Ohio Bar Automated Research Corporation

A group of Ohio State Bar Association (OSBA) members began investigating computer assisted legal research technology in the mid 1960s, subsequently forming a nonprofit subsidiary in 1967, the Ohio Bar Automated Research (OBAR), to develop a computer assisted legal research system for Ohio lawyers. OBAR contracted with Data Corporation, an Ohio based company specializing in information retrieval, to create the service. Essentially Data Corporation would provide the technology development while OBAR would raise funds, market, and administer the service (also called OBAR); both entities were to divide sales revenues. Computer assisted legal research proved feasible; but response time, communication protocol, and other issues were problematic. More funding was necessary to solve technical issues, but both OBAR and Data Corporation had constraints about committing to additional funding.

Unexpectedly, U.S. based Mead Corporation acquired Data Central as a wholly owned subsidiary in 1969 . Initially interested in Data Corporation's scanning technology, Mead became interested in the automated search service developed by OBAR and Data Corporation. Mead's market research indicated that while a market for online research existed, the existing database required substantial rebuilding. Deciding to go forward with developing an online system, Mead formed a new subsidiary, Mead Data Central (MDC), to concentrate solely on a nationwide automated legal research system. During the next few years Mead invested millions of dollars in the redevelopment of the database, although OBAR's early concept for a full text, interactive system remained.

By 1971, points of tension developed in OBAR and MDC's non-profit/commercial joint venture, but OBAR continued to promote the system, while MDC handled the business and technical aspects. In 1971 OBAR sold its proprietary interests to Mead Data Central, receiving ten years of royalty payments in return. The system was not yet generating revenue, so OBAR borrowed against "future" royalty payments to meet its administrative costs. Although OBAR was not formally a part of MDC after 1971, over the next few years OBAR actively promoted test marketing and training of the second-generation OBAR system, publicly unveiled as "LEXIS" in April 1973. During the full ten year contractual period with MDC (1971-81), OBAR continued to promote and provide assistance for the system. In fact, as late as 1989, OBAR President Robert Asman received significant subscription waiver charges in return for continuing to promote the LEXIS service (C34, Apr. 24, 1989). OBAR's role in the development of what is now a huge international legal service (MDC sold its interests to Reed-Elsevier in 1994) was substantial.

Case Western Reserve University Law School was recognized by Mead Data Central as the first law school to use the LEXIS system on a regular basis. See Spencer Neth, Computerized Legal Research in the Law Schools: the Case Western Reserve Experience, 28 Journal of Legal Education 553 (1977) -- "In November of 1971, Case Western Reserve Law School moved into a handsome new building complex. Awaiting our arrival and located in a room set aside for that purpose was a computer terminal connected to the OBAR computerized legal research system. CWRU thus became the first law school in the United States to have a computerized legal research system permanently installed." In a footnote Spencer adds that "Professor Arthur R. Miller at the University of Michigan and later at Harvard University and a few other law school professors previously had OBAR terminals on a temporary, experimental basis."

PLEASE NOTE: Due to technical difficulties with the date display in the following chronology list, dates have temporarily been moved to the event column.

• 1960: 1960: Demonstration of "Horty system" at ABA annual meeting (serves as early OBAR model)
• 1964 - 1966 : 1964-66: OSBA begins investigation of online legal research database development
• 1966: 1966: OSBA crafts service definition for legal reseach database
• January 1967: Jan. 1967: OSBA forms subsidiary nonprofit corporation, OBAR, to develop automated research project
• 1967: 1967: OBAR contracts with Data Corporation (Gorog, Giering) for database development support
• 1967: 1967: OBAR sells debenture bonds to members of the OSBA to raise funds for the contract
• 1967 - 1969 : 1967-69: OBAR/Data Corporation continue carrying out terms of contract & establish working service
• 1968: 1968: Mead Corporation acquires Data Corporation (initial interest is in DC's scanning technology)
• October 1969: Oct. 1969: Mead contracts with N.Y. firm, A.D. Little, for market studies about automated research
• February 1970: Feb. 1970:Mead forms new subsidiary,Mead Data Central (MDC)for nationwide automated research service
• 1971: 1971:Robert Asman becomes OBAR President; OBAR continues relationship with MDC for terms of contract
• 1971: 1971: Case Western Reserve law school begins using OBAR system
• 1971: 1971: Jerome Rubin replaces Donald Wilson as president of Mead Data Central
• February 1971: Feb. 1971: OBAR sells proprietary interests to MDC in return for 10 year royalty payments
• 1972: 1972: Ohio market test for second generation system complete, ready for nationwide marketing
• April 1973: Apr.1973: MDC launches Lexis as publicly available service; headquarters remains in Dayton, Oh
• April 1973: Apr. 1973: Ohio Secretary of State approves OBAR for current legislation subscription
• 1974: 1974:Filing fee Am.S.B. 214 bill passed 110th Ohio G.A.- helps courts defray computer research costs
• 1981: 1981: End of OBAR and Mead Data Central's contractual relationship & royalty payments (1971-1981)
• July 1983: July 1983: Final OBAR trustee meeting?
• 1985: 1985: Asman continues promoting LEXIS, but OBAR is inactive & bonds have zero value
• November 1986: Nov. 1986: Ohio State Bar Foundation ends OBAR subsidy

Much of the history above is derived from William G. Harrington, " A Brief History of Computer-Assisted Legal Research ", 77 L. Lib. J . 543 (1984-85).

From the guide to the Ohio Bar Automated Research (OBAR) Papers, 1966-1989, (Case Western Reserve University, the Judge Ben C. Green Law Library)