>>19452019I can understand why you feel that way. However, it’s important to note that you can use free or closer to free systems in your state to find cases, it being run by the state. Mine has one of these, but I don’t use it because my firm pays for the research tools, and Lexis/Westlaw is genuinely better. These companies have teams of lawyers dissecting new cases, categorizing them, Shepardizing them, etc that makes it a breeze. They are putting in a lot of extra work, as far as I can see. So it makes sense to charge for their services. They can be very expensive, but anyone can use it if they want—not just lawyers.
The other thing is that a layman simply isn’t going to know what they’re looking at or how to use any of the cases they find. They would need actual legal knowledge and training to effectively navigate any of it or know what they need to look for. The only way for a layman to get that knowledge and training is to study the same textbooks I did (and well) or go to law school.
As for invasion/protection, there’s a lot I could say there, but it’d take forever. There’s good reason for it, but I could ramble forever.
