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Every single week, we see many attorneys turning to our network of freelance lawyers for time-consuming research projects.

The fact of the matter is that most lawyers get to a point in their careers where it’s hard for them to find enough hours in their day to dig into certain issues that need to be fully researched.

And when you reach that point in your career, the best thing to do is to delegate that work.

The problem is finding someone who’s incredibly savvy with the skills and experience to get the work done, but at a rate you can afford to still maintain and grow profitability.

That’s where we come in.

In this post, we’ll cover:

• How you can use LAWCLERK, our freelance lawyer marketplace, to find the best possible talent for your legal research needs.
• Real examples of legal research projects that attorneys posted on our marketplace, including the project description, price they paid, and comment/rating they left for the freelance lawyer (so you can see what kind of work you yourself might be able to get help with by using our platform). 

Note: Interested in signing up for LAWCLERK and posting your first Project? We match busy attorneys with our nationwide network of freelance lawyers, who have experience in all areas of law. There are no signup fees or monthly fees, and you only pay when you’re actually hiring someone to help you with work — making it a flexible, affordable way to get the help you need, when you need it. Learn more and sign up here .

How You Can Use Our Freelance Lawyer Marketplace to Find the Talent You Need

Here’s how to post your first Project on our marketplace, step by step:

Once you’re logged in and see your dashboard, click on the plus sign icon (+) for “Post a New Project or Build a New Team,” then on the pop-up, “Create a New Project.”

Step 1 : Set the Project’s parameters, including:

• The Project name.
• The length of time  you’d like to accept applications.
• The Project’s deadline .
• The deadline date for the review draft (if applicable) .
• The flat fee price you’re offering.
• Which area(s) of law the Project falls under.
• Which Project type(s) the Project falls under.
• The skill level you’d like applicants to be.
• Whether you’d like to post the Project to the entire marketplace, or if you’d like to take advantage of our Teams feature and post it directly to a freelance lawyer on your team.

Step 2 : Give more information about the Project, including:

• The Project’s description  (sample language is provided, to give you an idea of how to write it if you’re unsure or have never posted before) .
• Details about the Project (also with sample language) .
• Selecting whether it’s applicable to a state, federal, or other legal jurisdiction.

Note: As soon as you sign up for your account, you’re going to be matched up with one of our Dedicated LAWCLERK advisors . They can help you with any questions related to posting your Project, such as the price you should set, best practices when drafting your Project description, and so on. 

That’s all there is to it!

Once your Project is set up and applications roll in, you can select the applicant that best suits your needs and let them handle the work for you.

Each applicant profile includes a bio, resume, writing samples, and reviews/ratings they’ve received from other attorneys on our marketplace (so you can make an informed decision to select the most qualified applicant).

There’s no locked-in cost for doing business beyond the cost of the Project (unless you prefer a subscription — more on that below). 

Rather than spending the time and money to find, train, outfit, and maintain a full-time associate or even part-time paralegal, LAWCLERK allows you to simply post the Project you want done, choose the applicant who meets the need you have right now, and get the work done with no major investment or commitment on your part. Which all leads to significant cost savings.

Want Consistency? Try Our Virtual Associate Subscription Program

If you want to lock in how much help you get each month at an easy-to-budget price, you can sign up for our Virtual Associate Subscription Program .

After we launched LAWCLERK, many of our users were thrilled with the service — but we had some customers ask for a way to further integrate freelance lawyers into their law firm , for a significant number of monthly hours (rather than on a per-Project basis) .

Our subscription service was born from this need. Here’s how it works:

• Hiring law firms and attorneys, such as yourself, can select the expertise level of the freelancer and the amount of hours you’d like to use them for each month.
• You set how many hours you’ll need help per month in increments of 10 hours — from 10 hours up to 120 hours per month.
• You get assistance from your Dedicated LAWCLERK Advisor to determine those variables.
• We handle the timekeeping, bookkeeping, and even tax reporting.
• There’s no long-term commitment, as the contract is month to month with only 30 days cancelation.
• You now know exactly how much help you can count on from your freelancer(s) each month.

Note: For more information about our Virtual Associate Subscription Program, click here .

Example Freelance Lawyer: Dayna Maeder

Here’s an example of one of the many talented freelance lawyers on LAWCLERK who excels at legal research:

And here are some highlights about Dayna:

• She has completed over 60 projects on LAWCLERK, either meeting or exceeding expectations on 100% of them.
• She’s a former journalist (her undergraduate studies were in journalism/mass communication), and she’s experienced in complex legal research projects and drafting appellate briefs. She enjoys research and writing projects.
• She’s admitted in the Northern, Middle, and Southern District Courts of Florida, with primary interests in appellate law, family law, civil litigation, employment law, and criminal law.
• In the past, she was a teaching assistant for government compliance and healthcare courses in the Florida State University College of Law Juris Master program, and she assisted in felony cases with the Children in Prison Project.
• She also holds a Master’s in Education with a concentration in curriculum and instruction, and in her spare time, she trains students in the art of courtroom and client advocacy procedures. She’s also an associate editor for the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division.

Note: Dayna Maeder is just one of the more than 3,500 lawyers in the LAWCLERK network. When you post a Project, on average, 12 candidates apply, and hiring attorneys are often incredibly surprised by their talent level, credentials, and years of experience.

Examples of Legal Research Projects by Practice Area

For examples of the kinds of research projects the freelance lawyers on LAWCLERK can do for you, below you can find multiple samples of work that have actually been done via our platform, categorized by the following areas of law:

• Business, Corporate, and Real Estate
• Employment, Labor, and Education
• Entertainment and Sports
• Estate Planning, Wills, Trusts, and Probate
• Immigration
• Intellectual Property

We include the Project Description and Project Details as listed on LAWCLERK, as well as the hiring attorney’s comments about how well the Project was completed by the freelance attorney .

Note : This is just the tip of the iceberg. The following were taken from the “Sample Projects by Area of Law” section on our Attorney Resources page . For more examples of projects that you can delegate to freelance lawyers, such as document drafting, discovery, and more, click here .

Appellate (see more examples)

Bankruptcy  (see more examples)

Business, Corporate, and Real Estate (see more examples)

Criminal (see more examples)

Employment, Labor, and Education (see more examples)

Entertainment and Sports (see more examples)

Estate Planning, Wills, Trusts, and Probate (see more examples)

Immigration (see more examples)

Intellectual Property  (see more examples)

Litigation (see more examples)

Non-Profit (see more examples)

Personal Injury (see more examples)

Tax (see more examples)

Interested in Signing Up for LAWCLERK and Posting Your First Project?

We match busy solo attorneys and small firms with our nationwide network of freelance lawyers, who have experience in all areas of law.

There are no sign-up fees or monthly fees, and you only pay when you’re actually hiring someone to help you with work — making it a flexible, affordable way to get the help you need, when you need it. Learn more and sign up here .

Kristin Tyler, Co-Founder Lawclerk

DON’T FORGET TO SHARE THIS POST!

• This post was originally published on March 5, 2021

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How to do legal research in 3 steps

Knowing where to start a difficult legal research project can be a challenge. But if you already understand the basics of legal research, the process can be significantly easier — not to mention quicker.

Solid research skills are crucial to crafting a winning argument. So, whether you are a law school student or a seasoned attorney with years of experience, knowing how to perform legal research is important — including where to start and the steps to follow.

What is legal research, and where do I start? 

Black's Law Dictionary defines legal research as “[t]he finding and assembling of authorities that bear on a question of law." But what does that actually mean? It means that legal research is the process you use to identify and find the laws — including statutes, regulations, and court opinions — that apply to the facts of your case.

In most instances, the purpose of legal research is to find support for a specific legal issue or decision. For example, attorneys must conduct legal research if they need court opinions — that is, case law — to back up a legal argument they are making in a motion or brief filed with the court.

Alternatively, lawyers may need legal research to provide clients with accurate legal guidance . In the case of law students, they often use legal research to complete memos and briefs for class. But these are just a few situations in which legal research is necessary.

Why is legal research hard?

Each step — from defining research questions to synthesizing findings — demands critical thinking and rigorous analysis.

1. Identifying the legal issue is not so straightforward. Legal research involves interpreting many legal precedents and theories to justify your questions. Finding the right issue takes time and patience.

2. There's too much to research. Attorneys now face a great deal of case law and statutory material. The sheer volume forces the researcher to be efficient by following a methodology based on a solid foundation of legal knowledge and principles.

3. The law is a fluid doctrine. It changes with time, and staying updated with the latest legal codes, precedents, and statutes means the most resourceful lawyer needs to assess the relevance and importance of new decisions.

Legal research can pose quite a challenge, but professionals can improve it at every stage of the process . 

Step 1: Key questions to ask yourself when starting legal research

Before you begin looking for laws and court opinions, you first need to define the scope of your legal research project. There are several key questions you can use to help do this.

What are the facts?

Always gather the essential facts so you know the “who, what, why, when, where, and how” of your case. Take the time to write everything down, especially since you will likely need to include a statement of facts in an eventual filing or brief anyway. Even if you don't think a fact may be relevant now, write it down because it may be relevant later. These facts will also be helpful when identifying your legal issue.

What is the actual legal issue?

You will never know what to research if you don't know what your legal issue is. Does your client need help collecting money from an insurance company following a car accident involving a negligent driver? How about a criminal case involving excluding evidence found during an alleged illegal stop?

No matter the legal research project, you must identify the relevant legal problem and the outcome or relief sought. This information will guide your research so you can stay focused and on topic.

What is the relevant jurisdiction?

Don't cast your net too wide regarding legal research; you should focus on the relevant jurisdiction. For example, does your case deal with federal or state law? If it is state law, which state? You may find a case in California state court that is precisely on point, but it won't be beneficial if your legal project involves New York law.

Where to start legal research: The library, online, or even AI?

In years past, future attorneys were trained in law school to perform research in the library. But now, you can find almost everything from the library — and more — online. While you can certainly still use the library if you want, you will probably be costing yourself valuable time if you do.

When it comes to online research, some people start with free legal research options , including search engines like Google or Bing. But to ensure your legal research is comprehensive, you will want to use an online research service designed specifically for the law, such as Westlaw . Not only do online solutions like Westlaw have all the legal sources you need, but they also include artificial intelligence research features that help make quick work of your research

Step 2: How to find relevant case law and other primary sources of law

Now that you have gathered the facts and know your legal issue, the next step is knowing what to look for. After all, you will need the law to support your legal argument, whether providing guidance to a client or writing an internal memo, brief, or some other legal document.

But what type of law do you need? The answer: primary sources of law. Some of the more important types of primary law include:

• Case law, which are court opinions or decisions issued by federal or state courts
• Statutes, including legislation passed by both the U.S. Congress and state lawmakers
• Regulations, including those issued by either federal or state agencies
• Constitutions, both federal and state

Searching for primary sources of law

So, if it's primary law you want, it makes sense to begin searching there first, right? Not so fast. While you will need primary sources of law to support your case, in many instances, it is much easier — and a more efficient use of your time — to begin your search with secondary sources such as practice guides, treatises, and legal articles.

Why? Because secondary sources provide a thorough overview of legal topics, meaning you don't have to start your research from scratch. After secondary sources, you can move on to primary sources of law.

For example, while no two legal research projects are the same, the order in which you will want to search different types of sources may look something like this:

• Secondary sources . If you are researching a new legal principle or an unfamiliar area of the law, the best place to start is secondary sources, including law journals, practice guides , legal encyclopedias, and treatises. They are a good jumping-off point for legal research since they've already done the work for you. As an added bonus, they can save you additional time since they often identify and cite important statutes and seminal cases.
• Case law . If you have already found some case law in secondary sources, great, you have something to work with. But if not, don't fret. You can still search for relevant case law in a variety of ways, including running a search in a case law research tool.

Once you find a helpful case, you can use it to find others. For example, in Westlaw, most cases contain headnotes that summarize each of the case's important legal issues. These headnotes are also assigned a Key Number based on the topic associated with that legal issue. So, once you find a good case, you can use the headnotes and Key Numbers within it to quickly find more relevant case law.

• Statutes and regulations . In many instances, secondary sources and case law list the statutes and regulations relevant to your legal issue. But if you haven't found anything yet, you can still search for statutes and regs online like you do with cases.

Once you know which statute or reg is pertinent to your case, pull up the annotated version on Westlaw. Why the annotated version? Because the annotations will include vital information, such as a list of important cases that cite your statute or reg. Sometimes, these cases are even organized by topic — just one more way to find the case law you need to support your legal argument.

Keep in mind, though, that legal research isn't always a linear process. You may start out going from source to source as outlined above and then find yourself needing to go back to secondary sources once you have a better grasp of the legal issue. In other instances, you may even find the answer you are looking for in a source not listed above, like a sample brief filed with the court by another attorney. Ultimately, you need to go where the information takes you.

