legal research Internet

INTERNET LEGAL RESEARCH, A VIABLE OPTION

by: Peggie J. Brown

INTRODUCTION

Peggie Brown is CEO of Katsuey's Legal Gateway, a comprehensive directory of free legal research links created in 1998, and KatsueyDesignWorks, a web development company specializing in custom web site design for professionals. Working as a Paralegal for ten years, Ms. Brown's expertise in the areas of probate and estate planning and computer savvy made her a natural for building and co-presenting estate planning seminars and educational programs and researching on the Internet along with her other paralegal duties. Prior to her career as a paralegal, Ms. Brown worked in financial management for fifteen years. In addition to running Katsuey's Legal Gateway and KatsueyDesignWorks, Ms. Brown presents seminars and training in Internet research, legal research on the Internet and web site design. Several of Ms. Brown's articles have been published in Legal Assistant Today, local paralegal newsletters and the Technolawyer Master Post. (requires subscription)

CHANGES IN LEGAL RESEARCH BECAUSE OF THE INTERNET

"Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves,
or we know where we can find information on it." Samuel Johnson

With this statement, Samuel Johnson defined the essence of the task constantly confronting legal professionals, the need for knowledge and the ability to find it. Mr. Johnson apparently understood that knowledge is power.

The Internet, with its ever-expanding circuitry of information, changes not only the way the legal profession obtains the requisite knowledge, but also the speed at which information of all kinds and quality spews forth; but, not without growing pains. Even as late as the early 1990's, finding comprehensive, quality legal information amongst the vast array of unorganized and poorly cataloged pages of data floating about in cyberspace was difficult.

Each year from 1995 to the present this gigantic information system, frequently referred to as the Information Super Highway, and the millions of system users grew exponentially massive. An estimated 50 million people worldwide connected in some fashion to the Internet, accessing more than 10 million servers in 1997. The same study estimated that 71% of legal professionals accessed the Internet in some capacity. 67% used the Internet for E-Mail, 72% used for some research and 33% had web sites.

A study estimates the size of the World Wide Web (only one portion of the Internet) at 800 million pages or 15 terabytes of publicly indexable pages as of February 1999. Making allowances for HTML formatting and white space, the estimated size of actual publicly indexed information fills 6 terabytes.

By 12/31/00, estimators anticipate 320 million users accessing more than 74 million servers.

Interestingly enough, a recent study shows less Americans accessing the Internet from work and more Americans accessing from home. In the United States alone as of December 1999, an estimate 105 million adult Internet users log on the World Wide Web.

Search Engines

By the mid 1990's, several search engines firmly established themselves, assisting Internet users in locating information on specific topics. The first granddaddy of search engine technology was Yahoo. But after not too many years, users and search engines owners alike discovered that cataloging and organizing information for an extremely diverse user population with vastly opposing points of view and goals was next to, if not an entirely impossible task. Rules sprang up attempting to derive consistency. Unfortunately, users striving for the top of the pile in the search engine results game sojourned right behind the new rules.

Private users of all sorts and sizes with a variety of purposes, technology experts, legal professionals, web site designers, botanists, writers, gamers, scientists, insurance professionals, Star Trek fans, government agencies, hackers, support groups, sports clubs, professional associations, genealogists, music associations, rock bands, radio and television stations, schools and educational sources, businesses, auction sites and sellers of an array of goods and services beyond imagination struggling for appropriate categorization and recognition by search engines. More search engines started up. Distinguishing the relevance of words for one group compared to the same word with a total different meaning and import for another group alluded search engine technology. When someone searched under a word, as simple as "legal", they received totally unpredictable results, ranging from pages referring to legal moves in a game to perhaps a rock group called the Legal Aliens. Search engines diversified and changed, supplying more search engines not differentiating word meaning.

