Beyond the Law: Connecting with Expertise in Other Fields

For a variety of reasons, law school graduates might find themselves in need of advanced degrees or continuing education in other disciplines. The how-to and where of navigating to the best, most-current resources and continuing education opportunities in fields beyond the law might be less obvious. The following tips are to provide basic, but vetted, resources for pursuing continuing education in areas outside of the law. Professionals can and should consult with experts in other fields. There is no quick and easy substitute for years of in depth study reinforced by practical application. However, retooling is a reality and the approaches discussed below provide credible means to develop a competency beyond the law

The Theory of the Case: Competitive Intelligence Tips for Attorneys

Explores web-based or web-hosted tools that help in three important areas of online legal research: competitive intelligence, business intelligence, and investigative research. The tools are new and shiny, but the strategizing and intellectual legwork needed to use them effectively mirrors how an attorney prepares a case for trial. Shares notable tools with guidance on shortcomings and strengths

Investing Wisely in Investigative and Competitive Research

Law is a social science with many variables, not the least of which is the “human” element, and the work requires knowledge of the actors involved. This requirement leads to different kinds of research: investigative research and competitive or business intelligence research. While much personal and business data can be found online, it is not always current, reliable or free. This paper reviews rules governing what kinds of information can be found, some best-bet places to find information, and cautions about the many sites that promise big results

Gotcha! Investigative Tools on the Web

Free or low cost online resources exist to assist lawyers doing investigative research, but assessing the quality of the information remains challenging

Do You Trust Me? : Assessing Credibility on the Web

Assessing the credibility of information found on the internet requires knowing who is responsible for the content of the site, what kind of a reputation that person or organization has, and tracking the sources referenced in the site. When possible researchers should start with trusted resources, rely on primary sources, and verify everything with a second resource

In Real Time: Tips for Fast, Effective Internet Searches

Modern search engine searches are free and so fast that trial-and-error or try-assess-and-try-again seem reasonable approaches. However, when a single known result is desired, patience is short or the viewable screen is too small to make scrolling desirable there are a variety of handy tools and techniques to use to get the best out of the Web.Tips focus on using commonly-used search operators in Google and Bing, setting up bookmarks/favorites in browsers, and creating a personalized internet portal

Good, Bad and Ugly: Finding Intelligence Online

For investigative research, the internet is a helpful tool, but it is not a perfect or a complete toolkit. For a variety of reasons, not all types of questions can be found, and not all people or businesses have significant digital footprints. Social media sites, public databases, and search engines facilitate the kinds and success of research possible online. However, it remains important to know which tools offer what types of information and any limitations in accuracy and currency

Gateways to Legal Information: Best-Bet Internet Portals

MSN and Yahoo! are examples of horizontal portals that appeal to broad segments of the population by providing a wide array of popular culture news. For 8 to 5 endeavors, the Web also has many industry portals or vertical portals, including portals targeting law professionals and legal scholars. Finding a portal and setting it to be one’s browser home page can be an easy way to keep up with information and to launch targeted searches from a familiar interface

Know Your Source : Assessing Credibility Online

Credibility is the amount of trust that a resource, an argument, a piece of advice or a Web page engenders. It is the composite of the quality of research or observation and the reasoning or interpretation of the writer or speaker. The system that I will share incorporates and distills these criteria and helps to frame the critical thought process when encountering a new site without any obvious redeeming credentials. Since this is tax time of year, this system is named the I.R.S. audit: Identification, Reputation, and Sources

Finding a Virtual Trail: Investigative Research on the Web

Provides tips and resources for finding information about people and businesses on the Internet. Focuses on finding vital data, asset information, and criminal history