presenters: jootaek(juice) lee university of miami law library ([email protected]) kumar percy...

Presenters:Jootaek(Juice) Lee

University of Miami Law Library ([email protected])

Kumar Percy Jayasuriya Georgetown Law Library ([email protected])

Introducing and Integrating Free Internet Legal Research

Into Classroom

2009 CALI Conference for Law School Computing

Topics Lawyers Researching Using Internet Services

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Topics<2008 Legal Technology Survey Report by ABA>

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Series1


Table of ContentsI. Evaluating WebsitesII. Examples of Internet Legal ResourcesIII. Considerations for Incorporating Free

Research Tools into a Research Strategy


I. Evaluating Legal Research Tools

CoverageCurrencyAccuracyValue Added FeaturesAuthorityAppropriatenessCostPerspectiveDesign- Usability


CoverageWhat is the depth and breath of coverage

Does the source provide more than a few years of coverage?

Can you search for older cases?In a caselaw database are there missing

cases or missing courts?Are there statutes or regulations as well as

cases?


CurrencyIs the information up to date?

When was the code last updated?What is the most recent case loaded to the

database?What is the revision cycle of the database?


AccuracyCan you identify any missing documents?Does the secondary source provide

verifiable information with citations?Are there errors in the documents?Can you verify that the document has not

been altered since publication?GPO authentication signature on FDsys.gov


Value Added FeaturesSearch Features

Search for a known citation (find a document)Search multiple databases (multiple jurisdictions)Table of Contents / Index / Popular Names TableCitator (or a way to search for all cases that cited

to a known case or statute or regulation).

Sort FeaturesControl how you review results

Document FeaturesPinpoint PaginationHyperlinks within document


Authority

Can you identify:the authorthe qualifications of the authorhow to contact the publisher / producerverifiable citations to the documentation behind

the statements


Other Ways to Evaluate a SourceAppropriateness

Is it clear who the intended audience isIs the language, illustrations, and format

adequate for the audiencePerspective

What is the goal of the sourceIs there a bias or is it objective


CostWhat is the overall costHow does the cost compare to other onlineHow does it compare to printConsider speed as a cost


Presentation and Design

SourcesJakob Nielsen, Top Ten Mistakes in Web

DesignU.S. Department of Heath and Human

Services(HHS), Research-Based Web Design & Usability Guidelines

Nielsen, F-Shaped Pattern for Reading Web Content


Usability Mistakes• Lack of consistency

Not behaving the same, not easy to become familiar, and lots of distractions

• Lack of scannabilityNot providing lists or headings

• Bad searching design: Not visible and not simpleNot providing the search box, not showing the scope of

search, and not showing results by importance• Not changing color of visited links• PDF files for online searching• Opening new browser windows

<Jakob Nielsen, Top Ten Mistakes in Web Design & U.S. Department of Heath and Human Services(HHS), Research-Based Web Design & Usability Guidelines >


SummaryUsing the previous factors will lead to

different answers for

Recommend for purchase

Recommend for use for a particular client


II. Examples of Internet Legal ResourcesReview a few specific free and low-cost

sources of legal informationConsider how to integrate them into a

research strategy


Free Caselaw ResourcesAltlawFindlawJustiaLexisOnePreCYdentPublic Law Library

Each fully evaluated through the Georgetown Research Guide of Low-Cost and Free Legal Research Tools.


Free Online Caselaw Sources Rich with recent caselaw

No site is really comprehensive

Limited search features

Secondary sources are severely limited


PreCYdentSample search:

http://www.screencast.com/users/kumarj/folders/Jing/media/9697b52b-74f7-4fe8-8e26-1225d71a3ecb

Sample results:http://www.screencast.com/users/kumarj/

folders/Jing/media/90f7b4d9-5e85-4d25-a7b1-72e5550621c0


PreCYdent Search


Search Features


PreCYdent Result


PreCYdent Citator


PreCYdentCoverage,

Great for federal cases, weak for state law and statutes

CurrencyGood but hard to tell, especially for statutes

AccuracyHard to tell -- Cases look different from what we

are used to

AuthorityPro: Some information about the source of casesWeakness: No authority for statutes


PreCYdentValue added features:

Pro: West citationsPro: Pinpoint pagination pre 2004 fed casesPro: Some advanced search featuresPro: Find a citation featurePro: CitatorWeakness: cannot sort citator results by subject

level of analysis


PreCYdentAppropriateness

Useful for sophisticated researchersCost

Quick resultsPerspective Design Usability


JustiaPro: Great contentPro: Good Browse featuresWeakness: hard to identify search featuresWeakness: limited standardized or pinpoint

citationsWeakness: no easily identified citatorWeakness: no federated searchingWeakness: no way to sort results


Justia Circuit Searching


Statutes on Legal Information Institute


Low CostLow Cost

FastcaseLoislawlexisONEVersusLawCasemaker


Low-Cost ServicesCurrency

Variable - Usually noted up frontAccuracyValue Added Features

Often better sorting features than Westlaw or Lexis

Enhanced search featuresSome pretty good citators

AuthorityAppropriatenessCostPerspective/Design- Usability


Fastcase Search Features


Fastcase Citator


Google search


Combining ResourcesUse free and low-cost databases early

on, along with print secondary sourcesTo learn the basics of an area of law

To try out search strings

Supplement with Westlaw and LexisUsing advanced features such as

annotated codes, headnote searches and citators

presenters: jootaek(juice) lee university of miami law library ([email protected]) kumar percy...

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