Guide to Researching the Law In Cyberspace University of Michigan Law Library Jennifer L. Selby...

Guide to Researching the

Law In Cyberspace

University of Michigan Law Library

Jennifer L. Selby

International Law Librarian

September 20, 2006

We will discuss:

• The sources and methods for conducting legal and law-related research on your chosen topic relating to Cyberspace Law

• We will rely primarily on free Internet resources, but also look at licensed online resources available to the UM community

2UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN LAW LIBRARY

Evaluating web sites

• Need to evaluate the information for quality:– Currency: Look for a date indicating the last time a

web page was updated or a publication date on an individual document



– Authority: Government, university, and other public bodies and organizations lend more authority to the information on their web sites.

• Keep in mind however that an organization may have an agenda that shades the quality of their information.

• Look to see if a web site attributes its information to other bodies and if the information is provided in a more static format, such as PDF.



• Durability: Remember that the web site can be ephemeral with documents and web sites disappearing. It is important to make copies, especially for citation purposes.

• The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly, or, Why It’s a Good Idea to Evaluate Web Sources (http://lib.nmsu.edu/instruction/eval.html)


http://lib.nmsu.edu/instruction/eval.html

Searching the Internet

• Pandia (http://www.pandia.com/): A guide to Internet searching and search engine optimization– Specific Tips for searching Internet:

http://www.pandia.com/goalgetter/recommendations.html `• Beyond Google and Yahoo: Advanced Search, Tom Mighell & Sabrina I. Pacifici (

http://www.llrx.com/features/techshow06search.pdf) • Gumshoe Librarian 2006, Barbara Fullerton & Sabrina I. Pacifici (

http://www.llrx.com/features/gumshoe06.htm) List of recommended web sites to enhance your research on various subjects, including cyber security


http://www.pandia.com/

http://www.pandia.com/goalgetter/recommendations.html

http://www.llrx.com/features/techshow06search.pdf

http://www.llrx.com/features/gumshoe06.htm

Searching the Internet

• Bespacif (http://www.bespacific.com/) Blog by Sabrina Pacifici on law & technology, “providing top-quality information on professional concerns like privacy, freedom of information, e-government, copyright, and proposed technology legislation.”


http://www.bespacific.com/

Secondary Source Research

• Do not reinvent the wheel – use books, law reviews, etc. to learn from and cite to the legal experts

• Good way to obtain citations to relevant case law, statutes, regulations, etc.



• Books in the Law Library – Always start with Lexcalibur: http://lexcalibur.lib.law.umich.edu/– Keywords/Table of Contents– Subject Headings

• E.g., Internet law and legislation; Computer Networks law and legislation; Intellectual Property


http://lexcalibur.lib.law.umich.edu/


• Books Lists in Law Library – Computers and the Internet – List of important works in Law Library, but not comprehensive –

place to start– Under “Reference Resources,” “Books Lists,” “Secondary

Sources,” (http://www.law.umich.edu/library/refres/bibliographies/2dysrcs/secondarysourcesindex.htm#d-j)


http://www.law.umich.edu/library/refres/bibliographies/2dysrcs/secondarysourcesindex.htm#d-j

http://www.law.umich.edu/library/refres/bibliographies/2dysrcs/secondarysourcesindex.htm#d-j


• Books in other libraries on campus, such as Graduate Library – Mirlyn covers all libraries except Law and Business: http://mirlyn.lib.umich.edu/– Keyword– Covers legal aspects and non-legal aspects of

relevant topics


http://mirlyn.lib.umich.edu/

Google Book Project/Mbooks

• UM Library collections currently being scanned in full (for materials out of copyright) and in limited view or snippets (for material still in copyright) - http://books.google.com/ & http://mirlyn.lib.umich.edu – Produces searchable Index of books, allowing full-text searching

of keywords– Researcher can then retrieve paper copy if material relevant &

want to see more– Law Library collections not yet scanned


http://books.google.com/

http://mirlyn.lib.umich.edu/


• Law Reviews/Journals: Note that there does not exist one single database that comprehensively covers all the law journals– Instead, you must use a

combination of tools/databases


Secondary Source Research - Articles

• Free online articles:– Law Reviews/Journals -

http://www.jurist.law.pitt.edu/sg_cyb.htm#Reviews • Michigan Telecommunications and Technology Law Review• Berkeley Technology Law Journal

– SSRN Cyberspace Law Abstracts• Choose “Legal Scholarship Network” from menu• Choose “Subject Matter”• Choose “Cyberspace Law”


http://www.jurist.law.pitt.edu/sg_cyb.htm#Reviews

Secondary Source Research - Articles

• Law Library’s Electronic Resources List - http://www.law.umich.edu/library/eres/ereslist/ereslistindex.htm – Licensed online resources; access limited to UM Community

• Full- text:• Lexis/Westlaw• HeinOnline• JSTOR


http://www.law.umich.edu/library/eres/ereslist/ereslistindex.htm


Secondary Source Research - Indexes

• Index to Legal Periodicals and Books• Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals• LegalTrac• Proquest


Secondary Source Research – Research Guides

• Jurist/Cyberspace Law (http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/sg_cyb.htm): Links to news, books, articles, etc.

