Overview
The National Case Law Archive widget surfaces similar cases from the National Case Law Archive directly within CaseMatters, based on the facts and circumstances of the current matter. It gives fee earners quick access to relevant precedents and supporting authorities without leaving the case management system.
The widget appears automatically on the Case Summary screen for case types where case law is likely to be of value — such as contentious matters, personal injury, family, and employment law cases. It will not appear for case types where it is not relevant.
Where to Find It
The National Case Law Archive widget is located on the Case Summary screen of the relevant case. No navigation steps are required - if the widget is applicable to the case type, it will be displayed automatically when you open the case summary.
What the Widget Shows
For each suggested case, the widget displays:
Similar Cases: Cases identified as similar based on the facts and circumstances of the current matter.
Confidence Score: A relevance confidence score indicating how closely each suggested case matches the current matter.
Viewing Full Case Details
To explore a suggested case further:
Locate the suggested case in the widget.
Click the View Full Case Details button.
A case summary opens. The case summary displays:
Outcome: The outcome of the suggested case.
Case Summary: A summary of the facts and the decision reached.
Court: The court that handed down the decision.
Key Legal Principles: The key legal principles arising from the case.
To read the full judgment, click the Judgment button. This opens the full case record on the National Case Law Archive website in a new browser tab.
Understanding Why a Case Was Suggested
Each suggested case includes a Why Is This Relevant section, which explains the factors used to determine why that case has been surfaced for the current matter.
To access it:
Click the three-dot menu next to the View Full Case Details button on the relevant suggested case.
Select Why Is This Relevant.
The relevance factors are displayed.
Relevance factors:
Practice Area Match: How closely the suggested case aligns with the practice area of the current matter.
Court Authority: The authority and standing of the court that decided the suggested case.
Legal Concepts: The legal concepts shared between the suggested case and the current matter.
Key Points of Interest: Specific points of interest that link the suggested case to the current matter.
Overall Relevance Score: An aggregate score indicating how closely the suggested case aligns with the current matter overall.