Neal-Schuman guide to finding legal and regulatory information on the Internet

Abstract

Looking for a resource that will help you inexpensively and quickly find answers to common and challenging legal questions, research judicial opinions and precedents, and access the text of just-passed legislation? This guide provides information about the spectrum of legal and regulatory information available on the Internet, tells how to find each resource listed, and provides a critical analysis of each. Attorneys, information professionals, students and researchers can turn to this resource for guidance through the maze of legal Internet resources at the federal, state and local levels. The directory identifies and reviews over 900 Internet sites containing: Supreme Court and federal courts of appeals decisions and opinions, and a state-by-state listing of sources for state supreme court and appellate court decisions; an overview of the GPO access and the metaindexes that locate government information; extensive listings for federal and state legislative information (including federal, state and local laws and codes, and state and national congressional information); federal and state administrative department, regulatory and executive branch information resources (such as Presidential documents, Census Bureau data, US Patent and Trademark Archives information, IRS forms, regulations and publications, and Consumer Products Safety Commission studies). Reference sources are included on the Internet for legal and topical law (including legal encyclopaedias, citation manuals and dictionaries, congressional and government directories, law school, law firm and corporate sites, online law journals, and the top law sites for many specializations); international legal information resources (such as guides to foreign and international law, international and multilateral organizations, and the best international Listservs); and Chandler's Best Bets - a selective listing of the most useful legal and regulatory sources on the Internet in each category. Each review of a resource or site contains a summary of what can be found, the author or creating agency, how it is arranged, and a comparison with other resources. Additional chapters offer a general profile of legal information sources and on the Internet, including information on over 30 Internet guides and metaindexes that access legal information, how they work, and how to select the best tools for legal queries.