A review of the Internet’s best law school Web sites.
By Erik J. Heels
First published 9/2/1996; Martindale.com “Legal Links”; publisher: Martindale-Hubbell
1. Cornell Law School’s Legal Information Institute. According to Alta Vista, Cornell Law School’s Legal Information Institute is linked to by over 30,000 other Web sites! This makes it the king of not only law school Web sites, but all law-related Web sites. Why? Because this site has a wealth of value-added content, most notably United States Supreme Court decisions. Like your sock drawer, this site is not particularly well organized, but once you get used to it, you can find what you’re looking for. (http://www.law.cornell.edu/)
2. The Villanova Center for Information Law and Policy (VCILP) at Villanova University School of Law (VLS). A National Center for Automated Information Research (NCAIR) sponsored institute, VCILP at VLS contains several key law-related indices, including The Federal Court Locator and The State Court Locator. This site also contains novel projects of interest to the legal/Internet community, such as the Virtual Magistrate project (on-line dispute resolution). (http://www.law.vill.edu/)
3. Chicago-Kent College of Law. The Legal Domain Network alone (searchable archives of law-related listserv lists and Usenet newsgroups) is worth the price of admission! Also contains opinions from the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. (http://www.kentlaw.edu/)
4. Emory University School of Law. The presentation of this Web site (i.e. the integration of text and graphic elements) is by far the best of the ten reviewed sites. While you are there, be sure to check out the Electronic Reference Desk and the U.S. Federal Courts Finder (complete with a clickable map of the United States). (http://www.law.emory.edu/)
5. Washburn University School of Law’s WashLaw WEB. Web-based chat rooms and CU-SeeMe video conferencing are two of the novel applications available on this Web site. Washburn is also well known in the legal/Internet community for hosting many law-related listserv lists. (http://lawlib.wuacc.edu/)
6. University of Southern California Law School and Law Library. This site is very well organized and has everything from law student Web pages to links to legal resources on the Internet. Its simple and functional design makes it easy to find what you’re looking for. (http://www.usc.edu/dept/law-lib/)
7. Saint Louis University School of Law. Jim Milles’s list of recommended law-related Internet resources (“Law on the Web”) is an excellent starting point. Be sure to browse the compilation of Internet training materials (under “SLU Law Internet Resources”). (http://lawlib.slu.edu/)
8. The Florida State University College of Law. This site’s Online Catalog is a great example of how the Web can be used to help people find what they are looking for quickly and easily. The site is very well organized, and most resources can be accessed directly from the home page. (http://law.fsu.edu/)
9. Ohio Northern University’s Pettit College of Law. This site’s conservative use of graphics and simple design make it a pleasure to navigate. (http://www.law.onu.edu/)
10. Washington University School of Law. Perhaps the most novel application on this site is its online application, which allows prospective students to apply for admission via the Web! (http://www.wulaw.wustl.edu/)