Soon, "portals" became the buzzword. With the buzz, copious amounts of advertising supporting the expensive heavy task ahead befell users. Next, portal directories found even more revenue generation by offering top placement to the highest bidder. Besides increasing revenue, the portals rationalized that only the serious minded would pay for rankings. Thereby, they hoped for purification of irrelevant results, offering higher rankings for businesses paying for their position and lower rankings to personal sites built for fun and sport. Improving the searching technology and speeding up indexing seemed secondary thoughts, if considered.

"So much has been written about everything that you can't find out anything about it". -James Thurber

Though not penned with thought of search engines or the Internet, James Thurber's statement certainly fits the conditions on the congested Super Highway in the mid 90's. In addition to problematic results from search engines, the backlog for indexing Internet sites grew with the expanding size of the Internet. Studies estimate that combined, all search engines index only roughly 47% of all sites on the World Wide Web, with the largest single search engine only indexing about 16% of this content1.

While acknowledging the above information, it may seem odd to say: "What has changed? Legal research has changed! Due to the Internet, legal research will never be the same." But hold on! Hear more about the pioneers who set out organizing the tangled Super Highway before you decide. Individuals and organizations with an interest in various professions and a need for knowledge started organizing and cataloging in small chunks that grew to large, useful resources over time.

Gateways, indices and directories organized by these pioneers put profession specific information at the fingertips of everyone with an interest. Hieros Gamos, one of the earliest pioneers and now a legal portal site, specifically targeted organization of legal information. Over the years, pioneering law firm sites began organizing links in legal specialties. In addition many more legal specific directories and indices sprang up. Some became outdated over time as site owners realized the commitment required to maintain links because transitory sites either moved frequently or outright disappeared. Some of these outdated directories exist today, most disappeared.

Katsuey's Legal Gateway entered the Internet (known then as Katsuey's Legal Links) as a legal directory in June 1998 and soon won recognition and national and international awards as a comprehensive legal research site. Approximately one year later, the site moved to its own domain to facilitate its growing size and assist users in remembering the location.

RECENT CHANGES

"A competitive world offers two possibilities. You can lose.

Or, if you want to win, you can change."--L. C. Thurow

In the last two years many government and court systems appeared on line with large databases, making the Internet an even more viable, if not necessary, medium for serious legal research. Now searching current court documents, reviewing agency opinions and court decisions, delving into secretary of states' databases for corporate data, perusing vast amounts of federal government documents and state statutes across an Internet with no charges for viewing or printing, is more common place than unusual. Forty-nine of the fifty United States have some case opinions on line. On the downside, only Oklahoma currently offers a free database of case decisions going back several decades. The recent history of the Internet demonstrating constant grow and change foretells that this too will transform over time.

Since no competent legal researcher dare ignore historical legal precedent, options for obtaining less recent case law and cite checking are presented later in this article under the heading "Alternatives". Of course, the serious researcher also recognizes that case law is usually merely one (albeit frequently the most important) component of a research project. We also recognize that relying only on legal precedent, as well as ignoring the same, causes legal malpractice as well. More than one lawyer has been caught with his pants down (so to speak) for performing incomplete research by ignoring public information available. Meticulous legal advocates finding the smoking gun buried within an Internet newsgroup or other Internet documentation also win cases.

"In times of profound change, the learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists."--Al Rogers

It is no longer valid complaining that finding legal information on the Internet is too difficult and time consuming, any more than validity would be given to complaints that the research books of old were too expensive or too heavy.

LEGAL RESEARCH AVAILABLE

A small taste of information on the Internet of interest to legal professionals includes: medical and pharmaceutical databases, domain registrations, federal agency rules and regulations, company financial information, secretary of state databases, technical information, discussion groups, library catalogs, court rules, United States federal statutes, federal legislation and regulations, current federal appellate-level case law, federal and state administrative rules, foreign and international laws and cases, state and municipal codes, state legislation and regulations, state court opinions, legal news, articles other commentary and analysis, telephone listings, address, zip code information, maps, magazines and e-zines.

Learned articles abound on just about any legal subject matter from the new legal discipline of cyberlaw to more traditional areas concerning intellectual property, probate and estate planning and automobile accident reconstruction. If one can't locate their target research material on the Internet, they surely can locate which library has it by reviewing library catalogs on-line. The only problem remaining: information overload!

