Civil and criminal court records are a key component of due diligence, fraud investigations, or any situation in which you need to dig deep into the backgrounds of individuals and companies. However, searching online court records is challenging, even for research professionals.

In this course, you’ll discover how to save time and get better results by taking a strategic approach to searching online court records. We will cover what you can learn from court records, the myths and challenges of online court searching, what you need to know before starting your search, and the best sources for this type of online research.

Course Key Concepts: Civil court searching, Criminal court searching, Litigation search, Online research, Public records, Court records, Docket research, Investigative research, Background investigations, Due diligence.

Learning Objectives
  • Recognize the myths and challenges of online court searching.
  • Discover the structure of federal and state courts.
  • Identify what you need to know before starting your search and what to expect from court records.
  • Explore key resources for searching online court records.
Last updated/reviewed: August 18, 2023
Course Search
    6 Reviews (16 ratings)

    Reviews

    5
    Anonymous Author
    As someone who only occasionally searched online court records but will be doing this more frequently in the future, this course was exactly what I was looking for. The instructor provided a thorough rundown of the scope of resources available(along with some of their quirks and best use cases),and a plan for methodically narrowing your search to zero in on the results you need.
    5
    Member's Profile
    Marcy is a wonderful instructor. She provides clear explanations for concepts and provides relevant current examples. I loved that she provided an understandable step by step overview of the process. It was also nice to see best practices and items to consider before getting started.
    5
    Member's Profile
    Marcy is a fabulous instructor. She is so easy to understand and provides wonderful explanations. Best of all, her material is actionable immediately. I am going to use some of this material in my investigations right away.
    5
    Anonymous Author
    I liked the information provided in the course. It is certainly very helpful for people coming from non-professional background to search through the court records
    5
    Anonymous Author
    I liked the comprehensive nature of the material covered - everything from the basics upwards. I also liked the explanations behind the sources and links given.
    4
    Anonymous Author
    Good information. More web sites if available. If the information was geared more toward the individual who wanted to search records vs a leagal type search.
    Prerequisites
    Course Complexity: Foundational

    No advanced preparation or prerequisites are required for this course.

    Education Provider Information
    Company: Illumeo, Inc., 75 East Santa Clara St., Suite 1215, San Jose, CA 95113
    Contact: For more information regarding this course, including complaint and cancellation policies, please contact our offices at (408) 400- 3993 or send an e-mail to .
    Instructor for this course
      Course Overview CPE
    Course Syllabus
    INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW
      Introduction to Online Court Searching: A How-To for Non-Legal Professionals1:11
      Myths and Challenges12:08
      Before You Start-What You Need to Know9:38
      Before You Start-Part 29:26
      Strategy and Key Sources16:06
      Summary1:50
    CONTINUOUS PLAY
      Online Court Searching: A How-To for Non-Legal Professionals50:19
    SUPPORTING MATERIAL
      Slides: Online Court Searching: A How-To for Non-Legal ProfessionalsPDF
      Online Court Searching: A How-To for Non-Legal Professionals Glossary/ IndexPDF
    REVIEW AND TEST
      REVIEW QUESTIONSquiz
     FINAL EXAMexam