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by Brock Wood
Copyright © 2005, 2006 by Brock Wood. You may copy and distribute this document for personal,educational, and other non-commercial purposes as long as the contents are not changed in any way (including the preservation of this notice). All other rights are expressly reserved. To request commercial use and other uses not addressed above, please send e-mail to
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Last Updated: March 19, 2006
1
How I Selected the Web Sites
2
About the Two Lists
3
Long List of Favorite Web Sites for Attorneys and Journalists
3.1
Colorado - Courts
3.2
Colorado - Legislative, Executive, and Other Sites
3.3
Colorado - County Public Records Searches (Including Real Estate Records)
3.4
Denver
3.5
Federal - Courts
3.6
Federal - Legislative, Executive, and Other Sites
3.7
Link Collections and Portals
3.8
Learning the Law and Help with Legal Research
3.9
Free and Low-cost Legal Research On-line
3.10
Journalism-specific (Including Court Access Information)
3.11
Reference and Forms
3.12
Statistics
3.13
Investigative Resources (Including People-finder Services)
3.14
Criminal Law and Law Enforcement-related
3.15
Experts
3.16
Legal Professional Associations and Special Interest Groups
3.17
Legal Blogs (blawgs) and Blog Tools
3.18
Freedom of Information, Free Speech, and Fair Trial Issues
3.19
Miscellaneous
4
My Top 12 Sites
5
The Living Lists
In creating these two lists, I tried to determine what kinds of information attorneys and journalists covering court cases need to perform their jobs. I then tried to determine how much of this information can be found on-line and what the on-line sources are. From these sources, I selected the sites I think are the most valuable in terms of content and ease of use.
Since I am a practicing attorney, it was not difficult for me to come up with a list of web sites I use to do my job. I know the kinds of legal information I need to do my job. The web sites that are the most useful to me fall into one or more of the following four categories:
- Web sites that provide access to legal research information, such as case law, statutes, regulations, and legislative histories.
- Web sites that provide access to other kinds of data, such as corporate filings, pleadings, bills, docket information, and court forms, rules, and orders.
- Web sites that provide access to secondary sources of information, such as law review articles.
- Web sites that put information links together in one place, making it easier for me to find information.
I am not a journalist, however, and it was a little more work to determine the kinds of legal information that are of interest to journalists and where I might find that information on-line. In this task I have been assisted by the phenomenally capable staff of the Colorado Bar Association's Law Practice Management Department. I have also been assisted by a new journalist friend I met in the course of my research. I thank them all for their insight and help.
My research has revealed that journalists need access to the four kinds of web sites, above, that attorneys need access to. Journalists are also interested, however, in other kinds of legal information web sites that attorneys may overlook. These include web sites that
- Explain legal concepts, terms, and procedures.
- Provide guidance on media access to courts, freedom of information and "government in the sunshine" laws, and freedom of speech issues.
- Guide journalists to people who can express interesting opinions or views on a given legal case or issue.
- Provide critical factual details needed for reporting, such as the correct spelling of a judge's full name or the date a particular law or regulation went into effect.
The lists below contain some web sites that I think may appeal to attorneys, some that may appeal to journalists, and others that may appeal to both attorneys and journalists. For example, being able to download PDF versions of entire volumes of the "U.S. Reports" (the official decision reporter of the U.S. Supreme Court - see the U.S. Supreme Court web site under the "Federal" category) might be of value to attorneys but boring to journalists.
On the other hand, attorneys may have only an academic interest in the "American Civil Liberties Union" web site (see the "Legal Issues Special Interest Groups and Legal Professional Associations" category) but a journalist might find that site a great way to get quotes for an article on free speech.
Finally, the detailed information found at the Colorado 18th Judicial District web site (see the "Colorado" category), which includes the full names of the district court judges and directions to the courthouse, is probably of use to both attorneys and journalists!
The "long" list (Section 3) is a lengthy list of web sites organized into categories. There should be something for everyone in this long list. The categories are presented roughly in the order in which I use them in my day-to-day work. For most of the sites, I provide a brief explanation of why I think the site in question is valuable. Peruse and enjoy!
In the long list, some web sites appear in more than one category. This is intentional. The categories sometimes overlap with each other. Where a site truly deserves to be in more than one category, I have placed it in more than one category.
My "Top 12" List (Section 4) contains sites I turn to time and time again. These sites are also in the long list. I separate out these important and practical sites so that you can refer to them quickly without searching through the long list to find them.
