Zum Hauptinhalt springen
Artikel
Lizenziert
Nicht lizenziert Erfordert eine Authentifizierung

Legal Research without Barriers: Free Legal Databases as Alternatives for Law Students

Veröffentlicht/Copyright: 15. August 2025
Veröffentlichen auch Sie bei De Gruyter Brill
Manuskript einreichen Informationen für Autor*innen
International Journal of Legal Information
Aus der Zeitschrift International Journal of Legal Information Band 53 Heft 2

Abstract

In many developing countries, law students face challenges in accessing authoritative legal resources, including statutes, case law, and journal articles, due to the high costs of subscription-based databases such as LexisNexis, HeinOnline, and Westlaw. In Nigeria, additional subscription online resources are available, including LawPavilion, Legalpedia, and Compulaw. These platforms are all rich in content and currency; however, they are often unaffordable for both law students and law libraries. To overcome these challenges, there are many initiatives and movements administered by government institutions, universities, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that provide access to both primary and secondary sources of law. Included in the latter group are the Legal Information Institutes (LIIs), Google Scholar, the Social Science Research Network (SSRN), and Justia. This paper examines the role of free legal databases as an alternative for law students and how these freely accessible platforms can support the access gaps that subscription-based legal research tools have often created. The study is conceptual in nature, with reliance on existing literature and analysis of freely available legal information resources to support legal education.

Keywords: legal research; free legal databases; law students; legal education; legal information access; LIIs; Nigeria
  1. 1

    James Huffman , “Legal Education and the Rule of Law,” California Western Law Review60, no. 3 (2024): 1–37, https://scholarlycommons.law.cwsl.edu/cwlr/vol60/iss3/4.

  2. 2

    Sazzad Hossain Sourov, “A Critical Examination of Faruque’s Perspective on Legal Research,” Asia Law Portal, Nov. 17, 2024, https://asialawportal.com/a-critical-examination-of-faruques-perspective-on-legal-research.

  3. 3

    Abayomi Anthony Alayoku and Faith ModupeAkinola, “Technology and Legal Education in Nigeria: Marital Bliss or Blow?,” Kampala International University Law Journal5, no. 2 (Nov. 2023): 258–80, https://www.kiulj.kiu.ac.ug/.

  4. 4

    LexisNexis: Legal & Professional Solutions and News, RELX Group, accessed July 8, 2025, https://www.lexisnexis.com/.

  5. 5

    Westlaw Legal Research, Thomson Reuters, accessed July 8, 2025, https://legal.thomsonreuters.com/en/westlaw.

  6. 6

    HeinOnline, William S. Hein & Co., “What Is HeinOnline?,” accessed July 8, 2025, https://home.heinonline.org/.

  7. 7

    Opeyemi “Ope” Olugasa, “LawPavilion Takes Legal Research, Law Reports to WhatsApp,” The Guardian (Nigeria), Feb. 9, 2021.

  8. 8

    Legalpedia Online, “What’s Inside Legalpedia Online?” Legalpedia Nigeria Ltd., accessed July 8, 2025, https://legalpediaonline.com/oto-legalpedia-online/.

  9. 9

    Compulaw—1st Indigenous Digital Law Library, accessed July 8, 2025, https://compulaw.net/.

  10. 10

    Ishaq Obashola Apalando, Legal Tech in Nigeria: Applications and Implications (An Independent Report), Academia.edu (Aug. 2019), https://www.academia.edu/40034923/Legal_Tech_in_Nigeria_Applications_and_Implications_An_Independent_Report.

  11. 11

    Alex Zhang and James Hart, “Sustainable and Open Access to Valuable Legal Research Information: A New Framework,” Law Library Journal 111, no. 2 (2019): 229–53, https://www.aallnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/LLJ_111n2_03_zhang_hart.pdf.

  12. 12

    Michael W. Carroll , “The Movement for Open Access Law,” Lewis & Clark Law Review10, no. 4 (Winter 2006): 741–60, https://digitalcommons.law.villanova.edu/wps/art50/.

  13. 13

    Bamgbose Oludayo John and TemiloluwaOmidiji, “Sustaining the Open‑Access Regime through the Legal Information Institutes: A Success Story,” International Journal of Legal Information52, no. 2 (Summer 2024): 147–54, https://doi.org/10.1017/jli.2024.31.

  14. 14

    Graham Greenleaf , AndrewMowbray, and PhilipChung, “The Meaning of ‘Free Access to Legal Information’: A Twenty‑Year Evolution,” Journal of Open Access to Law1, no. 1 (2013): 1–36, https://ojs.law.cornell.edu/index.php/joal/article/view/11.

  15. 15

    Cornell Law School, “Welcome to LII | Legal Information Institute,” Legal Information Institute, accessed July 8, 2025, https://www.law.cornell.edu/.

