![[image]](bwem.jpg){kind=small}
by Brock Wood
Copyright © 2008 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
Virginia - Courts
3.2
Virginia - Legislative, Executive, and Other Sites
3.3
Virginia - On-line Real Estate Records
3.4
Richmond and the Tri-Cities
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 Resources
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 Colonial Heights General District Court web site (see the "Virginia - Courts" category), which includes the full names of the General District Court Judges and the address of 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 Virginia (Provided by Chesterfield County, Virginia). A very succinct introduction to the court system in Virginia. Great for non-lawyers and out-of-state lawyers. Thank you, very much, Chesterfield County!
http://www.co.chesterfield.va.us/JusticeAdministration/GeneralDistrictCourt/Virginia'sCourtOverview.asp
3.1.2 Virginia's Judicial System - Home. The main gateway to the Virginia courts system. This top-level site contains links to all of the various courts in Virginia. You can also download forms, find out about programs and services, find out case information, etc. A great starting point!
http://www.courts.state.va.us/
3.1.3 Supreme Court of Virginia - Official Web Site. The Supreme Court of Virginia's official web site. Decisions, rules, argument docket, and more.
http://www.courts.state.va.us/scv/home.html
3.1.4 Supreme Court of Virginia - Official Web Site - Opinions (Back to 1995). Search and browse Virginia Supreme Court opinions back to 1995.
http://www.courts.state.va.us/scndex.htm
3.1.5 Court of Appeals of Virginia - Official Web Site (includes opinions). Calendar, docket, published opinions, unpublished opinions, and more. The Court of Appeals of Virginia hears certain appeals from the Circuit Courts. Other appeals are made directly Supreme Court of Virginia. For a listing of the types of appeals heard by (the jurisdiction of) the Court of Appeals, click here.
http://www.courts.state.va.us/cav/home.html
3.1.6 Virginia Circuit Courts - A to Z. An alphabetical list of links to all Circuit Courts in Virginia. Tthe Circuit Courts are the courts of "general jurisdiction" in Virginia.
http://www.courts.state.va.us/courts/circuit.html
3.1.7 Virginia General District Courts - A to Z. An alphabetical list of links to all General District Courts in Virginia. The General District Courts are of "limited" jurisdiction and hear lesser criminal and civil matters.
http://www.courts.state.va.us/courts/gd.html
3.1.8 Virginia Juvenile and Domestic Relations Courts - A to Z. An alphabetical list of links to all Juvenile and Domestic Relations Courts in Virginia. The Juvenile and Domestic Relations Courts hear juvenile and domestic relations matters.
http://www.courts.state.va.us/courts/jdr.html
3.1.9 Colonial Heights Circuit Court - 12th Judicial District of Virginia. An example of the home page of a Virginia Circuit Court. You can find very practical information such as the address and telephone number of the court, the terms of court, jury information, circuit court forms, judges' names and clerk name, guardian ad litem names and contact information, language interpreter names and contact information, magistrate information, etc.
http://www.courts.state.va.us/courts/circuit/Colonial_Heights/home.html
3.1.10 Colonial Heights General District Court - 12th Judicial District of Virginia. An example of the home page of a Virginia General District Court. You can find very practical information such as the address and telephone number of the court, the court schedule, court forms, judges' names and clerk name, continuance policy, language interpreter and guardian ad litem names and contact information, etc. In addition, at the Colonial Heights Geneneral District Court home page, you can also find information about the juvenile and domestic relations court.
http://www.courts.state.va.us/courts/combined/Colonial_Heights/home.html
3.1.11 Petersburg Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court - 11th Judicial District of Virginia. An example of the home page of a Virginia Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. You can find very practical information such as the address and telephone number of the court, the court schedule, judges' names and clerk name, continuance policy, language interpreter and guardian ad litem names and contact information, certified mediators names and contact information, etc.
http://www.courts.state.va.us/courts/jdr/Petersburg/home.html
3.1.12 Virginia's Judicial System - Codes, Rules, and Statutes. Contains links to the Virginia constitution, state code, Virginia crime code listings, Administrative Code, and Rules of Court. This a great starting point for finding codes, rules, and statutes in Virginia!
