Legal Research

Internet Materials and U.S. Courts

The Judicial Conference has issued a series of ?suggested practices? to assist courts in the use of Internet materials in opinions. The recommendations follow a pilot project conducted by circuit librarians who captured and preserved webpages cited in opinions over a six-month period. Among other guidelines, it is suggested that, if a webpage is cited, chambers staff preserve the citation by downloading a copy of the site?s page and filing it as an attachment to the judicial opinion in the Judiciary?s Case Management/Electronic Case Files System.

Reasons for the guidelines, according to Judicial Conference Secretary Jim Duff writing to chief judges is that ?[U]nlike printed authority, Internet information is often not maintained at a permanent location, and a cited webpage can be changed or deleted at any time. Obviously, this has significant implications for the reliability of citations in court opinions.?

Full post as published by V.U.Lawcity - The Valpo Law Blawg on August 20, 2009 (boomark / email).