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Bar News - May 21, 2004 Internet Guide Helps Lawyers Navigate the Web More Easily By: Kysa M. Crusco DID YOU KNOW that it is estimated that there are more than 550 billion pages on the World Wide Web? That is vast amount of information and a valuable research tool for an attorney. However, harnessing that information can be quite a chore without a little direction and know-how. The Lawyer’s Guide to Fact Finding on the Internet, by Carole A. Levitt and Mark E. Rosch, provides that direction and know-how by sifting and filtering through the information on the Web and offering search tips to bypass cluttered search engines filled with distracting ads. While law school teaches attorneys to examine case law, statutes and regulations, legal practice often calls for fact-based research. A personal injury lawyer may have to find an expert witness for an obscure topic, such as chewing gum. A civil litigation attorney may need to find out the weather for a certain day to impeach a witness’ testimony. Or, corporate counsel may need to access corporate press releases and annual reports. The Internet can help each of these attorneys find the information quickly and accurately. 
However, fact-finding on the Internet can often be a frustrating experience. Typing in a simple search on Google or AltaVista can bring up hundreds if not thousands of web pages. Sorting through all the listings just takes up too much time. Or, you may hear of a great Web site, only to arrive at that site and have to register or pay a fee to use the site. The Laywer’s Guide to Fact Finding on the Internet can save you these types of aggravations. The book covers many topics, from medical research and law practice management to company research and accessing public records. Within each chapter, the authors provide search strategies and useful topical websites. Chapter 9: "Finding and Backgrounding Expert Witnesses" offers multiple sites to assist in finding and verifying expert witnesses. After finding an expert witness at Jurispro.com, an attorney can review the expert’s writings at Findarticles.com and Ingenta.com. Similarly, Chapter 18: "Transportation Research" details numerous sites to help attorneys with transportation-related information such as finding out whether a client’s spouse owns personal property like a luxury boat or car that their client is not aware of. The authors suggest using resources such as the Department of Transportation (www.bts.gov) to locate transportation data and statistics for air, road, and rail transportation; Planecrashinfo.com for background information regarding past plane crashes; Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (www.hwysafety.org) to locate crash test results for various cars; and the U.S. Coast Guard National Vessel Documentation Center (www.uscg.mil/hq/g-m/vdoc/nvdc.htm) to locate ownership information for domestic commercial vehicles. Perhaps the best resource in the guide is the icon system, used for each Web site listing, to help readers identify whether a site is free, free-with-registration, or fee-based. Unlike other Internet research books that simply list a Web site, here you will know in advance whether you’ll need to have your credit card handy. The authors have neatly packaged the listings to include a statement of purpose, description of content and any tips, tricks, or quirks about the site. Also included with the book is a CD-ROM that links a user to the Web site listings. The Lawyer’s Guide to Fact Finding on the Internet is a valuable source of information for any attorney. Although reading a 600-page book cover to cover may take up too much time, the guide is a valuable go-to resource to help lawyers navigate the World Wide Web jungle. The book is available through the ABA Service Center, PO Bo 10892, Chicago, IL, 60611, or by phone at 1-800-285-2221. The price is $79.95 but is available to Law Practice Management section members for $69.95. Kysa M. Crusco is an attorney with a law practice in Manchester. |
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