Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Google for Lawyers

On the Brooklyn Law School Library’s recent New Book List is Google for Lawyers: Essential Search Tips and Productivity Tools by Carole A. Levitt (Call # K87 .L48 2010). Law librarians do not usually advise using Google but this book recommends that lawyers include effective Google searching as part of their due diligence. It also cites case law that mandates that lawyers use Google and other resources available on the Internet. The book, which targets intermediate and advanced users, demonstrates various advanced search strategies and shows hidden search features that many may not know.

In order to help attorneys become more productive and cost effective, Google for Lawyers shows some lesser-known features of Google such as Google Voice, Google Scholar Case Law search, and Google Translate as well as the better-known office applications like Gmail, Google Docs, and Google Calendar. The book will help lawyers learn the ins and outs of Google search shortcuts to save time and money and how to use Google’s advanced features for research to uncover valuable information on the Internet that might have otherwise been missed. There is also discussion of Google’s free office applications to become more efficient in legal practice and save money. Readers can learn to utilize the various Google tools and databases quickly and efficiently to access free case law; find newspaper and magazine articles; set up Alerts; and locate information about expert witnesses, the opposition, jurors, existing and potential clients, missing witnesses. In addition to Google Analytics to track statistics for your web site, lawyers can advertise and market their firms using Google Advertising Services. With step-by-step descriptions, Search Tips, and screenshots that detail the “how” of using all of these features, this book has many Practice Tips and “war stories” from legal professionals.

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