BENEFITS OF INTERNET LEGAL RESEARCH

Legal research professionals benefit from the Internet by leveraging research costs, collaborating and reviewing the work of other professionals and networking with individuals working on like research (within the ethical constraints of confidentiality of course). These benefits often make the difference to those providing research for indigent and cost sensitive clients.

True, research costs usually may be passed on to the client; however, attorneys' ethical obligations require providing competent, cost effective service to their clients.

Clients are more and more sensitive to costs. Ignoring the demand for cost sensitivity often delimits the viability of firms making such a choice in a competitive legal market.

Westlaw and Lexis offer excellent services. Their services also improved and expanded remarkably over the years and we anticipate these electronic services will continue to do so. Attorneys now access Lexis and Westlaw accounts from home computers and while traveling. Searches on these services allow flexible terminology and easier cite checking than previous versions. Lexis and Westlaw offer comprehensive legal databases combined with cite checking and customer support, in other words "one-stop shops". But, while we all love driving a Cadillac or Rolls Royce, sometimes our pocketbook only allows driving the Toyota RAV 4. The Rav4 is a great little utility vehicle though not offering a real soft, luxurious ride. Either way, Cadillac, Rolls or Toyota, you arrive at the same destination. As with the Toyota, with the Internet, the user feels a few bumps in the road along the way.

If done wrong, legal research on the Internet provides complete garbage. Fortunately, if done right, researchers find objective, accurate, current, reliable and comprehensive information on the Internet. The next section of this article discusses in-depth how to verify the legitimacy of Internet legal research. Testing for legitimacy requires looking for information that is:

Objective; Accurate; Current; Reliable; and Comprehensive.

Research on the Internet, though perhaps a bit different than book research in the medium used, requires the same basic research skills with the very same cautions. Note that the competent legal researcher uses the points above for ascertaining legitimate legal research material whether using books, CDs or the Internet. The Internet legal researcher applies a bit more caution in some of the above areas because the Internet facilitates a more rapid appearance of information (or disinformation) with almost total anonymity and with little, if any, policing. As the least expensive publishing media, the Internet reaches the largest audience in the least amount of time. This is a good reason to use the Internet for research, but also a good reason for caution when researching on the Internet. No publisher need come between a writer and the audience; therefore, no requirement for scrutiny of facts prior to publication. (As a web designer, I'd be remiss not to mention that the inexpensiveness of the medium and wide dissemination provides a great reason for law firms to take advantage of an on-line presence since it gives the best "bang" for the marketing buck.)

OBJECTIVE

In most any author's writings an opinion or at least a theory seeps out. We often experience this even in supposedly unbiased news reporting. Some writing is meant to persuade readers. There is nothing wrong with persuasive or biased writing as long as the reader recognizes the bias, identifies the author's intent, determines the author is authoritative and can verify the author's facts. Bias in and of it self does not mean inaccurate or not factual and useful. Organizational sites advocate the position of their organization, no one expects less. When viewing bias information, determine whether the site has valuable content and if the presentation or content biases make any difference in terms of the information you need. Separate the wheat from the chaff, throw away the chaff and use the wheat.

See if the author supports statements and conclusions with verifiable facts. Review the site for cites to facts so that you also may reach your own conclusion based on review of facts and statistics. Remember, even facts, if incomplete or slanted, lie. A reader encounters problems with persuasive writing when accepting the writing without using critical thinking and analysis, without looking for support or considering the possibility of bias.

Understanding bias and the purpose of the "information" or commentary saves the alert researcher from accepting everything in print at face value without any further checking. Seek proof, review credentials and screen out that which is not backed up by an independent, verifiable source. Many web sites' main purpose, like in other forums, is selling. Selling means advocating a point of view about the product sometimes in the guise of disseminating information. Selling frequently means "hype", so ready your "hype" filter when reviewing these types of sites.