Step 3: Make sure you are using ‘good’ law

One of the most important steps with every legal research project is to verify that you are using “good" law — meaning a court hasn't invalidated it or struck it down in some way. After all, it probably won't look good to a judge if you cite a case that has been overruled or use a statute deemed unconstitutional. It doesn't necessarily mean you can never cite these sources; you just need to take a closer look before you do.

The simplest way to find out if something is still good law is to use a legal tool known as a citator, which will show you subsequent cases that have cited your source as well as any negative history, including if it has been overruled, reversed, questioned, or merely differentiated.

For instance, if a case, statute, or regulation has any negative history — and therefore may no longer be good law — KeyCite, the citator on Westlaw, will warn you. Specifically, KeyCite will show a flag or icon at the top of the document, along with a little blurb about the negative history. This alert system allows you to quickly know if there may be anything you need to worry about.

Some examples of these flags and icons include:

• A red flag on a case warns you it is no longer good for at least one point of law, meaning it may have been overruled or reversed on appeal.
• A yellow flag on a case warns that it has some negative history but is not expressly overruled or reversed, meaning another court may have criticized it or pointed out the holding was limited to a specific fact pattern.
• A blue-striped flag on a case warns you that it has been appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court or the U.S. Court of Appeals.
• The KeyCite Overruling Risk icon on a case warns you that the case may be implicitly undermined because it relies on another case that has been overruled.

Another bonus of using a citator like KeyCite is that it also provides a list of other cases that merely cite your source — it can lead to additional sources you previously didn't know about.

Perseverance is vital when it comes to legal research

Given that legal research is a complex process, it will likely come as no surprise that this guide cannot provide everything you need to know.

There is a reason why there are entire law school courses and countless books focused solely on legal research methodology. In fact, many attorneys will spend their entire careers honing their research skills — and even then, they may not have perfected the process.

So, if you are just beginning, don't get discouraged if you find legal research difficult — almost everyone does at first. With enough time, patience, and dedication, you can master the art of legal research.

Thomson Reuters originally published this article on November 10, 2020.

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Legal Research Basics: A Step-By-Step Guide to Brushing Up on Your Skills

Legal research is imperative to the practice of law. Depending on where you are in your legal career, there could be multiple reasons to brush up on the basics of legal research. You could be a: 

• Law student or recent graduate preparing for your career 
• Seasoned attorney aiming to brush up on the basics amidst ever-evolving legal research technology 
• Growing law firm preparing to train new attorneys or paralegals 

Regardless of which of these categories you align with most, reviewing the basics of legal research should become regular practice. After all, the importance of legal research cannot be overstated – pinpointing the best facts and knowledge for your case can make the difference between winning and losing.  

Use this article to review the basics and set yourself (and your firm) up for success. First, we’ll define legal research and its components. Then, we’ll walk you through a step-by-step process for conducting superior legal research. Finally, we’ll close with recommendations for tools that can help you become both an accurate and efficient legal researcher – which ultimately equips you with a reputation for success in the courtroom.  

What is Legal Research?

Legal research is defined as the process of identifying and retrieving information necessary to support legal decision-making. There are multiple reasons you might conduct legal research: 

• To find “good” case law that backs up your motion or brief  
• To provide legal counsel to clients  
• To provide a memo or brief for class (law students only)  
• To identify case law that refutes an opposing argument 
• To support the over-arching narrative of your case 

What is the Importance of Legal Research?

Legal research provides support for decision-making on complex issues, by providing specific facts and legal precedent that allow you to produce complete answers for clients. Quality legal research is critical to the practice of law.

Historically, attorneys combed through books and libraries for the perfect facts, cases, and issues; now, technology has largely replaced this process. While the prominence of ever-evolving technology has made the process more efficient (and, in many ways, easier), the sheer number of products and options available can be overwhelming.  

The Legal Research Process

Understanding that the legal research process can be overwhelming and time-consuming, we’ve broken the legal research process down into three key steps: 

• Understand the facts of your case 
• Gather sources of law 
• Check your citations for “good” law 

Each of these steps is detailed below, alongside a quick-view checklist.  

Step 1: Record the Facts of Your Case and Create a Research Plan  

Handling a legal task with authority requires confidence in the process. This is true in any practice, jurisdictional setting, or level of legal expertise. A good process should start by taking time to identify and understand the facts of your case. Ask yourself the following questions: 

• What is the legal issue at hand?  
• What are the details of the case?  
• What jurisdiction is most relevant?  
• Do you need state or federal case law? 

Record your facts in a case management tool before beginning – this can help you develop a course of action and narrow down where to start your research. While it may be tempting to skip this step, a commitment to this process saves you time in the long run by helping you efficiently juggle multiple clients. Not to mention, you will likely need what you’ve recorded to file a motion or brief. 

With the facts of the case recorded, you can begin your research. Because this will help you develop a plan for gathering your sources, we will briefly discuss creating a research plan before moving on to Step 2.  

Did you know? LexisNexis boasts a collection of state case law superior to its leading competitors. Easily filter by jurisdiction before or after your search.  

Creating a Research Plan  

Review the facts you recorded to determine what information you will need to build your case. When legal research first moved online, many attorneys felt the need to start with a free service like Google to identify terms of art before conducting a search in a legal research platform. However, this is no longer necessary. Research platforms like Lexis+ allow you to start your search with a natural language search or question and equip you to quickly comb both primary and secondary sources. Litigators, specifically, can use Fact and Issue Finder – integrated directly with Lexis+ – to help quickly identify the best terms of art for their search.  

Creating your research plan is less about planning where you will search and more about planning what you will search. You know your research can be conducted on one, fully integrated platform. So, what questions will you ask to get started? What legal issues do you need more information about? What filters will you need (jurisdiction, time period, etc.)?  

Once you know what you will search for, you are ready to gather sources.  

Step 2: Gather Sources of Law  

The next step in your process is to gather relevant sources of law. Below, we detail the difference between primary law and secondary law. Importantly, when gathering sources, start with secondary law materials. This helps ensure you are up-to-speed on what experts have to say about a topic before you begin your case law search. Why does this matter? Think about it as building your knowledge base before crafting an argument – you’ll be less likely to make mistakes and more inclined to spot case-winning primary law.  

What are Secondary Sources of Law?  

Secondary legal sources are materials that describe or interpret the law. They are educational resources that provide analysis of the law. These documents are cited by attorneys to persuade a court to reach a particular decision in a case, but which the court is not obligated to follow. Start with secondary sources to learn from legal experts that have already explored a given topic.  

Secondary sources may include: 

• Practice guides 
• Legal treatises 
• Law review articles 
• Scholarly journals 
• Legal news 
• Jury instructions 
• Legal dictionaries and encyclopedias 

What are Primary Sources of Law?  

A primary legal source is a formal document officially issued by the government that establishes the law on a particular matter, such as a case decision or legislative act. Primary sources are the law. This is the most authoritative step in the legal research process. You can support arguments with primary sources as they are not only authoritative, but precedential and controlling.  

Your primary sources may include: 

• Case law (federal and/or state) 
• Orders 
• Decisions 
• Statutes and regulations 
• Constitutions  
• Treatises 

Step 3: Check to See If You’re Using Good Law   

The final step in your research process should include a final check to ensure you have used “good” law – this means you are using case law that has been treated positively in court (as opposed to case law that has been overturned or brought into question). 

Check your case citations as you collect them, especially since legal research software can allow a quick view of how your case has been treated in court directly from your search results. However, it is best practice to review your citations once your research process is complete to check for any gaps, changes, or oversights.  

Read more about using good law and the process of " Shepardizing ."

Conduct Winning Legal Research  

Following this three-step process ensures you’re taking the right measures to find the most accurate, relevant and valuable data to achieve your objectives. Now that you’re ready to conduct winning legal research, take some time to review products and tools that can help you in your path to success.  

Getting Started with Legal Research Tools   

Legal research is key to drafting effective documents and building winning cases. Legal research solutions have evolved substantially – helping you conduct legal research with increased efficiency and accuracy . Below is a list of legal research tools to help you build a winning case:  

• Lexis +:  This is the premier LexisNexis fully integrated legal research platform. Features such as Shepard's At Risk ensures you’re citing only the most authoritative sources, with unprecedented visibility into whether a case is at risk of being overruled or undermined. Other Lexis+ features include, but aren’t limited to: 
• Brief Analysis: Get a clear picture of the contents of your legal brief to identify any missteps and bolster your arguments against opposing counsel. Simply upload and file and quickly evaluate the legal authority cited in your (or an opposing) brief in granular detail and receive recommendations for additional searches.  
• Litigation Analytics: Get the most accurate insights into judges, courts, attorneys, and law firms to ensure your success in litigation. Understand critical insights regarding caseloads, experience across case types, timing to key milestones, and damages by comparing federal districts and judges. 
• Shepard's ® Citations Service:  See if a case has been overturned, reaffirmed, questioned, or cited by later cases, or is at risk of negative treatment. Your research needs to provide precedential value. Using reversed or overruled authority doesn't qualify as "Good Law" and your research may be ineffectual or harmful to your case.  
• Practical Guidance: View professional insights on 20 different practice areas. Accomplish any task with practice notes, annotated templates, and checklists.  
• Legal News Hub: Receive up-to-the-minute, award-winning journalism and legal news from Law360 and Law360 Pulse anytime you need it — without having to leave the Lexis+ ecosystem. Stay current on critical developments across legal practice areas, with over 70 coverage areas spanning the practice and business of law. 

LexisNexis is here to support your firm in winning your next case. With Lexis+, all of your legal research needs are integrated into one platform as a true start-to-finish solution. Ready to learn more? Take a guided tour of Lexis+ today. 

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How to Conduct Legal Research

September 21, 2021

Conducting legal research can challenge even the most skilled law practitioners.

As laws evolve across jurisdictions, it can be a difficult to keep pace with every legal development. Equally daunting is the ability to track and glean insights into stakeholder strategies and legal responses. Without quick and easy access to the right tools, the legal research upon which case strategy hinges may face cost, personnel, and litigation outcome challenges.

Bloomberg Law’s artificial intelligence-driven tools drastically reduce the time to perform legal research. Whether you seek quick answers to legal research definitions, or general guidance on the legal research process, Bloomberg Law’s Core Litigation Skills Toolkit has you covered.

What is legal research?

Legal research is the process of uncovering and understanding all of the legal precedents, laws, regulations, and other legal authorities that apply in a case and inform an attorney’s course of action.

Legal research often involves case law research, which is the practice of identifying and interpreting the most relevant cases concerning the topic at issue. Legal research can also involve a deep dive into a judge’s past rulings or opposing counsel’s record of success.

Research is not a process that has a finite start and end, but remains ongoing throughout every phase of a legal matter. It is a cornerstone of a litigator’s skills.

[Learn how our integrated, time-saving litigation research tools allow litigators to streamline their work and get answers quickly.]

Where do I begin my legal research?

Beginning your legal research will look different for each assignment. At the outset, ensure that you understand your goal by asking questions and taking careful notes. Ask about background case information, logistical issues such as filing deadlines, the client/matter number, and billing instructions.

It’s also important to consider how your legal research will be used. Is the research to be used for a pending motion? If you are helping with a motion for summary judgment, for example, your goal is to find cases that are in the same procedural posture as yours and come out favorably for your side (i.e., if your client is the one filing the motion, try to find cases where a motion for summary judgment was granted, not denied). Keep in mind the burden of proof for different kinds of motions.

Finally, but no less important, assess the key facts of the case. Who are the relevant parties? Where is the jurisdiction? Who is the judge? Note all case details that come to mind.

What if I’m new to the practice area or specific legal issue?

While conducting legal research, it is easy to go down rabbit holes. Resist the urge to start by reviewing individual cases, which may prove irrelevant. Start instead with secondary sources, which often provide a prevailing statement of the law for a specific topic. These sources will save time and orient you to the area of the law and key issues.

Litigation Practical Guidance provides the essentials including step-by-step guidance, expert legal analysis, and a preview of next steps. Source citations are included in all Practical Guidance, and you can filter Points of Law, Smart Code®, and court opinions searches to get the jurisdiction-specific cases or statutes you need.

Searching across Points of Law will help to get your bearings on an issue before diving into reading the cases in full. Points of Law uses machine learning to identify key legal principles expressed in court opinions, which are easily searchable by keyword and jurisdiction. This tool helps you quickly find other cases that have expressed the same Point of Law, and directs you to related Points of Law that might be relevant to your research. It is automatically updated with the most recent opinions, saving you time and helping you quickly drill down to the relevant cases.

