Frequently Asked Questions

A: Yes, call the Maine State State Bar Association at (207) 622-7523 and ask for Casemaker assistance during normal business hours. MSBA business hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
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Q: Where can I turn for help if I have questions after business hours?

A: After MSBA business hours, click on the help button in the upper right-hand portion of the Casemaker navigation bar. Casemaker online help provides complete instruction on the use of Casemaker. .

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Q: What does Casemaker do?

A: Casemaker is a web-based legal research library and search engine that allows MSBA members, through the MSBA Web site (www.mainebar.org), to search and browse a variety of useful materials, such as historic-to-current state and federal case law, state statutes and regulations, rules of professional conduct and much more. .

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Q: Are there any fees to access Casemaker online?

A:Use of Casemaker is free to all MSBA members who have paid their current year’s dues.

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Q: What will the Casemaker library contain?

Maine Caselaw
Maine Statutes
Superior Court Decisions
Administrative Rules and Regulations
Attorney General Opinions
Public Utilities Commission Orders
Maine Court Rules
Maine Appellate Practice Book
Rules of Appellate Procedure
Local Bankruptcy Rules
Child Support Guidelines
Rules of Civil Procedure
Rules of Criminal Procedure
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Rules of Evidence
Rules for the Family Division
Fee and Document Management Policy
Guardian ad Litem Rules
Code of Judicial Conduct
Lawyer's Fund for Client Protection
Assistance Program for Lawyers
Maine Bar Admission Rules
Maine Bar Rules
Operating Procedures for Rulemaking
Rules of Probate Procedure
Judicial Responsibility and Disability Rules
Rules of Small Claims Procedure
Local Rules of the U.S. District Court for Maine
Law Reviews
Maine Bar Journal

Federal Materials
U.S. Supreme Court - complete coverage from 1935 to current; selected cases from 1790 to 1935
U.S. Court of Appeals and District Courts – from 1995; except Second Circuit from 1989
U.S. Constitution
U.S. Code
U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
U.S. Second Circuit Appellate Rules
U.S. Fourth and Sixth Circuit Appellate Rules
U.S. Eighth Circuit Appellate Rules
Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure
Practice Rules for the U.S. Supreme Court
Practice Rules of Criminal and Civil Procedure
Federal Rules of Evidence
Statistical Abstract of the United States
Federal Verdict Study

In addition, all member Casemaker Consortium state libraries are available to MSBA members.

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Q: I currently use a commercial vendor for my online research. Will I still need these services or will Casemaker replace them?

A: This is an individual choice. Casemaker will provide a comprehensive, online legal research library. There will be no monthly, hourly or per-minute charges.

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Q: I am trying to login to the members-only portion of the MSBA web site for the first time. What do I do?

A: If this is your first time trying to login to the members-only portion of the MSBA web site, you should enter the username and password you received in the mail. Your username is your Bar Number (assigned by the Board of Overseers). The password assigned to you for your initial login is your MSBA contact ID number. If you have misplaced or forgotten your assigned password, you may call MSBA Headquarters at (207) 622-7523 or 1-800-475-7523 for assistance. At your first login, you will be prompted to change your password to a personal password you select.

In the future, if you do not remember your password, you may click on the “Forgot Password” button on the login page. When you provide your username and e-mail address, your password will be e-mailed to you. You may also call MSBA Headquarters for assistance.

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Q: I am trying to login to the members-only portion of the MSBA web site and am having problems. What should I do?

A: Here are a few things you can check:

Your member status - If you have not paid your current year’s MSBA dues, you will not be able to access the members-only sections of the web site, including Casemaker. You may pay your dues online or call Bar Headquarters at 800-475-7523 between 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Your username and/or password - Remember that your username is always your Bar Number.. If you have forgotten your Bar Number you may call MSBA Headquarters, the Board of Overseers or you may find it beside your name in the Maine Bar Directory. If you have forgotten your password, you may request that it be mailed to you by clicking on the “Forgot Password” button on the login screen. You may also call MSBA Headquarters for assistance.

