Punch up Your Legal Research – Start With FREE Search Engines
Do you Google legal matters? Chuck Newton has a terrific post about using Wikipedia, Google, et al. on legal research projects.
Chuck definitely isn’t advocating ending your legal research with nothing but free online search engines. However, he points out that you’re passing on some great info if you neglect them. Heck, even judges are citing Wikipedia these days!
Personally, I love that free online research is becoming acceptable in the legal profession. We should always verify sources and not just cite a random blog to stand for X proposition. However, that applies to any source, not just those online.
In the end, this type of research makes paid research databases even better. Free databases are competing with Lexis and Westlaw, forcing them to innovate and justify their exorbitant fees. Isn’t that better for everyone, clients and lawyers alike?
[tags]legal andrew, lexis, westlaw, chuck newton[/tags]
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