Two opposing examples:

.Violence Policy Center
The Second Amendment: No Right to Keep and Bear Arms

.NRA Our Second Amendment: The Original Perspective

The Violence Policy Center article provides case law in support of the argument that an individual does not have a second amendment right to keep and bear arms. What the writer does not provide is existing case law not supporting this position. Perhaps a great stop off for gleaning some information and understanding, but definitely not a good place to end one's research on the matter.

The NRA article tells another side of the story, but with many over reaching statements worthy of classification at best as opinions, not facts. Where is the data proving the American Edition of Blackstone's Commentaries is "the greatest law book in America"? Is this a verified fact? Can you prove, "Some lawyers never read anything else but Tucker's Blackstone"? If so, they better have great malpractice insurance or be retired!

No one is without bias. My bias rests with free legal directory sites such as Katsuey's Legal Gateway. I'm an advocate with a bit of a vested interest. However, some might say my bias is less than someone marketing a revenue-producing product in that Katsuey's Legal Gateway generates far more work than revenue. But there remains a bias because I built the site and have a lot of pride in it.

Next, do site advertisers control content? Biting the hand that feeds you hurts the pocketbook. Some editorial policies dictate that the advertisers not be offended; other sites purposely exist for product promotion. Fortunately, many sites separate the function of writing from the function of marketing and revenue generating, allowing presentation of facts without regard for sponsors. For example, the New York Times carries Double Click advertisements, but still wrote several less than favorable stories about Double Click, recently in the news for the now delayed (based on consumer outcry) plans to integrate customers' personal information with tracking software.

Persuasion comes not only with words. Even a site's design influences readers' opinions. A cluttered, unattractive site lacking professional design instills less confidence in the site material than a well-designed, organized site. Serious researchers with little time for weeding through a mess probably want to steer away from cluttered unorganized sites. As with clothing, colors also play a role in perceived trustworthiness and an overall emotion or "feel" to a site. Friendly images of smiling people provide a different feel to a site than images of giant machines and steel gray equipment. Site design is about image projection. Attractive, well-organized sites may be a sign of accurate, organized material and then again, may be a sign of someone very intent on advocating a revenue producing point of view.

ACCURATE

Authors with nothing to hide and a slew of facts backing their position understand the facts stand as their persuasive argument, so they cite the facts and their references, trusting the reader to reach the same conclusion as the presenter. Remember, watch for selective fact citation.

Many Internet sites receive no verification before publication to the world. In addition, Internet sites such as Whitehouse.net, GWBush.com and AlGore-200.org (no longer operational) look convincingly like the real thing, but are actually parodies. These three sites and many more like them serve warning to the legal researcher of the paramount import of verification of the authorship and authority of the author for accurate research. Watch for parodies and understand that some authors have far more than parody in mind when faking the look and feel of another site. Just like famous labels, well known sites attract copycats and knock-offs. Knock-offs end up being cheap renditions of the real thing.

Check that you spell the URL correctly and that you haven't arrived at a "page jacked" site. Page jackers want you thinking you are somewhere you are not. Worse yet, they mean for you to stay! Unscrupulous webmasters look for people to make a spelling mistake or an error in the ending of the URL in order to capture traffic. Perhaps you spell well, but what about a warning box very similar to a Windows operating system warning with the intent of misdirecting you and then trapping you? Devious methods of winning your presence at a site abound. In essence, they waste your valuable time.

Examples:

"Whitehouse.com - You probably just want to take my word on this one because this is reportedly a pornography site.

Whitehouse.net - A cute parody of the Whitehouse.gov

Yawhoo - An opportunist who purchased a possible misspelling of Yahoo and redirects you to the opportunist's site.

(Example site no longer operational)

Microsopht.com - Someone else betting on misspelling. Note that right now the site is not active but the domain name still exists. This type of misspelling happens, especially when you consider foreign visitors.

Never lose the flexibility of browsing around a site for formation of your own opinion as to its legitimacy. Possible clues serve only as the norms, not cardinal rules. Remember, tendencies and rules of thumb change over time especially in new frontiers! Most of all trust your own judgment when it feels wrong; there is probably something wrong.

