Fastcase
Fastcase is a comprehensive legal research software providing access to a massive library of primary law, including case law, statutes, and regulations to help you build stronger legal arguments.
Trellis
Trellis is a comprehensive state trial court research and analytics platform that provides you with searchable access to millions of judicial rulings, dockets, and strategic legal data.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Fastcase | Trellis |
|---|---|---|
| Website | fastcase.com | trellis.law |
| Pricing Model | Subscription | Subscription |
| Starting Price | $65/month | $99/month |
| FREE Trial | ✓ 24 days free trial | ✓ 14 days free trial |
| Free Plan | ✘ No free plan | ✘ No free plan |
| Product Demo | ✓ Request demo here | ✓ Request demo here |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 1999 | 2018 |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C., USA | Los Angeles, USA |
Overview
Fastcase
Fastcase is a modern legal research platform designed to help you find the law you need without the complexity of traditional legacy systems. You can search through an extensive database of federal and state case law, statutes, regulations, and court rules. The platform uses smart sorting technology to surface the most relevant results first, saving you hours of manual filtering through dense legal documents.
You can visualize search results using interactive maps to see how cases relate to one another and identify the most influential precedents quickly. Whether you are a solo practitioner or part of a large firm, the software provides the tools to track your research history and organize your findings into folders. It integrates directly with many state bar associations, often providing you with premium access as a member benefit.
Trellis
Trellis gives you a powerful window into state trial courts, where the vast majority of litigation actually happens. You can search through millions of trial court documents, including past rulings, dockets, and motions, to see how specific judges have handled similar cases in the past. This helps you move beyond guesswork and build your legal strategy on hard data from the specific jurisdictions where you practice.
The platform also provides detailed judicial analytics, allowing you to track a judge's grant rates, timing, and decision history. Whether you are a solo practitioner or part of a large firm, you can use these insights to manage client expectations and prepare more persuasive arguments. By centralizing fragmented county data into one searchable interface, Trellis saves you hours of manual research and helps you uncover winning precedents.
Overview
Fastcase Features
- Forecite Research Discover important cases that your keyword search might have missed by identifying decisions frequently cited by your search results.
- Interactive Timeline View your search results on a visual map to quickly spot the most seminal cases and see how the law has evolved.
- Authority Check Generate a list of other cases that cite your current document to ensure your legal authority remains valid and persuasive.
- Mobile Sync Access your saved folders and research history on the go with native apps that sync across your desktop and mobile devices.
- Advanced Filtering Narrow your results by jurisdiction, date, or document type using intuitive filters that help you pinpoint specific legal points.
- Cloud Folders Organize your research into custom folders and share them with your colleagues to keep your entire firm on the same page.
Trellis Features
- Smart Search. Search across millions of state trial court dockets and documents simultaneously using keywords, case types, or specific legal issues.
- Judicial Analytics. Access detailed profiles of judges to see their ruling history, motion grant rates, and average timing for specific case milestones.
- Ruling Research. Find and download actual trial court orders and opinions to see exactly how judges phrased their decisions in previous matters.
- Opposing Counsel Intelligence. Research your opponents to understand their litigation history, typical strategies, and how they perform in front of specific judges.
- Alerts and Tracking. Set up automated notifications for new filings, specific keywords, or updates on cases you are monitoring to stay ahead of the curve.
- Expert Witness Research. Review past testimony and challenges to expert witnesses to better prepare your own experts or discredit the opposition's specialists.
Pricing Comparison
Fastcase Pricing
- Federal and State Case Law
- Statutes and Regulations
- Interactive Timeline
- Authority Check tool
- Mobile app access
- Unlimited printing
- Everything in Appellate, plus:
- Briefs and Pleadings
- Expert Witness profiles
- Advanced data analytics
- Expanded secondary sources
- Priority customer support
Trellis Pricing
- Unlimited state court searches
- Access to judicial analytics
- Searchable dockets and rulings
- Email alerts for new cases
- Document downloads
- Single user access
- Everything in Professional, plus:
- Multi-user seat licensing
- Centralized firm billing
- Dedicated account management
- Customized training sessions
- API access options
Pros & Cons
Fastcase
Pros
- Often free for members of participating state bar associations
- Intuitive visual search tools help identify key cases quickly
- Clean interface is easier to navigate than legacy competitors
- Mobile app allows for effective research while in court
- Excellent customer support and live training webinars
Cons
- Secondary source library is less extensive than Westlaw
- Search syntax can occasionally feel less flexible than competitors
- Loading speeds can vary when handling very large documents
Trellis
Pros
- Access to hard-to-find state trial court documents
- Intuitive search interface similar to modern web tools
- Valuable data on judge behavior and timing
- Saves significant time compared to manual county searches
- Regularly expanding coverage across more states and counties
Cons
- Coverage varies significantly by state and county
- Document download credits can be limited on some plans
- Occasional lag in updating the most recent dockets