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Welcome to Issue #124 of the Internet Legal Research Weekly, a newsletter that delivers relevant and timely legal research information, and other fun stuff, to your inbox every Sunday. If you like what you read, please forward this newsletter to anyone you think might be interested, and encourage him or her to do the same! To subscribe, all you have to do is visit Inter Alia and fill out the subscription form -- it's free!

I'm off to Hawaii for my sister's wedding -- so behave while I'm gone! See you back here on September 14.

Ask Jeeves gets even smarter
Ask Jeeves is expanding its smart search tools, enabling users to get even more information just by asking simple questions, like "weather in dallas" or "what is the zip code for Kalamazoo?"

Database errors everywhere
The ability to find information online is terrific -- except when it's not accurate or complete. There have been several stories lately about errors in online databases; the Indiana sex-offender database is missing 3,000-5,000 names, doctor listings contain wrong numbers and dead practitioners. Putting the information online is only step one of the process -- keeping it current is ultimately much more important to the end user.

Speaking of information quality on the Internet...
Mary Ellen Bates has a nice article over at SearchDay about the different types of scams and hoaxes perpetrated on us unsuspecting Web surfers.

More on online vs. print research
The ABA Journal eReport features the article Going Beyond Google, which echoes my long-held opinion that Google is not the be-all and end-all of research solutions. I wholeheartedly agree -- the successful searcher will learn to make a balanced use of all resources available, both in libraries and online.

Sobig-G on the way?
The Sobig.F worm was only one in a series of "Sobig" worms released since the beginning of the year. Computer experts expect that a new version of the pest could strike any day. Keep your anti-virus definitions up to date!

Who you gonna call?
What with all this Blaster and SoBig mess going on, it's a comfort to know there are people out there trying to stay one step ahead of the worms.

Next up: walking on water
Andrew Orlowski, who continually strives to keep Google honest in his regular columns, wonders whether the search engine can heal the sick. (In case you're wondering, the answer is no).

Invisible Surfing
Consumer Web Watch features an interesting article on keeping your surfing private. The article discusses a number of ways to protect your anonymity, from utilities that "wash" your computer of your surfing habits, to anonymizers that allow you to explore the Internet without anyone discovering your identity.

Searching for the news, legally speaking
Genie Tyburski was a guest writer on SearchDay earlier this week, and she wrote a nice article on searching for legal news.

Blawgs of the Week
What? More new law-related weblogs? Yup! First, May It Please the Court comes from the Williams Law Firm in Newport Beach, California. Matthew Stein, a first year law student at the University of Miami School of Law, publishes Schteino. In addition to writing Cyberspaces.org, attorney Rod Dixon has another terrific weblog, Open Source Software Law. Jay S. Fleischman, a New York City bankruptcy lawyer, hosts Bankruptcy and Credit, a blog offering helpful consumer credit information. legal memo-random is brought to you by Russ. Securities Litigation Watch is published by Bruce Carton, Executive Director of the Institutional Shareholder Services' Securities Class Action Services.

Criminal Law on the Internet: Selected Links

There are a number of legal topics that have TREMENDOUS coverage on the Internet -- criminal law is one of those topics. You just can't do the subject justice in one article. So this week I'm going to introduce you to ten criminal law web sites you may not have seen before.

Let's start with one you probably have seen before: the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The nation's top crime-fighting organization features a wealth of information on its site, including a succinct listing of the FBI's priorities. You'll find everything you'd expect here -- resources on terrorism, interagency programs, a press room with news information, and a great library and reference area. Of course, there's also the Top Ten Most Wanted page. Another U.S. government page worth bookmarking is the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Here you can find statistics on just about any criminal issue imaginable -- crime and victims, law enforcement, prosecution, criminal offenders, corrections, and other special topics. You can also subscribe to JUSTSTATS, an e-mail service that alerts you when new statistics become available online.

Speaking of statistics, have you checked out SEARCH, the National Consortium for Justice Information and Statistics? SEARCH is dedicated to improving the criminal justice system and the quality of justice through better information management, the effective application of information and identification technology, and responsible law and policy. From the home page you can read Breaking News, Recent Publications, new information now available, job postings, and more. There are also links to the programs offered or being studied by SEARCH, including courtroom technology, XML and the law, sex offender registries, and others.

If you have an academic bent, the Cambridge Institute of Criminology might be a place to start. There's not much to the site, but there are two interesting resources here: first, the News link will take you to issues of the Institute of Criminology Newsletter; second, clicking on the Library link, the Collections, will provide you with access to a number of online criminology databases. If it's college-provided links you want, you'll need to head to the Florida State University Criminal Justice Links, which features hundreds of sites in topics ranging from Federal Criminal Justice Agencies to Criminal Justice in the Media.