RELIABLE

Reliability denotes not only consistency, but also requires the source be knowledgeable about the subject matter. Knowing a site consistently presents objective, accurate, current and comprehensive material saves the researcher immense amounts of time verifying research sites over and over. These types of sites are worth their weight in gold. Use your browser's bookmark/favorites feature to mark the address of reliable sites. Site addresses can be organized not only in a folder marked "legal" but further categorized into subfolders signifying the specific type of legal content such as "environmental".

Does the site provide a way to check the author's authority and credentials on the subject matter? If the author is not identified or only identified in nebulous ways with no further information offered, it's probably time to move on to another site. Definitely give a jaundice eye to anything you might read at the site. For an example, see Human Rights In Tunisia (URL no longer available). Who is the "Higher Committee on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms"? Is this a legitimate organization and if so, are they known authorities on the subject of Human Rights in Tunisia? What is their mission? What are their biases? Who are the individuals who make up the committee and how did they come to be on the committee? Elected? Self-appointed? If the site doesn't answer these questions and the answers aren't readily available elsewhere, move on to a better source.

Additional factors used to test reliability:

Look for information as to how the document got to the Internet. Was it scanned? Typed? Was the original used? Scanned documents as well as typed documents can be inaccurate. Even powerful scanners misread characters in some documents depending on the typeface, age and condition of the document and spacing used.

Determine the original language of the document. If it was translated, who verified the translation?

How does the Internet version compare with the print version? Has it been abbreviated? Are details important to your research missing from the abbreviated version?

While perfect grammar and spelling are not assurances of accuracy, poor grammar and bad spelling are certain signs of a site not well maintained and probably inaccurate.

Does the site use proofreaders? If so, what are their credentials?

The following factors also assist in determining legitimate sites:

Not every legitimate site purchases its own domain name. However, as a serious researcher with limited time this is one possible way to quickly exclude sites with less chance of legitimacy if many sites are available from which to pick.

The tilde character (~) merely indicates the possibility of a transient site. Fortunately the tilde is going out of style since some print media can't reproduce this character. In the past, the ISPs and educational institutes frequently used the tilde as the beginning of a directory assigned to an individual and it denoted a strong possibility of a personal site.

The longer a site maintains a presence on the Internet with continual updates (the updates being an important consideration), the better the chance of legitimacy. Rarely do people remain committed to jokes, true copyright infringements get discovered and prosecuted and well received parodies stick around only until the levity wears thin.

Another rule of thumb prescribes steering clear of sites displaying constructions signs, an indication of a site lacking professional stature. If the site promises to update its contents monthly, does this happen on a consistent basis?

COMPREHENSIVE

Comprehensive means complete. What is said becomes no more important than what is not said when judging a site for its completeness. Now, just because a site doesn't have every tidbit of knowledge about a subject is not an indictment of its legitimacy, especially if the site forewarns the author only addresses a specific aspect of an issue. However, suspicion naturally rests upon a site called the "Great Encyclopedia of Farm Animals" that only contains information on cows. Over zealous promises and claims about site content provide warnings about the propensity for overstatements. If a site promotion claims extensive, comprehensive information, but when you arrive you find a short article and a couple of links, some of which don't work, move on. Credibility in claims about the site content produces valuable clues as to the credibility of the entire site and its author.

Are there important facts related to the material that have not been mentioned? Material covering the wonderful effects of a new drug and the positive relief experienced by users is not comprehensive (therefore, not accurate) if it fails to mention that 10% of the drug testers died! If the purpose of this specific material is only to discuss the positive effects, does the site clearly reveal this and indicate where the researcher can learn about the negative effects and the unknowns about the drug? Where can you learn about the testing methods used and how the results were deciphered? Was there independent verification? Is this verification accepted as an authority on the subject?

