# Case Law Research
> Source: https://legalcode.md/use-cases/case-law-research | [HTML version](https://legalcode.md/use-cases/case-law-research)

Find binding and persuasive precedent across 24 jurisdictions — research stays local.

Finding the right case is only the start — you need to understand its precedential weight, subsequent treatment, and how it applies to your facts. Legalcode connects your agent to primary case law databases across 24 jurisdictions, enabling research that goes beyond a keyword match to genuine legal analysis of the applicable precedent.

## How It Works

1. **State the legal question locally** -- Describe the legal issue and specify the jurisdiction to your AI agent. Your research question stays in your local session — the agent queries Legalcode's case law database and returns results without retaining your query content.

2. **Case law database queried** -- Legalcode searches the primary case law database for the jurisdiction — covering appellate and supreme courts, with coverage of first-instance courts where available.

3. **Cases read and analysed** -- Retrieved cases are read, with the ratio decidendi identified, obiter remarks noted, and subsequent treatment tracked where available in the database.

4. **Research summary with hierarchy** -- A research summary sets out the leading cases, their binding or persuasive status, and how they apply to the stated legal question — with citations and links to the primary database entries.

## Outputs

- List of leading cases with citation and court
- Binding vs. persuasive precedent classification
- Ratio decidendi summary per case
- Application to the stated facts
- Divergent lines of authority flagged
- Direct links to primary database entries

## Jurisdictions

US, UK, EU, CA, AU, NZ, SG, HK, IE, DE, FR, NL, SE, NO, IS, CH, BR, IN, ZA, KE, AE, JP, MX, EU-CJEU

## FAQ

### Are my research queries logged by Legalcode?

No. Legalcode operates with zero data retention on search content. The legal questions you ask — which often reveal litigation strategy — are not logged, stored, or used for training. Your research stays between you and your local AI agent.

### Can I combine case law research with my local brief drafts?

Yes. Because Legalcode runs inside your local AI agent, you can research precedent and immediately apply it to your draft brief, motion, or memo — all in one session, with your local privileged materials alongside the primary source results.

### How complete is the case law coverage for each jurisdiction?

Coverage varies by jurisdiction. For common law jurisdictions (US, UK, AU, CA, NZ, SG), coverage includes reported appellate decisions. For civil law jurisdictions, coverage focuses on constitutional courts and top appellate courts. The coverage panel on legalcode.md/jurisdictions shows current source counts per jurisdiction.

### Does the skill cover EU Court of Justice and ECHR decisions?

Yes. The skill covers CJEU and General Court decisions, European Court of Human Rights judgments, and their domestic reception in member states where that data is available.

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