INTERNET FOR LAWYERS - INTERNET LEGAL RESEARCH UPDATE BY CAROLE LEVITT J.D., M.L.S.

November 2000

CONTENTS

1. Personal Marketing Plan Workshop offered by the Los Angeles County Bar Association Law Practice Management Section on Friday, Nov. 10 from 9 a.m.- Noon in West Los Angeles.
2. LLRX.com offers a free database of links to ALL court rules, dockets and court forms that exist free on the Internet. This is nothing short of amazing.
3. Glasser LegalWorks 2000, held in Los Angeles on Oct. 23-24, was also nothing short of amazing. My only regret is not being able to attend the seminars that were running simultaneously with mine.
4. Are you "Using the Internet to Stay Up-to-Date on High-tech Issues”? Learn how in Carole Levitt's October Los Angeles Lawyer Computer Counselor column.
5. Stalking software? Spouses are spying on each other's Internet habits.
6. FindLaw Redesigns Its Front Page - Reduces Search Times
7. Learn about reverse-auction sites where attorneys bid on legal work, offering to do the work for a flat fee per project or at a lower than usual hourly fee.
8. More Tips
9. Subscribe/Unsubscribe
10. Advertising
11. Redistribution

1. Personal Marketing Plan Workshop offered by the Los Angeles County Bar Association Law Practice Management Section (LPMS) on Friday, Nov. 10 from 9 a.m.- Noon in West Los Angeles.

This will be the best $100 you've spent. Join the LPMS at the Olympic Collection, 11301 Olympic Blvd. Los Angeles, 90064. This workshop is for attorneys who want to build their practice by creating a detailed and organized marketing plan. Speakers include: Eric Joss, Marketing Partner at Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker; Frank Moon, Marketing Director at Jeffer, Mangels, Butler & Marmaro and Robert N. Kohn, Sr. Vice President of Kohn Communications. For more information please call Bob Kohn of Kohn Communications, the premiere lawyer marketing firm, at (310) 652-1442. Kohn Communications can be found on the Internet at http://www.kohncommunications.com.

2. LLRX.com offers a free database of links to ALL court rules, dockets and court forms that exist free on the Internet. This is nothing short of amazing.

If you've ever tried to locate court rules, court forms or court dockets from a federal, state or local (and I mean local) court, and wondered how to do this easily, and preferably free, look no further than LLRX.com's new, free database linking to court rules, court forms or court dockets placed free on the Internet by the court. "If it's available anywhere on the Internet, we will make it accessible through this database," stated LLRX.com Editor, Sabrina Pacifici. Read more about it at: http://www.netforlawyers.com/llrx_court_database.htm

ADVERTISEMENT

"Keep Your Computer Running Right" If your computer is acting up, then this is the book for you. Anyone who can turn on their computer can use "Keep Your Computer Running Right" to get their computer running smoother and faster. "Keep Your Computer Running Right" guides any computer user through a series of easy-to-follow steps that will make any Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows me computer run more efficiently and reduce your likelihood of crashing and losing data. Get more information on this book at http://www.netforlawyers.com/computer_book.htm

3. Daily Journal/Glasser LegalWorks 2000, held in Los Angeles on Oct. 23-24, was also nothing short of amazing. My only regret is not being able to attend the seminars that were running simultaneously with mine (CyberSleuthing on the Web: Finding Non-Law Resources" and “Law Librarians Workshop”).

At the “CyberSleuthing on the Web: Finding Non-Law Resources" seminar, I was joined by Craig Ball, who entertained us by patterning his presentation after “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” I confess...Even though I've never watched the show Craig's presentation was thoroughly entertaining. Craig showed us how to find EVERYTHING about people, using both free and fee sites, from bank accounts to voting records. California attorneys, beware, however, many of these records are not available to the public in California. Craig hails from Texas where apparently anything goes...in the cybersleuthing world. See Craig's links at . I spoke about how to find EVERYTHING about companies, both private and public, using free web resources. From company rumors to annual sales to stock prices and trademarks owned by a company (or just pending) see my handout with links at: http://www.thestandard.com/newsletters/NLdisplay/0,2936,120-2176,00.html. I received a phone call from an attorney who attended both of my Glasser seminars (even the Law Librarians Workshop), to tell me he was already using all of the sites that I had shown at the seminars and to sign up for my Nov. 14th seminar. There's nothing nicer than hearing that (1) someone actually paid attention! and (2) that someone was immediately able to apply what they learned to their practice. Another great presentation showed attorneys how to use PowerPoint. This was an advanced class, way beyond simply using “Bullet Points”. Look for a more basic “how to use PowerPoint” article in the December Los Angeles Lawyer Computer Counselor magazine. Call me at 310-559-2247 if interested in private or group PowerPoint training. See http://www.netforlawyers.com/glasser_research_01.htm for my handout materials from that presentation.

