Maryland
Bar Bulletin
Publications :
Bar Bulletin
Editor: W.
Patrick Tandy
March, 2004
| Solo/Small Firm Practitioner |
Two
Useful References to Help with the Internet
|
|
By
Pat Yevics
|
Despite the widespread
use of the Internet for all types of research, there are still many good
print publications that should be on your bookshelf. In fact, one of the
most effective and efficient ways to get information about how to use the
Internet is with print publications. (Go figure!)
In this month’s
column, I will recommend and review two of those publications, give some
tips from those publications and provide some helpful websites.
One of the best and most
recent (2004) publications on lawyers using the Internet is an ABA Law Practice
Management publication: The Lawyer’s Guide to Fact Finding on the
Internet by Carole A. Levitt and Mark E. Rosch. Levitt is a California
lawyer and former law librarian, and her knowledge of the Internet is amazing.
I had the opportunity to see her give a presentation on using the Internet
and it was one of best presentations I had ever seen on the topic. Regardless
of your level of use, you can learn something of great value. Rosch is a
developer and web designer for Levitt’s firm, Internet for Lawyers
(www.netforlawyers.com).
He is also vice president of marketing for the firm.
This is a book that all
practitioners should have in their offices. It should be required reading
for all staff regardless of their position in the firm. Since staff in solo
and small firms wear so many different hats, having the ability to do research
on the Internet can be a great value to the firm. The book is 600 pages and
is meant to be used as a reference tool. It also includes a CD with hyperlinks
to many of the websites listed in the book.
The book is practical
and incredibly helpful whether you have a lot of experience with fact-finding
on the Internet or are fairly new and unsure of how to search for information.
But the book does more
than just provide a list of sites; it is filled with tips about how to use
your time effectively in searching for information. It offers new and extremely
helpful tips on using sites that are well-known by many who use the Internet.
It also compares sites and lets you know when it is better to use one particular
site over another.
The book discusses the
difference between legal and factual research and the difference in meaning
in similar terms. There is also an excellent and critical discussion on judging
the worth and credibility of information that is found on the Internet. It
gives a 10 point “Internet Source Credibility Checklist” and
discusses each of the points in detail. I found this particularly helpful.
There is also an important
section that gives information about citing Internet resources, something
I have not seen in other publications. One of the best sites about this topic
can be found at Cornell University’s website (www.lawcornell.edu.citation).
Chapters 3 and 4 offer
some very helpful tips on search strategies and search tools and engines.
Although some of the information is basic, there are some real gems that
even Internet-savvy users will find invaluable. (You will find yourself saying, “I
didn’t know that!”)
Other chapters include “General
Factual Research,” “Government Resources On-Line,”
“Finding and Backgrounding People,” “Accessing Public Records,” “Finding
and Backgrounding Expert Witnesses,” “Company Research,” “Competitive
Intelligence Research,” “Medical Research,” “Scientific
Research,”
“Environmental Research,” “Foreign and International Research,” “Law
Practice Management and Professional Development,” “Statistical
Research,”
“Transportation Research,” “Entertainment Industry Research” and
“Intellectual Property.”
Admittedly, most solo
and small firm practitioners will not need to research many of these topics,
but it is helpful to have a reference tool on your shelf that you can turn
to should you ever need to research a new topic. This publication is a great
starting point. It is also valuable for new staff members who may not be
as familiar with legal research.
You may be asking the
same question that I did: “Won’t the book be obsolete very quickly?”
Well, since this book is more a provider of techniques for using the Internet
than just a simple list of sites it has a longer shelf life than most technology
books. It also gives suggestions on how to keep up with new and improved techniques
for the future. Technology will always be moving and changing and it is critical
to know how to keep up; this book helps you with that process.
Another ABA Law Practice
Management publication that predates (1999) The Lawyer’s Guide to
Fact Finding on the Internet is The Complete Internet Handbook for
Lawyers by Jerry Lawson. Lawson is a lawyer from Virginia and has frequently
been a speaker at some of MSBA’s technology and solo programs. Like
his presentation, Lawson’s book is practical and especially helpful
for solo and small firm practitioners. Like the Lawyer’s Guide to
Fact Finding, there are chapters in the book on research, search engines,
directories and other research related topics; it also discusses e-mail,
Internet security, ethics and marketing. In addition to his own work, there
is an extensive portion of the book devoted to “Other Voices.” This
is where many of the leading authorities in the field of the Internet and
the legal profession give their tips and suggestions or, as Lawson refers
to it, “the best from the best.”
The tips are not just
a series of websites but rather information from a broad spectrum of the
legal community on ways to use the Internet now and how it will change how
we practice in the future. In addition, there are tips for lawyers who practice
in a variety of areas, including estates and trusts, litigation, business,
tax and environmental. There are tips for librarians, paralegals solo practitioners
and the judiciary. I have used this portion of the book when preparing information
for various seminars.
Both of these publications
can be purchased directly online from the MSBA website (www.msba.org).
If you are not a member of the ABA, you will receive a 30 percent discount
off the ABA non-member price by purchasing it through the MSBA website. The
cost of the Lawyer’s Guide to Fact Finding on the Internet for
MSBA members is $56 and for The Complete Internet Handbook for Lawyers the
cost is $35. You must include 5 percent Maryland sales tax and shipping and
handling. You can print an order form from the website by going to www.msba.org/departments/
membership/abapubs.htm and
clicking on “Technology.” Both books can be purchased together
before April 15 at a cost of $85 plus $4.25 Maryland sales tax and $12.95
shipping and handling for a total of $102.20.
Websites
Worth Knowing
Included here is a list
of sites that I have used and recommended to others. Most (though not all)
of the sites are free. The purpose of this is simply to provide a list and
not review the sites. All of these sites are listed as hyperlinks on the
MSBA website at www.msba.org/departments/loma/articles/articles.htm.
- To determine the credibility
of a website: Consumer Union’s Consumer WebWatch offers a set of
recommendations at www.consumerwebwatch.org/bestpractices/index.html
- To search for PDF files: www.searchpdf.adobe
- General research: Librarians
Index of the Internet (www.lii.org);
also, the best source of facts on the Internet (www.refdesk.com);
Newspapers (www.newspapers.com)
- Help in finding old
versions of websites: www.archive.org
- Help in finding people: www.skipease.com
- Help in finding public
information: www.knowx.com;
also www.accurint.com
- Searchable databases: www.searchsystems.net (search
by state)
- Sites for various practice areas: www.lexisone.com/legalresearch/legalguide/
practice_areas/practice_
areas_index.htm
- Family Law: www.divorcenet.com;
also American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (www.aaml.org)
- Personal Injury: www.howardnations.com (outstanding
set of links for injury and accident cause); also Consumer Product Safety
Commission (www.cpsc.gov – excellent
for product liability); American Medical Association (www.ama-assn.org);
National Highway Transportation Administration (www.nhtsa.gov)
- Litigation Legal Vote: www.legalvote.com -
this site lets you have your case tested by the public; the cost can range
from $50.00 to $500.00. Another great source for links for litigators is www.craigball.com
- Estates and Trusts: www.estateplanninglinks.com;
also Wills on the Web (www.ca-probate.com/wills.htm)
- Taxation: www.taxsites.com
- Real Property: www.dataquick.com;
also www.realestatesupport.com
