Kansas Bar Association Joins Casemaker Database
24 states, 436,000+ Lawyers Now Comprise Casemaker Consortium
(February 9, 2006) Topeka, KS—E. Jane Taylor, president of the Ohio State Bar Association (OSBA), today announced the addition of the Kansas Bar Association to the Casemaker Consortium of Bar Associations, bringing the total to 24 states. The consortium already serves more than 432,000 American lawyers; the Kansas Bar Association represents an additional 6,500 lawyers. The goal is to include all 50 states in the Casemaker Consortium.
Launched by the Ohio State Bar Association and Lawriter ® LLC in 1999, Casemaker is a unique online legal research tool with a powerful search engine that provides access to a combination of state and federal materials. Consortium states provide standard Casemaker services free to their members. Recently, Casemaker earned national acclaim from legal practitioners when it was selected as a TechnoLawyer Awards finalist. TechnoLawyer is an online resource that serves the legal community by providing product reviews, technology tips and other information. According to TechnoLawyer, many law firms use the TechnoLawyer Awards as a buying guide.
Taylor said, "Legal practitioners around the country understand and appreciate the real benefit of having an online legal research tool like Casemaker at their fingertips. Casemaker allows lawyers in consortium states to fulfill most, if not all, of their computer-assisted online legal research needs. For practice management and potentially for consumers of legal services, Casemaker is a cost-saving tool that ranks with the best."
Kansas Bar Association President Richard F. Hayse, said, "I can't think of a more meaningful member benefit. Casemaker includes a comprehensive online research library available to our members as part of their bar membership. Kansas lawyers will have access to online legal research for not only their own state and the Federal Courts, but twenty three other states as well."
Jeffrey Alderman, Kansas Bar Association Executive Director, offered, "We strive to enhance the benefits we offer our members, especially those that directly impact their practice of law. Casemaker opens the door to cost-effective legal research as part of the bar membership, especially benefiting those in solo and small firm practices. Our members are going to love this addition to their membership services."
Denny Ramey, the Ohio State Bar Association's Executive Director, explained how the Casemaker Consortium works: "Casemaker is a computer-assisted legal research program that allows each member bar to share its library with all other member bars. It levels the playing field for the 60 percent to 70 percent of lawyers who are sole practitioners or who practice in firms of five or fewer lawyers. Many of these lawyers cannot afford to subscribe to other online legal research services. Large firms also realize cost savings when their lawyers use Casemaker before turning to more expensive tools. The goal of Casemaker is to take care of the research needs of 90 percent of lawyers 90 percent of the time."
The Kansas Bar Association joins bar associations in 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.
The Kansas Bar Association was founded in 1882 as a voluntary association for dedicated legal professionals and has more than 6,500 members, including lawyers, judges, law students, and legal assistants.
The Ohio State Bar Association, founded in 1880, is a voluntary association representing approximately 25,000 members of the bench and bar of Ohio as well as nearly 4,000 legal assistants and law students. Through its activities and the activities of its related organizations, the OSBA serves both its members and the public by promoting the highest standards in the practice of law and the administration of justice.
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