The Best Online Legal Resources
There are many options for conducting legal research online. The ability to do research without any choice but to run over to the law library at the local law school or courthouse is an invaluable tool for saving the time and money of lawyers and law students alike. As law schools, law firms, and sole practitioners move from traditional hard copy written materials to electronic formats, the alternatives are vast with many available at little or no cost.
- Lexis Web: While this is not a free service, this is always a good starting point for any legal research query.
- Fastcase: This database offers free access for bar members as well as a free mobile app. The site provides statutes, regulations, and case law.
- Google Scholar: Google provides free case law searches, which may be filtered by jurisdiction.
- United States Code: The entire U.S. Code is available in a searchable and simple to use format.
- Code of Federal Regulations: This is an e-format of the Code of Federal Regulations.
- California Statutes: Free, searchable, and easy to use.
- com: This site provides legal news, publications, surveys, and other information relating to the legal profession.
- American Lawyer Magazine: An online monthly magazine featuring articles and analysis of the legal profession.
- com: This website Provides law firm rankings, basic information on firms, and career advice. A useful resource offered by Vault is the “Day in the Life” articles, which provide readers with a look into the daily lives of attorneys in different fields.
- Wall Street Journal Law Blog: The Wall Street Journal publishes an online law blog that covers legal industry cases and trends.
- Chambers Associate: CA provides individual profiles on major law firms and surveys and reports on the legal industry.
- com: As many attorneys know, this entity and site provide an attorney directory, searchable by geographic area, practice areas, and law school.
- National Association of Law Placement(NALP): NALP is most often visited by law students for its Directory of Legal Employers, as well as a vast array of statistical information.
- Bloomberg Law: Bloomberg publishes articles on major developments in the legal industry, including news on major cases and transactions.
- American Bar Association: The ABA website contains articles about the legal profession. Students may create a student account, participate in the Law Student Division, explore their practice area sections, and learn more about legal fields. The ABA also publishes the Student Lawyer
- JD: Ms. JD is a great resource for women contemplating law school or law practice, but also features general informational articles applicable to all law students, such as information on law schools, job advice, professional attire guidelines, networking advice, and more.
- Above the Law: Visit Above the Law for the latest legal gossip. Also be sure to check ATL’s Law Firm Directory, which provides informative snapshots of the nation’s top law firms.
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