Five Strategies for Conducting Better Docket Research


Docket Alarm gives attorneys the ability to take their docket research to the next level. With a suite of tools that streamlines your search process and maximizes your results, Docket Alarm makes legal research more accurate and relevant than ever before. Here are five ways attorneys can use Docket Alarm to conduct better docket research.

1. Search Across All of PACER

Instead of searching individual databases, use Docket Alarm to search all of PACERat once. Docket Alarm searches all federal court cases simultaneously. By entering your query in the search bar and selecting “Federal Courts”, Docket Alarm’s search engine will search the entirety of PACER. Searching across all databases ensures that you have access to all relevant information, some of which might be buried in more obscure databases.

Example of Docket Alarm's Search Filters
 
2. Use Filters to Target Relevant Results

Docket Alarm provides users with many different filters to quickly pare down results to only the most relevant information. Filters like “Nature of Suit”, “Judge”, and “Party” limit search results to dockets that occupy a desired practice area, such as trademark, civil rights, or insurance; dockets heard by a certain judge, or dockets involving certain parties.

3. Search for Court Opinions

Another way to enhance your docket research is to limit your inquiry to court opinions. Docket Alarm provides attorneys with a “Decisions and Orders” filter that returns a list of results comprised solely of final decisions and court orders, allowing you to quickly determine the outcome of cases and their relevance to your query.

4. Search for Expert Testimony

To conduct superior docket research, attorneys should also include searching expert testimony in their legal research strategy. Typing a query into Docket Alarm’s search engine results in a full-text search within individual PACER documents, enabling users to uncover an array of information about an expert, including litigation history, expert reports, credentials and more.

5. Use Analytics to Give Your Search Context

Instead of researching in a vacuum, use Docket Alarm’s analytics to add context to your legal research. Attorneys have the ability to analyze their search results and view related statistics in real time, allowing them to see the impact a docket has individually and at a global level. These statistics can provide insight into many different facets of litigation, including the likelihood of certain outcomes, judicial leanings, and litigation trends, giving attorneys the power to devise informed, winning litigation strategies. 

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Tara Klamrowski is the director of IP content at One400. She writes about current IP issues, IP trends, and how Docket Alarm can help attorneys and their clients achieve success.

Docket Alarm is a legal research and analytics platform that helps attorneys better estimate their chances of winning and with preparation of tactical strategies. Sign up for Docket Alarm at www.docketalarm.com today. 


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Docket Alarm is an advanced search and litigation tracking service for the Patent Trial and Appeals Board (PTAB), the International Trade Commission (ITC), Bankruptcy Courts, and Federal Courts across the United States. Docket Alarm searches and tracks millions of dockets and documents for thousands of users.

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