Comments on: What it was like to practice law 25 years ago without the use of any computers http://dangerousintersection.org/2007/10/26/what-it-was-like-to-practice-law-25-years-ago-without-the-use-of-any-computers/ Human Animals at the Crossroads of Culture, Science, Religion and Media Wed, 07 Jan 2009 20:11:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Erich Vieth http://dangerousintersection.org/2007/10/26/what-it-was-like-to-practice-law-25-years-ago-without-the-use-of-any-computers/#comment-14822 Erich Vieth Sun, 28 Oct 2007 23:25:02 +0000 http://dangerousintersection.org/?p=1721#comment-14822 Edgar: I am an attorney and I really appreciate it when my clients get involved in their own cases. You don't need to be a lawyer to understand many legal principles. I think it's a great idea for a person to have access to the law on the internet just like they have access to medical information that can help them help their own doctor. Further, I think access to the law is a great idea for those contemplating hiring a lawyer. I do not justify most of my pay by saying obvious and easily accessible things to potential clients (though I often convey such information to my clients). As I see it, much of my real value is knowing how the conflicting legal principles (they often conflict) resolve with relation to particular cases. Therefore, there is plenty of room for people who want to educate themselves to go to the Internet first, then to get confirmation from a lawyer. Sometimes, a person without a lawyer can completely answer his or her own questions by reference to Internet legal resources. Of course, the law often is not what it seems to be, so one needs to be extremely careful--even if one is trained as a lawyer! As far as legal resources on the Internet, they didn't exist 20 years ago, execept for some pricey proprietary services. Now many lawyers blog on the Internet and there are many free sources of legal information available to lawyers--much of it can be of value to non-lawyers as well. Edgar: I am an attorney and I really appreciate it when my clients get involved in their own cases. You don’t need to be a lawyer to understand many legal principles. I think it’s a great idea for a person to have access to the law on the internet just like they have access to medical information that can help them help their own doctor.

Further, I think access to the law is a great idea for those contemplating hiring a lawyer. I do not justify most of my pay by saying obvious and easily accessible things to potential clients (though I often convey such information to my clients). As I see it, much of my real value is knowing how the conflicting legal principles (they often conflict) resolve with relation to particular cases. Therefore, there is plenty of room for people who want to educate themselves to go to the Internet first, then to get confirmation from a lawyer. Sometimes, a person without a lawyer can completely answer his or her own questions by reference to Internet legal resources. Of course, the law often is not what it seems to be, so one needs to be extremely careful–even if one is trained as a lawyer!

As far as legal resources on the Internet, they didn’t exist 20 years ago, execept for some pricey proprietary services. Now many lawyers blog on the Internet and there are many free sources of legal information available to lawyers–much of it can be of value to non-lawyers as well.

]]> By: Edgar Montrose http://dangerousintersection.org/2007/10/26/what-it-was-like-to-practice-law-25-years-ago-without-the-use-of-any-computers/#comment-14821 Edgar Montrose Sun, 28 Oct 2007 22:57:37 +0000 http://dangerousintersection.org/?p=1721#comment-14821 I am not a lawyer, but I am currently a litigant in a very complicated case. I can say that having a computer, and having all of the statutes available on the Internet, has saved me a lot of money and strengthened my case immeasurably. I have personally found obscure but helpful clauses and legal provisions that would have taken a paralegal months to find if they had to thumb through paper pages. I'm not sure how lawyers feel about this kind of kibitzing, but it pleases me greatly to know that I have contributed to my own case. I am not a lawyer, but I am currently a litigant in a very complicated case. I can say that having a computer, and having all of the statutes available on the Internet, has saved me a lot of money and strengthened my case immeasurably. I have personally found obscure but helpful clauses and legal provisions that would have taken a paralegal months to find if they had to thumb through paper pages.

I’m not sure how lawyers feel about this kind of kibitzing, but it pleases me greatly to know that I have contributed to my own case.

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