Fastcase Review
Category: Legal Research
Founded: 1999
Headquarters: Washington, DC
Fastcase is a comprehensive legal research platform offering 50-state coverage at an affordable price. With innovative features like the Bad Law Bot and visual search results, Fastcase makes legal research accessible to attorneys of all practice sizes.
Overview
Fastcase democratizes legal research by providing a powerful, affordable alternative to traditional legal research platforms. The platform includes comprehensive case law, statutes, regulations, court rules, and constitutions from all 50 states and federal jurisdictions, combined with innovative AI-powered features that enhance research efficiency.
Key Features
- Bad Law Bot: AI-powered citation analysis to identify overruled cases
- 50-State Coverage: Complete case law and statutes for all jurisdictions
- Interactive Timeline: Visual representation of search results over time
- Authority Check: See how often cases have been cited
- Dual-Column View: Compare documents side by side
- Mobile Apps: Full research capabilities on iOS and Android
- Forecite: Citation prediction and verification tool
- Print Optimization: Formatted printing with automatic pagination
Use Cases
- Solo practitioners needing affordable research tools
- Small to mid-size firms seeking cost-effective alternatives
- Attorneys requiring mobile research capabilities
- Legal professionals needing quick citation verification
- Bar association members (often included free)
Pros
- Excellent value for comprehensive coverage
- Innovative Bad Law Bot feature
- User-friendly interface with visual tools
- Strong mobile applications
- Often free through bar associations
- Regular content updates
Cons
- Limited secondary sources compared to Westlaw/Lexis
- Less comprehensive administrative materials
- Fewer practice-specific resources
- Search algorithms less refined than premium competitors
Coverage & Content
Fastcase provides comprehensive legal research materials:
- Federal and state case law (all 50 states)
- Federal and state statutes and codes
- Federal and state regulations
- Court rules for all jurisdictions
- Constitutional materials
- Attorney General opinions
- Limited secondary sources
Technology & Innovation
Fastcase leverages cutting-edge technology:
- AI-powered Bad Law Bot for citation analysis
- Machine learning for search relevance
- Interactive data visualization tools
- Cloud-based platform with 99.9% uptime
- API access for integration
- Regular algorithm improvements