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Internet Legal Research on a Budget
Length: 1:04
With cost-conscious clients scrutinizing legal bills, lawyers cannot afford to only depend on fee-based resources the way they used to, especially if there are reliable free resources available. The speakers will point lawyers to useful and reliable Internet legal research resources, which are either free or low cost. They will explain how to use various resources effectively so you can become more satisfied using them, with the goal of saving you time and money and avoiding frustration in your legal research quest. This webinar is based on the speakers’ recent book, Internet Legal Research on a Budget, 2nd edition, published by the American Bar Association’s Law Practice Division (ABA LP) in 2020.
Some of the skills they will teach you include how to do the following for FREE or at low cost:
- Use someone else's research (such as articles, blog posts, and sample pleadings from docket databases) to jumpstart your research
- Take advantage of a legal research system that you already have free access to via your bar association (Fastcase or Casemaker) – cases, codes, regulations, and much more
- Become an expert Google Scholar searcher for cases and articles
- Cite check using Google Scholar, Fastcase, or Casemaker
- Locate official publications from all three branches of the Federal Government at govinfo
- Access and keyword search local codes and ordinances
- Find judicial biographies and oral arguments
Carole Levitt, Internet For Lawyers
Carole Levitt, founder/principal of Internet For Lawyers (IFL), is an internationally recognized CLE seminar speaker and best-selling American Bar Association author. She writes and speaks on Internet investigative and legal research, social media research, social media ethics, and technology for lawyers. Since 1999, IFL has provided law firms, corporations, and local and state Bar Associations around the country with professional and entertaining turn-key CLE programs. The company focuses on delivering information about free investigative and background research resources available on the Internet.
Together with co-author Mark Rosch, Levitt has written several ABA Law Practice Division books, including "Google Gmail and Calendar For Lawyers in One Hour" (2013), two editions of "The Lawyer’s Guide to Fact Finding on the Internet," "Google For Lawyers," and "Find Info Like a Pro," Volumes 1 and 2. They have also just completed the thirteenth edition of their book "The Cybersleuth's Guide to the Internet" (2015, IFL Press). Levitt also co-authored “Internet Legal Research on a Budget (ABA, 2013) with Judy K. Davis.
Previously, Levitt was a California attorney, a law librarian in Chicago and Los Angeles, and a Legal Research and Writing Professor at Pepperdine University School of Law. She graduated with distinction from The John Marshall Law School in Chicago and was a member of the school’s law review. Carole has a Masters in Library Science and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Illinois.
She is active in numerous professional associations, including the American Bar Association (ABA) and the Association of Continuing Legal Education (ACLEA).
Judy K. Davis, Esq, Senior Law Librarian and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Law, University of Southern California School of Law
Judy is a senior law librarian and adjunct assistant professor of law at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law. Prior to coming to USC, she worked at the University of San Diego Pardee Legal Research Center.
Earlier, she practiced law before a wise person introduced her to the world of librarianship.
She currently teaches legal research to USC law students, works in the law library’s Reference department, and gives lectures and training sessions on legal research and related topics. When she isn’t doing any of that, she can likely be found enjoying the great outdoors in beautiful Southern California.
