 on the Legal Internet |
on the Legal Internet |
Copy Free Zone, www.copyfreezone.com, is a new facility from independent publisher Context. Subscribers to a number of full-text titles on Justis.com, www.Justis.com, can now view the original printed version of case reports, in PDF format. The series for which the new feature is available are the ones produced in conjunction with The Incorporated Council of Law Reporting for England and Wales: The Weekly Law Reports, The Law Reports and Industrial Cases Reports. Original versions are also available for cases in Electronic Session Cases, published by The Scottish Council of Law Reporting. While printouts of case reports from Justis have been generally accepted in court for some time, some lawyers and judges have retained a preference for the original versions. With this feature, which is available to Justis subscribers at no extra charge, they can view exact electronic reproductions of the original paper documents, including side letters.
Civil Court Service, www.civilcourtservice.co.uk, is a new online service launched by Jordans. This offers online access to the full text of the Brown Book, including the Civil Procedure Rules, with expert annotation, Practice Directions, Pre-Action Protocols, Court Guides, Fees Orders, Courts Directory, Court Forms and the Civil Court Service Newsletter. All Rules have a full amendment history and there are updates every two weeks. There is also a case archive back to 1999 and continuously updated consolidated legislation. There is a special introductory subscription available at the moment and there is also a free 28 day trial available; the service is also available on 28-day no-obligation approval.
Electronic Signatures in Law is a new book by barrister and security expert Stephen Mason. The book covers the technical and legal issues relating to electronic signatures and also covers areas where we are often not aware that we are using them - such as when we type our name into an email or click the "I accept" button of a contract or disclaimer page. The book is published by LexisNexis, www.lexisnexis.co.uk. You can order the book online or call 020 8662 2000. The price is £110 although there is a special offer price of £88 available until the end of July.
There is no attempt to provide legal advice online or to link directly to lawyers and there are plenty of disclaimers saying that the viewer should consult a solicitor for legal advice. There are links to the relevant Law Society's Directory of solicitors - a good idea, actually, since any "buy your space on this directory" approach from Tesco would have undermined the impartiality of the approach. Apparently, there were around 1,000 people "clicking through" to the Law Societies' lists in the first week so it could be that this site will turn out to be a source of work for solicitors rather than "just" competition.
Deaf Lawyers UK, www.deaflawyers.org.uk, is a new site covering issues relating to Deaf lawyers, as well as Deaf issues within the legal system. It was set up by a group of Deaf solicitors, barristers, law students and people trying to qualify as lawyers and aims to respond to access issues, publicise specialised information and raise awareness of issues Deaf people face within the legal system. The site also aims to bring Deaf lawyers together, and to reach out to others who may not be aware of their rights. The site includes a Deaf Blawg (a "blawg" is a "blog" on legal topics). Prime topics appearing so far are immigration, citizenship and asylum, and special problems for deaf people in these contexts, covered from a legal point of view.
Minitrial, www.minitrial.org.uk is a Scottish initiative to help secondary school children find out more about the Scottish legal system. Students take part in a reconstruction of a criminal jury trial. The site shows an interactive court scene and describes the participants, then shows some of the "papers" for the assault trial. There are various materials for further work which can be downloaded. The site does not try to be too clever but is straightforward and informative.
Emplaw, www.emplaw.co.uk, is not a new site - it has been on the web since 1997, created by employment lawyer Henry Scrope and is the most popular employment law website in the UK - it receives 25,000 visitors a month. The site provides free access to more than 4500 "fact cards" spelling out the basics of employment law. The user can also search for an employment lawyer by postcode or by region. It now has a new "front end" and a new style of presentation and as you enter the site, you choose whether you are an employee, an employer or a professional user. Professionals have to register for the free part of the site and can also subscribe to a subscription service with additional features. There are free trials available.
Ofcom, www.ofcom.org.uk, is the new regulator for the UK communications industries, with responsibilities across television, radio, telecommunications and wireless communications services. Ofcom inherits the duties of the five previous regulators: the Broadcasting Standards Commission, the Independent Television Commission, Oftel, the Radio Authority and the Radiocommunications Agency. There are already reports on the site covering the broadband framework, the wholesale local access market, statement of policy on the persistent misuse of an electronic communications network or electronic communications service and the process for the future licensing of FM commercial radio. Ofcomwatch, www.ofcomwatch.co.uk, is an informal group blog commenting on Ofcom and related media and communications regulation issues.
Tyrrell Solicitors, www.lawyer.ie, in Dublin (and note the attractive url!) provides features on living and working in Ireland, wills, defamation, property, taxation and a "ten steps" series, and a "Case of the Month" provided by Irish legal publisher First Law. There is also a regular online newsletter. The Summer newsletter has just arrived on the site and covers the State’s first conviction for fraudulent trading, the Civil Liability and Courts Bill, additional penalty points offences and the repeal of outdated legislation.
Lawdit, www.lawdit.co.uk, Solicitors, of Southampton, provides a whole series of lively features on IP, trade marks and e-commerce topics generally. There is also an online newsletter which comes out each month in pdf form with a detailed and comprehensive round up of news items on these topics. You can view the newsletter online and also register for an email notification when the new one is ready.
Is this a new trend - lawyers' websites actually trying (and succeeding) in making their solicitors or barristers look friendly and approachable? Have a look at these:
Freeman Johnson, www.freemanjohnson.co.uk, of County Durham. If you look at any work type, you will find little pictures with the email addresses and you will also find, under "About us" slightly larger versions of the pictures together with some simple descriptions. They are smiling!
Plowden Buildings, www.plowdenbuildings.co.uk, is a civil set of 30 barristers based in Newcastle and London specialising in personal injury and employment work. Their home page has a nice friendly picture on and the individual profiles have nice cheerful little pictures too.
jmw-clinical-negligence.co.uk is a new specialist site from JMW Solicitors of Manchester and Altrincham. The site contains information on the law and process of clinical negligence claims and also detailed information on such topics as A&E negligence, orthopaedic errors, erbs palsy, cerebral plasy, neonatal conditions, cancer misdiagnosis, surgical errors, obstetrics, gynaecology and psychiatric negligence.
There are lots of recruitment agencies for solicitors but only one that specialises in positions in barristers chambers:
Chambers People, www.chamberspeople.co.uk, is a consultancy and staff recruitment service for barristers chambers. It places clerks at all levels, fees staff, admin staff, receptionists and accounts staff and also provides consultants providing Bar Mark and Qualitymark accreditation services, Business Development work, Market Research, and Freelance Clerking including fee collection. The company is run by an experienced barristers' clerk, Martin Poulter.
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