Free online legal research in the works: Board is putting finishing touches on contract with Fastcase.

With some minor technical changes in the contract, the Bar Board of Governors has approved a deal with Fastcase that will provide free online legal research to all Florida Bar members.

The board vote at its April 8 meeting in Tallahassee could result in the service being available in June, by the Bar's Annual Meeting.

Under the contract, according to Mike Tartaglia, director of the Bar's Programs Division, the Bar will pay Fastcase $1 for each Bar member in good standing (about $76,000) for the research service. Members will be able to access the service through the Bar's Web site, www.flabar.org.

For that fee, Bar members will have access to Florida appellate law since 1950, federal appellate law from the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals since 1950, and the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals since 1981, all U.S. Supreme Court cases, and the Florida statutes, administrative code, and constitution. The board, in one of its changes, also requested that Florida procedural rules be made...