Terms of Use
The conditions this reference is published under, and the limits that come with reading it
Acceptance
By accessing or using this website you accept these terms. If you do not accept them, do not use the site. The terms apply to every visitor, whether you are an attorney evaluating a matter, a party to a dispute, or a reader who arrived from a search result.
The content is informational only
Everything published here is general information about search technology, search evidence, and expert testimony. It is not legal advice, it is not an expert opinion in any matter, and it is not offered as testimony. It is not a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney in the relevant jurisdiction, or for the judgment of a retained expert who has examined the actual record in your case.
Nothing on this site creates an attorney-client relationship or an expert relationship. Reading a page does not create one. Neither does citing a page, sending a message through the contact form, or receiving a reply. Retention as an expert follows a conflict check and an executed written engagement, and nothing short of that establishes any relationship or obligation.
This site takes no engagements and quotes no fees. Where a page indicates that a reader plainly needs counsel or an expert, it says so generically; it is not a solicitation and should not be read as one.
Accuracy, currency, and change
Content here is written against primary sources — rule text, court opinions, and platform and standards documentation — and is believed accurate when published. It is not verified continuously afterward.
Both halves of this subject matter move. Rules of evidence and procedure are amended, courts decide cases that shift how a rule is applied, local rules and standing orders vary from district to district, and search platforms change their products, their reporting, and their data retention without notice. Any of that can leave a page here correct as written and out of date in practice. You are responsible for verifying current authority before relying on anything published here. Where a page cites a rule or a case, read the rule or the case.
Corrections are welcome and are the most useful message this site receives. Send them to [email protected], identifying the page and what changed.
No warranty and limitation of liability
This site is provided on an as-is and as-available basis, without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including any implied warranty of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy, or non-infringement. No warranty is given that the site will be available without interruption, that it is free of errors, or that any page reflects current law or current platform behavior.
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, no liability is accepted for any loss or damage — direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, or otherwise, including lost profits, lost data, or a missed deadline — arising out of your use of this site or your reliance on anything published on it. Any action you take on the basis of material here, you take on your own judgment and at your own risk.
Content, citation, and acceptable use
The text, structure, and design of this site are the work of its author and are protected by copyright. You may read it, print it, quote from it, and cite it in a brief, a memorandum, a filing, or an article, with attribution to the page you took it from. That is what a reference is for.
What is not permitted: republishing pages or substantial portions of them as your own content; scraping or bulk-copying the site to build a competing resource or to train a commercial model; framing the site or presenting it so that it appears to originate elsewhere; and using the site in any way that interferes with its operation or with other visitors' access to it. Automated requests at a rate that burdens the server are not acceptable use.
Changes and severability
These terms may be revised. The version published on this page is the version that applies, and continued use of the site after a revision constitutes acceptance of it. If any provision of these terms is held unenforceable, that provision is severed and the remaining provisions continue in effect.