Your web browser configuration - Two factors that may prevent you logging in are:

1. “Cookies” not Enabled - Cookies are small text files created by web-sites on your hard disk. They must be active (“enabled”) to allow our log-in procedure to work. Please select one of the options below to check that Cookies are enabled for your web browser:

Enable Cookies on NAVIGATOR

Enable Cookies on EXPLORER 6

Enable Cookies on EXPLORER

Enable Cookies on AOL (v6.0) for WINDOWS

Enable Cookies on AOL (v5.x) for WINDOWS

Enable Cookies on AOL (v4.0) for WINDOWS

Enable Cookies on AOL (v3.x) for WINDOWS or (v4.x) for MACINTOSH

Enable Cookies on AOL (v3.x) for MACINTOSH

The MSBA Web site uses cookies to store limited information on your computer when you login or make purchases online. Cookies pose no security threat to you, your computer or your network. The MSBA web site does not store critical information such as credit card numbers or passwords in cookies. Cookies cannot be used to retrieve sensitive information from your computer or to peruse your hard drive. For an in-depth look at what cookies are please explore this link: http://help.netscape.com/kb/consumer/19970226-2.html

2. Full “Cache” - The Cache is an area on your hard disk that keeps a record of web-sites that you have visited. If it is not cleared periodically then it may get so full that it interferes with your use of the internet and other software on your computer. Please select one of the options below to empty the Cache for your web browser:

Clear Cache In NAVIGATOR

Clear Cache In EXPLORER

Clear Cache in AOL (v4.0)

Enable Cookies on NAVIGATOR:

Go to EDIT. Click on PREFERENCES. Click directly on ADVANCE. Be sure the box that says “ACCEPT ALL COOKIES” is selected. Click OK to exit.

Enable Cookies on EXPLORER 6:

Go to TOOLS. Click on INTERNET OPTIONS. Click Privacy tab. Click on Advanced. Click “Override automatic cookie handling”. Under “First-party Cookies” click “Accept”. Under “Third-party Cookies” click “Accept”. Click “Always allow session cookies. Click OK to exit.

Enable Cookies on EXPLORER:

Go to INTERNET OPTIONS. This is under either VIEW or TOOLS depending on version. (Version 4 under VIEW and version 5 under TOOLS). Click Security tab. Click on Custom Level. Scroll Down to COOKIES. “Enable Cookies” should be selected. Click OK to exit.

Enable Cookies on AOL (v6.0) for WINDOWS:

Click on MY AOL. Click SETTINGS on the main toolbar. Click PREFERENCES. Click on Internet Properties (WWW). Click on the SECURITY tab. Click on the INTERNET ZONE, then click on the Custom button on the bottom of the window. The Security Settings window will appear. Scroll down until you see Cookies. Click Enable for the Allow per-session cookies option. Click OK to exit.

Enable Cookies on AOL (v5.0) for WINDOWS:

Click on MY AOL on the main toolbar. Click PREFERENCES. Click on WWW. Click on the SECURITY tab. Click on the INTERNET ZONE, then click on the Custom button on the bottom of the window. The Security Settings window will appear. Scroll down until you see Cookies. Click Enable for the Allow per-session cookies option. Click OK to exit.

Enable Cookies on AOL (v4.0) for WINDOWS:

Click on START MENU from desktop. Click on SETTINGS, then CONTROL PANEL. Click on the INTERNET icon. Click the ADVANCED tab and scroll down until you see the word COOKIES. Click on ALWAYS ACCEPT COOKIES. Click on APPLY and then OK to exit.

Enable Cookies on AOL (v3.x) for WINDOWS or (v4.x) for MACINTOSH:

Click on MEMBERS or MY AOL. Click PREFERENCES. Click on WWW or WEB. Click on ADVANCED TAB and scroll down until you see the word COOKIES. ENABLED should be selected. Click OK to exit.