How do I respond to the opposing side’s brief?

Whether a brief is yours or that of the opposing party, Bloomberg Law’s Brief Analyzer is an essential component in the legal research process. It reduces the time spent analyzing a brief, identifying relevant authorities, and preparing a solid response.

To start, navigate to Brief Analyzer available from the Bloomberg Law homepage, within the Litigation Intelligence Center , or from Docket Key search results for briefs.

Simply upload the opposing side’s brief into the tool, and Brief Analyzer will generate a report of the cited authorities and arguments contained in the brief.

You can easily view a comparison with the brief and analysis side by side. It will also point you directly to relevant cases, Points of Law, and Practical Guidance to jump start your research.

[ How to Write a Legal Brief – Learn how to shorten the legal research cycle and give your legal brief a competitive advantage.]

How to optimize your search.

Crafting searches is a critical skill when it comes to legal research. Although many legal research platforms, including Bloomberg Law, offer natural language searching, terms and connectors (also called Boolean) searching is still a vital legal research skill and should be used when searching across court opinions, dockets, Points of Law, and other primary and secondary sources.

When you conduct a natural language search, the search engine applies algorithms to rank your results. Why a certain case is ranked as it is may not be obvious. This makes it harder to interpret whether the search is giving you everything you need. It is also harder to efficiently and effectively manipulate your search terms to zero in on the results you want. Using Boolean searching gives you better control over your search and greater confidence in your results.

The good news? Bloomberg Law does not charge by the search for court opinion searches. If your initial search was much too broad or much too narrow, you do not have to worry about immediately running a new and improved search.

Follow these tips when beginning a search to ensure that you do not miss relevant materials:

• Make sure you do not have typos in your search string.
• Search the appropriate source or section of the research platform. It is possible to search only within a practice area, jurisdiction, secondary resource, or other grouping of materials.
• Make sure you know which terms and connectors are utilized by the platform you are working on and what they mean – there is no uniform standard set of terms of connectors utilized by all platforms.
• Include in your search all possible terms the court might use, or alternate ways the court may address an issue. It is best to group the alternatives together within a parenthetical, connected by OR between each term.
• Consider including single and multiple character wildcards when relevant. Using a single character wildcard (an asterisk) and/or a multiple character wildcard (an exclamation point) helps you capture all word variations – even those you might not have envisioned.
• Try using a tool that helps you find additional relevant case law. When you find relevant authority, use BCITE on Bloomberg Law to find all other cases and/or sources that cite back to that case. When in BCITE, click on the Citing Documents tab, and search by keyword to narrow the results. Alternatively, you can use the court’s language or ruling to search Points of Law and find other cases that addressed the same issue or reached the same ruling.

[Bloomberg Law subscribers can access a complete checklist of search term best practices . Not a subscriber? Request a Demo .]

How can legal research help with drafting or strategy?

Before drafting a motion or brief, search for examples of what firm lawyers filed with the court in similar cases. You can likely find recent examples in your firm’s internal document system or search Bloomberg Law’s dockets. If possible, look for things filed before the same judge so you can get a quick check on rules/procedures to be followed (and by the same partner when possible so you can get an idea of their style preferences).

Careful docket search provides a wealth of information about relevant cases, jurisdictions, judges, and opposing counsel. On Bloomberg Law, type “Dockets Search” in the Go bar or find the dockets search box in the Litigation Intelligence Center .

If you do not know the specific docket number and/or court, use the docket search functionality Docket Key . Select from any of 20 categories, including motions, briefs, and orders, across all 94 federal district courts, to pinpoint the exact filing of choice.

Dockets can also help you access lots of information to guide your case strategy. For example, if you are considering filing a particular type of motion, such as a sanctions motion, you can use dockets to help determine how frequently your judge grants sanctions motions. You can also use dockets to see how similar cases before your judge proceeded through discovery.

If you are researching expert witnesses, you can use dockets to help determine if the expert has been recently excluded from a case, or whether their opinion has been limited. If so, this will help you determine whether the expert is a good fit for your case.

Dockets are a powerful research tool that allow you to search across filings to support your argument. Stay apprised of docket updates with the “Create Alert” option on Bloomberg Law.

Dive deeper into competitive research.

For even more competitive research insights, dive into Bloomberg Law’s Litigation Analytics – this is available in the Litigation tab on the homepage. Data here helps attorneys develop litigation strategy, predict possible outcomes, and better advise clients.

To start, under Litigation Analytics , leverage the Attorney tab to view case history and preview legal strategies the opposition may practice against you. Also, within Litigation Analytics, use the Court tab to get aggregate motion and appeal outcome rates across all federal courts, with the option to run comparisons across jurisdictions, and filter by company, law firm, and attorney.

Use the Judge tab to glean insights from cited opinions, and past and current decisions by motion and appeal outcomes. Also view litigation analytics in the right rail of court opinions.

Docket search can also offer intel on your opponent. Has your opponent filed similar lawsuits or made similar arguments before? How did those cases pan out? You can learn a lot about an opponent from past appearances in court.

How do I validate case law citations?

Checking the status of case law is essential in legal research. Rely on Bloomberg Law’s proprietary citator, BCITE. This time-saving tool lets you know if a case is still good law.

Under each court opinion, simply look to the right rail. There, you will see a thumbnail icon for “BCITE Analysis.” Click on the icon, and you will be provided quick links to direct history (opinions that affect or are affected by the outcome of the case at issue); case analysis (citing cases, with filter and search options), table of authorities, and citing documents.

How should I use technology to improve my legal research?

A significant benefit of digital research platforms and analytics is increased efficiency. Modern legal research technology helps attorneys sift through thousands of cases quickly and comprehensively. These products can also help aggregate or summarize data in a way that is more useful and make associations instantaneously.

For example, before litigation analytics were common, a partner may have asked a junior associate to find all summary judgment motions ruled on by a specific judge to determine how often that judge grants or denies them. The attorney could have done so by manually searching over PACER and/or by searching through court opinions, but that would take a long time. Now, Litigation Analytics can aggregate that data and provide an answer in seconds. Understanding that such products exist can be a game changer. Automating parts of the research process frees up time and effort for other activities that benefit the client and makes legal research and writing more efficient.

[Read our article: Six ways legal technology aids your litigation workflow .]

Tools like  Points of Law ,  dockets  and  Brief Analyzer  can also increase efficiency, especially when narrowing your research to confirm that you found everything on point. In the past, attorneys had to spend many hours (and lots of money) running multiple court opinion searches to ensure they did not miss a case on point. Now, there are tools that can dramatically speed up that process. For example, running a search over Points of Law can immediately direct you to other cases that discuss that same legal principle.

However, it’s important to remember that digital research and analytical tools should be seen as enhancing the legal research experience, not displacing the review, analysis, and judgment of an attorney. An attorney uses his or her knowledge of their client, the facts, the precedent, expert opinions, and his or her own experiences to predict the likely result in a given matter. Digital research products enhance this process by providing more data on a wider array of variables so that an attorney can take even more information into consideration.

[Get all your questions answered, request a Bloomberg Law demo , and more.]

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Online Legal Research Software

Lawyers research online. There are no two ways about it anymore. Whether you're combing opinions for supporting caselaw, or digging through old property records, nowadays, you're doing that online. As such, you need ready and reliable access to online legal research software and services. But knowing which legal research tool to purchase can be confusing, at best. And it gets expensive very quickly.

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Online Legal Research Software FAQs

Are online legal research tools just for case law and treatises.

Although most often used to research case law and study treatises, online legal research tools can also provide background checks, people searches, data aggregation, and even memo and brief analysis.

What is a legal aggregator service?

Many online legal research services will take public and proprietary information (purchased from institutions like Equifax and TransUnion), store it in their databases, and allow users to search the aggregated information.

What legal research software is right for my firm?

Each law firm will have differing legal research software needs. Some will only need case law research, while others will rely heavily on treatises and secondary sources. Still, others will mostly be searching for personal information, or running background checks. To determine what is right for your firm, you’ll need to assess what information you’ll need access to, and find the service that provides that. Many solos and small firms will simply need case law research with the occasional secondary source access.

Will the tool my bar association offers work for my law practice?

Many bar associations across the country have deals with online legal research services to provide discounted, and even free access to their databases. Usually, this will include access to primary material, with few secondary sources. For attorneys who only need occasional access to legal resources, this may work wonderfully. However, these platforms are becoming increasingly competitive with big players in the space.

How to Choose Online Legal Research Software

Choosing an online legal research service provider for your law firm is difficult. For example, there is the fear that if you choose one, you’ll miss out on some incredible functionality in another. There is also the brutal sales pressure, the ever-escalating pricing structures, and the nagging feeling that you’re paying too much and using it too little. You’re probably annoyed with multi-year contracts and expensive add-on features. All of this may leave you bouncing from one legal research tool to another. It can be challenging to know what software, and which specific features, you need to keep your business running smoothly. We’ll try to make it easy.

4 Steps to Choose an Online Legal Research Tool

1. Determine your law firm's online legal research needs

Some tools offer limited research sets, while others allow you to explore secondary sources, check your citations, and more, and either for free or at an additional cost. Decide whether you’re only going to use a legal research tool for a particular practice area. Maybe you don’t need any other offerings.

2. Assess the available features

Read through our Features List and determine what functionality and tools your firm needs for its online legal research software.

3. Research your options

Then, devour as much information as you care to about the legal research software offerings that most interest you. Visit the product page for each, including pricing options. At a minimum, pricing should be forthright and easy to understand. After all, no one likes hidden fees. Jump into the comments and ratings below or into our Facebook group to learn how Lawyerist and its community feel about each. If you have a sales representative, ask them for references.

4. Try before you buy

Finally, sign up for a trial account with one or two likely options, put them through their paces, and select the one that you think will work best for your firm. You’re a bit like Goldilocks here. Some research tools give you far more firepower than you will ever need. Some will offer too little. Try to find one that is just right for your practice. In our view, you should be able to try before you buy. Ask for a free trial of whichever online legal research tool most interests you before you buy it. Be sure it is right for you and your practice before you drop money—or sign a multi-year contract—with your chosen provider. And be wary of companies that try to charge you before you can test the product. Some companies may give you a 30-day money-back guarantee or demand your credit card to get started with a legal research tool (and will begin billing you if you don’t cancel before your trial expires). While this isn’t ideal, any “free trial” is better than nothing.

Online Legal Research Software Feature Descriptions

Artificial intelligence (ai).

AI legal assistants can help you identify relevant cases and statutes, and may even help you draft your brief.

Natural Language Search

Can you search by entering a question in normal language rather than keywords or Boolean connectors and phrases?

Boolean Search

With Boolean operators like AND, OR, and more, you can precisely target your search query.

Citation Checking

A citation checker helps you identify whether a case or statute has been overruled, modified, or reversed or repealed.

Filter Search

Can you restrict your search to certain parts or features of cases and statutes, like the date, judge, or jurisdiction?

Research History

Research history makes it easier to find the results of previous searches or see if the law has changed with new results.

Research Folders

Organize your research history into folders.

PDF/Word Downloads

Download cases and statutes as a formatted PDF or Word document.

Suggestions

When you run a search, get suggestions for additional searches to run or material you should look at.

Flag key cases so that you get an email notification if it is cited in a new case, statute, or secondary source.

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Legal Research & Writing Services

Today’s fast-paced legal environment leaves little time for errors and even less time for conducting quality research. Legal research and writing entails extensive, well-reasoned, and succinct writing tactics typically perfected by training and experience. For a practicing legal professional who happens to be already hard-pressed for time, it is usually challenging to find time for detailed legal research and writing. This is where our attorneys from Legal Support World, a reputable provider of legal research and writing services, come into the picture to help you out.

With over 16 years of experience, we, as a legal research and writing company, offer unique legal support services to assist attorneys and law firms in meeting strict deadlines and fulfilling unpredicted client requirements without having to spend money on hiring full-time in-house staff.

Our attorneys specialize in making use of LexisNexis and Westlaw databases to carry out legal research for suitable cases, statutes, and stipulations. Our highly efficient team of attorneys and paralegals originate from diverse backgrounds and impart their rich experience in conducting effectual legal research for our clients. They proficiently sift through data by means of various research tools readily available to us, provided by these legal research companies. Our legal research services are designed to support your practice by offering comprehensive research and analysis, ensuring that solid legal precedents and statutory authority back every case. Consistent additional training and updates related to the ever-changing laws strengthen our teams’ analytical abilities and detail-oriented methodology.

Our Legal Research and Writing Services

Legal research services:.

The legal research is carried out using a variety of resources like newspapers, books, journals, periodicals, and several other online sources, often provided by reputable legal research service providers. An apparent knowledge about the goal facilitates our professionals in extracting information that is valuable. Our rigorous quality control measures ascertain that the information gathered is from reputable sources.

