Comprehensive Legal Internet Sites
The Internet is at once the most accessible and the most chaotic of legal sources. Thousands of Internet sites provide access to legal information but it is not always clear which sites are worthwhile and which contain misleading information or are primarily marketing ploys.
Some of the most valuable legal resources on the Internet are government sites providing access to primary sources. Many of these sites have been covered in previous modules.
In addition to sites from specific agencies or jurisdictions, a growing number of sites can be used as starting points to find legal information. These sites allow the researcher to view information from a variety of sources, usually be providing links to other Web pages.
Legal Search Engine
- LawCrawler
- The LawCrawler uses intelligent agents combined with the AltaVista(tm) search engine and database and other legal code and case law databases to retrieve information geared towardc the specific needs of legal professionals.
Best Comprehensive Sites
- FindLaw
- Best comprehensive legal site on the Internet. Contains a full text searchable database of all law reviews and journals on the Internet which is updated nightly. Lawcrawler, an Internet search engine, helps you focus your search on legal issues on the Web. Also includes legal forms, organizations, law firms and lawyers, judicial opinions and case law, consultants, and more.
- Hieros Gamos
- Comprehensive legal site with over 20,000 original pages and more than 70,000 links. HG I contains information on over 6,000 legal organizations including every government in the world. HG II 's 200+ practice areas, 300+ discussion groups and 50 doing business guides provide free access to substantive information. Now, hundreds of hours of online seminars have been incorporated as well.
- Lawguru.com - Legal Questions, Answers and Research
- The highlight of this site run by a law firm is the Legal Research Page, which provides direct links to the search engines for more than 200 law-related sites. Examples of these sites include state court opinions, codes, legislation, with some federal and topical sites included. Another good source is the Law Related Links to topics such as: Legal Forms and Workers' Compensation. Also includes Questions and Answers on topics such as: Small Claims Court, Auto Accidents, Sexual Harassment and Disability Discrimination.
- Legal Information Institute [Cornell University]
- Comprehensive legal information from including Supreme Court Decisions; hypertext versions of the U.S. Code, U.S. Constitution, Code of Federal Regulations, Federal Rules of Evidence and Civil Procedure; subject guide to Internet legal resources; and, other federal, state and international legal resources.
- The Virtual Chase
- Subtitled "A Research Site for Legal Professionals," this excellent site is actually for anyone interested in doing research using the Internet. There are articles on specific research issues and topics, annotated guides and course materials for an Legal and Factual Research on the Internet workshop. Finally, the article, Evaluating the Quality of Information on the Internet, with hyperlinked examples, should be required reading for anyone searching the Internet.
- WashLaw WEB
- Besides case law, the this searchable site provides a variety of features for people interested in the law, including state and federal codes, international law, 220 discussion groups and law journals.
Other Comprehensive Sites
- Guide to Law Online
- An annotated guide to online sources of information worldwide on government and law. It includes links to the most
useful and reliable sites for legal information available for each of the world's nations. Prepared by the
U.S. Law Library of Congress for the Global Legal Information Network (GLIN). See also their
database of national laws from contributing countries around the world. The database consists of legal abstracts in English and some full texts of laws in the language of the contributing country. Currently covers 35 countries, with other countries being added on a continuing basis.
- Internet Legal Resource Guide
- A categorized index of 3100 select web sites in 238 nations, islands, and territories (see Global Index), as well as more than 475 locally stored web pages and other
files. This site was established to serve as a comprehensive resource of the information available on the Internet concerning law and the legal profession, with an emphasis on the United States of America. Searchable.
- Nolo's Legal Encyclopedia
- This site has legal information in non-legal language in seventeen subject areas: small business; employment; patent, copyright & trademark; wills & estate planning; retirement; elder care; real estate; landlords & tenants; debt & credit; tax problems; consumer; marriage & living together; divorce; caring for children; courts & mediation; personal injury; and criminal law. In addition, there are annotated lists of recommended Internet resources related to each subject. Great content from Nolo Press, the major publisher of self-help law books and software.
| Last modified | |
| Questions or Comments? | Back |
