIEW or TOOLS, depending on Explorer Version. (Version 4 under VIEW and version 5+6 under TOOLS). Click on DELETE FILES under the Temporary Internet File Category (in the General tab). Click OK. Click OK again to exit. **You may want to exit all the way out of the browser and then re-open the browser before attempting to access our web site again.
Click on ‘MY AOL’ (on the tool bar at the top of the AOL Screen).
Click on PREFERENCES. Under PREFERENCES, Click on the WWW icon. Under TEMPORARY INTERNET FILES, Click on DELETE FILES. Under HISTORY, Click on CLEAR HISTORY. Click on OK to exit.
If the login prompt keeps asking for your User Name and Password, and you can’t enter Casemaker or the Members-Only site, try the following:
- Make sure you are entering the e-mail address you have on file with the KBA as your User ID and your KBA Member ID number (not your Supreme Court number) as your Password. If you are not sure what e-mail address you have on file with the KBA or what your KBA Member ID number is, contact the Bar Association at (785) 234-5696 or at info@ksbar.org.
- Is your Internet connection down? Test this by using your Web browser to visit a site you've never been to before (to make sure you're not loading from the disk or proxy cache).
- Make sure you have not checked the “Remember my Password” box until you have entered the correct User ID and Password.
- Does your network have a firewall or proxy server (see below)?
A firewall is a computer between your workstation computer and the Internet. Internet traffic to and from your business or home often goes through a firewall. Firewalls are used to filter traffic and prevent outsiders from infiltrating the network. They can also be used to limit network traffic coming from inside a business, restricting what a workstation can do on the Internet. You should ask your network administrator if you have a firewall. If so, ask them to grant you access to the KBA Members-Only and Casemaker Web sites.
What is a proxy server?
A proxy server is a computer between your workstation computer and the Internet. When you request a Web page, the proxy server receives and processes the request. After the Web page is received from the Internet, the proxy server sends the file to your workstation computer. A proxy server can also act as a firewall, blocking incoming network requests from the Internet. You should ask your network administrator if you have a proxy server.
Q: I am unable to complete searches after getting to the Casemaker site, it tells me I’m not logged in, what do I need to do?
A: If your browser is configured to deny cookies, or deny cookies from our site, you will not be able to access Casemaker. Most browsers have the cookie feature enabled by default. If your browser’s cache is too full, you may experience problems with accessing Casemaker. Pop-up blocking software can also be a factor, as it too affects cookie settings on your machine. If you have pop-up blocking software, you will need to look closely at its settings to be sure it isn’t causing the problem.
- Enable Cookies on NAVIGATOR
- Enable Cookies on EXPLORER 6
- Enable Cookies on EXPLORER
- Enable Cookies on AOL (v6.0) for WINDOWS
- Enable Cookies on AOL (v5.x) for WINDOWS
- Enable Cookies on AOL (v4.0) for WINDOWS
- Enable Cookies on AOL (v3.x) for WINDOWS or (v4.x) for MACINTOSH
- Enable Cookies on AOL (v3.x) for MACINTOSH
- Clear Cache In NAVIGATOR
- Clear Cache In EXPLORER
- Clear Cache in AOL (v4.0)
The KBA Web site uses cookies to store limited information on your computer when you login or make purchases online. Cookies pose no security threat to you, your computer or your network. The KBA Web site does not store critical information such as credit card numbers or passwords in cookies. Cookies cannot be used to retrieve sensitive information from your computer or to peruse your hard drive. For an in-depth look at what cookies are please explore this link: http://help.netscape.com/kb/consumer/19970226-2.html.
Q: I’m an AOL user. When I try to do searches on Casemaker, it tells me that I am not logged in even though I have logged in to the KBA site as instructed. I have confirmed that cookies are enabled, what else can I do?
A: Certain versions of AOL may be incompatible with Casemaker at the present time. If you have AOL version 4.0 or higher, you should be able to connect to Casemaker by doing the following: Use AOL to connect to the internet as usual. While AOL is running, launch a new Web browser (like Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator). You will need to login to the KBA site in this new browser to launch Casemaker again. Windows users should be able to find Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator by clicking on the “Start” menu then looking in the Programs” folder. Mac users may need to user “Sherlock” or “Find File” to search for the Web browser by name on their computer.