3.1.1 Overview of the Court System in Colorado (Provided by Weld County, Colorado). A very succinct and readable introduction to the court system in Colorado. Great for non-lawyers and out-of-state lawyers. The structure and authority of all of the state courts, including the municipal courts, county courts, water courts, district courts, Court of Appeals, and Supreme Court, are explained in plain language. The nature and jurisdiction of the Federal courts in Colorado is also explained. You will learn about the jurisdiction of each state court, how judges are selected, judicial administration, the differences between civil and criminal cases, how appeals are taken and which courts hear them, and more! Thank you, very much, Weld County!
http://www.co.weld.co.us/departments/courts.html
3.1.2 Colorado Judicial Branch - Home. The main gateway to the Colorado courts system. From here you can "drill down" to almost any Colorado-related legal resource you need to find.
http://www.courts.state.co.us
3.1.3 Colorado Judicial Branch - Site Index. My favorite legal "launch pad". Includes links to far more than than just Colorado courts.
http://www.courts.state.co.us/siteindex.htm
3.1.4 Colorado Supreme Court - Official Web Site. The Colorado Supreme Court's web site. Opinions, attorney regulation, rules, and more.
http://www.courts.state.co.us/supct/supctindex.htm
3.1.5 Colorado Supreme Court - Official Web Site - Opinions (Back to 1998). Search and browse Colorado Supreme Court opinions back to 1998.
http://www.courts.state.co.us/supct/supctopinion.htm
3.1.6 Colorado Supreme Court - Opinions at the Colorado Bar Association (Back to January 1996; excl. April 1996). Search and browse Colorado Supreme Court opinions back to January 1996. Membership is required to view opinions more than 12 months old.
http://www.cobar.org/opinions/index.cfm?CourtID=2
3.1.7 Colorado Supreme Court - Opinions in Casemaker at CBA (Back to 1919!). The Casemaker legal research tool is offered by the Colorado Bar Association as a free benefit to its members. The tool contains all published opinions from the Colorado Supreme Court and the Colorado Court of Appeals back to 1919! Citations to the West's Pacific Reporter, including West internal pagination, are included. Check it out!
http://www.cobar.org (click on the "Casemaker" link)
3.1.8 Colorado Supreme Court - Official Web Site - Court Rules and Rules Changes. Contains rules of civil and criminal procedure, evidence, forms, local court rules, etcetera.
http://www.courts.state.co.us/supct/rules/rulesindex.htm
3.1.9 Colorado Court of Appeals - Official Web Site. Opinions, forms, brochures, and
lots of other information.
http://www.courts.state.co.us/coa/coaindex.htm
3.1.10 Colorado Court of Appeals - Official Web Site - Opinions (Back to 1998). Search and browse.
http://www.courts.state.co.us/coa/coaopinion.htm
3.1.11 Colorado Court of Appeals Opinions - Opinions at Colorado Bar Association (Back to October 1996). Membership is required to view opinions more than 12 months old.
http://www.cobar.org/opinions/index.cfm?CourtID=1
3.1.12 Colorado Court of Appeals - Opinions in Casemaker at CBA (Back to 1919!). The Casemaker legal research tool is offered by the Colorado Bar Association as a free benefit to its members. The tool contains all published opinions from the Colorado Supreme Court and the Colorado Court of Appeals back to 1919! Citations to the West's Pacific
Reporter, including West internal pagination, are included. Check it out!
http://www.cobar.org (click on the "Casemaker" link)
3.1.13 Colorado Judicial Branch - Judicial Districts Map. All the districts in a clickable map. To see a particular district's detailed information, just click on it on the map.
http://www.courts.state.co.us/distmap.htm
3.1.14 Colorado Judicial Branch - 18th Judicial District Home Page [example district home page]. Detailed information for the judicial district. Includes information on the district and county courts in the district. Also contains information on judges, magistrates, and clerks, standing orders, forms, court news, jury information, hours of operation, directions, phone numbers, and lots of other useful stuff! Each district's web site is slightly different. I use the 18th judicial district as an example because it is the district in which I reside.
http://www.courts.state.co.us/district/18th/18dist.htm
3.1.15 Colorado Judicial Branch - List of Courts with Mandatory E-Filing. Do you have to e-file? Check here. http://www.courts.state.co.us/iis/mandatoryefilects.pdf
3.1.16 COCourts (Court Docket Access). On-line docket information for Colorado courts (fee service - $6 per search). You can check schedules, parties, types of documents filed, etc. You cannot view or download the actual pleadings that have been filed in a case. To do that, contact the clerk of the court in question.