For case-specific research, our experts perform their tasks in tandem with the main attorney to make sure that the purpose is fulfilled. We additionally conduct comprehensive research of past cases and judgments passed and present an overview to have feasible expectations concerning the case. This collaborative approach ensures thoroughness and accuracy in legal research services.

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Motion to dismiss, Motion for a directed verdict, Motion for a new trial, Motion for summary judgment, Motion to compel, Motion in limine, and so on.

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The Best Free Legal Research Tools

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Free legal research tools used to be a dream. High-quality legal research is a necessity for all law firms—after all, finding the right precedent or statute could give you the edge to win your case.

In the past, paid research platforms were the only choice. We accepted legal research tools as a costly-but-necessary expense for law firms. Today, however, there are excellent free tools available online. These tools mean free legal research a viable option for law firms looking to allocate funds to other areas of their practice, without compromising the quality of their research.

The only catch? You have to know where to look.

Below, we’ve collected some of the best free legal research tools for law firms to help you cut costs in an inflation economy.

(And, for even more tips on cutting costs, be sure to read our guide, Lawyers and Inflation: Staying Competitive in an Inflationary Economy. )

7 Free legal search engines and databases

The combination of more legal resources being digitized and the development of new technologies means that there’s now an overwhelming amount of legal information online. The good news? Many of these legal research resources can be found online for free. (If you want to really dive deep, browse this comprehensive resource for an in-depth listing of free legal research options.)

Below, we’ve curated seven of the best free search engines and databases help you find exactly what you need for your legal research:

1. Fastcase: For an online law library

As one of the largest online law libraries in the world, Fastcase provides online access to case law, statutes, regulations, constitutions, court rules, and law review articles—making legal research and analysis faster and easier.

Additionally, thanks to an integration with Clio , using Fastcase makes it simple to accurately monitor the time you spend on legal research and keep your research well-ordered. Without ever having to leave Fastcase, the Clio integration allows you to:

• Create Clio time entries for time spent on research
• Save your results as case documents in Clio
• Keep your research organized according to each case

While Fastcase offers a variety of paid desktop plans (you can try a free trial to test them out), their free mobile app is available for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone—and anyone with the app can access Fastcase’s comprehensive legal research database on the go, for free.

Fastcase also has the most member benefit deals with bar associations of any legal research provider. You may already have access through your bar dues.

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10 tips for smarter legal research, 18 best apps for lawyers to improve productivity, 10 predictions for the next 10 years of legal tech, 2. courtlistener: for legal opinions.

Sponsored by the Non-Profit Free Law Project, CourtListener is a legal research website featuring millions of legal opinions from federal and state courts. Search CourtListener by case name, topic, or citation—the data is all free to access and updated daily.

3. Caselaw Access Project: For book-published case law

As part of a mission to make all published US court decisions freely available to publish online, the Caselaw Access Project (CAP) offers free access to all official, book-published US case law. Every volume is designated as an official report of decisions by a court within the United States through June 2018 (Fun fact: The earliest case available is from 1658.). The 360 years of United States case law data was digitized from the collection of the Harvard Law Library.

4. FindLaw: For searchable Supreme Court decisions

Designed to make the law more accessible to all, FindLaw’s FindLaw for Legal Professionals division offers free online legal content including case law from state and federal courts, case summaries, statutes, and legal news.

FindLaw also offers a browsable, searchable database of US Supreme Court decisions since 1760. Browse Supreme Court opinions by year and US Reports volume number, or search by party name, case title, citation, full text, and docket number. FindLaw also features an archive of Supreme Court opinion summaries since the year 2000.

5. Legal Information Institute: For US law online and a legal encyclopedia

Legal Information Institutes (LII) are a global resource that offers open access to law knowledge. There are over 46 LII associations around the world that publish source law through their own search engines, providing freely accessible case laws, regulations, and statutes unique to those countries.

The Legal Information Institute (LII) at Cornell Law School provides access to most US laws online for free, making it a good resource when you need to find a statute or regulation, while also providing online access to legal materials like the:

• Supreme Court Bulletin
• State statutes by topic
• Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR)
• Constitution
• Federal Rules
• Uniform Commercial Code

Another free research resource hosted by LII is Wex—a free, community-built legal dictionary and legal encyclopedia created and edited by legal experts.

6. Casetext: For AI assistance

Technically, number six on this list isn’t free, but low-cost artificial intelligence-powered options for legal research can make a huge difference for your bottom line. Powered by AI to help you conduct legal research better and faster, Casetext’s search finds you cases and other authorities on the same facts, legal issues, and jurisdiction as your matter.

The process is simple:

1. Drag and drop a brief or complaint into Casetext’s artificial intelligence search, CARA. 2. Get relevant cases from CARA that enhance your research for your own drafts, or to check for missing or omitted cases within opposing council’s briefs and complaints.

The practice is even smoother via Casetext’s Clio integration , which lets you send a document from Clio to CARA in a single click.

Casetext’s AI search is a low-cost option for legal research—though you can get a free 14-day trial.

Read our comprehensive guide about AI for lawyers to learn more about how lawyers can (and can’t) leverage AI.

7. Justia: For the latest summaries sent straight to you

Research case law, codes, statutes, regulations, and articles related to federal and state cases with Justia’s extensive, free database .

You can also stay effortlessly well-informed on specific practice areas with Justia. It will send the latest straight to your inbox with an array of free newsletters ranging from daily summaries of opinions from all federal appellate courts and all 50 state supreme courts to weekly summaries of opinions in certain practice areas.

Beyond legal databases: Other free research resources

As valuable as legal databases are for your case research, there are also other alternative sources where you can find information and resources to support your legal research. Below, we offer a few free and cost-effective options for help build your case.

1. Primary sources: For going straight to the source

Sometimes, the easiest way to get the information you need is to be direct. You can find many case law and court documents online for free. Legislatures and courts are publishing their own materials, which are sometimes now available online as downloadable PDFs.

Keep in mind that some online versions are not considered “official” and can be refuted by the print version, even though they come from the same source.

Here are some resources you can access directly online:

• US Office of the Law Revision Counsel
• Bound Volumes of the Supreme Court
• Rulings from regulatory and administrative agencies like, Social Security Administration , Financial Crimes Enforcement Network , and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Remember that while this information might be easy to access through primary sources, you’ll likely miss out on the advanced search functions or analysis features that you’d find with legal search engines and databases.

Also, older legal information may not be available online yet. In this situation, visit a library and look for archived legal information that is unavailable elsewhere. You may also find potential collaborators in your colleagues (and the librarians) who will be researching there as well. These collaborators will be a great source for information on what arguments worked in the past, and may help you find local knowledge you might not be able to uncover yourself.

If you are a member of a bar association, you should also make full use of the resources available to you through your member benefits, such as:

• Courthouses
• Law schools
• Bar Association headquarters

2. Legal blogs: For keeping up-to-date

One of the best ways to become a more efficient legal researcher is to stay ahead of the game. The best way to do that? Maintain your subject matter competency. Keep up-to-date on the latest developments in your practice area by regularly reading legal journals and legal blogs.

One of your best sources is the American Bar Association (ABA)’s annual list , which started in 2007 as the Blawg 100 list of blogs. It has since evolved into the Web 100 list of favorite law blogs, podcasts, tweeters, and web tools—a.k.a. a list of the best free law-focused resources and people to follow.

LexBlog—an online network of over 22,000 legal bloggers—is a hub of the latest commentary on the law. Sorting blogs by channels , LexBlog makes it easy to find and subscribe to legal blogs that focus on your specific area of law.

By maintaining subject-matter competency, you’ll already have cases and ideas top-of-mind—so that when you’re presented with a new case, you won’t always be starting from scratch.

3. Google Scholar: For searching legal journals and published opinions

Although not specifically tailored to legal research, Google Scholar allows you to broadly search and access scholarly literature—which means it’s an effective, free way to find legal documents like patents, legal opinions, legal journals, and articles.

Want the simplest way to search case law? On the Google Scholar main page, select the “Case Law” button under the search box to easily search case law, filtered by jurisdiction.

Final thoughts

Conducting smart legal research that’s thorough, accurate, and time-effective makes a big difference to the success of your law firm—but it doesn’t have to be expensive. Today’s free legal research resources help you be more efficient so you can serve your clients more effectively, and stay a step ahead of the competition.

Cutting costs for your legal research can also make room in your budget for technology that helps you run your firm more efficiently. Introducing legal practice management software like Clio, for example, can help you increase—or even double—revenue .

Clio enables you to automate routine tasks, keep your legal research organized, and easily report on key business metrics—helping you to make your law firm profitable and efficient. Want to see how? Book a demo today!

How can I do legal research for free?

According to the American Bar Association (ABA), GovInfo offers free virtual access to congressional reports, official federal government publications, public laws, congressional records, hearings, and more. Do your research, as there are free and low-cost databases and tools available.

What software is used for legal research?

There are many legal research softwares available today, including Tracers, Casetext, and Fastcase. These programs integrate seamlessly with legal practice management software such as Clio.

We published this blog post in August 2019. Last updated: March 15, 2024 .

Categorized in: Business

Teresa Matich is an experienced legal tech writer and editor who is passionate about helping legal professionals learn more about the business of law. After attending the University of British Columbia, she worked as an office clerk at a well-respected real estate law firm in Vancouver while building her writing career, absorbing a wealth of knowledge about the legal industry and the inner workings of legal firms.

Now, over half a decade writing about the business of law and legal tech, she has edited and been a long time writer for the award-winning Clio Blog, where she's written dozens of articles about law firm marketing, billing, organization, and more. In addition, she has written for publications such as GP Solo, Legal Technology Today, and Above the Law. Finally, she's interviewed dozens of practicing lawyers and leading legal industry thinkers, including Preet Bharara and Bryan Stevenson.

Joshua Lenon is the Lawyer in Residence at Clio, an attorney admitted to the New York Bar. For over a decade, Joshua has brought legal scholarship to the forefront of Clio, to the conversations happening both within Clio and with its customers. Joshua has worked extensively to educate lawyers on technology's capability to enhance their practice while also teaching tech companies about the unique needs of the legal system. Joshua's insights lead evolution at Clio, driving advancements that benefit law firms, their clients, and the entire legal landscape.

Joshua is originally from St. Louis, Missouri, but now calls the west coast of Canada home in Vancouver, BC. He studied law at St. Louis University School of Law, obtaining a Juris Doctorate and a Certificate in International and Comparative Law. He also earned a Certificate in European Union Law at the University of Georgia School of Law's prestigious Brussels Legal Seminar.

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19 legal reseach tools for lawyers that make work easier

4 July 2023

Table Of Contents

Contributors.

Legal research is at the heart of every lawyer's practice, but navigating the complexities of the legal system can be time-consuming and difficult. With the rise of digital tools and AI-based tools for lawyers, researching and understanding laws is becoming more accessible and easier. In this post, we explore the top legal research tools for lawyers that can make work easier while maintaining or even improving accuracy and quality of service.

Legal service providers can reduce their costs and differentiate themselves from their competition by deploying legal tech. The legal tech market revenue is predicted to continue growing over the next few years, from $27.6 billion in 2021 to $35.62 billion in 2027.

Traditional legal research tools vs digital tools

Traditionally, lawyers had to rely on print materials like books and journals to search for relevant legal concepts and laws. This could be a tedious process that took up much of their time. However, with the emergence of digital tools, researching laws has become much easier than before. With such tools, it is now possible for lawyers to quickly find reliable and accurate legal information to stay up-to-date with the latest laws and regulations. Lawyers use online tools to verify legal opinions to support case law, check property records, and conduct eDiscovery.

eDiscovery tools

eDiscovery tools are used by lawyers when researching laws for cases. The tools enable lawyers to quickly find relevant information in large databases, such as court documents or emails. They work by using powerful search algorithms to pinpoint the most relevant documents and quickly process large volumes of data. This helps lawyers save time while conducting research and improves accuracy in their findings.

AI-based legal research tools

Lawyers can also take advantage of AI-based legal research tools to make their work more efficient and accurate. AI technology is helping lawyers automate mundane tasks such as document analysis and contract review, which would be very time consuming if performed manually. Furthermore, AI-based tools can help lawyers capture and analyze large amounts of data quickly and accurately to make informed decisions. While such tools are highly efficient, caution should be taken as they are not infallible and may require human oversight to ensure accuracy.

AI tools are vulnerable to a phenomenon called hallucinating, where the tool produces false results. To prevent this, it is crucial to understand how prompting affects AI, and to always double check elements such as citations. Using tools tailored for lawyers and law firms is also a safety measure, as they are usually trained with legal data, which makes them more accurate.

