Electronic, online databases are resources that are essential for both law students and practicing attorneys. Two of the most prominent legal digital databases are LexisNexis and WestLaw. These applications are especially useful for researching cases and court opinions in a time-efficient manner with options like advanced search, citators that compare cases in focus with previous rulings, and relevant academic articles (lexisnexis.com). Incoming and recently graduated law students have become accustomed to using digital legal databases, and recently an increasing amount of law firms require all of their attorneys to use these tools for research. Although databases like LexisNexis and WestLaw are extremely helpful, they are relatively expensive. This places a burden on smaller law firms and non-profit agencies who would otherwise benefit from the tools (Schweyer 31). Nevertheless, digital legal databases are constantly changing their features to adapt to growing needs in electronic information within the legal field.
Overall, emerging technology that has been integrated into our society has also managed to reach law schools. Advances in writing and computers, such as blogs, wikis, and class websites, have transformed the ways in which professors interact with their students in the classroom. Additionally, law professors and practicing attorneys are also incorporating new communication and research technology into their field. Therefore, as innovations in writing, communication, and technology emerge, they will become learning tools in law school that eventually transform the legal field.
Sources:
Schweyer, Kitty "Competitive Intelligence Resources in Law Firms." Searcher 16.4 (2008): 30-39. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 18 Nov. 2009.
LexisNexis. "About Us." LexisNexis United States. 2009. Reed Elsevier Inc, Web. 18 Nov 2009.
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