http://www.cocourts.com
3.1.17 Colorado Judicial Branch - Media Matters Page. A great starting point for journalists who want to learn about access to court documents, information, and proceedings. Includes the valuable "Media Access Guide" which provides detailed information on which proceedings and court records can be accessed by the media and which cannot. Also included is a downloadable version of the
"Request for Expanded Media Coverage" form.
http://www.courts.state.co.us/exec/media/miindex.htm
3.2.1 Colorado General Assembly Home Page. All things legislative in Colorado! Track bills moving through the legislature, look up members of the state house and senate, view rules, district maps, the social calendar, and more!
http://www.leg.state.co.us
3.2.2 Colorado General Assembly - House Bills. Track state House bills as they move through the legislative process. Includes history and status information, as well as vote records.
http://www.leg.state.co.us/Clics2005a/csl.nsf/BillFoldersHouse?openFrameset
3.2.3 Colorado General Assembly - Senate Bills. Track state Senate bills as they move through the legislative process. Includes history and status information, as well as vote records.
http://www.leg.state.co.us/Clics2005a/csl.nsf/BillFoldersSenate?openFrameset
3.2.3 Colorado Revised Statutes. Searchable and browsable version of the Colorado Revised Statutes. This web site is operated by LexisNexis under a contract with the state of Colorado. Also includes court rules as well the Colorado and United States constitutions.
http://198.187.128.12/colorado/lpext.dll?f=templates&fn=fs-main.htm&2.0
3.2.4 Colorado Session Laws. Read all the new Colorado laws passed by the state legislature.
http://www.state.co.us/gov_dir/leg_dir/olls/HTML/session_laws_of_colorado.htm
3.2.5 Colorado Attorney General's Office. Search for state AG opinions and more! Includes lots of consumer protection links and information.
http://www.ago.state.co.us
3.2.6 Colorado Secretary of State. On-line corporate filings and more.
http://www.sos.state.co.us
3.2.7 Colorado Department of Registrations. Search for professional licenses and more.
http://www.dora.state.co.us
3.2.8 Colorado Bar Association - Home Page. Great resources. Includes names of attorneys who practice in specialized areas.
http://www.cobar.org
3.2.9 Colorado Bar Association - Links to Law-related Web Sites.
http://www.cobar.org/hotlinks.cfm
3.2.10 Washburn University's Colorado Legal Links Collection. Another great starting point for on-line Colorado legal information. You get a great overview of the state government information sources.
http://www.washlaw.edu/uslaw/states/Colorado
3.2.11 LawToolBox.com. This is a great on-line case management tool for Colorado attorneys. For as little as $45 per case, you get an on-line deadline calculator with built-in e-mail reminders and reports; a forms library with case flowcharting and document assembly features; and, unlimited annual COCourts access to your case's docket for a small additional fee. The e-mail reminders for common pleadings come with suggested form documents as well as time-management suggestions for your case! Colorado Bar Association members receive a 10 percent discount.
http://www.lawtoolbox.com
Note: This is not a complete list. Please check the web site for the county in question to see if the county has similar information available on-line.
3.3.1 Arapahoe County Legal Documents Search. Tip: Limit the date range to speed-up searches.
http://www.co.arapahoe.co.us/Apps/LegalDocuments/default.aspx
3.3.2 Boulder County Real Property Records (iCRIS - Grantor/Grantee indexes).
http://www.co.boulder.co.us/clerk/recording/search/icris.htm
3.3.3 Boulder County Real Property Records (Search by Parcel Number and Address).
http://www.co.boulder.co.us/assessor/proprecords/assess_input.asp
3.3.4 Denver Real Property Records. On-line access to Denver real-property records, including tax information, sale information, legal description, owners, maps, and more!
http://www.denvergov.org/realproperty.asp
3.3.5 Eagle County Public Records.
http://web1.eaglecounty.us/patie/index_content.cfm
3.3.6 Jefferson County Real Property Records (Document Images Available!).
http://ww14.co.jefferson.co.us/ats/splash.do
3.4.1 Denver City Government - Home Page. Great starting point for accessing all of the City and County of Denver's on-line information.
http://www.denvergov.org/default.asp
3.4.2 Denver County Court. Civil, criminal, general sessions, and traffic cases. Search docket information and get detailed information on specific cases and parties!
http://www.denvergov.org/court/courtselect.asp
3.4.3 Denver Municipal Code. Search it and browse it.
http://www.denvergov.org/CityCouncil/template14250.asp
3.4.4 Denver Real Property Records. On-line access to Denver real-property records, including tax informtion, sale information, legal description, owners, maps, and more!