Top legal research tools for lawyers

Here is a list of some of the top solutions for lawyers. Some items on the list are free legal research tools or offer flexible pricing.

1. AnyLawyer

AnyLawyer is a cloud-based legal research platform. It provides easy access to US federal and state laws, supporting both textual and citation features. It also offers subscription services which include additional features such as docket tracking, case analysis trends, court analytics, litigation profiling, and more.

2. Casetext

This AI legal assistant, powered by GPT-4, is designed to help lawyers quickly and accurately search through case law, federal statutes, regulations, and more. It also provides document review and offers natural language processing features that enable lawyers to ask legal questions in plain English. It is a great solution for deposition prep and contract revision.

3. Westlaw Edge

Thomson Reuters' Westlaw Edge enables lawyers to easily conduct comprehensive research using a single platform with access to hundreds of databases and other legal resources. It also provides AI-assisted features such as predictive search and auto-suggested content to help lawyers quickly find relevant information.

4. LexisNexis

This tool offers a range of research services from legal news and analysis to statutes and regulations. It also includes helpful features such as Smart Charts, which allows lawyers to quickly create charts based on their research results. The Lexis+ AI platform offers secure generative AI services, capable of assisting with research through prompted outputs, while Nexis is an excellent source of curated news.

5. Fastcase

Fastcase provides access to millions of cases, statutes, and secondary sources for lawyers to quickly conduct legal research. It also includes features such as dynamic search tools that help lawyers find relevant information without having to manually search through multiple documents.

6. Logikcull

Logikcull is a cloud-based eDiscovery software that enables lawyers to quickly search through large amounts of data, such as emails and documents. It also provides machine learning capabilities for automated document review and analysis. Lawyers can easily share their findings with colleagues or clients using Logikcull’s secure platform. and powerful integrations

7. Ravel Law

This AI-powered legal research platform helps lawyers quickly search and analyze case law. It also includes features such as interactive visualizations, analytics, and predictive modeling to assist in researching laws faster. Additionally, Ravel Law's secure cloud storage allows lawyers to organize their findings for easy access later on.

Tracers is an online research tool that allows lawyers to quickly search for public records, such as property deed records, or conduct thorough social media searches. It also facilitates communication with clients and other contacts through its secure messaging platform.

9. Caselaw Access Project

The Caselaw Access Project (CAP) is an open-source, free access library that enables lawyers to search for and access millions of cases from all US states. It includes features such as full-text searching and citation linking, making it a great tool for legal research. The data provided is edited and proofread by legal professionals to ensure accuracy.

10. FindLaw

FindLaw provides access to a wide range of legal resources, such as case law, statutes, and regulations. It also offers helpful features such as topic-based search results and an interactive case briefing tool. The tool is entirely free to use to ensure better access to legal materials.

11. CourtListener

CourtListener is an open-source database of US federal and state court rulings. It includes features such as keyword searching, citation mapping, opinion summaries, and more. The platform is free to use and makes it easy for lawyers to quickly search legal documents.

Justia is another excellent tool for legal research that provides access to federal and state statutes, as well as case law. It also offers helpful features such as a citation checker, searchable statutes by keyword, and an online legal dictionary.

13. Legal Information Institute

The Legal Information Institute (LII) is an open-access online library run by Cornell Law School. It provides access to legal materials such as primary sources, treatises, and law review articles for free. The LII's search engine supports Boolean operators, enabling lawyers to quickly find relevant information.

14. Google Keep

Google Keep is not a tool tailored for lawyers, but it can be used for that purpose too. This free app enables lawyers to quickly jot down notes and ideas while researching laws or talking with clients. It also provides other useful features such as reminders, checklists, and tags for organizing information.

15. Decisis

Decisis is a comprehensive and reliable citator and legal research database. It offers access to case law, statutes, regulations, and other legal materials sourced from a variety of court systems. The tool also includes features such as citation mapping and full-text searching for quick research results. It is a lightweight tool designed for solo lawyers and small firms.

Oyez is an open-source platform providing free access to US Supreme Court oral arguments and opinions. It includes features such as audio recordings, transcripts, and summaries of each case. The tool also enables lawyers to quickly search through the entire database using keywords or citation information.

Public Access to Court Electronic Records, or PACER, provides access to court documents that can be searched by case name, party name, or docket number. It is a great tool for lawyers looking to quickly search and locate documents related to specific cases.

18. Evernote

Evernote is another popular note-taking app that can be used for legal research. The app makes it easy to save web pages, images, and other information while researching laws or preparing cases. It also provides features like reminders, tags, and the ability to share notes with colleagues or clients.

19. Google Scholar

Google Scholar is a great source of legal information for lawyers. With its advanced search capabilities, lawyers can quickly find relevant documents and case studies to help them in their research.

Getting started with a legal research tool

The legal research process depends on online tools, legal research software, databases, and other resources, even legal blogs. It is important to take the time to find the right tool that fits the needs and workflows of the law firm or legal team.

• Understand the types of legal resources available online before starting research. This will help in narrowing down the choices to tools best suited for the type of research that is needed.
• Consider the cost of the chosen tool. Some tools offer free versions with basic features while others require a monthly subscription or a one-time purchase fee.
• Look for user reviews and feedback on different legal research tools to get an idea of its usability and effectiveness.
• Once a tool is chosen, take advantage of any tutorials or support provided by the vendor to get the most out of it.
• Finally, experiment with different features and settings to make the research process more efficient and effective.

Online legal research tools FAQ

Q: are online legal research services only for case law.

A: No, an online legal research service can be used for various types of legal research such as statutes, regulations, and secondary sources. Additionally, many of the tools on this list offer features that help lawyers quickly search through large amounts of data or communicate with clients or other contacts.

Q: How secure are AI-based legal research tools?

A: AI-based legal research tools are generally secure, but caution should be taken to ensure accuracy.

Q: What techniques can I use to ensure accuracy when using legal research tools?

A: To ensure accuracy when conducting legal research, it is important to understand the laws and regulations applicable to a given case. Much of what a research tool produces needs to be double checked by legal professionals to ensure accuracy.

Q: What tools are likely to be offered by a bar association?

A: Many bar associations offer online legal research tools to their members. These may include access to databases with case law, statutes, regulations, and more. Additionally, some bar associations provide extra support, such as tutorials on how to use the tools or discounted subscriptions for certain services.

Q: Is it possible to win a case with free research tools?

A: Yes, it is certainly possible to win a case with the help of free research tools. However, it is important to remember that these tools should be used in addition to legal research techniques and not as a substitute. Furthermore, the information found through these tools should always be double checked by a lawyer before being used in court.

Using paid and free legal research tools

In conclusion, legal research tools are an invaluable asset for lawyers. These tools can help them quickly and accurately find relevant legal information to make informed decisions in less time. While traditional research methods are still useful, digital and AI-based tools have become indispensable for many lawyers. With the right legal research tool, lawyers can gain a comprehensive understanding of the law and stay ahead of the competition.

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California legal research, 1126 california attorneys have used nlrg to assist with briefs, trial memos, motions and legal research, california legal research services for attorneys.

The National Legal Research Group founded the legal research industry in 1969 to provide solo practitioners, corporate counsel, large firms, and all other attorneys with quality research, writing, and expertise. 

Over the years, NLRG has assisted more than 50,000 attorneys nationwide on over 170,000 projects;  we have worked on over 2,700 projects each year, including cases specific to California legal research.   Our team is comprised of  specialized legal research attorneys,  with an average of 20 years of experience per attorney. 

California Legal Research Attorney Spotlight:

Sandra L. Thomas A.A., American College in Paris.  B.A., Boston University. J.D., Georgetown University Law Center.  Member, California and D.C. Bars. Sandra worked for 12 years as a staff attorney with the California Court of Appeal.  While practicing law in California, she was the successful appellate attorney in In re DeJohn B., 84 Cal. App. 4th 100, 100 Cal. Rptr. 2d 649 (4th Dist. 2000).  She has also served on the staff of the District of Columbia Law Revision Commission, and operated a private appellate practice in Redlands, California. Read Full Bio

B.S. Criminal Justice, Niagara University, Niagara, NY, 1984. J.D., California Western School of Law, San Diego, California, 1988. Member, California Bar. During law school, Trish participated in the Phillip Jessup International Moot Court Competition and was a member of the Appellate Advocacy Board. After practicing in San Diego in criminal defense and general civil litigation, Trish joined the Air Force as an Assistant Staff Judge Advocate (JAG). While in the military, Trish worked in various areas: federal labor law, claims, FOIA requests, government contracts, legal national security issues, immigration matters, base operations questions, general federal civil litigation and family law matters for military members and their families. Read Full Bio

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Our California legal research attorneys are highly experienced legal writers. We have prepared briefs in every state and federal court, including California state courts. Our team of attorneys can provide the additional legal research and writing for trial briefs so you get the competitive edge needed to help you win your case.

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Our legal research attorneys can  provide you with objective legal memorandum for case evaluation, trial and appellate preparation, strategic planning or any other purpose prior to or in support of litigation or transactional analysis. We can assist with Objective Memoranda, Advocacy Memorandum, Adversarial Memorandum, Memorandum in Support of Motion, Summary or Outline Memorandum, Memorandum Letter, or Memorandum of Law.

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Cost-effective telephone or email reports give you access to the legal research expertise of our attorneys for expert analysis of legal issues when a written product is not required.

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At Battery, we’re laser-focused on identifying verticals where AI adoption isn’t just a boardroom talking point, but a seamless solution to real pain points. In our view, healthcare is clearly one of those verticals ; government contracting is another . We’re equally enthusiastic about AI’s potential to transform the legal industry.

When we recently attended Legalweek in New York, we saw firsthand how excited the legal community is becoming about AI, too. Nearly all the event programming centered on AI implementation, with attendees eager to learn best practices on how to benefit from AI tools. And for good reason: according to LexisNexis, 90% of law firms plan to increase their investment in generative AI over the next 5 years.

So, what comes next? Through our analysis and conversations with over 70 legal AI startups, we’ve identified three key areas where AI is poised to revolutionize legal workflows:

• Legal Research and Review: AI can streamline discovery and search, quickly identifying relevant data and automating document reviews.
• Contract Drafting and Negotiation: From implementing playbooks to automated hyperlinking, AI can expedite document creation and assist in negotiations.
• Patents and Intellectual Property: We anticipate the emergence of tools that can parse complex documents and identify prior art, completely transforming the patent landscape.

It’s crucial to recognize that the legal AI market is diverse, with distinct buyer personas possessing unique needs, challenges and decision-making processes. Startups targeting large law firms should be prepared to collaborate closely with IT departments and tailor features to each client’s specific workflows. Conversely, startups serving small law firms may find success with a product-led growth strategy that minimizes onboarding requirements.

While data security, change management and the reduction of billable hours present significant challenges, the momentum behind AI adoption in the legal industry is robust. Firms and practitioners who embrace this technology will gain a competitive edge, enhancing their ability to serve clients effectively and efficiently.

Legal Research and Review

Litigation workflows are a perfect example of a process rife with inefficiencies that are neatly addressable by AI. As casework begins, legal teams upload vast collections of documents into repositories and then spend countless hours meticulously sorting through each document to uncover relevant sources and exhibits. Only then can lawyers begin constructing their arguments. This knowledge bank must be revisited multiple times throughout a case’s lifespan, which can span years, necessitating a refresh of the team’s case knowledge every few months. This triggers a repetitive cycle of legal document search-and-review each time the case is revisited.

Tedious legal workflows, such as timeline reconstruction, demand detailed oversight of massive document volumes. Huge amounts of data and proprietary knowledge languish in various document repositories, preventing teams from extracting full potential value.

We see a prime opportunity for AI-powered startups to enable legal teams to parse their data more efficiently, automatically synthesize documents, quickly refresh case knowledge and surface relevant content. By leveraging AI assistance, lawyers can focus more on case strategy and better serve their clients’ needs.

Contract Drafting and Negotiation

We’ve seen many startups target contract drafting and negotiation as a main focus, and for good reason: the technology is clearly ready for primetime in this domain. AI excels at reading contracts and detecting inconsistencies compared to historical documents and internal playbooks. It can also draft red lines and provide negotiation guidelines.

Ontra*, a Battery portfolio company in the AI-contracting space, uses AI to handle the initial 90% of the contract process, with their Ontra Legal Network serving as the human-in-the-loop to finalize contracts for private market clients. We see significant opportunities in this segment for startups to differentiate by focusing on different buyer personas (e.g., biglaw, midlaw, solo) and contract types (from bespoke, highly complex negotiations to high-volume, simple agreements).