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Q: I forgot my Username and/or Password. How can I get them?
A: Your Username is the e-mail address you have on file with the KBA. Your Password is your KBA Member ID Number. If you have lost or changed your e-mail address or you do not have an e-mail address on file with the KBA, or if you have misplaced your KBA Member ID Card (which shows your KBA Member ID number), please notify KBA Member Services at info@ksbar.org or by calling (785) 234-5696.
Q: How do I change my Username, Password, and/or e-mail address?
A: You cannot change your Password, but you can change your e-mail address (which is your Username) by contacting KBA Member Services at info@ksbar.org or by calling (785) 234-5696. These changes will then be incorporated into your membership record in the KBA database.
Q: Why do I need to give you my e-mail address?
A: Your e-mail address is used as your Username to access the members-only section of the KBA Web site, including Casemaker. It can be used to e-mail your password to you should you happen to forget it. We also use your e-mail address to send you confirmation of your online purchases. The KBA respects your privacy. We do not give, rent, or sell members’ e-mail addresses to third parties.
Q: What is the minimum number of characters that can be entered as a search term?
A: You must enter at least two characters for every search term. The search engine will return an error if you enter one character by itself.
Q: How can I narrow my search? It is returning too many results.
A: If you are getting too many search results, try:
- Adding more words to your query
- Using the exclusion operator (-) to ensure documents returned do not include cases containing unwanted terms: i.e. hit-run (include the word hit but not run)
- If you are searching for a phrase, enter it within quotation marks: i.e., "bill of sale”
- Using the advanced search feature, change the “Word Forms” control to “Exact”
- Using the advanced search feature, decrease the range of the “Proximity' control: i.e. within 500 characters
Q: I’m getting too few results from my searches. What should I do?
A: If you are getting too few search results, try:
- Reducing the number of words in your query
- Checking your spelling
-
Using the advanced search feature, increase the scope of the “Proximity” control Make sure you are searching the correct “book” in the library: i.e. each item
in the diagram to the right is a separate book
Q: How does the Casemaker search engine decide the rank of a document?
A: The ranking algorithm takes into consideration relative word ordering, word proximity, database frequency, document frequency, and position in text.
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Q: Can you use Casemaker as a case citator?
A: Casemaker includes a citator feature. By entering the case name or citation, all the cases that reference that case or citation will be pulled up for your review. In addition, Casemaker’s new citator feature, CiteCheck, allows you to find out where your case has been cited. CiteCheck automatically locates all cases that cite the case you are viewing and allows you to link directly to those cases. CiteCheck results are displayed to the right of the case you are viewing.
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Q: How do I find cases that discuss a particular statute?
A: With the full-text searching capability of Casemaker you no longer have to rely on annotations to find out which cases are cited. When you insert a statute citation into the basic search screen and hit search, you will retrieve all cases that discuss the statute in question. Then you can make your own decision of relevance without relying on someone else’s summary.
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Q: I am using AOL version 6.0 and am having troubled logging in.
A: AOL users have encountered problems logging into Casemaker through AOL’s proprietary Web browser. In general, it is best to open Internet Explorer from your AOL options.
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Q: Printing out search tips and operators: The paragraph at the bottom of the page indicating that clicking on the print link can print the page did not work. Until I get used to the Casemaker operators, it would be nice to have them printed out. Is there another way to do this?
A:Within the Help screen window, right-click somewhere in the screen and chose Print from there.
Q: I use Opera as my browser. Does Casemaker not work with Opera? Will it work With Netscape? I take strong exception to a system that works only with Microsoft Explorer.
A: As long as cookies are enabled, most web browsers should work fine with Casemaker (problems have been reported with AOL 4-6). Casemaker has performed as expected with cookies enabled using Opera, Mozilla, and Netscape (v.4-7) on PC and Mac platforms.
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