Enable Cookies on AOL (v3.x) for MACINTOSH:

Cookies are NOT available through v3.x for Mac. AOL recommends upgrading to AOL 5.0. This is available to download at http://free.aol.com.

Clear Cache In NAVIGATOR:

Go to EDIT. Click on PREFERENCES. Click on the + (plus sign) next to Advanced. Click on CACHE under word Advanced. Click on CLEAR MEMORY CACHE and CLEAR DISK CACHE. When it prompts ‘is this okay,’ click OK. Click OK to exit out of the prompt. **You may want to exit all the way out of the browser and then re-open the browser before attempting to access our web site again.

Clear Cache In EXPLORER:

Click on INTERNET OPTIONS, which is either under VIEW or TOOLS, depending on Explorer Version. (Version 4 under VIEW and version 5+6 under TOOLS). Click on DELETE FILES under the Temporary Internet File Category (in the General tab). Click OK. Click OK again to exit. **You may want to exit all the way out of the browser and then re-open the browser before attempting to access our web site again.

Clear Cache in AOL (v4.0):

Click on ‘MY AOL’ (on the tool bar at the top of the AOL Screen).

Click on PREFERENCES. Under PREFERENCES, Click on the WWW icon. Under TEMPORARY INTERNET FILES, Click on DELETE FILES. Under HISTORY, Click on CLEAR HISTORY. Click on OK to exit.

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Q: I am unable to complete searches after getting to the Casemaker site, it tells me I’m not logged in, what do I need to do?

A: If your browser is configured to deny cookies, or deny cookies from our site, you will not be able to access Casemaker. Most browsers have the cookie feature enabled by default. If your browser’s cache is too full, you may experience problems with accessing Casemaker. Pop-up blocking software can also be a factor, as it too affects cookie settings on your machine. If you have pop-up blocking software, you will need to look closely at its settings to be sure it isn’t causing the problem.

Enable Cookies on NAVIGATOR

Enable Cookies on EXPLORER 6

Enable Cookies on EXPLORER

Enable Cookies on AOL (v6.0) for WINDOWS

Enable Cookies on AOL (v5.x) for WINDOWS

Enable Cookies on AOL (v4.0) for WINDOWS

Enable Cookies on AOL (v3.x) for WINDOWS or (v4.x) fo r MACINTOSH

Enable Cookies on AOL (v3.x) for MACINTOSH

Clear Cache In NAVIGATOR

Clear Cache In EXPLORER

Clear Cache in AOL (v4.0)

Q: I’m an AOL user. When I try to do searches on Casemaker, it tells me that I am not logged in even though I have logged in to the MSBA site as instructed. I have confirmed that cookies are enabled, what else can I do?

A: Certain versions of AOL may be incompatible with Casemaker at the present time. If you have AOL version 4.0 or higher, you should be able to connect to Casemaker by doing the following: Use AOL to connect to the internet as usual. While AOL is running, launch a new web browser (like Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator). You will need to login to the MSBA site in this new browser to launch Casemaker again. Windows users should be able to find Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator by clicking on the “Start” menu then looking in the “Programs” folder. Mac users may need to user “Sherlock” or “Find File” to search for the web browser by name on their computer.

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Q: I forgot my Username and/or password. How can I get them?

A: Your username is your Bar Number. If you have forgotten your Bar Number you may call MSBA Headquarters, the Board of Overseers or you may find it beside your name in the Maine Bar Directory. If you have forgotten your password, click on “Forgot Password” at the login screen to submit your username and e-mail address and request that your password be e-mailed to you. If you do not have an e-mail address, you must call MSBA Headquarters to retrieve your password.

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Q: How do I change my username, password and/or e-mail address?

A: You cannot change your username, but you can change both your password and your e-mail address by updating your membership profile online. These changes will then be incorporated into your membership record in the MSBA database.

