Prof. Mika’s Take on Internet Legal Research

Professor Karin Mika recently presented at a Legal Writing Institute Workshop on the topic of doing legal research using free internet sources.  Her presentation demonstrated that Google can be an effective alternative search tool, and is sometimes more efficient than Lexis or Westlaw for common research chores.   Government agencies often lay out step-by-step processes for filing claims, or explain the filing of various forms.  For example, the EEOC’s website contains considerable information on filing a discrimination charge.    Sample documents and filings written by attorneys abound on the Internet on sites such as JDSupra or on full text dockets such as PACER or the Summit County Docket.   Finally, Wikipedia is a source to get plain English explanations for various legal concepts and even to get plain English summaries for major Supreme Court cases.  (It is a good idea to double check Wikipedia if you are relying it for more than just background information, as anyone can edit it. )

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