4. Read Los Angeles Lawyer's Computer Counselor Carole Levitt's October. Article, “Using the Internet to Stay Up-to-Date on High-tech Issues: As technology races ahead, lawyers do not have to lag behind”

“Clients whose businesses are Internet-related or high-tech are different from other clients in three respects. First, they sleep under their desks. (With a need to get established quickly, spend quickly, and grow quickly, who has time to commute home?) Second, they wonder why their lawyers do not also sleep under their desks. Third, they assume that their attorneys are as Internet savvy as they are and know everything about e-commerce-including incubators, start-ups, venture capital, stock option plans, licensing agreements, and IPOs. Fortunately, attorneys using online resources can keep pace.” Click on to find out how. http://www.netforlawyers.com/index.htm#column

5. Stalking software? Spouses are now spying on each other's Internet habits.

For $50-200, you can purchase stalking software to spy on your spouse's Internet habits. Originally designed for government and corporate use in order to track employee's computer use, even the companies who designed the software have been taken by surprise by its spousal stalking usage. Interested? Purchase Desktop Surveillance, Investigator, Prudence and Spector to record browser activity and to track every program opened, every file saved and every keystroke (including, horrors, passwords). Want more, purchase “Eblaster” and receive screen shot emails every time your target uses the computer. For more information on these programs, see the links at . http://www.netforlawyers.com/stalking.htm

6. FindLaw Redesigns Its Front Page - Reduces Search Times

FindLaw has redesigned its front page, dividing it into four discreet "channels" representing the site's four main user groups—legal professionals, law students, businesses and the public. Each "channel" contains links to the entirety of FindLaw's resources, but the links are now arranged in differing orders, dependent on the interests and needs of each specific user group. Within each channel, users can search FindLaw's offerings by jurisdiction, by legal subject or by using a primary or secondary materials distinction. Read more about the redesign at http://www.netforlawyers.com/findlaw_redesign.htm

7. Learn about reverse-auction sites where attorneys bid on legal work, offering to do the work for a flat fee per project or at a lower than usual hourly fee.

Read about the reverse-auction scene traversing the $150 billion U.S. legal industry marketplace. Some of the "case-matching" sites are: LegalMatch, SharkTank.com, LegalPath.com, eLawForum and the prelaunch iBidLaw.com. See the Tuesday, October 10, 2000 TOP STORY “Online 'Dating Services Match Attorneys With Clients” at http://www.thestandard.com/newsletters/NLdisplay/0,2936,120-2176,00.html.

8. Want more Internet Legal Research Tips??

Go to http://www.netforlawyers.com/ for additional articles, features and tips to conducting more effective legal, business & investigative research on the Internet.

9. How to subscribe/unsubscribe from this newsletter

You have received this newsletter because you have either requested a subscription to it, attended a recent INTERNET FOR LAWYERS MCLE seminar, or a friend has forwarded it to you because they believe this information would be useful to you. If someone forwarded this e-mail to you, and you wish to subscribe to the INTERNET FOR LAWYERS newsletter, simply email to newsletter@netforlawyers.com with the word "subscribe" in the subject area. If you wish to unsubscribe, simply reply to this message with the words "unsubscribe" in the subject line. You will receive a confirmation that you have been removed from the mailing list. You may rejoin at any time simply by going to www.netforlawyers.com or by sending a message to newsletter@netforlawyers.com with the words "subscribe" in the subject line.

10. Advertising Information

For more information on advertising in the INTERNET FOR LAWYERS Newsletter, books, or web site, contact us at advertising@netforlawyers.com.