• LLRX.com– Search engines– State & Federal Law – International Law– Comparative & Foreign Law


http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/sg_cyb.htm

Primary Law Research

• U.S. Federal & State• International Law• Foreign Law


U.S. Federal and State Law

• Federal– Legislation/Regulations/Case Law

• GPO Access (http://www.gpoaccess.gov/index.html)– Provides links to other offiicial web sites, such as US Supreme

Court (http://www.supremecourtus.gov/) • Cornell LII (http://straylight.law.cornell.edu/federal/)


http://www.gpoaccess.gov/index.html

http://www.supremecourtus.gov/

http://straylight.law.cornell.edu/federal/


• Findlaw for Legal Professionals (http://lp.findlaw.com/) • Lexisone (http://www.lexisone.com/) Free web

resources that include federal case law• LexisNexis Academic/Legal Research (Access limited to

UM community)(http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe)


http://lp.findlaw.com/

http://www.lexisone.com/

http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe


• Federal: Legislative History (Bills, Reports, Hearings, etc.) and Bill tracking– Library of Congress/Thomas (http://thomas.loc.gov/)– LexisNexis Congressional/Legislative Histories, Bills & Laws

(Access limited to UM community)(http://web.lexis-nexis.com/congcomp/)


http://thomas.loc.gov/

http://web.lexis-nexis.com/congcomp/

U.S. Federal and State Law• State

– Legislation/Regulations/Case Law• Cornell LII (http://straylight.law.cornell.edu/states/index.html)• Findlaw for Legal Professionals (

http://www.findlaw.com/11stategov/)• Lexisone (http://www.lexisone.com/) Free web resources that

include statel case law• LexisNexis Academic/Legal Research (Access limited to UM

community)(http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe)


http://straylight.law.cornell.edu/states/index.html

http://www.findlaw.com/11stategov/

http://www.lexisone.com/

http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe

U.S. Federal and State Law• Gateway/Database sties

– Firstgov (http://www.firstgov.gov) • Allows searcing of” millions of web pages from federal and state

governments, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories.” – Findlaw (http://www.findlaw.com) Law portal with own search engine– Catalaw (http://www.catalaw.com) “Catalog of catalogs of worldwide

law on the Internet.”– Regulations.gov (http://www.regulations.gov)

• Locate and comment on U.S. Federal agency regulations– USPTO (http://www.uspto.gov)

• Patent & Trademark searches


http://www.firstgov.gov/

http://www.findlaw.com/

http://www.catalaw.com/

http://www.regulations.gov/

http://www.uspto.gov/


• Specialized Resources (Licensed and available to UM community)– Electronic versions of looseleaf services, covering specialized

areas of law (http://www.law.umich.edu/library/eres/ereslist/bycategory/ebooks.htm

• CCH OmniTax Online Library• CCH Business & Finance• CCH Internet Health & Human Resources


http://www.law.umich.edu/library/eres/ereslist/bycategory/ebooks.htm

http://www.law.umich.edu/library/eres/ereslist/bycategory/ebooks.htm

U.S. Federal and State Law• Records & Briefs

– Federal Courts – US Supreme Court• U.S. SCt.Records & Briefs, 1832-1978: PDF documents, access

restricted to UM community (http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/umich_law?db=SCRB)

• Lexis (Gendfed; Briefs) 1979• Westlaw (SCT_Breifs) 1990/91-• Microfiche in Law Library, 1832-present (Call No. Micro-10 S1) See

Reference Desk for help


http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/umich_law?db=SCRB

U.S. Federal and State Law– Federal Courts – Others

• Law Library does not have access to Court of Appeals or District Court documents

– State Courts – Michigan Supreme Court• Online, 2001/2002 – (

http://courts.michigan.gov/supremecourt/Clerk/msc_orals.htm)• Paper in Law Library, 1854-present (Call No. Records & Briefs) See

Reference Desk for help– State Courts – Others

• Law Library does not carry


http://courts.michigan.gov/supremecourt/Clerk/msc_orals.htm


• Call individual federal or state courts and for a fee obtain copies of documents

• Pacer (http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov)– For-fee database of online full-text records, briefs, etc. for all US

Federal courts – Law Library does not have access– Can sign up individually and use personal credit card – fees are

minimal– Not all Federal Courts participate


http://pacer.psc.uscourts.gov/


• Focused Google search– Search case name in quotations

• Case may be posted by a blogger or a party involved

• If all else fails: Check to see if specialized case reporter is in paper in Law Library– E.g., BNA’s Patent, Trademark & Copyright Journal (PTCJ) is

available in paper, 1973 - [Eng Per B_N_A's]


International Law/Treaties

• Key questions to locating a treaty:– Is it bilateral or multilateral?– Is the U.S. a party?– What is the date?

