FindLaw

Last updated

FindLaw
Publogo.png
Type of businessLegal
HeadquartersEagan, Minnesota
Owner Internet Brands
Founder(s) Stacy Stern, Martin Roscheisen, Tim Stanley
Key people⦁ Steve Hasker (President & CEO, Thomson Reuters)

⦁ Wendy F. Gomes (Executive Assistant to the CEO, Thomson Reuters) ⦁ Paul Fischer (President, Legal Professionals, Thomson Reuters) ⦁ Mary Alice Vuicic (Chief People Officer, Thomson Reuters) ⦁ Kirsty Roth (Chief Operations & Technology Officer, Thomson Reuters)

⦁ David F. Wong (Chief Product Officer, Thomson Reuters)

Contents

URLwww.findlaw.com
CommercialYes
LaunchedDecember 13, 1995

FindLaw is a business of Internet Brands that provides online legal information in the form of state laws, case law and codes, legal blogs and articles, a lawyer directory, DIY legal services and products, and other legal resources. The company also provides online marketing services for law firms. FindLaw was created by Stacy Stern, Martin Roscheisen, and Tim Stanley in 1995, and was acquired by Thomson West in 2001. [1]

FindLaw.com began in Silicon Valley in 1995 when the original founders compiled a list of attorney resources for a group of law librarians in Northern California. Based on the positive sentiment from the librarians, the founders decided to publish this information as a public legal resource on the domain FindLaw.com. Though there was a formal launch of FindLaw.com on January 9, 1996, the domain was first registered December 13. 1995. The website soon offered a wide array of legal content and resources for both attorneys and consumers, including a lawyer directory, an online career center and message boards like the famous "Greedy Associates" which exists today on the FindLaw.com website as a popular blog. [2]

History

1995-2001: early years

In 1995, two attorneys compiled a list of lawyer resources for a group of California law librarians and then published that list online. The attorneys registered the domain findlaw.com on December 13, 1995. They had an official public launch of the website in January 1996. By June 1996, there was an interactive online continuing legal education course offering. The following year saw the launch of LegalMinds, followed the year after by JusticeMail (sunsetted in 2021).

FindLaw.com won gold medals for best legal website in 1997, 1998, and 1999. [3]

By end of 1999, FindLaw had both acquired LawyerMarketing.com to launch FindLaw Lawyer Marketing and made available free access to legal briefs. In 1999 it also launched its FirmSite service, providing website design and content services for attorneys.

In the start of 2000, FindLaw created partnerships with The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN Interactive, Earthlink, Quicken, USA Today, and other media for sharing content.

By midyear of 2000, FindLaw offered the first legal portal to support personalization through “My FindLaw." By October of the same year, FindLaw launched an extensive and comprehensive lawyers and law firm directory for the entire United States.   

2002–present: growth under Thomson Reuters

In 2001, Thomson West (formerly West Publishing company, currently Thomson Reuters) acquired FindLaw. [4]

FindLaw surpassed $100 million in yearly revenue in 2007, and $200 million in 2012.

It launched Web Advantage and video services in 2008. In 2009, FindLaw expanded internationally by acquiring Contract Law in the UK (divested in 2012). It began providing website services to international law firms the following year.

Between 2010 and 2013, FindLaw significantly increased its footprint in the online legal network and directory space by acquiring SuperLawyers (2010), a business that recognizes the top attorneys in the U.S., [5] and LawInfo.com (2013). The LawInfo acquisition included Abogado.com, a Spanish language website that provides legal information and a lawyer directory to Spanish speakers in the U.S.

Also in 2010, FindLaw provided a blog option to its website clients, allowing for consistent, fresh content. The posts were later promoted on Facebook when FindLaw launched social media services (2015).

FindLaw debuted do-it-yourself estate planning and business formation services in 2022, allowing consumers to create simple estate plans and form simple business entities. [6]

Today, FindLaw.com receives more than 100 million visits a year.[ citation needed ]  

In October 2024, Thomson Reuters announced it would sell FindLaw to Internet Brands. [7]

Products and services of FindLaw.com

FindLaw.com is a free legal information website.

The website FindLaw.com includes extensive legal information presented in the form of U.S. case law found on caselaw.findlaw.com, [8] [9] [10] and in comprehensive review like in the case of Tinker v. Des Moines School District (1969) [11] [12] [13] [14] that helped define first amendment rights of students in the United States. FindLaw.com also presents state and federal statutes like in the legal summary of California Marijuana Laws [15] [16] that details the legality of possession and use of cannabis in the state of California. U.S. codes are published on codes.findlaw.com [17] [18] [19] and present common codes like New York’s consolidated laws for labor laws. [20] FindLaw.com also offers legal articles and blogs on a wide range of historical and new legal cases and codes like the 2022 overturn of Roe v Wade. [21] [22] [23]

The website FindLaw.com also includes a free attorney directory on lawyers.findlaw.com [24] [25] [26] that allows consumers to browse and select lawyers by their geographical location and practice areas of the law.