http://www.denvergov.org/realproperty.asp
3.5.1 Understanding the Federal Courts (Provided by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts). If you need a good and succinct explanation of the structure and authority of the Federal courts, start with this web site!
http://www.uscourts.gov/understand03
3.5.2 United States Courts Web Site (Provided by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts). A great starting point for information on all of the Federal courts. Includes links to each of the Federal district courts, bankruptcy courts, courts of appeal, and the U.S. Supreme Court.
http://www.uscourts.gov
3.5.3 United States Supreme Court - Official Web Site. Official home of the U.S. Supreme Court on-line. Includes opinions, docket information, and more. PDF files of the actual "U.S. Supreme Courts Reports" volumes (official U.S. Supreme Court reporter) are available back to the October Term of 1991 (volume 502 U.S.)).
http://www.supremecourtus.gov
3.5.6 U.S. Supreme Court Decisions (Findlaw). Search all opinions of the U.S. Supreme Court since 1893 (volume 150 U.S. Reports). Includes citations to and internal pagination of the official U.S. Supreme Court reporter (U.S. Reports).
http://www.findlaw.com/casecode/supreme.html
3.5.7 U.S. Supreme Court Oral Argument Briefs (Findlaw). What are the positions of the parties in those high-profile cases? Read the briefs they submitted before oral argument!
http://supreme.lp.findlaw.com/supreme_court/briefs
3.5.8 U.S. Supreme Court Briefs (ABA). Another site where you can view briefs of parties to cases pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.
http://www.abanet.org/publiced/preview/briefs/home.html
3.5.9 United States Courts Web Site - Federal Circuit Map (clickable). Click on the map and see the Circuit and District courts, with links.
http://www.uscourts.gov/courtlinks/index.cfm
3.5.10 United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit - Official Web Site. The home page of the 10th Circuit on-line. The 10th Circuit hears cases appealed from the Federal district courts in Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, Utah, Kansas, and Oklahoma. Includes links to 10th Circuit opinions (back to 1995), court rules, forms, and more.
http://www.ck10.uscourts.gov
3.5.11 United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit - Opinions Back to October 1997 (Washburn University Law School). Searchable and browsable.
http://www.kscourts.org/ca10
3.5.12 United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit - Opinions From 1995 to 1997 (Emory University Law School). Searchable and browsable.
http://www.law.emory.edu/10circuit
3.5.13 United States District Court for the District of Colorado - Official Web Site. The official home page of the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. The "district" courts are the Federal trial courts. Many of the district court decisions are published in popular third-party reporters such as the "West's Federal Supplement". Includes recent opinions, rules, forms, and more.
http://www.co.uscourts.gov/dindex.htm
3.5.14 PACER (Search Dockets and Records of the Federal Courts). Low-cost tool for searching and viewing U.S. Federal court records, including pleadings!
http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov
3.5.15 United States Bankruptcy Court - District of Colorado. Opinions issued in the previous 180 days, rules, forms, orders, procedures, and more.
http://www.cob.uscourts.gov/default.asp
3.6.1 Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (Cornell).
http://www.law.cornell.edu/rules/frcp/overview.htm
3.6.2 Federal Rules of Evidence (Cornell).
http://www.law.cornell.edu/rules/fre/overview.html
3.6.3 U.S. Government Printing Office. The GPO's on-line resources represent your tax dollars at work. Find government information galore!
http://www.gpo.gov
3.6.4 U.S. Code (Cornell University's Legal Information Institute). Search the U.S. Code. Includes notes and links to CFR sections.
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode
3.6.5 Public Laws of the Unites States. Access the text of all enacted bills in the House and Senate of the U.S. Congress since the 104th Congress (1995-1996)!
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/plaws/index.html
3.6.6 THOMAS (access to U.S. Congress legislative information). The Library of Congress runs this wonderful web site that provides you with access to all of the bills pending before Congress. You can access committee information, vote records, the Congressional Record, and more! Find all the information you need concerning what your representatives are up to!
http://thomas.loc.gov
3.6.7 GovTrack.us. Independent site providing access to U.S. Government information. Site author asserts that GovTrack provides information that is missed by or buried inside THOMAS and other official sources. Offers e-mail notifications and RSS newsfeeds.
http://www.govtrack.us
3.6.8 Code of Federal Regulations (GPO). The complete CFR, searchable and downloadable. Includes older editions of the CFR, too!