  16. 16

    Andrew Mowbray , PhilipChung, and GrahamGreenleaf, “Utilising AI in the Legal Assistance Sector—Testing a Role for Legal Information Institutes,” Computer Law & Security Review38 (Sep. 2020): Article 105407, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clsr.2020.105407.

  17. 17

    Olufunmilayo B. Arewa , “Open Access in a Closed Universe: Lexis, Westlaw, Law Schools, and the Legal Information Market,” Lewis & Clark Law Review10, no. 4 (2006): 797–839, https://law.lclark.edu/live/files/9585-lcb104arewapdf.

  18. 18

    Omari Issa Ndamungu , “The Montreal Declaration on Free Access to Law (MDFAL) of 2002: A Weak Reed for Global Realization of the Right to Access Legal Information,” Journal of Law, Policy and Globalization1 (Jan. 31, 2021): 63–74, https://www.iiste.org/Journals/index.php/JLPG/article/view/55416.

  19. 19

    Budapest Open Action Initiative, accessed July 8, 2025, https://www.budapestopenaccessinitiative.org/read/.

  20. 20

    Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities, accessed July 8, 2025, https://openaccess.mpg.de/Berlin-Declaration.

  21. 21

    See Durham Statement on Open Access to Legal Scholarship | Duke University School of Law, accessed July 8, 2025, https://law.duke.edu/lib/durhamstatement#Durham-Statement-on-Open-Access-to-Legal-Scholarship.

  22. 22

    See International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, IFLA Statement on Government Provision of Public Legal Information in the Digital Age, endorsed by the IFLA Governing Board, 13 Dec. 2016, https://www.ifla.org/files/assets/clm/statements/ifla-statement-on-public-legal-information-and-annex.pdf.

  23. 23

    Montreal Declaration on Free Access to Law | CanLII, accessed July 8, 2025, https://www.canlii.org/info/mtldeclaration.html.

  24. 24

    Peter Martin and Thomas R. Bruce, “The Legal Information Institute of Cornell Law School,” Oct. 1999, https://hdl.handle.net/1813/60492.

  25. 25

    Graham Greenleaf , “The Global Development of Free Access to Legal Information,” European Journal of Law and Technology1, no. 1 (2010): 42–70. https://ejlt.org/index.php/ejlt/article/view/17.

  26. 26

    See British and Irish Legal Information Institute, accessed July 8, 2025, https://www.bailii.org/.

  27. 27

    Pompeu Casanovas and Enric Plaza, “Advancing an Open Access Publication Model for Legal Information Institutes,” in AI Approaches to the Complexity of Legal Systems, International Workshop AICOL-III, held as Part of the 25th IVR Congress, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, Aug. 15–16, 2011, eds. Monica Palmirani, Giovanni Sartor, and Bart Verheij (2012), at 171–88, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-35731-2_12.

  28. 28

    Elisabeth Rose Perham , review of Legal Systems of the Pacific: Introducing Sixteen Gems, eds. Jennifer Corrin and Tony Angelo, Comparative Law Journal of the Pacific, vol. 27 (2022): 227–32, https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/law/research/publications/about-nzacl/publications/cljpjdcp-journals/volume-27-2022/16-BR-Perham.pdf.

  29. 29

    Mariya Badeva‑Bright and OluwatoyinBadejogbin, “Free Access to the Law in Africa,” in Goal 16 of the Sustainable Development Goals: Perspectives from Judges and Lawyers in Southern Africa on Promoting Rule of Law and Equal Access to Justice, eds. AnnekeMeerkotter and TylerWalton, Southern African Litigation Centre (2016), 146–55, https://www.southernafricalitigationcentre.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/GOAL-16-Book-Badeva.pdf.

  30. 30

    John R. Beatty , “Open Access without Open Access Values: The State of Free and Open Access to Law Reviews,” Law Library Journal 115 (2023): 41–122, https://digitalcommons.law.buffalo.edu/law_librarian_articles/53.

  31. 31

    Daniel Poulin , “Open Access to Law in Developing Countries,” First Monday9, no. 12 (Dec. 6, 2004): 121–31, https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v9i12.1193.

  32. 32

    Olubukola Olugasa and AbimbolaDavies, “Remote Court Proceedings in Nigeria: Justice Online or Justice on the Line,” International Journal for Court Administration13, no. 2 (2022), https://iacajournal.org/articles/10.36745/ijca.448.

  33. 33

    Agba Eimunjeze, “Technology as a Tool for Enhancing Legal Services and Delivery of Justice in Nigeria,” Mondaq (May 14, 2024), https://www.mondaq.com/nigeria/it-and-internet/1465138/.

  34. 34

    Alberto Martín‑Martín , RodrigoCostas, Thedvan Leeuwen, and EmilioDelgado López‑Cózar, “Evidence of Open Access of Scientific Publications in Google Scholar: A Large‑Scale Analysis,” Journal of Informetrics12, no. 3 (2018): 819–41, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joi.2018.06.012.