The website FindLaw.com also offers DIY services and products for consumers in need of legal assistance. [27] [28]

The company also published the magazine Writ, whose contributors (mostly legal academics) argued, explained, and debated legal matters of topical interest.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Real estate agent</span> Person who acts as an intermediary between sellers and buyers of real estate for a commission

Real estate agents and real estate brokers are people who represent sellers or buyers of real estate or real property. While a broker may work independently, an agent usually works under a licensed broker to represent clients. Brokers and agents are licensed by the state to negotiate sales agreements and manage the documentation required for closing real estate transactions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westlaw</span> Online legal research service

Westlaw is an online legal research service and proprietary database for lawyers and legal professionals available in over 60 countries. Information resources on Westlaw include more than 40,000 databases of case law, state and federal statutes, administrative codes, newspaper and magazine articles, public records, law journals, law reviews, treatises, legal forms and other information resources.

LexisNexis is an American data analytics company headquartered in New York, New York. Its products are various databases that are accessed through online portals, including portals for computer-assisted legal research (CALR), newspaper search, and consumer information. During the 1970s, LexisNexis began to make legal and journalistic documents more accessible electronically. As of 2006, the company had the world's largest electronic database for legal and public-records–related information. The company is a subsidiary of RELX.

Legal research is "the process of identifying and retrieving information necessary to support legal decision-making. In its broadest sense, legal research includes each step of a course of action that begins with an analysis of the facts of a problem and concludes with the application and communication of the results of the investigation."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Internet Brands</span> American new media company founded in 1998

MH Sub I, LLC d/b/a Internet Brands is a digital media, marketing services, and software company based in El Segundo, California, United States, that operates online media, community, e-commerce, and SaaS businesses in vertical markets. is a digital media, marketing services, and software company based in El Segundo, California, United States, that operates online media, community, e-commerce, and SaaS businesses in vertical markets. Its largest businesses are in online health and legal services. The company's website indicates that it employs more than 7,000 people globally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dykema Gossett</span> American law firm

Dykema Gossett PLLC, is an American full-service law firm. Founded and headquartered in Detroit, it has offices in various locations around the United States including California, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Texas, Washington, D.C., and Wisconsin. Dykema's largest office is in Chicago but its combined Southeast Michigan offices are collectively larger. As of 2020, it was the 118th largest law firm in the nation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West (publisher)</span> American publisher of legal materials

West is a business owned by Thomson Reuters that publishes legal, business, and regulatory information in print, and on electronic services such as Westlaw. Since the late 19th century, West has been one of the most prominent publishers of legal materials in the United States. Its headquarters is in Eagan, Minnesota; it also had an office in Rochester, New York, until it closed in 2019, and in Cleveland, Ohio, until it closed in 2010. Organizationally, West is part of the global legal division of Thomson Reuters.

LegalZoom.com, Inc. is an American online legal technology and services company launched in 2001. It helps its customers create legal documents without necessarily having to hire a lawyer. Available documents include wills and living trusts, business formation documents, copyright registrations, and trademark applications. The company also offers attorney referrals and registered agent services.

Intelius, Inc. is an American public records business headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It provides information services, including people and property search, background checks and reverse phone lookup. Users also have the ability to perform reverse address lookups to find people using Intelius’ services and an address. Intelius, founded by former InfoSpace executives, was started in 2003. It is owned and operated by PeopleConnect, Inc.

Legal advertising is advertising by lawyers (attorneys), solicitors and law firms. Legal marketing is a broader term referring to advertising and other practices, including client relations, social media, and public relations. It's a type of marketing undertaken by law firms, lawyers (attorneys) and solicitors that aims to promote the services of law firms and increase their brand awareness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomson Reuters</span> Canadian multinational information conglomerate

Thomson Reuters Corporation is a Canadian multinational information conglomerate. The company was founded in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and maintains its headquarters at 19 Duncan Street there.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avvo</span> Online marketplace for legal services

Avvo.com is an online marketplace for legal services, that provides lawyer referrals and access to a database of legal information consisting primarily of previously answered questions. Lawyer profiles may include client reviews, disciplinary actions, peer endorsements, and lawyer-submitted legal guides.

LegalShield is an American corporation that sells legal service products direct to consumer through employer groups and through multi-level marketing in the United States, and Canada. It was available in the United Kingdom from 2019 to 2021. According to LegalShield's income disclosure regarding associates selling the product: "For Associates with 0-2 years of experience who made at least one sale, average annual earnings were $798 for 2019. Approximately 73% of all Associates across experience years made less than $1,000 in 2019."

WeedMaps is a tech company serving the cannabis industry, founded in 2008 by Justin Hartfield and Keith Hoerling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bloomberg Law</span> Online legal research service

Bloomberg Law is a subscription-based service that uses data analytics and artificial intelligence for online legal research. The service, which Bloomberg L.P. introduced in 2009, provides legal content, proprietary company information and news information to attorneys, law students, and other legal professionals. More specifically, this commercial legal and business technology platform integrates Bloomberg Law News with Bloomberg Industry Group's primary and secondary legal content and business development tools.