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/index.html
3.6.9 U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (Cornell University's Legal Information Institute). Another good search tool for the CFR. Includes links to relevant portions of the U.S. Code.
http://straylight.law.cornell.edu/cfr
3.6.10 Federal Register (Back to 1995). This is the publication that all Federal agencies use to make official announcements, including proposed and final regulations. Search the FR for proposed regulations, final regulations, executive orders, etcetera. You can view the FR in HTML, text, or PDF format.
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html
3.6.11 EDGAR (SEC Corporate Filings). Search SEC corporate filings on-line.
http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml
3.6.12 U.S. Department of Justice.
http://www.usdoj.gov
3.7.1 Washburn University's Legal Links Collections. A great link collection with superb organization that is kept up-to-date. Check it out!
http://www.washlaw.edu
3.7.2 New York State Supreme Court Library at Buffalo - The Great Big List of Legal Web Sites. A great site, by legal professionals, that is kept up to date.
http://www.courts.state.ny.us/8jd/NYSSCLawLib/Biglist.htm
3.7.3 Findlaw. A great collection of legal information and links to legal information web sites.
http://www.findlaw.com
3.7.4 Alllaw. Another great collection of legal information links.
http://www.alllaw.com
3.7.5 Alllaw (Comprehensive Search Sites Page). A page at alllaw.com that contains links to other great collections of legal information web site links!
http://www.alllaw.com/reference_and_news/national/comprehensive
3.7.6 Jeff Flax's Web Page. Jeffrey M. Flax is the National Technology and Litigation Support Administrator for the Office of the Federal Public Defender. He is a frequent speaker on various legal issues. His site includes lots of great law-related links with a special emphasis on technology and the practice of law. Check it out!
http://www.jflax.com
3.7.7 FedLaw. Link collection containing links to Federal legal information sites.
http://www.thecre.com/fedlaw/default.htm
3.7.8 ABA TECHSHOW's 60 Sites in 60 Minutes. This list is updated and presented each year at the ABA's TECHSHOW law practice technology convention. It contains lots of useful links with a focus on technology.
http://www.abanet.org/techshow/60sitesHOF/sixtysites2005.html
3.7.9 Heiros Gamos. Link collection and portal containing lots of legal directories, tutorials, law practice management tips, employment information, and more. Contains lots of information on international law.
http://www.hg.org
3.7.10 Colorado Bar Association - Links to Law-related Web Sites.
http://www.cobar.org/hotlinks.cfm
3.8.1 University of Denver Westminster Law Library. Great guides to legal research that are free to the public.
http://www.law.du.edu/library
3.8.2 University of Denver Westminster Law Library - Searchable List of Legal Periodicals Available On-line. Search titles of legal periodicals that are available on-line. Not as good as the Index to Legal Periodicals, but it is free and fast.
http://www.law.du.edu/library/ejournals.cfm
3.9.1 Casemaker at the Colorado Bar Association. Free Colorado case law back to 1919, statutes, and other resources! Also includes access to similar resources for 20 other states and a growing Federal library.
http://www.cobar.org (click on the "Casemaker" link to learn more)
3.9.2 Versuslaw. An excellent and low-cost way to do state and Federal case law research. Prices start at as low as $11.95 per month. For most jurisdictions, all decisions are included back to 1930. Includes citations to the West reporters as well as parallel citations to official state reporters. Does not include internal West pagination (uses paragraph numbers instead).
http://www.versuslaw.com
3.9.3 Lexisone. Free U.S. and state case law back to 1998 and other goodies.
http://www.lexisone.com
3.10.1 Colorado Judicial Branch - Media Matters Page. A great starting point for journalists who want to learn about access to court documents, information, and proceedings. Includes the valuable "Media Access Guide" which provides detailed information on which proceedings and court records can be accessed by the media and which cannot. Also included is a downloadable version of the "Request for Expanded Media Coverage" form.
http://www.courts.state.co.us/exec/media/miindex.htm
3.10.2 JURIST. Legal news and research from the University of Pittsburgh Law School.
http://jurist.law.pitt.edu
3.10.3 Journalist's Guide to the Federal Courts. Great journalist-oriented site provided by uscourts.gov. Contains links to sources of Federal court information as well as strategies and tips for finding the person who can give you the information you want.
http://www.uscourts.gov/journalistguide/toc.html
3.10.4 Journalismnet.com. "The Investigative Guide to Internet Research".
http://www.journalismnet.com
3.10.5 Paperboy (On-line Newspapers from Around the World).
http://www.thepaperboy.com.au/welcome.html
3.10.6 The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. "A nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free legal assistance to journalists since 1970." Excellent information on all sorts freedom of speech issues and court and
government media access issues.