http://www.courts.state.va.us/legallinks/va.html
3.1.13 Virginia's Courts - Case Information On-line. Unlike many states, Virginia has chosen to place basic case information (party names, hearing times, case status and disposition, etcetera, on-line, free of charge. Check out the search features for the various courts. Please note that while many courts are listed, some courts are not yet part of the system.
http://www.courts.state.va.us/caseinfo/home.html
3.1.14 Virginia State Bar - An Agency of the Supreme Court of Virginia. The Virginia State Bar is the mandatory bar association in Virginia. The Virgina State Bar regulates all attorneys in Virginia and administers the state's mandatory continuing legal education program. Just about any official information on attorneys and the legal profession in Virginia can be found at the VSB web site. Check out the VSB's great new legal reseach tool, Fastcase.
http://www.vsb.org
3.2.1 Virginia State Government - Home Page. Links to all branches of government and all sorts of useful information. A great starting point!
http://www.virginia.gov/
3.2.2 Virginia State Government - Executive Branch. All things in the executive branch of government in Virginia! Includes a link to the Governor's Office web site.
http://www.virginia.gov/cmsportal/government_881/government_1046/executive_1354/index.html
3.2.3 Virginia General Assembly. Home page of the state legislatute! Get information on House of Delegates and Senate bills as well as floor minutes and representative contact information. Helpful links to the state constitution, code and more!
http://legis.state.va.us/
3.2.4 Code of Virgina. Searchable and browsable version of the Code of Virginia (codified state laws). This web site can also be accessed through the General Assembly web site.
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+TOC
3.2.5 Virgina Administrative Code. Searchable and browsable version of the Virginia Administrative Code. The administrative code comprieses all of the promulgated regulations of Virginia's regulatory agencies and administrative bodies.
http://leg1.state.va.us/000/reg/TOC.HTM
3.2.6 Virgina Register (of regulations). Similar to the Federal Register, the Virginia Register is the publication in which state agencies publish proposed and final regulations and other official notices. This on-line version can be searched and browsed.
http://legis.state.va.us/codecomm/register/regindex.htm
3.2.7 Virginia Attorney General's Office. Search for state AG opinions and more! Includes lots of consumer protection links and information.
http://www.oag.state.va.us/
3.2.8 Virgnia State Corporation Commission. In most states, the state's Secretary of State handles business and corporate filings. In Virginia, these matters are handled by the State Corporation Commission. At the State Corporation Commission web site, you can search some business and corporate filings on-line using the Clerk's Information System.
http://www.scc.virginia.gov/
3.2.9 Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation. Search for professional licenses and more.
http://www.state.va.us/dpor/welcome.htm
3.2.10 Virginia State Bar - An Agency of the Supreme Court of Virginia. The Virginia State Bar is the mandatory bar association in Virginia. The Virgina State Bar regulates all attorneys in Virginia and administers the state's mandatory continuing legal education program. Just about any official information on attorneys and the legal profession in Virginia can be found at the VSB web site. Check out the VSB's great new legal reseach tool, Fastcase.
http://www.vsb.org
3.2.11 Virginia Bar Association. The Virginia Bar Association is a popular voluntary bar association. The site includs links to lots of useful information on state courts, legal information, and more!
http://www.vba.org
3.2.12 Virginia Municipal Codes at Municode.com. Browse and search the municipal codes of dozens of Virginia cities.
http://www.municode.com/resources/code_list.asp?stateID=46
3.2.13 Washburn University's Virginia Legal Links Collection. Another great starting point for on-line Virginia legal information. You get a great overview of the state's government information sources.
http://www.washlaw.edu/uslaw/states/Virginia
Note: This is not a complete list. Please check the web site for the county or circuit court in question to see if similar information is available on-line. The Washburn University Virginia Legal Links Collection is a quick way to find a county web site.
