Jody Kelley Librarian McKenna & Cuneo, LLP September 1998

Basics Goals What is the Internet? How do we access it? Where do we start to find the information it contains? Firm Goal - cost effective access to information - including legal sources & research

What the Internet is NOT Information Superhighway Free source of information otherwise found on Lexis and Westlaw Free source of any information you could possibly want about anything and everything

WHAT IT IS Massive resource of services Wonderful self-publishing medium The largest, most disorganized library in the world

Research Uses Current information - not retrospective Primary Law - cases, statutes, regulations Company homepages - news, financials, stock quotes Government sites, Federal and State Finding people discussion lists and Usenet

Discussion Lists Electronic Mailing Lists – wlists.txt Deja News – Netiquette – netiqt.htm

The Web Address Hypertext Transfer Protocol Arbitrary use of www not always present Host name Domain (Commercial Entity)

Domain Types.com (Commercial).edu (Education).gov (Government).mil (Military).net (Networking Organizations).org (Nonprofits & Associations) Others (.uk,.ca, etc.)

Browser Basics URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is in the Address box.

Browser Buttons Back one page Forward one page Stop the process Re-load the page Go Back (Home) to the Research Assistant Bookmarks youve added Where youve been See more of the page Check Mail

Where to Start Know the URL? Type it in and go. Dont know it? Try guessing. Define the subject matter Use a directory (try Findlaw or Yahoo) Use search engines for unique words and phrases

Search Engines Directory Type –Good for finding general information –Groups websites together by category Index Type –Sends Spiders or Robots to find information –Finds individual pages that match terms –Can find gem, or waste a lot of time

Search Engines - Directories Yahoo - –Good starting point for general information –Use for companies, state & local governments –Quick stock quotes with graphs Excite - –Daily news & review of other sites

Search Engines - Indexes Alta Vista –Search Web and Usenet –Updates information often Infoseek –Search Web, Usenet & addresses –Gives a score to your search HotBot –Fast & powerful –Results ranked by confidence rating

Metasearch Engines Metacrawler –Searches nine other search engines, discards the duplicates, brief abstract Dogpile –Searches some different engines

Search Engines Dont Find-- Adobe PDF and formatted file content Content from a site requiring a login Protected pages Non-Web resources (FTP, Gopher)

Law Related Sites State and Federal primary law Courts and other Government links State Bars and CLE programs Attorney directories Legal publishers

Law Related Sites Link to Supreme Court Cases from 1893 (FLITE)

Law Related Sites List of available State Laws List of available Intl Laws

Law Related Sites Legal Information Institute at Cornell – –full text searching of Supreme Court cases from –U.S. Code - handy update feature Center for Information Law & Policy – –Government and Court information

Government Sites - Start here The Federal Web Locator – –Villanovas list of government agency sites - excellent starting point GPO –Government Printing Office - may search databases from Federal Register, Congressional Record and MUCH more - files are usually Adobe –Commerce Business Daily

Government sites - Continued Thomas –Federal legislation, Congressional Committee reports, Congressional Record, Links to committee pages, Public Laws Administrative Decisions – –Links to Directives, Decisions, Orders, Circulars from various Federal Agencies (Agriculture to Veterans Affairs)

Government Sites - California California State –Laws –State agencies Legislative Information – –Maintained by Legislative Counsel –Subscribe to current bills

Another California Site California Courts –Supreme Court & Court of Appeals Slip Opinions –Judicial Council Forms –Court rules for many Superior and Municipal Courts –Fee schedules for Superior and Municipal Courts

Government Contracts CCH Government Contract Reporter no longer published DFAR no longer updated in paper Government Printing Office moving away from paper publishing Rely more on online sources

Look for these Sites Practice Groups ; Government Contracts (Research Assistant) FAR site – DFAR site – –Subscribe to DFAR updates

More Government Contract Sites Defenselink –Good place to start for Defense information GAO –Decisions, reports, rules –GAO listserv

Finding People Attorneys –Martindale-Hubbell –Wests Legal Directory Telephone numbers - addresses –White Pages – Addresses

Browser Tips - View History To see pages from previous sessions, click the History Button on the toolbar Click appropriate Folder

Add Favorites While on page, click Favorites on menu Click Add to Favorites Type a new name if needed Click OK To arrange in folders, click Create in

Add Favorites - Continued Highlight a folder or click on New Folder Name the folder and press Enter

FIND Click EDIT And then FIND Type in word

Send a Link - Click on FILE, then on SEND - Send LINK or PAGE

Print a Page Click on File (on menu) Click on Print Choose All or page range Click on OK Send large documents or graphics to the high-speed printer

Save Text or Files 1. Click FILE on Toolbar 2. Click SAVE AS

Save Text or Files - Continued 3. Designate the location to save file: Type in C:\Download\[filename] 4. Save as text file, not html 5. Click SAVE

PDF & Adobe Acrobat.PDF = Portable Document Format Use Adobe Acrobat to Read Usually, document automatically downloads and opens up If you need to download, use AllFiles extension Documents are not Text files

Find Print

To learn the Web - Use It ok