Great research material defines the scope of its coverage and refers you to other references for further, in-depth coverage of areas it does not cover. The authors provide references for unanswered questions, verification of presented facts, recite how and where the information presented was obtained and whether further contributions to the work are anticipated and, if so, when.

Sites with references to further research material on a subject matter demonstrate commitment to thoroughness and a comprehensive understanding. In the best set of circumstances, at least some of these references lead the researcher to printed material. Just as one Internet site containing false information develops overnight, so too can ten Internet sites containing manufactured evidence develop over night. Confirming references from a different media, such as the print media, provide more assurances that the presented facts have been scrutinized by hopefully a reputable publisher.

CURRENT

The most important date at a web site to a researcher tells when the material was last updated. But, if the site merely has a date, is this the date the site was originally created, the date of the actual original material or the date the material or site was last updated? Even a "last updated" or "last modified" date leaves a lot of guesswork because how does one know if all the material was viewed and revised or if just a portion of the material was updated? Perhaps it was only the site design that was updated. Current material at the time of publication becomes even more useful if site updates keep the material current. When done on the Internet it doesn't even cost the life of a tree. Of course, not all information should be updated because updating some materials contaminates the original needed for a historical perspective.

Information about decided cases frequently gets uploaded to the Internet through legal news sites before Westlaw and Lexis update their databases. Just as false information can be uploaded to the Internet overnight, quality legitimate material uploads quickly.

Legal information related to the Internet, computer and technology law, the first amendment and censorship, Intellectual property, major trials in the news (usually criminal), anti-trust law, elections and hot topics are types of data frequently available on the Internet prior to availability at Westlaw and Lexis. Because so many legal issues today do concern the Internet, a researcher can't find a better place to start researching than on the Internet.

When it comes to primary information in foreign jurisdictions, the Internet may be the only place to find some primary materials, such as legislation and case law treaties involving non-U.S. countries, e-mail addresses and directory information for legal professionals worldwide.

Print and electronic legal publications are reportedly less likely to carry legal materials concerning such issues as human rights, the fight for status by gays, lesbians, transsexuals and trans-gender individuals and literature and the arts.

The Internet also places a vast array of non-legal materials important to legal and interdisciplinary research right at the fingertips of the serious researcher. Standards, rules, processes, industry specifications and global reports play heavily in the outcome of litigation. The Internet excels in producing a gold mine for this type of research. In addition, discussion groups abound where technical people and professionals cuss and discuss their theories and knowledge concerning everything from aeronautics to high profile murders. While a lot of rumor and innuendo generates from discussion groups, find the right group of serious minded individuals intent on discussing a topic and discover a gem.

Outdated information clues include numerous broken links at a site and the last updated date at the site if one is given.

TESTING FOR LEGITIMACY SUMMARY

Remember to differentiate fact from opinion, outright misstatements and pure sales hype. Look for ambiguity, faulty reasoning and bias. Accuracy is not always easy to confirm, but by reviewing more than one site and using each of the tests (objective, accurate, current, reliable and comprehensive) examine and measure one source against another. Determine how the information was integrated to Internet medium. Was it scanned? If it was copied, what was the original source? Was the Internet site then proofed for error? Scrutinize information about the author's research methods. What supportive evidence is provided for the author's conclusions? Does the evidence support the conclusion? Examine assumptions, including your own - better yet, remember not to assume.

We now know the Internet currently has no set standards for publication and precious little standard for indexing all sites for effective searching. However, the researcher willing to expend some time and energy putting their detective skills to a workout in exchange for a lower electronic research bill and the promise of an enormous network of the most current material available is in for an adventure and discovery of a treasure chest of information beyond their wildest imagination.

Because locating and verifying objective, accurate, reliable, current and comprehensive legal research sites takes extensive time, researchers save time and effort by bookmarking sites proven to be trustworthy.

IS THE INTERNET THE COMPLETE ANSWER?

