Another solution would be to remove the artificial barriers to case law
publshing so that the legal materials would be more affordable. In
addition, perhaps when the State Court cuts a deal with West whereby
preferential rights and access are given to West in return from reduced
West prices to the Court, that perhaps the State Court is doing a
disservice to everyone else, by making it not affordable for the public
libarries in the state to make state law available to all citizens.
So, the Wisconsin Supreme Court focuses on its own budget and that it may
cost the court thousands of dollars more a year, without looking at the
overall costs to the public.
What I found odd about the Wis. Supreme Court is that not one member of
the public testified and no non-law library librarians testified.
Alan Sugarman
HyperLaw
sugarman@panix.com
On Mon, 27 Mar 1995, LAUGHLIN RIVA wrote:
> The information presented below is what makes me wonder why anyone
> thinks the federal (or state) government is going to do anything to
> make the law available to the public, be it in print or electronic
> form. We have had public libraries for *YEARS*; the government has
> rarely seen fit to make the funds available to place legal materials
> in these collections, either their own slip opinions or some
> publisher's compilations With that track record, we're supposed to
> give them millions to "study" a system of electronic access, more
> millions to implement the system devised, and more millions to find
> out why it doesn't work? A better solution, IMHO, would be for
> various legal publishers to *donate* their publications and/or on-line
> systems to every main branch of every public library in the country.
> This shouldn't cost much more than some other publicity campaigns
> undertaken and the goodwill engendered would be enormous. As an added
> plus, the public would *begin* to have access to the law as they
> should.
>
> ******************************************************************
> Riva Laughlin |e-mail: rlaughli@bpl.com
> Brown, Parker & Leahy, L.L.P.|
> 1200 Smith, Suite 3600 |"There are two means of refuge
> Houston, TX 77002 | from the miseries of life:
> phone: (713) 951-5813 | MUSIC and CATS."
> fax: (713) 654-1871 | Albert Schweitzer
> ******************************************************************
>
> ______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
> Subject: Re: Public Access
> Author: blee@cldc.howard.edu at Internet
> Date: 3/27/95 8:56 AM
>
> On Sun, 26 Mar 1995, Mark Estes wrote:
> > On 3/24 in responding to a TAP letter Michael A.
> > Trittipo.wrote:
> > >West's case report publications are available,
> > >usually for free, at over
> > >3600 law libraries. And a vast amount of legal
> > >information is available at
> > >some 32,600 public, municipal and specialty libraries
> > >across the country.
> >
> > In fact, there are less than 1,000 law libraries open to
> > the public and there are less than 15,200 public libraries.
>
> In fact, public libraries generally have a SCANT, at best, collection of
> legal materials. They really should not be counted on, at this time, to
> be a source of legal information for the general public.
>
> > The public does not now have ready access to the law.
>
> Nor will they. In this era of reduced spending on "social programs," I do
> not expect to see large sums of money being given to public libraries to
> develop legal collections. Many cities, do not have public law
> libraries, or do not have any open hours that working Americans can
> access them. A county law library open Monday through Friday, 9AM to 5PM
> (as the one I used to be Director at, was) is of very little use to many
> people. Having to take a day off of work to go to a law library, is an
> option most Americans simply cannot afford.
>
> We need to do everything in our power to make sure that all Americans can
> have access to the law that they are expected to abide by.
>
> Take care,,
>
> Brian-
>
> ******************************************************************
> *Brian L. Baker *
> *Head of Public Services V: 202-806-8045 *
> *Howard University School of Law F: 202-806-8333 *
> *Allen Mercer Daniel Law Library E: blee@cldc.howard.edu*
> *"The power of persuasion is no match for anticipation." *
> * -Elvis Costello *
> ******************************************************************
> ********All views expressed are my own, not my employer's*********
> ******************************************************************
>
>
>
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