Distance Learning, Internet Legal Distance Learning, Internet Legal Research, and the FutureResearch, and the Future

A CLE Program during

Cornell Law Alumni Reunion

Claire M. Germain

Edward Cornell Law Librarian

and Professor of Law

cmg13@cornell.eduFriday, June 9th, 2000Friday, June 9th, 2000

Context of Legal Research TodayContext of Legal Research Today

Inflation of InformationInflation of Legal IssuesDifficulty of Distinguishing Domestic

from Foreign and International in a Global Setting

Pressures on Law Firms

Advice for Successful Internet Advice for Successful Internet ResearchResearch

A Thoughtful Approach to Legal Research

Concrete Examples

How to Become Empowered

Principles of Efficient Research

You are representing a bank in South Carolina that learns it now has to provide information on account holders who are delinquent in paying their child support. You know that there is a recent federal law that mandates each state must come up with a procedure by which they will help identify these parents.

Sample SearchSample Search

Research Strategy?

Evaluation of a Web SourceEvaluation of a Web Source

Characteristics of Superior Information Sources– What is the source?– Is this source reliable?– Is it up-to-date?– Is this the official, final version of a text? Can you

cite this to a court?– What is the cost? Time is money!

Sample SearchSample Search

Sample Search: Sample Search: U.S. and State CodesU.S. and State CodesCornell Law Library‑Print:

• The official code is the United States Code (U.S.C., KF 62 .A2), located in alcove 7 of the Reading Room and on the first floor. It does not have case annotations‑‑e.g., references to cases interpreting a statute.

Sample Search: Sample Search: U.S. and State Codes (cont.)U.S. and State Codes (cont.)Cornell Law Library‑Print (cont.):

• There are two annotated, commercially published, U.S. Codes:

– United States Code Annotated (U.S.C.A., KF 62 1927 .W51), located in alcove 7 of the Reading Room and on the first floor; and

– United States Code Service (U.S.C.S., KF 62 1972 .L42), located in alcove 7‑8 of the Reading Room and on the first floor.

Sample Search: Sample Search: U.S. and State Codes (cont.)U.S. and State Codes (cont.)On the Internet:

The (unannotated) U.S. Code is available at

• Cornell's Legal Information Institute (http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/) and

• The House of Representatives website (http://uscode.house.gov/usc.htm)

Sample Search: Sample Search: U.S. and State Codes (cont.)U.S. and State Codes (cont.)On LEXIS and WESTLAW:

• On LEXIS, the U.S.C.S. is available. – In classic LEXIS, choose the genfed library, uscs file. – On the web (http://www.lexis.com/research), go to

the source directory, select "Federal Legal ‑ U.S.", then "United States Codes Service (USCS) Materials."

• On WESTLAW, the U.S.C.A. is available in the USCA database.

Sample SearchSample Search

LEXIS/WESTLAW versus the LEXIS/WESTLAW versus the “Free” Internet“Free” Internet

One-stop Shopping

LEXIS/WESTLAW versus the LEXIS/WESTLAW versus the “Free” Internet“Free” Internet

Sophisticated DatabasesFully-indexed Content

Powerful Search EnginesValidating Your Search:

– Shepard’s– Keycite

Reliability

Low Cost Services: Loislaw, Versuslaw, Low Cost Services: Loislaw, Versuslaw, etc.etc.

Alternative for solo practitioners or small law firms

Full-text cases and statutes for all 50 states

Not equivalent to LEXIS-NEXIS or WESTLAW

No citator service

Free Internet SourcesFree Internet Sources

Lots of useful information for the practice of law

Federal and state governmental resources

Good place for current information, news, facts, statistics, people, and events

Worldwide coverage

International and Foreign Law on International and Foreign Law on the ’Netthe ’Net

Understanding a foreign legal system

Comparative law methodology– How to read a case in civil law– faux amis

• The perils of translation

Cornell Law Library Cornell Law Library International ResourcesInternational ResourcesForeign and International Law GuideCountry Guides

Mirror SitesInternational Court of JusticeInternational Labor Organization

Cornell Law Library Cornell Law Library International ResourcesInternational Resources

Legal Research PrinciplesLegal Research Principles

Considerations when making choices

Evaluate– not only the end product, but– the way in which information is

retrieved, and– the context in which the research is

performed

Free-text Searching versus Free-text Searching versus Classified ArrangementsClassified Arrangements

Free-text works best for factual research, but not always with best results

West’s Digest and Synopsis advantage

LEXIS’ Core Concepts

Information versus ResearchInformation versus Research

Access to information is different from use in your practice as a reliable source

No organized control of informationHow to know what you are missing

Favorite Web SitesFavorite Web Sites

Legal Portals

Cornell Law LibraryCornell Law Librarywww.lawschool.cornell.edu/library

Cornell’s Legal Information InstituteCornell’s Legal Information Institutewww.law.cornell.edu

FindlawFindlawwww.findlaw.com

Law.comLaw.comwww.law.com

LLRX.comLLRX.comwww.llrx.comwww.llrx.com

Favorite Web SitesFavorite Web Sites

General-- for everyday use, facts, figures, background information, etc.

Library SpotLibrary Spotwww.libraryspot.comwww.libraryspot.com

Refdesk.comRefdesk.comwww.refdesk.comwww.refdesk.com

Favorite Search EnginesFavorite Search Engines

LawcrawlerLawcrawlerwww.lawcrawler.comwww.lawcrawler.com

GoogleGooglewww.google.comwww.google.com

The FutureThe Future

Much more governmental and commercial information to come

New issues with digital informationHow to keep track of amended,

repealed provisionsHow to ensure long-term access

ConclusionConclusion

Have Fun and Have Fun and Come to our Come to our “Hands-On” “Hands-On” Session Session Tomorrow!Tomorrow!