Patents and Intellectual Property

Another compelling application of AI within the legal domain is in the realm of patents and intellectual property (IP). Patents are extremely dense, long filings with very technical language. Patents in the U.S. alone are valued at over $3T . The process of getting a patent approved can take up to two years , but the lifetime of the patent is 20 years (as long as the maintenance payments are made on time). Large corporations will protect their patent portfolio with armies of lawyers serving to defend the firm against IP lawsuits and to catch infringements.

And it makes sense why: Patent litigation costs $2.3-$4M in fees on average with patent damages costing the US market over $4.6B annually. The intricate nature of patent language, coupled with the high stakes involved in IP litigation, positions AI as a strong potential ally in this space. We anticipate the development of tools capable of parsing complex documents and identifying prior art, transforming the patent landscape and providing users with unparalleled insight and efficiency.

Conclusion and Market Opportunity

With over 1.3 million active lawyers in the U.S. alone, the potential for AI to reshape the very nature of legal practice is immense. As the industry navigates this transformative period, LLMs are elegantly addressing major pain points in legal workflows that involve vast amounts of unstructured data. Buyer appetite has surged in the past year, and we believe the legal AI reference stack is currently being established.

If you are building in this space, we’d love to talk!

*Denotes a Battery portfolio company. For a full list of all Battery investments, please click here .

The information contained herein is based solely on the opinion of Neeraj Agrawal, Brandon Gleklen and Hailey Wilcox and nothing should be construed as investment advice. This material is provided for informational purposes, and it is not, and may not be relied on in any manner as, legal, tax or investment advice or as an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy an interest in any fund or investment vehicle managed by Battery Ventures or any other Battery entity. The views expressed here are solely those of the author.

The information above may contain projections or other forward-looking statements regarding future events or expectations. Predictions, opinions and other information discussed in this publication are subject to change continually and without notice of any kind and may no longer be true after the date indicated. Battery Ventures assumes no duty to and does not undertake to update forward-looking statements.

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Access data on civil legal needs and services, learn about LSC’s research initiatives, and explore data tools.

LSC engages in research and data collection projects that aim to understand the state of civil legal needs and services in the U.S. and to build the planning, outreach, and service delivery capacity of its grantees. The Office of Data Governance and Analysis (ODGA) leads in collecting, managing, analyzing, reporting, and visualizing the data.

Download data on poverty and LSC eligibility rates and characteristics of the poverty population.

Census Data for Grantees interactive tool

Finding data that can help with identifying legal needs and planning outreach services is not always easy. This tool gives LSC grantees the ability to view, download, and map selected Census data for counties, congressional districts, and other geographic areas relevant to their service area.

Custom Census tables for LSC service areas

LSC receives custom estimates of LSC eligibility and a variety of economic and demographic data for LSC Basic Field General service areas from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS). These custom tables are not available on the Census Bureau's website but are available for download here.

Below are links to some of LSC's initiatives and reports that involve collecting, summarizing, or visualizing data on civil legal needs and services.

Annual By The Numbers  reports provide an overview of the work of LSC-funded legal aid organizations and data reported to LSC in annual Grantee Activity Reports.

LSC's  Justice Gap  studies measure the gap between the need for civil legal assistance among low-income Americans and the resources available to meet that need.

LSC is collecting records from public court websites on a variety of civil legal issues and is buildings tools to help legal aid providers and other stakeholders make use of the data.

A congressionally-directed study to investigate evictions as a legal process and the scope of unmet legal needs involving eviction at the state and local level.

LSC partnered with stakeholders in three states to explore using court data and interactive visualizations to monitor legal needs.

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Legal Research Services, PLLC

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Fredericksburg Area Legal Directory

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The Fredericksburg Area Legal Directory is available to businesses and individuals that work in and with the legal community.  The directory includes contact information of attorneys, courthouses, jails, and other legal services in the Fredericksburg, Virginia region.

Personalized Legal Memos

Legal Research Services, PLLC was created by a sole practitioner  attorney to provide legal research at affordable prices to attorneys in any state.  All of the research conducted is by a Virginia licensed attorney and offered as a type of paralegal service to attorneys.  

The researcher works with the client to determine their budget and always remains within that budget.  Each issue is researched according to the state or federal law requested.  If the issue is a case of first impression, then the researcher will search for persuasive authority from sister states.  

The legal research services include a memo for the client’s review based on researching case law databases and other reference materials.   A pdf copy of any case referenced in the memo will be provided.  How detailed the memo is depends on the hours authorized to work on the project by the client.

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• Russian Entites Profiles

Russian Company OOO "INSTAMART TEKHNOLODZHIS"

Brief profile.

active Commercial

Facts to Consider

The loss of 326 million RUB made at 2022 year end.

Over the past two years, the main type of activity has changed

show 1 more significant fact

A significant amount of the taxes paid (178 mln. RUB.).

The organization has an auditor's opinion.

Complete Profile

• 1. General Information
• 2. Registration in the Russian Federation
• 3. Company's Activities
• 4. Legal Address
• 5. Owners, Founders of the Entity
• 6. OOO "INSTAMART TEKHNOLODZHIS" CEO
• 7. Entities Founded by Company
• 8. Number of Employees
• 9. Company Finance
• 10. Entities related to OOO "INSTAMART TEKHNOLODZHIS"
• 11. Timeline of key events
• 12. Latest Changes in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities (USRLE)

General Information

Full name of the organization: OBSHCHESTVO S OGRANICHENNOI OTVETSTVENNOSTIU "INSTAMART TEKHNOLODZHIS"

TIN: 9705118150 (region of TIN receipt – Moscow)

KPP: 504701001

PSRN: 1187746495760

Location: 141425, Moscow Oblast, Khimki, ul. Aviatsionnaia, vld. 8, pomeshch. 606

Line of business: Computer programming activities (OKVED code 62.01)

Organization status: Commercial, active

Form of incorporation: Limited liability companies (code 12300 according to OKOPF)

Registration in the Russian Federation

The organization OBSHCHESTVO S OGRANICHENNOI OTVETSTVENNOSTIU "INSTAMART TEKHNOLODZHIS" was registered in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities 6 years ago 22 May 2018.

The average age of legal entities for the type of activity 62.01 "Computer programming activities" is 7 years. The age of this organization is approximately equal to the industry average.

The tax authority where the legal entity is registered: Mezhraionnaia inspektsiia Federalnoi nalogovoi sluzhby №13 po Moskovskoi oblasti (inspection code – 5047). The tax authority before 10/05/2022 – Inspektsiia Federalnoi nalogovoi sluzhby № 31 po g. Moskve (code 7731), before 10/12/2018 – Inspektsiia Federalnoi nalogovoi sluzhby № 5 po g. Moskve (code 7705).

Registration with the Pension Fund: registration number 060050067917 dated 7 October 2022.

Registration with the Social Insurance Fund: registration number 772516845750431 dated 5 October 2022.

Company's Activities

The main activity of the organization is Computer programming activities (OKVED code 62.01).

Additionally, the organization listed the following activities:

The organization is included in the Roskomnadzor registry as a personal data processing operator .

Legal Address

OOO "INSTAMART TEKHNOLODZHIS" is registered at 141425, Moscow Oblast, Khimki, ul. Aviatsionnaia, vld. 8, pomeshch. 606. ( show on a map )

Before 04/20/2023 the organization was located at .

• (before 10/05/2022)
• (before 10/16/2018)

No other organizations are listed at the current registered address.

Owners, Founders of the Entity

The founder of OOO "INSTAMART TEKHNOLODZHIS" is

OOO "INSTAMART TEKHNOLODZHIS" CEO

The head of the organization (a person who has the right to act on behalf of a legal entity without a power of attorney) since 22 August 2022 is [Access to the information is restricted] ** .

Entities Founded by Company

OOO "INSTAMART TEKHNOLODZHIS" is not listed as a founder in any Russian legal entities.

Number of Employees

There is no data available on the number of employees in the organization for 2023 in the tax authorities; in 2021 the staff totaled 652 people .

Company Finance

The Authorized capital of OOO "INSTAMART TEKHNOLODZHIS" is 10 thousand RUB. This is the minimum authorized capital for organizations established in the form of a LTD.

The net assets of OOO "INSTAMART TEKHNOLODZHIS" as of 12/31/2022 totaled 3 billion RUB.

The organization is not subject to special taxation regimes (operates under a common regime).

Information about the taxes and fees paid by the organization for 2022

The organization had no tax arrears as of 02/10/2024.

Entities related to OOO "INSTAMART TEKHNOLODZHIS"

Based on the data from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities, the following legal entities and people are directly or indirectly related to the organization.

Timeline of key events

• The legal address changed from to .
• The tax authority where the legal entity is registered was changed to Mezhraionnaia inspektsiia Federalnoi nalogovoi sluzhby №13 po Moskovskoi oblasti (earlier it was Inspektsiia Federalnoi nalogovoi sluzhby № 31 po g. Moskve ).
• Head of the organization – [Access to the information is restricted] ** .
• The main activity changed: "Other research and experimental development on natural sciences and engineering" (OKVED2 code 72.19) to "Computer programming activities" (OKVED2 code 62.01).
• The new legal address – .
• The tax authority where the legal entity is registered was changed to Inspektsiia Federalnoi nalogovoi sluzhby № 31 po g. Moskve (earlier it was Inspektsiia Federalnoi nalogovoi sluzhby № 5 po g. Moskve ).

Latest Changes in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities (USRLE)

• 03/12/2024 . State registration of changes made to the constituent documents of a legal entity related to changes in information about a legal entity contained in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities, based on an application.
• 04/20/2023 . Change of information about a legal entity contained in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities.
• 11/01/2022 . State registration of changes made to the constituent documents of a legal entity related to changes in information about a legal entity contained in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities, based on an application.
• 10/14/2022 . Entering information about registration in the FSS RF.
• 10/07/2022 . Entering information about registration in the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation.
• 10/05/2022 . Entering information about accounting with the tax authority.
• 08/31/2022 . Change of information about a legal entity contained in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities.
• 08/22/2022 . Change of information about a legal entity contained in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities.
• 08/21/2022 . Changes to the information contained in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities in connection with the renaming (resubordination) of address objects.
• 07/07/2022 . Change of information about a legal entity contained in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities.

* The date of change in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities is shown (may be different from the actual date).

** Access to the information is restricted in accordance with the requirements of the Federal Law No. 129-FZ of August 8, 2001 "On State Registration of Legal Entities and Individual Entrepreneurs"

The data presented on this page have been obtained from official sources: the Unified State Register of Legal Entities (USRLE), the State Information Resource for Financial Statements, the website of the Federal Tax Service (FTS), the Ministry of Finance and the Federal State Statistics Service.

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Reed Smith LLP

5 June 2024

Reed Smith advised Trivest Partners on strategic growth investment in Dubin Research & Consulting

Related Professionals: Nicholas M. Gibson Kristen J. Capriotti L. Crockett Stevenson Bradley S. Schmarak Arnold E. Grant Michael B. Galibois Terryl M. Ferrell George J. Avdellas Andrew D. Grumbine Paulo B. McKeeby Joseph J. Mammone A.J. Wissinger Peter J. Kennedy Peter A. Emmi Ari Byk Batool T. Banker Daniel J. Hagedorn Michaela M. Mapes Allison Warden Sizemore Jennifer A. Smokelin Michael J. Lowell Kim Brodhead C. Andrew Robinson

Based in Miami, Trivest Partners is a private investment firm that focuses exclusively on the support and growth of founder-led and family-owned businesses in the U.S. and Canada.

The cross-office private equity team that advised Trivest Partners was led by Chicago partner Nick Gibson, and associates Kristen Capriotti and Crockett Stevenson, based in Philadelphia and Chicago, respectively.

Additional counsel for this transaction was provided by a multidisciplinary, cross-office team of Reed Smith lawyers including:

• Chicago – partners Brad Schmarak, Arnold Grant and Michael Galibois, associates Terryl Ferrell II and George Avdellas, and paralegal Andrew Grumbine
• Dallas – partner Paulo McKeeby and associate Joseph J. Mammone Jr.
• Houston – counsel A.J. Wissinger
• Los Angeles – partner Peter Kennedy
• New York – partner Peter Emmi, counsel Ari Byk, and associate Batool T. Banker
• Orange County – partner Daniel Hagedorn and associate Michaela M. Mapes
• Pittsburgh – partners Allison Sizemore and Jennifer Smokelin
• Tysons Corner – partner Michael Lowell
• Washington, D.C. – associates Kim Brodhead and Drew Robinson

Additional details about this transaction can be found on businesswire.com .

About Reed Smith

Reed Smith is a dynamic international law firm dedicated to helping clients move their businesses forward. With an inclusive culture and innovative mindset, we deliver smarter, more creative legal services that drive better outcomes for our clients. Our deep industry knowledge, long-standing relationships and collaborative structure make us the go-to partner for complex disputes, transactions, and regulatory matters.