http://www.rcfp.org
3.10.7 First Amendment Handbook for Reporters (RCFP). "First produced in 1986, and updated regularly since then, this booklet is designed to provide a basic primer on the laws affecting reporters' rights to gather and disseminate news."
http://www.rcfp.org/handbook/viewpage.cgi
3.11.1 Law.com's On-line Legal Dictionary. No, it's not Black's, but it is handy, especially for non-lawyers.
http://dictionary.law.com
3.11.2 Legalcitation.net - Bluebook and ALWD Citation Abbreviations. All of the Bluebook and ALWD citation abbreviations on-line!
http://www.legalcitation.net/qpubabbr.htm
3.11.3 Legalcitation.net - Bluebook and ALWD Citation Abbreviations for Colorado Materials. All of the Bluebook and ALWD citation abbreviations for Colorado materials.
http://www.legalcitation.net/cgi-bin/pubsearch.cgi?term=Colorado
3.11.4 TheLaw.net - Citation Abbreviation List. Very long list of citation abbreviations for case reporters, periodicals, and other documents. See Colorado material under "C". Great for finding out how to cite to less well-known materials.
http://www.thelaw.net/9847/data_softcitationc.htm
3.11.5 Martindale-Hubbell. The legal industry's best known and most-used attorney and law firm directory.
http://www.martindale.com/xp/Martindale/home.xml
3.11.6 Martindale's Desk Reference Center - On-line Calculators. Includes various specialized mathematical tools.
http://www.martindalecenter.com/Calculators.html
3.11.7 Refdesk. Great link collection with links to lots of fact-oriented reference sites on the World Wide Web.
http://www.refdesk.com
3.11.8 Acronym Finder. Nifty! Try using the "begins with" or "wildcard" type search if you are not sure of the exact spelling of the acronym.
http://www.acronymfinder.com
3.11.9 Internet Legal Research Group - Free Legal Forms. These forms are free and you get what you pay for. Still, if you are drafting a type of document that is new to you, starting with a form is not a bad idea. Some of the popular forms are customized for various states, including Colorado.
http://www.ilrg.com/forms
3.12.1 U.S. Census - American Fact Finder. Great statistics! Population, housing, economic, and geographic data - all searchable in a variety of ways, including city, state, or zip code!
http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html?_lang=en
3.12.2 Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics (Univ. of Albany and the USDOJ, Bureau of Justice Statistics)
.
http://www.albany.edu/sourcebook
3.13.1 Virtual Gumshoe. A link collection containing lots of links to free investigative resources on the web.
http://www.virtualgumshoe.com
3.13.2 Law Offices of Craig Ball - Great Site for Investigative Links.
http://www.craigball.com
3.13.3 Crimetime.com - Black Book Online. Private investigator-oriented
site with links to free person-information databases.
http://www.crimetime.com/online.htm
3.13.4 KnowX.Com - Search Public Records (Free and Paid Searches). Searches of various public and proprietary information on persons. Some are free and some are paid.
http://www.knowx.com
3.13.5 BankruptcyData.Com - Bankruptcy Database (Free and Paid Searches).
http://www.bankruptcydata.com
3.13.6 FlatRateInfo.com (Fee). Information on individuals, assets, and companies.
http://www.flatrateinfo.com
3.13.7 Searchsystems.net - Search Public Records Databases (Free).
http://www.searchsystems.net
3.13.8 Choicepoint Autotrack XP (Fee). Search records on individuals and companies.
http://www.dbt.com
3.13.9 IQ Data - Public Records Searches (Fee).
http://www.iqdata.com
3.13.10 QuickInfo (Fee). Public and proprietary information on people.
http://www.quickinfo.net
3.13.11 Accurint by LexisNexis (Fee). Person locator and research tool.
http://www.accurint.com
3.13.12 Classifed3.com (Fee). This fee-based search site allows you to locate people and businesses, do background searches, and evaluate assets.
http://www.classified3.com
3.13.13 Law Offices of Craig Ball - Phone Finder. Search boxes for the most popular telephone number look-up tools all gathered together on one page.
http://www.craigball.com/phonefind.html
3.13.14 The Ultimates. Telephone directory searches.
http://www.theultimates.com
3.13.15 AnyWho Online Directory Assistance (Provided by AT&T). Reverse telephone look-up, etc.
http://www.anywho.com
3.13.16 RootsWeb.Com - Free SSDI (Social Security Death Index) Searches.
http://ssdi.rootsweb.com
3.13.17 Hoovers (Free and Paid Searches). Popular site for accessing business information. Useful for market research.
http://www.hoovers.com
3.14.1 State Sex Offender Registry Websites - By State (FBI).
http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cid/cac/states.htm
3.14.2 Colorado Bureau of Investigation - Convicted Sex Offender List. Includes information on convicted sex offenders who are sexually violent predators, those with multiple offenses, and those who failed to register. Also includes information on the sex offender registration process and informtion on how to request a full list of registrants.