Though a very valuable tool for the legal researcher today, the Internet is not the complete answer for performing objective, accurate, reliable, current and comprehensive research. In fact, it probably never will be. However, as has been true in the last 5 years, valuable, reliable legal resources will continue to grow and expand on the Internet. Over time, anticipate continued growth to solutions for the current indexing problems with Internet search engines, portals and indices. For an example, as of the date of this writing, another new specialized search engine, Small Biz Search enters the Internet with the stated purpose of indexing for sites with small business resources. Specialized search engines may be part of the answer. A better answer is sure to develop over time.

Katsuey's Legal Gateway has grown from approximately 300 links to legal reference materials in June of 1998 to almost 3,000 legal and legal related links organized into 38 categories today. We add new resources almost daily.

Just in the last six months we see more and more Courts coming on line, offering real time access to court filed documents. Yes, the Internet as a valuable tool for the legal researcher is here to stay.

ALTERNATIVES

Having said legal research on the Internet is here to stay, let me also affirm that subscriber electronic services serve an important continuing role in legal research in order to verify accuracy and provide cite checking services. For the price conscious legal researcher, there are alternatives to the Cadillac services of Westlaw and Lexis.

Lois Law greatly improved and expanded its databases since startup. Lois now offers federal and all states library (case law, statutory law, constitutions, administrative law, court rules, and other authority for all 50 states and D.C. plus 18 federal law libraries) in an "all you can eat" feature for approximately $1600 a year. Just recently, Lois added a much more intuitive and easier to use citation service as part of the regular subscription price. Lois Law offers even less expensive options for access to just one state and one federal circuit library.

Versus Law's pricing structure is based on the number of attorneys in the firm. This is not per using attorney, but rather, Versus counts each attorney in the firm whether they use the service or not. For small firms, this pricing can be very inexpensive at $6.95 per attorney per month12. Versus' library covers all federal and state appellate courts. Some users prefer Versus' interface to that of Lois Law while others express the opposite opinion. This writer prefers Lois Law. Versus also has other products available.

Law News Network features free up to date news stories in the legal arena. The news stories do not appear to be archived for later retrieval beyond about 30 days. Law News Network also has practice centers, a job center for attorneys and discussion lists. Practice centers bring a weekly email update, analysis, new case law and additional reports on legal news in a specific practice center. Rates are currently $108.00 per year12, per practice center. Practice centers currently available are: Technology, Employment, Intellectual Property and Litigation.

BNA provide a comprehensive review and analysis of what's going on in dozens of legal specialties including banking, tax, health, environmental safety and labor relations. BNA provides a fee based Notification Service through its U.S. Law Week Newsletter. This service sends alerts to precedent-setting cases, new laws and regulations, current controversies and different perspectives on established legal principles and provides case alerts summaries and links to Supreme Court Opinions. BNA carries and is responsible for its own content; therefore the case law on BNA has been reviewed for errors prior to publication. BNA's pricing is user dependent. As an example, U.S. Law Week Newsletter's cost is $1,212.00 annually for 2 users or $1,831.00 for 5 users12. Additional users run about $300.00 annually.

BNA also offers a Reference Service that provides databases include articles, commentary and case law. For example, the Intellectual Property database costs $2,069.00 for 1 user and $2,379.00 for 10 users12.

CCH offers a variety of on-line products, including tax and estate planning databases. The Federal Library 2 offers a real-world focus on income, estate and selected excise tax provisions and includes full-text of law and regulations, IRS revenue rulings and procedures, and IRS Publications. This product offering costs approximately $1,20012 for 1 user annually.

Another product offer by CCH is Federal Library 5 at an annual cost of $2,22512 for 1 user, which is billed as for those who prefer to research using a Code-organized service. This library begins with the Standard Federal Tax Reporter and adds IRS revenue rulings and procedures and IRS Publications. The product offering also includes current cases and letter rulings.

QuickLaw America (now defunct), formerly known as Current Legal. Quicklaw America has both free and fee services and was started by some former West Publishing employees and later sold to Quicklaw. Fee service is a Federal law topical enhanced database for $99 and a combined CFR and U.S. Code enhanced databases for $495 annually12. Only one enhanced state database, Illinois, is listed as available right now.