For more information, please visit www.reedsmith.com.  

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How To Start A Business In 11 Steps (2024 Guide)

Updated: Apr 7, 2024, 1:44pm

Table of Contents

Before you begin: get in the right mindset, 1. determine your business concept, 2. research your competitors and market, 3. create your business plan, 4. choose your business structure, 5. register your business and get licenses, 6. get your finances in order, 7. fund your business, 8. apply for business insurance, 9. get the right business tools, 10. market your business, 11. scale your business, what are the best states to start a business, bottom line, frequently asked questions (faqs).

Starting a business is one of the most exciting and rewarding experiences you can have. But where do you begin? There are several ways to approach creating a business, along with many important considerations. To help take the guesswork out of the process and improve your chances of success, follow our comprehensive guide on how to start a business. We’ll walk you through each step of the process, from defining your business idea to registering, launching and growing your business.

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The public often hears about overnight successes because they make for a great headline. However, it’s rarely that simple—they don’t see the years of dreaming, building and positioning before a big public launch. For this reason, remember to focus on your business journey and don’t measure your success against someone else’s.

Consistency Is Key

New business owners tend to feed off their motivation initially but get frustrated when that motivation wanes. This is why it’s essential to create habits and follow routines that power you through when motivation goes away.

Take the Next Step

Some business owners dive in headfirst without looking and make things up as they go along. Then, there are business owners who stay stuck in analysis paralysis and never start. Perhaps you’re a mixture of the two—and that’s right where you need to be. The best way to accomplish any business or personal goal is to write out every possible step it takes to achieve the goal. Then, order those steps by what needs to happen first. Some steps may take minutes while others take a long time. The point is to always take the next step.

Most business advice tells you to monetize what you love, but it misses two other very important elements: it needs to be profitable and something you’re good at. For example, you may love music, but how viable is your business idea if you’re not a great singer or songwriter? Maybe you love making soap and want to open a soap shop in your small town that already has three close by—it won’t be easy to corner the market when you’re creating the same product as other nearby stores.

If you don’t have a firm idea of what your business will entail, ask yourself the following questions:

• What do you love to do?
• What do you hate to do?
• Can you think of something that would make those things easier?
• What are you good at?
• What do others come to you for advice about?
• If you were given ten minutes to give a five-minute speech on any topic, what would it be?
• What’s something you’ve always wanted to do, but lacked resources for?

These questions can lead you to an idea for your business. If you already have an idea, they might help you expand it. Once you have your idea, measure it against whether you’re good at it and if it’s profitable.

Your business idea also doesn’t have to be the next Scrub Daddy or Squatty Potty. Instead, you can take an existing product and improve upon it. You can also sell a digital product so there’s little overhead.

What Kind of Business Should You Start?

Before you choose the type of business to start, there are some key things to consider:

• What type of funding do you have?
• How much time do you have to invest in your business?
• Do you prefer to work from home or at an office or workshop?
• What interests and passions do you have?
• Can you sell information (such as a course), rather than a product?
• What skills or expertise do you have?
• How fast do you need to scale your business?
• What kind of support do you have to start your business?
• Are you partnering with someone else?
• Does the franchise model make more sense to you?

Consider Popular Business Ideas

Not sure what business to start? Consider one of these popular business ideas:

• Start a Franchise
• Start a Blog
• Start an Online Store
• Start a Dropshipping Business
• Start a Cleaning Business
• Start a Bookkeeping Business
• Start a Clothing Business
• Start a Landscaping Business
• Start a Consulting Business
• Start a Photography Business
• Start a Vending Machine Business

Most entrepreneurs spend more time on their products than they do getting to know the competition. If you ever apply for outside funding, the potential lender or partner wants to know: what sets you (or your business idea) apart? If market analysis indicates your product or service is saturated in your area, see if you can think of a different approach. Take housekeeping, for example—rather than general cleaning services, you might specialize in homes with pets or focus on garage cleanups.

Primary Research

The first stage of any competition study is primary research, which entails obtaining data directly from potential customers rather than basing your conclusions on past data. You can use questionnaires, surveys and interviews to learn what consumers want. Surveying friends and family isn’t recommended unless they’re your target market. People who say they’d buy something and people who do are very different. The last thing you want is to take so much stock in what they say, create the product and flop when you try to sell it because all of the people who said they’d buy it don’t because the product isn’t something they’d buy.

Secondary Research

Utilize existing sources of information, such as census data, to gather information when you do secondary research. The current data may be studied, compiled and analyzed in various ways that are appropriate for your needs but it may not be as detailed as primary research.

Conduct a SWOT Analysis

SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Conducting a SWOT analysis allows you to look at the facts about how your product or idea might perform if taken to market, and it can also help you make decisions about the direction of your idea. Your business idea might have some weaknesses that you hadn’t considered or there may be some opportunities to improve on a competitor’s product.

Asking pertinent questions during a SWOT analysis can help you identify and address weaknesses before they tank your new business.

A business plan is a dynamic document that serves as a roadmap for establishing a new business. This document makes it simple for potential investors, financial institutions and company management to understand and absorb. Even if you intend to self-finance, a business plan can help you flesh out your idea and spot potential problems. When writing a well-rounded business plan, include the following sections:

• Executive summary: The executive summary should be the first item in the business plan, but it should be written last. It describes the proposed new business and highlights the goals of the company and the methods to achieve them.
• Company description: The company description covers what problems your product or service solves and why your business or idea is best. For example, maybe your background is in molecular engineering, and you’ve used that background to create a new type of athletic wear—you have the proper credentials to make the best material.
• Market analysis: This section of the business plan analyzes how well a company is positioned against its competitors. The market analysis should include target market, segmentation analysis, market size, growth rate, trends and a competitive environment assessment.
• Organization and structure: Write about the type of business organization you expect, what risk management strategies you propose and who will staff the management team. What are their qualifications? Will your business be a single-member limited liability company (LLC) or a corporation ?
• Mission and goals: This section should contain a brief mission statement and detail what the business wishes to accomplish and the steps to get there. These goals should be SMART (specific, measurable, action-orientated, realistic and time-bound).
• Products or services: This section describes how your business will operate. It includes what products you’ll offer to consumers at the beginning of the business, how they compare to existing competitors, how much your products cost, who will be responsible for creating the products, how you’ll source materials and how much they cost to make.
• Background summary: This portion of the business plan is the most time-consuming to write. Compile and summarize any data, articles and research studies on trends that could positively and negatively affect your business or industry.
• Marketing plan: The marketing plan identifies the characteristics of your product or service, summarizes the SWOT analysis and analyzes competitors. It also discusses how you’ll promote your business, how much money will be spent on marketing and how long the campaign is expected to last.
• Financial plan: The financial plan is perhaps the core of the business plan because, without money, the business will not move forward. Include a proposed budget in your financial plan along with projected financial statements, such as an income statement, a balance sheet and a statement of cash flows. Usually, five years of projected financial statements are acceptable. This section is also where you should include your funding request if you’re looking for outside funding.

Learn more: Download our free simple business plan template .

Come Up With an Exit Strategy

An exit strategy is important for any business that is seeking funding because it outlines how you’ll sell the company or transfer ownership if you decide to retire or move on to other projects. An exit strategy also allows you to get the most value out of your business when it’s time to sell. There are a few different options for exiting a business, and the best option for you depends on your goals and circumstances.

The most common exit strategies are:

• Selling the business to another party
• Passing the business down to family members
• Liquidating the business assets
• Closing the doors and walking away

Develop a Scalable Business Model

As your small business grows, it’s important to have a scalable business model so that you can accommodate additional customers without incurring additional costs. A scalable business model is one that can be replicated easily to serve more customers without a significant increase in expenses.

Some common scalable business models are:

• Subscription-based businesses
• Businesses that sell digital products
• Franchise businesses
• Network marketing businesses

Start Planning for Taxes

One of the most important things to do when starting a small business is to start planning for taxes. Taxes can be complex, and there are several different types of taxes you may be liable for, including income tax, self-employment tax, sales tax and property tax. Depending on the type of business you’re operating, you may also be required to pay other taxes, such as payroll tax or unemployment tax.

Start A Limited Liability Company Online Today with ZenBusiness

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When structuring your business, it’s essential to consider how each structure impacts the amount of taxes you owe, daily operations and whether your personal assets are at risk.

An LLC limits your personal liability for business debts. LLCs can be owned by one or more people or companies and must include a registered agent . These owners are referred to as members.

• LLCs offer liability protection for the owners
• They’re one of the easiest business entities to set up
• You can have a single-member LLC
• You may be required to file additional paperwork with your state on a regular basis
• LLCs can’t issue stock
• You’ll need to pay annual filing fees to your state

Limited Liability Partnership (LLP)

An LLP is similar to an LLC but is typically used for licensed business professionals such as an attorney or accountant. These arrangements require a partnership agreement.

• Partners have limited liability for the debts and actions of the LLP
• LLPs are easy to form and don’t require much paperwork
• There’s no limit to the number of partners in an LLP
• Partners are required to actively take part in the business
• LLPs can’t issue stock
• All partners are personally liable for any malpractice claims against the business

Sole Proprietorship

If you start a solo business, you might consider a sole proprietorship . The company and the owner, for legal and tax purposes, are considered the same. The business owner assumes liability for the business. So, if the business fails, the owner is personally and financially responsible for all business debts.

• Sole proprietorships are easy to form
• There’s no need to file additional paperwork with your state
• You’re in complete control of the business
• You’re personally liable for all business debts
• It can be difficult to raise money for a sole proprietorship
• The business may have a limited lifespan

Corporation

A corporation limits your personal liability for business debts just as an LLC does. A corporation can be taxed as a C corporation (C-corp) or an S corporation (S-corp). S-corp status offers pass-through taxation to small corporations that meet certain IRS requirements. Larger companies and startups hoping to attract venture capital are usually taxed as C-corps.

• Corporations offer liability protection for the owners
• The life span of a corporation is not limited
• A corporation can have an unlimited number of shareholders
• Corporations are subject to double taxation
• They’re more expensive and complicated to set up than other business structures
• The shareholders may have limited liability

Before you decide on a business structure, discuss your situation with a small business accountant and possibly an attorney, as each business type has different tax treatments that could affect your bottom line.

Helpful Resources

• How To Set Up an LLC in 7 Steps
• How To Start a Sole Proprietorship
• How To Start a Corporation
• How To Start a Nonprofit
• How To Start a 501(c)(3)

There are several legal issues to address when starting a business after choosing the business structure. The following is a good checklist of items to consider when establishing your business:

Choose Your Business Name

Make it memorable but not too difficult. Choose the same domain name, if available, to establish your internet presence. A business name cannot be the same as another registered company in your state, nor can it infringe on another trademark or service mark that is already registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

Business Name vs. DBA

There are business names, and then there are fictitious business names known as “Doing Business As” or DBA. You may need to file a DBA if you’re operating under a name that’s different from the legal name of your business. For example, “Mike’s Bike Shop” is doing business as “Mike’s Bikes.” The legal name of the business is “Mike’s Bike Shop,” and “Mike’s Bikes” is the DBA.

You may need to file a DBA with your state, county or city government offices. The benefits of a DBA include:

• It can help you open a business bank account under your business name
• A DBA can be used as a “trade name” to brand your products or services
• A DBA can be used to get a business license

Register Your Business and Obtain an EIN

You’ll officially create a corporation, LLC or other business entity by filing forms with your state’s business agency―usually the Secretary of State. As part of this process, you’ll need to choose a registered agent to accept legal documents on behalf of your business. You’ll also pay a filing fee. The state will send you a certificate that you can use to apply for licenses, a tax identification number (TIN) and business bank accounts.

Next, apply for an employer identification number (EIN) . All businesses, other than sole proprietorships with no employees, must have a federal employer identification number. Submit your application to the IRS and you’ll typically receive your number in minutes.

Get Appropriate Licenses and Permits

Legal requirements are determined by your industry and jurisdiction. Most businesses need a mixture of local, state and federal licenses to operate. Check with your local government office (and even an attorney) for licensing information tailored to your area.

• Best LLC Services
• How To Register a Business Name
• How To Register a DBA
• How To Get an EIN for an LLC
• How To Get a Business License

Start an LLC Online Today With ZenBusiness

Click on the state below to get started.

Open a Business Bank Account

Keep your business and personal finances separate. Here’s how to choose a business checking account —and why separate business accounts are essential. When you open a business bank account, you’ll need to provide your business name and your business tax identification number (EIN). This business bank account can be used for your business transactions, such as paying suppliers or invoicing customers. Most times, a bank will require a separate business bank account to issue a business loan or line of credit.