http://sor.state.co.us/sxoregistration.asp
3.14.3 Live Police Scanner Audio Feeds. Listed by state. Includes Colorado. Note: Some of these links now appear to be out-of-date.
http://www.police-scanner.info/live-police-scanners.htm
3.14.4 Criminal Law Resources (Heiros Gamos).
http://www.hg.org/crime.html
3.14.5 Criminal Law Resources (New Jersey Law Network).
http://njlawnet.com/crimes.html
3.14.6 Police List of Resources. Contains links to law enforcement-related sites.
http://police.sas.ab.ca/prl
3.14.7 Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics (Univ. of Albany and the USDOJ, Bureau of Justice Statistics).
http://www.albany.edu/sourcebook
3.15.1 American Medical Association - Doctor Finder.
http://dbapps.ama-assn.org/aps/amahg.htm
3.15.2 American Board of Medical Specialties - List of Board-certified Physicians.
http://www.abms.org
3.16.1 American Bar Association.
http://www.abanet.org
3.16.2 Colorado Bar Association.
http://www.cobar.org
3.16.3 Denver Bar Association.
http://www.denbar.org
3.16.4 Association of Trial Lawyers of America.
http://www.atla.org
3.16.5 Colorado Trial Lawyers Association.
http://www.ctlanet.org
3.16.6 American Civil Liberties Union.
http://www.aclu.org
3.16.7 Alliance for Justice.
http://www.allianceforjustice.org
3.16.8 Colorado Environmental Coalition.
http://www.ourcolorado.org
3.16.9 Colorado Mining Association.
http://www.coloradomining.org
3.17.1 Technorati. The most popular blog search tool.
http://www.technorati.com
3.17.2 How Appalling. Whimsical and amusing law-oriented blog!
http://appallingblog.blogspot.com
3.17.3 Dennis Kennedy's Blog. A useful blog by noted
technology lawyer, Dennis Kennedy.
http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/index.html
Note: This section includes links to web sites that provide guidance on the following issues:
3.18.1 Guide to the Federal Freedom of Information Act (National Security Archive). The Federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) allows citizens to request copies of Federal documents that are required to be released to the public. There are conditions and restrictions on this access and certain types of documents do not need to be released. Still, a vast amount of information held by Federal agencies is required to be released if requested properly under the FOIA.
This detailed and practical guide to making a FOIA request is hosted by the National Security Archive, a
non-profit organization located at George Washington University. The site includes a flowchart and detailed forms and procedures for submitting an effective FOIA request to a Federal agency. The National Security Archive makes numerous FOIA requests each year and is a source of expert guidance on this subject.
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nsa/foia.html
3.18.2 How to Use the Freedom of Information Act (Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press). Excellent practical gudiance on using the FOIA to gather information.
http://www.rcfp.org/foiact
3.18.3 Detailed Guide to the Freedom of Information Act (U.S. Department of Justice). Another great guide to everything you wanted to know about the Freedom of Information Act.
http://www.usdoj.gov/04foia/index.html
3.18.4 Conflicts Between the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act. The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) allows public access to Federal agency documents. The Privacy Act protects certain records on individuals from public disclosure. Although
Congress took into account the FOIA when the Privacy Act was passed, the two acts still conflict in certain circumstances. Read this article to find out more.
http://www.accessreports.com/statutes/commentary/FOIAPA.htm
3.18.5 Federal "Sunshine Act" in the U.S. Code. This Federal law requires certain government meetings to be publicized and open.
http://straylight.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode05/usc_sec_05_00000552---b000-.html
3.18.6 Sunshine Laws Defined (Encyclopedia Article at Answers.com).
http://www.answers.com/topic/sunshine-law
3.18.7 The Door to Open Government in Colorado. Read this wonderful primer on Colorado's "open meetings" law (C.R.S. sections 24-6-401 and 24-6-402 and the Colorado "Open Records Act" (C.R.S. sections 24-72-201 through 24-72-309) to find out how Colorado's open meeting and freedom of information laws work. This document was written by attorneys Thomas B. Kelley and Steven D. Zansberg of Faegre & Benson, LLP.