To change your password or your e-mail address, log in to MyMainebar, click on My Profile and scroll down to the appropriate field. When you have entered the updated information, click the “submit” button at the bottom of the page..

Q: Why do I need to give you my e-mail address?

A: Your e-mail address can be used to e-mail your password to you should you happen to forget it. We also use your e-mail address to send you confirmation of your online purchases. The MSBA respects your privacy. We do not give, rent or sell members’ e-mail addresses to third parties.

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Q: Why does the end user agreement come up when I hit “Search Casemaker” and what do I have to do?

A: The end user agreement will pop up the first time you login to Casemaker. You must agree to all the conditions of the agreement in order to access Casemaker.
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Q: What is the minimum number of characters that can be entered as a search term?

A: You must enter at least two characters for every search term. The search engine will return an error if you enter one character by itself.

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Q: How can I narrow my search? It is returning too many results.

A: If you are getting too many search results, try:

Adding more words to your query
Using the exclusion operator (-) to ensure documents returned do not include cases containing unwanted terms: i.e. hit-run (include the word hit but not run)
If you are searching for a phrase, enter it within quotation marks: i.e., 𠇋ill of sale”
Using the advanced search feature, change the “Word Forms” control to “Exact”
Using the advanced search feature, decrease the range of the “Proximity' control: i.e. within 500 characters
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Q: I’m getting too few results from my searches. What should I do?

A: If you are getting too few search results, try:

Reducing the number of words in your query
Checking your spelling
Using the advanced search feature, increase the scope of the “Proximity” control
Make sure you are searching the correct “book” in the library: i.e. each item
in the diagram to the right is a separate book

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Q: How does the Casemaker search engine decide the rank of a document?

A: The ranking algorithm takes into consideration relative word ordering, word proximity, database frequency, document frequency and position in text.

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Q: Can you use Casemaker as a case citator?

A: Casemaker includes a citator feature. By entering the case name or citation, all the cases that reference that case or citation will be pulled up for your review. In addition, Casemaker’s new citator feature, CiteCheck, allows you to find out where your case has been cited. CiteCheck automatically locates all cases that cite the case you are viewing and allows you to link directly to those cases. CiteCheck results are displayed to the right of the case you are viewing.

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Q: How do I find cases that discuss a particular statute?

A: With the full-text searching capability of Casemaker you no longer have to rely on annotations to find out which cases are cited. When you insert a statute citation into the basic search screen and hit search, you will retrieve all cases that discuss the statute in question. Then you can make your own decision of relevance without relying on someone else’s summary.

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Q: I am using AOL version 6.0 and am having troubled logging in.

A: AOL users have encountered problems logging into Casemaker through AOL’s proprietary Web browser. In general, it is best to open Internet Explorer from your AOL options. For more log-in tips for AOL and other Web browsers, please refer to the Casemaker FAQ list at http://www.mainebar.org /resources/casemaker/cm_faq.php#login.

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Q: I am trying to view a case at: United States v. Chevoor 526 F.2d. 178, 183-184. This case is from the first circuit and was decided in 1975. I can find many references to that case, but I can’t find the text of that case. I can find the federal cases, and I can find the cases for the first circuit but I can’t find this particular case. Where exactly is this case found in Casemaker?

A: Most of the federal circuits (1st included) only go back to 1996 fully (some 1995s are included) for now. There is some scattering of earlier cases in the mix as well.

For future reference, there is a contents page at the bottom of the federal library (similar to the content lists on the state pages) that gives more detail about what is included at this time.

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A:Within the help screen window, right-click somewhere in the screen and chose Print from there.
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Q: I use Opera as my browser. Does Casemaker not work with Opera? Will it work with Netscape? I take strong exception to a system that works only with Microsoft Virus Explorer.

A: As long as cookies are enabled, most web browsers should work fine with Casemaker (problems have been reported with AOL 4-6). Casemaker has performed as expected with cookies enabled using Opera, Mozilla and Netscape (v.4-7) on PC and Mac platforms.

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