Hire a Bookkeeper or Get Accounting Software

If you sell a product, you need an inventory function in your accounting software to manage and track inventory. The software should have ledger and journal entries and the ability to generate financial statements.

Some software programs double as bookkeeping tools. These often include features such as check writing and managing receivables and payables. You can also use this software to track your income and expenses, generate invoices, run reports and calculate taxes.

There are many bookkeeping services available that can do all of this for you, and more. These services can be accessed online from any computer or mobile device and often include features such as bank reconciliation and invoicing. Check out the best accounting software for small business, or see if you want to handle the bookkeeping yourself.

Determine Your Break-Even Point

Before you fund your business, you must get an idea of your startup costs. To determine these, make a list of all the physical supplies you need, estimate the cost of any professional services you will require, determine the price of any licenses or permits required to operate and calculate the cost of office space or other real estate. Add in the costs of payroll and benefits, if applicable.

Businesses can take years to turn a profit, so it’s better to overestimate the startup costs and have too much money than too little. Many experts recommend having enough cash on hand to cover six months of operating expenses.

When you know how much you need to get started with your business, you need to know the point at which your business makes money. This figure is your break-even point.

In contrast, the contribution margin = total sales revenue – cost to make product

For example, let’s say you’re starting a small business that sells miniature birdhouses for fairy gardens. You have determined that it will cost you $500 in startup costs. Your variable costs are $0.40 per birdhouse produced, and you sell them for $1.50 each.

Let’s write these out so it’s easy to follow:

This means that you need to sell at least 456 units just to cover your costs. If you can sell more than 456 units in your first month, you will make a profit.

• The Best Business Checking Accounts
• The Best Accounting Software for Small Business
• How To Open a Bank Account

There are many different ways to fund your business—some require considerable effort, while others are easier to obtain. Two categories of funding exist: internal and external.

Internal funding includes:

• Personal savings
• Credit cards
• Funds from friends and family

If you finance the business with your own funds or with credit cards, you have to pay the debt on the credit cards and you’ve lost a chunk of your wealth if the business fails. By allowing your family members or friends to invest in your business, you are risking hard feelings and strained relationships if the company goes under. Business owners who want to minimize these risks may consider external funding.

External funding includes:

• Small business loans
• Small business grants
• Angel investors
• Venture capital
• Crowdfunding

Small businesses may have to use a combination of several sources of capital. Consider how much money is needed, how long it will take before the company can repay it and how risk-tolerant you are. No matter which source you use, plan for profit. It’s far better to take home six figures than make seven figures and only keep $80,000 of it.

Funding ideas include:

• Invoice factoring: With invoice factoring , you can sell your unpaid invoices to a third party at a discount.
• Business lines of credit: Apply for a business line of credit , which is similar to a personal line of credit. The credit limit and interest rate will be based on your business’s revenue, credit score and financial history.
• Equipment financing: If you need to purchase expensive equipment for your business, you can finance it with a loan or lease.
• Small Business Administration (SBA) microloans: Microloans are up to $50,000 loans that can be used for working capital, inventory or supplies and machinery or equipment.
• Grants: The federal government offers grants for businesses that promote innovation, export growth or are located in historically disadvantaged areas. You can also find grants through local and regional organizations.
• Crowdfunding: With crowdfunding , you can raise money from a large group of people by soliciting donations or selling equity in your company.

Choose the right funding source for your business by considering the amount of money you need, the time frame for repayment and your tolerance for risk.

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You need to have insurance for your business , even if it’s a home-based business or you don’t have any employees. The type of insurance you need depends on your business model and what risks you face. You might need more than one type of policy, and you might need additional coverage as your business grows. In most states, workers’ compensation insurance is required by law if you have employees.

Work With an Agent To Get Insured

An insurance agent can help determine what coverages are appropriate for your business and find policies from insurers that offer the best rates. An independent insurance agent represents several different insurers, so they can shop around for the best rates and coverage options.

Basic Types of Business Insurance Coverage

• Liability insurance protects your business against third-party claims of bodily injury, property damage and personal injury such as defamation or false advertising.
• Property insurance covers the physical assets of your business, including your office space, equipment and inventory.
• Business interruption insurance pays for the loss of income if your business is forced to close temporarily due to a covered event such as a natural disaster.
• Product liability insurance protects against claims that your products caused bodily injury or property damage.
• Employee practices liability insurance covers claims from employees alleging discrimination, sexual harassment or other wrongful termination.
• Workers’ compensation insurance covers medical expenses and income replacement for employees who are injured on the job.
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Business tools can help make your life easier and make your business run more smoothly. The right tools can help you save time, automate tasks and make better decisions.

Consider the following tools in your arsenal:

• Accounting software : Track your business income and expenses, prepare financial statements and file taxes. Examples include QuickBooks and FreshBooks.
• Customer relationship management (CRM) software : This will help you manage your customer relationships, track sales and marketing data and automate tasks like customer service and follow-ups. Examples include Zoho CRM and monday.com.
• Project management software : Plan, execute and track projects. It can also be used to manage employee tasks and allocate resources. Examples include Airtable and ClickUp.
• Credit card processor : This will allow you to accept credit card payments from customers. Examples include Stripe and PayPal.
• Point of sale (POS) : A system that allows you to process customer payments. Some accounting software and CRM software have POS features built-in. Examples include Clover and Lightspeed.
• Virtual private network (VPN) : Provides a secure, private connection between your computer and the internet. This is important for businesses that handle sensitive data. Examples include NordVPN and ExpressVPN.
• Merchant services : When customers make a purchase, the money is deposited into your business account. You can also use merchant services to set up recurring billing or subscription payments. Examples include Square and Stripe.
• Email hosting : This allows you to create a professional email address with your own domain name. Examples include G Suite and Microsoft Office 365.

Many business owners spend so much money creating their products that there isn’t a marketing budget by the time they’ve launched. Alternatively, they’ve spent so much time developing the product that marketing is an afterthought.

Create a Website

Even if you’re a brick-and-mortar business, a web presence is essential. Creating a website doesn’t take long, either—you can have one done in as little as a weekend. You can make a standard informational website or an e-commerce site where you sell products online. If you sell products or services offline, include a page on your site where customers can find your locations and hours. Other pages to add include an “About Us” page, product or service pages, frequently asked questions (FAQs), a blog and contact information.

Optimize Your Site for SEO

After getting a website or e-commerce store, focus on optimizing it for search engines (SEO). This way, when a potential customer searches for specific keywords for your products, the search engine can point them to your site. SEO is a long-term strategy, so don’t expect a ton of traffic from search engines initially—even if you’re using all the right keywords.

Create Relevant Content

Provide quality digital content on your site that makes it easy for customers to find the correct answers to their questions. Content marketing ideas include videos, customer testimonials, blog posts and demos. Consider content marketing one of the most critical tasks on your daily to-do list. This is used in conjunction with posting on social media.

Get Listed in Online Directories

Customers use online directories like Yelp, Google My Business and Facebook to find local businesses. Some city halls and chambers of commerce have business directories too. Include your business in as many relevant directories as possible. You can also create listings for your business on specific directories that focus on your industry.

Develop a Social Media Strategy

Your potential customers are using social media every day—you need to be there too. Post content that’s interesting and relevant to your audience. Use social media to drive traffic back to your website where customers can learn more about what you do and buy your products or services.

You don’t necessarily need to be on every social media platform available. However, you should have a presence on Facebook and Instagram because they offer e-commerce features that allow you to sell directly from your social media accounts. Both of these platforms have free ad training to help you market your business.

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To scale your business, you need to grow your customer base and revenue. This can be done by expanding your marketing efforts, improving your product or service, collaborating with other creators or adding new products or services that complement what you already offer.

Think about ways you can automate or outsource certain tasks so you can focus on scaling the business. For example, if social media marketing is taking up too much of your time, consider using a platform such as Hootsuite to help you manage your accounts more efficiently. You can also consider outsourcing the time-consumer completely.

You can also use technology to automate certain business processes, including accounting, email marketing and lead generation. Doing this will give you more time to focus on other aspects of your business.

When scaling your business, it’s important to keep an eye on your finances and make sure you’re still profitable. If you’re not making enough money to cover your costs, you need to either reduce your expenses or find ways to increase your revenue.

Build a Team

As your business grows, you’ll need to delegate tasks and put together a team of people who can help you run the day-to-day operations. This might include hiring additional staff, contractors or freelancers.

Resources for building a team include:

• Hiring platforms: To find the right candidates, hiring platforms, such as Indeed and Glassdoor, can help you post job descriptions, screen résumés and conduct video interviews.
• Job boards: Job boards such as Craigslist and Indeed allow you to post open positions for free.
• Social media: You can also use social media platforms such as LinkedIn and Facebook to find potential employees.
• Freelance platforms: Using Upwork, Freelancer and Fiverr can help you find talented freelancers for one-time or short-term projects. You can also outsource certain tasks, such as customer service, social media marketing or bookkeeping.

You might also consider partnering with other businesses in your industry. For example, if you’re a wedding planner, you could partner with a florist, photographer, catering company or venue. This way, you can offer your customers a one-stop shop for all their wedding needs. Another example is an e-commerce store that partners with a fulfillment center. This type of partnership can help you save money on shipping and storage costs, and it can also help you get your products to your customers faster.

To find potential partnerships, search for businesses in your industry that complement what you do. For example, if you’re a web designer, you could partner with a digital marketing agency.

You can also search for businesses that serve the same target market as you but offer different products or services. For example, if you sell women’s clothing, you could partner with a jewelry store or a hair salon.

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To rank the best states to start a business in 2024, Forbes Advisor analyzed 18 key metrics across five categories to determine which states are the best and worst to start a business in. Our ranking takes into consideration factors that impact businesses and their ability to succeed, such as business costs, business climate, economy, workforce and financial accessibility in each state. Check out the full report .

Starting a small business takes time, effort and perseverance. But if you’re willing to put in the work, it can be a great way to achieve your dreams and goals. Be sure to do your research, create a solid business plan and pivot along the way. Once you’re operational, don’t forget to stay focused and organized so you can continue to grow your business.

How do I start a small business with no money?

There are several funding sources for brand-new businesses and most require a business plan to secure it. These include the SBA , private grants, angel investors, crowdfunding and venture capital.

What is the best business structure?

The best business structure for your business will depend entirely on what kind of company you form, your industry and what you want to accomplish. But any successful business structure will be one that will help your company set realistic goals and follow through on set tasks.

Do I need a business credit card?

You don’t need one, but a business credit card can be helpful for new small businesses. It allows you to start building business credit, which can help you down the road when you need to take out a loan or line of credit. Additionally, business credit cards often come with rewards and perks that can save you money on business expenses.

Do I need a special license or permit to start a small business?

The answer to this question will depend on the type of business you want to start and where you’re located. Some businesses, such as restaurants, will require a special permit or license to operate. Others, such as home daycare providers, may need to register with the state.

How much does it cost to create a business?

The cost of starting a business will vary depending on the size and type of company you want to create. For example, a home-based business will be less expensive to start than a brick-and-mortar store. Additionally, the cost of starting a business will increase if you need to rent or buy commercial space, hire employees or purchase inventory. You could potentially get started for free by dropshipping or selling digital goods.

How do I get a loan for a new business?

The best way to get a loan for a new business is to approach banks or other financial institutions and provide them with a business plan and your financial history. You can also look into government-backed loans, such as those offered by the SBA. Startups may also be able to get loans from alternative lenders, including online platforms such as Kiva.

Do I need a business degree to start a business?

No, you don’t need a business degree to start a business. However, acquiring a degree in business or a related field can provide you with the understanding and ability to run an effective company. Additionally, you may want to consider taking some business courses if you don’t have a degree to learn more about starting and running a business. You can find these online and at your local Small Business Administration office.

What are some easy businesses to start?

One of the easiest businesses to start also has the lowest overhead: selling digital goods. This can include items such as e-books, online courses, audio files or software. If you have expertise in a particular area or niche, this is a great option for you. Dropshipping is also a great option because you don’t have to keep inventory. You could also buy wholesale products or create your own. Once you create your product, you can sell it through your own website or third-party platforms such as Amazon or Etsy.

What is the most profitable type of business?

There is no one answer to this question because the most profitable type of business will vary depending on a number of factors, such as your industry, location, target market and business model. However, some businesses tend to be more profitable than others, such as luxury goods, high-end services, business-to-business companies and subscription-based businesses. If you’re not sure what type of business to start, consider your strengths and interests, as well as the needs of your target market, to help you choose a profitable business idea.

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Katherine Haan is a small business owner with nearly two decades of experience helping other business owners increase their incomes.