http://www.rcfp.org/tapping/index.cgi?key=CO
3.18.8 Colorado Attorney General's FAQ on the Colorado Open Records Act. Official Colorado AG opinion on the open records law.
http://www.ago.state.co.us/AGO/AGO01/ago01-1.htm
3.18.9 Colorado's Open Meetings and Open Records Laws (Colorado State Archives Web Site). "The Colorado Legislature first passed its "Sunshine Law" in 1973, as an initiated Law of 1972. This act ... for the first time in Colorado, required open meetings of all meetings of two or more members of any board, committee, commission, or other policy making or rule making body of any state agency or authority or of the legislature...."
http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/arcopen.html
3.18.10 First Amendment Handbook For Reporters (RCFP). "First produced in 1986, and updated regularly since then, this booklet is designed to provide a basic primer on the laws affecting reporters' rights to gather and disseminate news."
http://www.rcfp.org/handbook/viewpage.cgi
3.18.11 Conflicts Between the First and Sixth Amendments. See this article for an excellent overview of how and when the press' First Amendment right to report on a court case can conflict with a defendant's right to a fair trial under the Sixth Amendment.
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/fairtrialissues.htm
3.19.1 Google Search Engine. What can I say? When I don't know where else to start, I start with a Google search.
http://www.google.com
3.19.2 Google Groups (Formerly DejaNews). Search the Usenet bulletin board messages.
http://groups-beta.google.com
3.19.3 LEXIS File and Serve. E-filing service.
http://www.lexisnexis.com/fileandserve
3.19.4 LawToolBox.com. This is a great on-line case management tool for Colorado attorneys. For as little as $45 per case, you get an on-line deadline calculator with built-in e-mail reminders and reports; a forms library with case flowcharting and document assembly features; and, unlimited annual COCourts access to your case's docket for a small additional fee. The e-mail reminders for common pleadings come with suggested form documents as well as time-management suggestions for your case! Colorado Bar Association members receive a 10 percent discount.
http://www.lawtoolbox.com
Here are my 12 favorite legal information web sites from the long list above:
4.1 Colorado Judicial Branch - Site Index. My favorite legal "launch pad". Includes links to far more than than just Colorado courts.
http://www.courts.state.co.us/siteindex.htm
4.2 Google Search Engine. What can I say? When I don't know where else to start, I start with a Google search.
http://www.google.com
4.3 Colorado Bar Association - Home Page. Great resources. Includes names of attorneys who practice in specialized areas.
http://www.cobar.org
4.4 Martindale-Hubbell. The legal industry's best known and most-used attorney and law firm directory.
http://www.martindale.com/xp/Martindale/home.xml
4.5 Casemaker at the Colorado Bar Association. Free Colorado case law back to 1919, statutes, and other resources!
http://www.cobar.org (click on the "Casemaker" link to learn more)
4.6 Versuslaw. An excellent and low-cost way to do state and Federal case law research. Prices start at as low as $11.95 per month. For most jurisdictions, all decisions are included back to 1930. Includes citations to the West reporters as well as parallel citations to official state reporters. Does not include internal West pagination (uses paragraph numbers instead).
http://www.versuslaw.com
4.7 Lexisone. Free U.S. and state case law back to 1998 and other goodies.
http://www.lexisone.com
4.8 Colorado Revised Statutes. Searchable and browsable version of the Colorado Revised Statutes. This web site is operated by LexisNexis under a contract with the state of Colorado. Also includes court rules as well the Colorado and United States constitutions.
http://198.187.128.12/colorado/lpext.dll?f=templates&fn=fs-main.htm&2.0
4.9 Washburn University's Colorado Legal Links Collection. Another great starting point for on-line Colorado legal information. You get a great overview of the state government information sources.
http://www.washlaw.edu/uslaw/states/Colorado
4.10 U.S. Government Printing Office. The GPO's on-line resources represent your tax dollars at work. Find government information galore!
http://www.gpo.gov
4.11 Colorado Secretary of State. On-line corporate filings and more.
http://www.sos.state.co.us
4.12 United States Courts Web Site (Provided by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts). A great starting point for information on all of the Federal courts. Includes links to each of the Federal district courts, bankruptcy courts, courts of appeal, and the U.S. Supreme Court.
http://www.uscourts.gov
I welcome your feedback on the sites mentioned in this document. In particular, if you use a web site that you think should be added to the long list or even the top 12 list, please send me an e-mail and tell me about it. If you find a broken link, I would love to know about that too. Your feedback helps to keep the lists up to date and useful. Thanks in advance!