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To end a research session, click Log Out near the top right corner of the Loislaw screen. If you do not log out, Loislaw will consider your session active for approximately 10 more minutes, even after you close the browser window. If you try to log back in during this interval, Loislaw will prevent access for security purposes. After 10 minutes of inactivity, Loislaw will log you out automatically, regardless of whether the browser window is open or closed.
To log back in using your Primary Research Pass, go directly to www.Loislaw.com.
Your Primary Research Pass is valid for 24 hours. To log back in during this period, go to Loislaw's home page and enter your username and password in the Member Sign In area near the left-hand side of the screen.
After your Primary Research Pass expires, you may purchase future passes from the Loislaw.com site by entering your initial username and password.
Searching with a web browser from American Online, Inc. (AOL)
Because of AOL's encryption methods, users may encounter difficulties while searching Loislaw with an AOL browser. For optimal access to Loislaw, use Internet Explorer (version 6.0 or later) or Mozilla (version 6.0 or later).
Help and Technical Support
Click the Help & Technical Support link in the top right corner of the Loislaw screen to access a FAQ, search tips, and guidance for troubleshooting problems. If you require additional help, click Contact Us in the same area near the top right of the main Loislaw screen. This link will display email and telephone contact information.
Common Questions
Throughout the Loislaw.com site, users can click on Common Questions or Expert Search Tips to open an intuitive help page for the screen at hand. These links are both located near the bottom center of the main Loislaw banner running across the top of the screen.
Navigation Bar
Loislaw's Navigation Bar offers buttons for navigating to next and previous documents, the top and bottom of documents, next and previous search hits, etc. The navigation bar also provides handy "breadcrumb" links (also known as "TOC trail" links) to mark previously visited pages. Use the breadcrumbs rather than your browser's Back button to retrace steps in the search process; go back to a particular page just by clicking on its name.
Searching Loislaw
Loislaw is intuitive, fast, and simple to use. Loislaw's 'Boolean' search engine allows you to narrow a search with simple 'connector words' (or shortcut symbols) including AND (&), OR (|), NOT (%), and NEAR (/). Using these four words will enable you to narrow, broaden, or refine your search.
Examples with explanation:
| AND |
& |
Returns document containing both search terms |
employer and harassment |
employer & harassment |
| OR |
| |
Returns document containing either term |
automobile or vehicle |
automobile | vehicle |
| NOT |
% |
Returns document containing the initial term, but no term following "NOT" |
pistol not rifle |
pistol % rifle |
| NEAR |
/ |
Returns document containing both terms within 20 words of each other |
modification near contract |
modification / contract |
| NEARX |
/X |
Returns document containing both terms within X number of words of each other |
estate near5 decedent |
estate /5 decedent |
| "x x" |
" |
Returns document containing an exact phrase
Note: Keyword variants such as plurals will not be retrieved when using quotation marks. |
"plea of confession and avoidance"
Note: connectors enclosed in quotation marks are directly searchable, and cease to be regarded as special operators by the search engine. |
Start simple, and be specific
Start with just a few terms. Do not include every possible word, only the most important or unique words.
Be careful with common phrases
When researching a common topic like child custody, take care to avoid too many search hits. Refine the search using the AND and NEAR connectors as follows. The search below returns documents including the word "child" anywhere in the document and the word "custody" within 3 words on either side of the word "joint".
Example: child and custody near3 joint
Use 'near' when searching for proper names
Proper names may not be used consistently in the law. When looking for a person's name or any proper name or title, use the NEAR connector to find all forms of the name.
Example: paul near2 jones finds "paul d. jones" and "paul david jones"
Find A Case
Find A Case allows direct retrieval of single or multiple case law citations when you know the citations in advance, without searching for keywords or phrases.
To retrieve a single citation, simply type it into the Find A Case box near the top of Loislaw's main browser window.
To retrieve multiple citations, click on the Multiple Citations link underneath the Find A Case box. A new window will appear. Type a citation into the first box and click Add Cite to List. Repeat the process for additional citations. Users can enter several citations, compile them automatically into a list, and then retrieve all the documents at once. Click Look up List of Cites to retrieve the documents. To remove a citation from the retrieval list, select it and click Delete Cite.
Saving Searches and Activating LawWatch
LawWatch enables users to save searches for later retrieval. Simply click the Save Search button near the bottom of a Results List or View Document page to save the search expression that produced the results or document. Within the Save Search dialog box, name the search, choose options for configuring LawWatch, and click Save Changes. Recall a search by selecting "My Saved Searches" near the top of the main Loislaw window.
For Additional Help
From any page on the website, click Help & Technical Support in the upper right corner of the Loislaw screen to access online help pages.
To email or telephone Loislaw with technical, billing, sales, research, or subscription questions, click Contact Us in the top right corner of the Loislaw screen. This link offers a form that allows users with various questions or concerns to reach the appropriate support personnel. Below the form, users will find a list of email addresses and telephone numbers. Users may also choose one of the contact options specified below:
Via email: primaryresearchhelp@Loislaw.com
Via Phone: 866-895-7439