Fastcase

Fastcase is an online legal research service that the MSBA provides as a free benefit to members.

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What is Fastcase?

Fastcase is a comprehensive online law library with all federal cases going back to 1 U.S. 1, 1 F.2d 1, 1 F.Supp. 1, and 1 B.R. 1, as well as Minnesota appellate cases going back to 1874 and caselaw for all 50 states going back to 1950 or earlier. Fastcase also offers access to federal and state statutes, as well as administrative codes. See Product Overview (from Fastcase).

How much does it cost to use Fastcase?

Fastcase is provided free to Minnesota State Bar Association members. There are a few third-party vendors that require payment of a fee by credit card, such as ChoicePoint (public records searching), Lexis-Nexis (Shepard's), and Westlaw (KeyCite). Most fees with third-party vendors are between $3.00 to $15.00 per transaction.

What is in the Fastcase database for MSBA members?

State Materials:

• Minnesota appellate court opinions from 1874 to present, including unpublished Court of Appeals decisions since 1996;
• Minnesota statutes;
• Minnesota regulations, court rules and constitution (links to state authority housing these materials;
• Caselaw from all 50 states since at least 1950;
• State statutes, regulations and constitutions.

Federal Materials:

• All U.S. Supreme Court cases (1 U.S. 1 to present);
• U.S. Court of Appeals cases from 1 F.2d 1 to present;
• U.S. District Court opinions from 1 F.Supp. 1 to present;
• U.S. Bankruptcy Court opinions from 1 B.R. 1 to present;
• Federal statutes, regulations and the U.S. Constitution.

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Are there mobile apps for Fastcase?

Yes. Fastcase has mobile apps for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. More information about its mobile apps is available here. Currently, Fastcase does not offer apps compatible with Android or Mobile Windows smart phones.

What search options exist on Fastcase?

Fastcase supports Boolean, natural language, or citation search functions. Multiple cases can be retrieved from a single line of citations, separated by commas.

Can I print, save and e-mail my search results?

Yes. Your search results can be saved to your desktop or printed using Microsoft Word, Adobe PDF or Microsoft Rich Text Format (RTF). Dual-column printing is the default printing mode for Fastcase documents. Fastcase also provides e-mail delivery of cases and statutes.

Can I Shepardize or use KeyCite for cases on Fastcase?

No. Fastcase does not offer Shepard's or KeyCite services directly from its website. Each case, however, contains a link to use Shepard's or KeyCite, each of which can be accessed for a small fee using a credit card. See Shepardizing in Fastcase

How current is the Fastcase system?

Fastcase updates its data between 24 and 48 hours from the date of a case decision and updates directly from the courts, court websites, and published material.

What support exists for Fastcase users?

Fastcase offers e-mail support 24 hours a day, seven days each week, with a response time within four hours. It also provides live-chat and phone support Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.