• See: Accidental Tourist table, Ch. 6; pgs. 133-134. [Online in Lexcalibur and paper in Ref Coll Bibliog Accident]


Treaties

• US a party? – Start with US Treaties in Force

http://www.state.gov/s/l/treaty/treaties/ • UST• TIAS• UNTS (multilateral/bilateral)• KAV • International Legal Materials (ILM)


http://www.state.gov/s/l/treaty/treaties/

Treaties

• United States Treaties (UST)– Paper: 1950 – [JX8 9 U58.3 A]

• 10+ time lag in publication

– Online: Treaties and Agreements Library/HeinOnline, 1950-1984, PDF documents http://www.heinonline.org/HOL/Index?collection=ustreaties


http://www.heinonline.org/HOL/Index?collection=ustreaties


Treaties

• TIAS – Like a slip opinion– Paper through 1996 (10 yr time lag)– Online/PDF 1996- :

http://www.state.gov/s/l/treaty/tias/


http://www.state.gov/s/l/treaty/tias/

Treaties

• Kavass (KAV): United States Treaty Index & Hein Microfiche Series– Master Guide & various indexes

– Online: Treaties and Agreements Library/HeinOnline, PDF documents http://www.heinonline.org/HOL/Index?collection=ustreaties

• KAV 0001-7503 (1987-2006)




Treaties

• UN Treaties – UNTS– Multilateral and bilaterial, to which US may or may not be

a party– Paper: United Nations Treaty Series (UNTS), 1946- [JX9

UN.8 V.1]• League of Nations Treaty Series (LNTS), 1929-1946 [Micro-10

LLMC 79-454]


Treaties

– UN Treaty Collection - Electronic Resource List (Mostly PDF documents) (http://www.law.umich.edu/library/eres/ereslist/intl/un.htm) : International Law/Treaties

• Mulitlaterial Treaties Deposited with the Secretary-General (paper (Ref CollIndexes Multilat) or online).

• UNTS 1946- [JX9 UN.8 V.1] & Online


http://www.law.umich.edu/library/eres/ereslist/intl/un.htm

Government Documents

• E.g., United Nations (UN), World Trade Organization (WTO), European Union (EU), etc.

• Typically the best place to start is the organization’s website– See Law Library’s Electronic Resources List:



Government Documents

• UM Library Documents Center - http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/– Inter-govenrmental Organizations (IGOs)

(http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/intl.html#IGOs)• EU – Europa (portal server) Eur-lex (Legislation, Case Law, Treaties, etc)• UN – Official Document System (ODS)

– Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) (http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/intl.html#listsNGOs)

– Statistics (http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/stats.html)


Foreign Law

• Law of jurisdictions outside of the U.S.– 200+ non-US jurisdictions

• General sources:– Reynolds & Flores

• Best starting place for foreign law• Multi-volume set; also online at Electronic Resources List

– Introduction to Foreign Legal Research• UM Law Library Research Guide:

http://www.law.umich.edu/library/refres/resguides/pdfs/foreign.pdf


Foreign Law

• Foreign legal citations can look weird– 1995 (1) SACR 45 (CC)

• South African Criminal Reports, Constitutional Court– §191 Nr. 5 ZPO

• Zivilprozeßordnung (civil procedure code of Germany)– Clunet 122 no. 3:585-597 ’95

• Journal du Droit International (France)– 13 Gr.B. 408 (1901)

• The Green Bag


Foreign Law

• Sources to help you identify weird cites– World Dictionary of Legal Abbreviations– Noble’s International Guide to the Law Reports– Bieber’s– Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals (Online at Electronic

Resources List)– BlueBook


Foreign Law

• Locating sources of foreign primary law:– Reynolds & Flores

• Paper [Ref Coll Bibliog Reynolds]• Online – Electronic Resources List

– Lexcalibur– Online sources

• Compiled Foreign Law links – Electronic Resources List/Foreign & Comparative Law: http://www.law.umich.edu/library/eres/ereslist/ereslistindex.htm


Foreign Law

• Foreign Primary Law on the Web (U. of Houston) http://www.law.uh.edu/libraries/fi/foreignlaw.html

• Compilation of Foreign Laws by Country (Harvard) http://www.law.harvard.edu/library/services/research/guides/international/web_resources/foreignA.php


Foreign Law

• Locating foreign periodical sources– Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals– LegalTrac– Index to Legal Periodicals and Books

• Don’t look for periodical articles on Lexcalibur!


Law Firms

• Hieros Gamos (http://www.hg.org) Collection of law firm links and legal information based on practice area (such as Computer Law; Technology & Cyberspace Law)


Background Materials

• UM Law Library’s Internet Legal Research Guide (http://www.law.umich.edu/library/refres/resguides/pdfs/internet.pdf)


Finals Tips

• Keep a research log! • Be sure to properly cite your sources – do not plagiarize! • Stop by the Reference Desk for further help:

– Staffed 9am-midnight, 7 days/week– Librarians available Mon-Wed, 10-6pm; Thur-Fri, 10-5pm,

and Sunday, 2-6pm


Guide to Researching the Law In Cyberspace University of Michigan Law Library Jennifer L. Selby...

Documents

Transcript of Guide to Researching the Law In Cyberspace University of Michigan Law Library Jennifer L. Selby...