  35. 35

    See https://www.justia.com/international-law/, accessed July 18, 2025.

  36. 36

    Brian D. Anderson , “FindLaw.com Founders Discuss Entrepreneurship and FindLaw’s Future,” UC Davis Business Law Journal1, no. 1 (Feb. 2001): 2, https://blj.ucdavis.edu/archives/1/1/findlawcom-founders-discuss-entrepreneurship-and-findlaws-future.

  37. 37

    Legal Scholarship Network, SSRN, accessed July 8, 2025, https://www.ssrn.com/index.cfm/en/lsn/.

  38. 38

    New York Law School Mendik Library, Free Legal Dictionaries and Encyclopedias - Low-Cost and Free Legal Research Guide, accessed July 8, 2025, https://libguides.nyls.edu/lowcostlegalresearch/freedict.

  39. 39

    Congress.gov, accessed July 8, 2025, https://www.congress.gov.

  40. 40

    GovInfo, U.S. Government Publishing Office, accessed July 8, 2025, https://www.govinfo.gov/.

  41. 41

    Gov.uk, accessed July 8, 2025, https://www.gov.uk.

  42. 42

    The National Archives, accessed July 8, 2025, https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/.

  43. 43

    Justice Laws Website, accessed July 8, 2025, https://www.laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/index.html.

  44. 44

    Federal Register of Legislation, accessed July 8, 2025, https://www.legislation.gov.au.

  45. 45

    Eur-Lex, accessed July 8, 2025, https://eur-lex.europa.eu; CURIA - Search form, accessed July 8, 2025, https://curia.europa.eu/juris/recherche.jsf?language=en.

  46. 46

    Supreme Court of India, accessed July 8, 2025, https://main.sci.gov.in.

  47. 47

    Federal Ministry of Justice, accessed July 8, 2025, https://www.justice.gov.ng.

Published Online: 2025-08-15
Published in Print: 2025-06-01

© The Author(s), 2025. Published by International Association of Law Libraries

Artikel in diesem Heft

  1. Article
  2. Evaluating AI in Legal Operations: A Comparative Analysis of Accuracy, Completeness, and Hallucinations in ChatGPT-4, Copilot, DeepSeek, Lexis+ AI, and Llama 3
  3. A Bibliography on Judicial Independence in International Tribunals and Apex Courts
  4. Invisible Assets, Visible Gaps: Redefining the Principles of International Taxation
  5. Legal Research without Barriers: Free Legal Databases as Alternatives for Law Students
  6. Utilization of Online Databases by State Law Advisors in the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, Pretoria, South Africa
  7. Emerging Trends in AI for Academic Law Libraries: Global Insights with a Caribbean Lens
  8. International Calendar
  9. INTERNATIONAL CALENDAR
  10. Front Cover (OFC, IFC) and matter
  11. JLI volume 53 issue 2 Cover and Front matter
  12. Back Cover (IBC, OBC) and matter
  13. JLI volume 53 issue 2 Cover and Back matter
  14. Column
  15. Behind the Books: Global Insights from Law Librarians
  16. Editorial Comment
  17. EDITORIAL COMMENT
  18. Miscellaneous
  19. Handbook on Gender and Corruption in Democracies
  20. The Insanity Defense: A Philosophical Analysis
https://doi.org/10.1017/jli.2025.10065
Schlagwörter für diesen Artikel
legal research; free legal databases; law students; legal education; legal information access; LIIs; Nigeria

Artikel in diesem Heft

  1. Article
  2. Evaluating AI in Legal Operations: A Comparative Analysis of Accuracy, Completeness, and Hallucinations in ChatGPT-4, Copilot, DeepSeek, Lexis+ AI, and Llama 3
  3. A Bibliography on Judicial Independence in International Tribunals and Apex Courts
  4. Invisible Assets, Visible Gaps: Redefining the Principles of International Taxation
  5. Legal Research without Barriers: Free Legal Databases as Alternatives for Law Students
  6. Utilization of Online Databases by State Law Advisors in the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, Pretoria, South Africa
  7. Emerging Trends in AI for Academic Law Libraries: Global Insights with a Caribbean Lens
  8. International Calendar
  9. INTERNATIONAL CALENDAR
  10. Front Cover (OFC, IFC) and matter
  11. JLI volume 53 issue 2 Cover and Front matter
  12. Back Cover (IBC, OBC) and matter
  13. JLI volume 53 issue 2 Cover and Back matter
  14. Column
  15. Behind the Books: Global Insights from Law Librarians
  16. Editorial Comment
  17. EDITORIAL COMMENT
  18. Miscellaneous
  19. Handbook on Gender and Corruption in Democracies
  20. The Insanity Defense: A Philosophical Analysis
Heruntergeladen am 21.4.2026 von https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1017/jli.2025.10065/html
Button zum nach oben scrollen