Young Lawyers Division 2000-2001




Linda Wohlbruck is an assistant editor of The Affiliate and practices law with Nelson, Mullins, Riley & Scarborough in Columbia, South Carolina.

Professional Development

Beginner's Guide to Legal Research on the Net

By Linda Wohlbruck

    "The Internet is perhaps the most potentially persuasive and influential form that technological change has made to date."

    -Roberta Cooper Ramo, President, American Bar Association
    A Lawyer's Guide to the Internet, G. Burgess Allison (American Bar Association 1995.)

Unfortunately, for those of us who do not know the difference between a URL and a UFO, Ms. Ramo is probably right. Those of us who fail to take advantage of the Internet in our law practice may miss out on a lot of valuable information. If you would like to consider the possibility of "getting connected' but do not know where to start, read on.

What Is the Internet?
The Internet is an enormous global network that links hundreds of thousands of computer networks around the world. It was started in 1969 by the U.S. Department of Defense to link military and university computers, in an effort to coordinate the nation's defense. The "Information Superhighway" as it is called is comprised of computer networks belonging to the government, universities, private corporations, and individuals. It operates twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week. It allows users to communicate with each other and obtain information on a vast array of subjects.

Why Should You Surf the Net?
The Internet contains a wealth of information. The information is essentially free, except for the monthly cost of the service provider. Most providers offer unlimited usage, making it possible to get a lot of bang for the buck. In addition to recent court opinions, the Internet offers law-related information, such as bar news, scientific and medical information, and help on locating experts.

Limitations of the Net
Legal research on the Net can be complicated and time consuming due to the lack of a centralized index. Research on the Net involves searching a number of indices, some more helpful and more reliably maintained than others.

State and federal court opinions are maintained in a number of sites. However, most case citations only go back a few years, many no further than 1990. Selected Supreme Court opinions dating further back are available online.

How to Get Started
For the true beginner, the first step is learning to use the unique vocabulary. For example, URL is an abbreviation for Uniform Resources Locator, an address to write for information. An excellent glossary can be found in Burgess Allison's The Lawyer's Guide to the Internet, published by the ABA Section of Law Practice Management. This book is a guide to the Internet and a must-read for beginning users.

The next step, and perhaps the most important, is to familiarize yourself with the law-related sites. Allison's book contains a quick list' of what he believes to the top twenty-eight sites with respect to usefulness and popularity.

Examples of popular sites include:

Don't forget to also check with your own state's law schools and bar associations to find out whether state court opinions and other law-related information is available.

Conclusion
At this point, the Internet is not a perfect substitute for traditional research methods, such as Lexis and Westlaw. Frankly, surfing on the Net can be time consuming and frustrating. However, like many other skills practice makes perfect. The Net offers a vast array of useful and fairly inexpensive information. If you happen to be a computer geek, then you might just find doing research on the Internet fun. If that's not reason enough, then get on the Net simply because "everyone else is doing it."