3.3.1 Fairfax County Real Estate Tax Records Search. Search by address or map number.
http://icare.fairfaxcounty.gov/Main/Home.aspx
3.3.2 Fairfax County Land Records (since 1944) - CPAN Service. The circuit court's "CPAN" service allows you to browse recorded real estate documents such as deeds for a fee of $25 per month.
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/courts/circuit/cpan.htm
Note: OK, this is a hometown addition to the list. I am originally from the Petersburg area.
3.4.1 Richmond City Government - Home Page. Great starting point for accessing all of the City of Richmond's on-line information.
http://www.ci.richmond.va.us/
3.4.2 Richmond Ordinances (municipal code). Search it and browse it.
http://www.municode.com/resources/gateway.asp?pid=13859&sid=46
3.4.3 City of Richmond Real Property Records. On-line access to Richmond real-property records, including tax assessment informtion, owner and sale information, etcetera.
http://eservices.ci.richmond.va.us/applications/propertysearch/frmMainSearch.aspx
3.4.4 Petersburg City Government - Home Page. Great starting point for accessing all of the City of Petersburg's on-line information.
http://www.petersburg-va.org/
3.4.5 Petersburg Ordinances (municipal code). Search it and browse it.
http://www.municode.com/resources/gateway.asp?pid=11423&sid=46
3.4.6 Colonial Heights City Government - Home Page. Great starting point for accessing all of the City of Colonial Heights' on-line information.
http://www.colonial-heights.com/
3.4.7 Hopewell City Government - Home Page. Great starting point for accessing all of the City of Hopewell's on-line information.
http://www.ci.hopewell.va.us/
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
3.5.4 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
3.5.5 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
3.5.6 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
3.5.7 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
3.5.8 United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit - Official Web Site. The home page of the 4th Circuit on-line. The 4th Circuit hears cases appealed from the Federal district courts in Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Includes links to 4th Circuit opinions (since January 1, 1996), court rules, forms, and more.
http://www.ca4.uscourts.gov/
3.5.9 United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit - Opinions From January 1995 to July 2001 (Emory University Law School). Searchable and browsable.
http://www.law.emory.edu/4circuit
3.5.10 United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia - Official Web Site. The official home page of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Home of the "rocket docket"! Includes recent opinions, rules, forms, and more. Note that access to opinions is via the Federal courts' "PACER" access system. Viewing opinions is free but other records cost 8 cents per page - up to a maximum of $2.40 per document. For free access to published ED of VA opinions in the Federal Supplement and Federal Supplement 2nd (since 1950), try the Fastcase system at the Virginia State Bar web site.
http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov/
3.5.11 PACER (Search Dockets and Records of the Federal Courts). Low-cost tool for searching and viewing U.S. Federal court records, including certain pleadings!
http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov
3.5.12 United States Bankruptcy Court - Eastern District of Virginia. Opinions, rules, forms, cases on PACER, orders, procedures, and more.
http://www.vaeb.uscourts.gov/
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 Virginia Bar Association - Links to Law-related Web Sites.
http://www.vba.org/links.htm
3.7.11 Law Guru "Law Libraries" for All 50 States. An excellent link collection that takes you directly to many popular state law resources. Includes a "library" for all 50 states and some U.S. territories.
http://www.lawguru.com/ilawlib/17.htm
3.7.12 Law Guru - Virginia Internet Law Library. An excellent link collection for Virginia law and legal resources.
http://www.lawguru.com/ilawlib/49.htm
3.8.1 University of Richmond - T. C. Williams School of Law - Research Guides. Guides to legal research. Free to the public.
http://law.richmond.edu/librarytech/guides.php
3.8.2 College of William and Mary in Virginia - Marshall-Wythe School of Law - Research Guides. Guides to legal research. Free to the public.