Rocket Lawyer is an online legal technology company founded by Charley Moore in 2008, based in San Francisco, California. It provides individuals and small to medium-sized businesses with online legal services—including incorporation, estate plans, and legal document review. The company also provides a network of attorneys that consumers and small businesses can consult with on legal issues through its On Call service. In 2012, Rocket Lawyer UK was launched.

<i>The National Law Review</i> U.S. journal, news and analysis database

The National Law Review is an American law journal, daily legal news website and legal analysis content-aggregating database. In 2020 and 2021, The National Law Review published over 20,000 legal news articles and experienced an uptick in readership averaging 4.3 million readers in both March and April 2020, due to the demand for news regarding the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Law360 is a subscription-based, legal news service based in New York City. It is operated by Portfolio Media, Inc., a subsidiary of LexisNexis and delivers breaking news and analysis to more than 2 million U.S. legal professionals across 60 practice areas, industries and topics, including a free section dedicated to Access to Justice, which reports on "access of individuals and disadvantaged populations to adequate, equitable, and essential criminal and civil justice systems as well as the noteworthy initiatives and individuals who promote such a cause."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leafly</span> American cannabis website

Leafly is a website focused on cannabis use and education. The company says it has more than 120 million annual visitors and over 10 million monthly active users. Leafly provides a wide range of information on cannabis including 1.5 million consumer product reviews, more than 9,000 cannabis articles and resources, and over 5,000 verified strains in its database. Leafly additionally provides 4,500+ retailers and 8,000+ cannabis brands with e-commerce tools such as digital storefronts, embedded menus, point-of-sale integrations, targeted advertising, and more. The company is headquartered in Seattle, Washington and from 2012 to 2019 was owned by Privateer Holdings, a private equity firm focused on the emerging legal cannabis industry. Leafly is now a publicly traded company with 160 employees.

Leafbuyer Technologies, Inc. (Leafbuyer) is a marketing technology company for the cannabis industry and is an online cannabis resource. The primary function of the company's website is to serve as a coupon directory for cannabis patients and recreational users.

References

  1. ↑ Anderson, Brian (January 2001). "FindLaw.com Founders Discuss Entrepreneurship and FindLaw's Future". U.C. Davis Bus. L.J. 1 (1): 2.
  2. ↑ "FindLaw Corporate Information: Company Background - FindLaw". FindLaw. July 10, 2023. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  3. ↑ Amircani, Maha (April 29, 2020). "The History of FindLaw, Legal Marketing Company". Medium. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  4. ↑ "The Thomson Corporation in the Legal Publishing Market Expanding the Value Proposition" (PDF). Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. December 8, 2008. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Thomson Reuters Acquires Super Lawyers" (PDF). ABA Journal. February 4, 2010. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  6. ↑ "FindLaw debuts do-it-yourself estate planning". www.thomsonreuters.com. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  7. ↑ "Thomson Reuters to sell FindLaw business to Internet Brands". Reuters. October 4, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Free online legal research options robust and growing". www.americanbar.org. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Legal Sources". www.doi.gov. July 1, 2015. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Resources: NSW Bar Library". library.nswbar.asn.au. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  11. ↑ Blanchfield, Patrick (May 4, 2014). "What Do Guns Say?". Opinionator. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Their District Banned 'Let's Go Brandon!' Shirts. Now Students Are Suing". Education Week. May 2, 2023. ISSN   0277-4232 . Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Time To Start A 'Stand Your Ground' Campaign? More Bull About Anti-Gay School Bullying, Hoosier-Style". HuffPost. May 8, 2012. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  14. ↑ "Opinion | The case of the cursing cheerleader and the school spat at the Supreme Court". NBC News. June 23, 2021. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  15. ↑ "What Marijuana (Cannabis) Can Do for Your Health and Wellness". EverydayHealth.com. December 6, 2022. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Man cited for supplying cannabis to high school dealer". Vancouver Sun. May 9, 2022. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  17. ↑ "Falvey Library :: Public Administration". library.villanova.edu. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  18. ↑ "State Law - College of Law - University of Idaho". www.uidaho.edu. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Cuomo to Raise Minimum Wage to $15 for All New York State Employees". The New York Times . November 10, 2015. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Columbia University Non-Retaliation Policy | University Policies". universitypolicies.columbia.edu. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  21. ↑ Varney, Sarah (April 27, 2022). "When does life begin? As state laws define it, science, politics and religion clash". NPR. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  22. ↑ Varney, Sarah (September 6, 2022). "When Does Life Begin? As State Laws Define It, Science, Politics, and Religion Clash". KFF Health News. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  23. ↑ McClain, Linda C.; Huberfeld, Nicole (June 24, 2022). "Roe overturned: What you need to know about the Supreme Court abortion decision". The Conversation. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  24. ↑ "Online Resources". California State Library. August 14, 2021. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  25. ↑ Dahl, Darren (August 22, 2010). "How to Hire Legal Counsel". Inc. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  26. ↑ "How to Find a Good Family Law Attorney (with Pictures)". wikiHow. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  27. ↑ "Legal Tech". archive.calbar.ca.gov. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  28. ↑ "Legal Links". CT.gov - Connecticut's Official State Website. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.