Those of you who can't get enough of those CSI shows will find forensic sites appealing, including Carpenter's Forensic Science Resources. This site provides resources on forensics, from associations and organizations to forensic psychiatry and psychology. It's part of TnCrimLaw, a site featuring Tennessee criminal law defense resources. Another forensic site is maintained by Jim Kruglick, a California lawyer. Kruglick's Forensic Resource and Criminal Law Search Site offers not only links to over 1,000 forensic sites, but also general criminal law resources.

The Prison Legal News is an independent 40-page monthly publication that provides a cutting-edge review and analysis of prisoner rights, court rulings and news about prison issues. It costs $18/year to subscribe, but you can read back issues online for free. There are also a large number of prison links, a prisoner lookup, activist group resources, and more. And if you're in the mood to join an organization, the National Criminal Justice Association might be one to consider. The NCJA represents state, tribal and local governments on crime prevention and crime control issues, representing all facets of the criminal and juvenile justice community, from law enforcement, corrections, prosecution, defense, courts, victim-witness services and educational institutions to federal, state and local elected officials. Here you'll find the Justice Bulletin as well as links to publications and other web resources on criminal justice.

We'll end with the venerable Legal Information Institute's White Collar Crime Overview. As usual, this Cornell Law School site is outstanding, providing statutes, case opinions and other resources on white collar crime. A great page to bookmark.

I'll feature more criminal law sites in an upcoming issue!

Help Desk

Here are more shortcuts for you Windows users (these work for 98, ME, 2000, and XP):

Do you have a question about searching the Internet or your computer in general? Drop me an e-mail at tom(at)inter-alia(dot)net – I’ll post your question (don’t worry, I won’t use your real name) and try to get an answer for you!

First Step Employment Law Advisor
First Step is designed to help employers determine which laws administered by the Department of Labor apply to their business or organization and to provide links to information about how to comply with these laws. Just answer the questions asked (type of business, number of employees, types of benefits, etc.), and First Step will show you a list of the laws with which you must comply. There are even helpful Compliance Guides to show you how to keep up with these laws. The Department of Labor scores again!

The Trademark Blog
I talk about weblogs an awful lot in this newsletter, but I'll say it again -- single-issue weblogs are a terrific source of regularly-updated information for attorneys. And Martin Schwimmer's Trademark Blog is one of the best. Martin's an intellectual property lawyer who provides fresh and interesting stories daily on the issue of trademark law. There's also the International Trademark Metasearch, which I have mentioned previously; after you register, you'll be able to search several worldwide databases for trademark information. Bookmark this site!

Governing Magazine Online
Governing is a monthly magazine whose primary audience is state and local government officials: governors, legislators, mayors, city managers, council members and other elected, appointed and career officials. But that doesn't mean you can't read it, too. On the home page you'll find the latest news, plus links to political and legislative information. The left-hand menu features a load of great items, including Management, Technology, Economic Development, Politics and Policy, and more.

Childcare.gov
Here you'll find all of the federal government's resources on child together in one place. The site is targeted primarily at those who provide day care services, with substantial links to sites on running a program, keeping current, and learning new activity ideas. Parents will also find the area on finding a day care center helpful.

IrishLaw
Links, links, and more links about Irish law, and that's no blarney. Learn about Irish law subjects, find an Irish lawyer, participate in a discussion group, receive e-mail updates, and much, much more. You'll also find links to Irish lawyers, government information, and general European law resources. The site's not much to look at, but they more than make up for it with the content.

Check out the world's smallest Pac-Man game; this was obviously created by someone with WAY too much time on his or her hands.

Confused by all that Internet language? Now NetLingo can help -- it's a dictionary of thousands of words that describe the online world.

Well, that’s it for Issue #124 – I hope you liked it! If you did, pass this along to anyone you think might be interested, and encourage him or her to subscribe. Also, feel free to drop me an e-mail any time if you have questions, or if you have websites or other topics you want included in a future issue.

Subscription Information: If you want to keep on receiving issues of the Internet Legal Research Weekly, send me an e-mail at tom(at)inter-alia(dot)net, or visit Inter Alia and sign up there! If you no longer want to receive the newsletter, just click on the link at the bottom of this newsletter. Or, send me an e-mail at tom(at)inter-alia(dot)net and I'll remove you from the list.

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Questions? New websites? Just want to talk? Send me an e-mail at tom(at)inter-alia(dot)net.