http://www.wm.edu/law/lawlibrary/research/researchguides/index.shtml
3.8.3 University of Virginia School of Law - Research Links.
http://www.law.virginia.edu/lawweb/lawweb2.nsf/pages/lev2calc?OpenDocument&Fr1=yyy/lawweb/lawweb2.nsf/pages/Research+Links&Fr2=/home2002/frames/lf_Library.htm
3.8.4 George Mason University School of Law - Research Links.
http://www.law.gmu.edu/libtech/research.html
3.8.5 Washington and Lee University School of Law - Research Links.
http://law.wlu.edu/Library/research/index.asp
3.9.1 Fastcase at the Virginia State Bar Web Site. Free case law and statutes for all 50 states and the Federal government. All resources for all jurisidictions are covered back to 1950 (or earlier). Free to all Virginia attorneys! Just login at the Virginia State Bar web site. Click on "Fastcase" and create an account!
http://www.vsb.org
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). This is a great resource when you need access to an older case.
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 JURIST. Legal news and research from the University of Pittsburgh Law School.
http://jurist.law.pitt.edu
3.10.2 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
3.10.3 Journalismnet.com. "The Investigative Guide to Internet Research".
http://www.journalismnet.com
3.10.4 Paperboy (On-line Newspapers from Around the World).
http://www.thepaperboy.com
3.10.5 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
3.10.6 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 Virginia Materials. All of the Bluebook and ALWD citation abbreviations for Virginia materials.
http://www.legalcitation.net/cgi-bin/pubsearch.cgi?term=Virginia
3.11.4 TheLaw.net - Citation Abbreviation List. Very long list of citation abbreviations for case reporters, periodicals, and other documents. See Virginia material under "V". Great for finding out how to cite to less well-known materials.
http://www.thelaw.net/9847/data_softcitationv.htm
3.11.5 Martindale-Hubbell. The legal industry's best known and most-used attorney and law firm directory.
http://www.martindale.com
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 Live Police Scanner Audio Feeds. Listed by state. Note: Some of these links now appear to be out-of-date.
http://www.police-scanner.info/live-police-scanners.htm
3.14.3 Criminal Law Resources (Heiros Gamos).
http://www.hg.org/crime.html
3.14.4 Criminal Law Resources (New Jersey Law Network).
http://njlawnet.com/crimes.html
3.14.5 Police List of Resources. Contains links to law enforcement-related sites.
http://police.sas.ab.ca/prl
3.14.6 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 Virginia Bar Association.
http://www.vba.org
3.16.3 Virginia Trial Lawyers Association.
http://www.vtla.org
3.16.4 Virginia State Bar - Conference of Local Bar Associations. See the extensive list of Virginia local and specialty bar associations, complete with officer lists and contact information.
http://www.vsb.org/clba/index.html
3.16.5 Association of Trial Lawyers of America.
http://www.atla.org
3.16.6 American Civil Liberties Union.
http://www.aclu.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 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
3.18.8 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.google.com
Here are my 12 favorite legal information web sites from the long list above (in no particular order):
4.1 Virginia Municipal Codes at Municode.com. Browse and search the municipal codes of dozens of Virginia cities.
http://www.municode.com/resources/code_list.asp?stateID=46
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 Virginia Bar Association - Home Page. Great resources. Includes names of attorneys who practice in specialized areas.
http://www.vba.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 Fastcase at the Virginia State Bar Web Site. Free case law and statutes for all 50 states and the Federal government. All resources for all jurisidictions are covered back to 1950 (or earlier). Free to all Virginia attorneys! Just login at the Virginia State Bar web site. Click on "Fastcase" and create an account!
http://www.vsb.org
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). Great, affordable resource for older cases.
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 Code of Virgina. Searchable and browsable version of the Code of Virginia (codified state laws). This web site can also be accessed through the General Assembly web site.
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+TOC
4.9 Washburn University's Virginia Legal Links Collection. Another great starting point for on-line Virginia legal information. You get a great overview of the state's government information sources.
http://www.washlaw.edu/uslaw/states/Virginia
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 Virgnia State Corporation Commission. In most states, the state's Secretary of State handles business and corporate filings. In Virginia, these matters are handled by the State Corporation Commission. At the State Corporation Commission web site, you can search some business and corporate filings on-line using the Clerk's Information System.
http://www.scc.virginia.gov/
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!