NCJ Number
72523
Date Published
1980
Length
19 pages
Annotation
Trends and prospects in the use of computer-assisted legal research (CALR) systems are discussed.
Abstract
In spite of costs and claimed inherent limitations, CALR systems are being used by practitioners in a variety of ways and are beginning to be recognized as general legal research tools. A complete understanding of how CALR systems fit into the legal system, however, must wait for a definitive study of use that applies appropriate paradigms and new theories. Until that time, existing authority can be relied on to describe the emerging uses of CALR. Within a decade, systems that approach the degree of sophistication desired by critics of current systems may be introduced. They will be the result of research now being undertaken in such disciplines as artificial intelligence, information science, pattern recognition, and mathematical linguistics. Second-generation systems will have a greater effect on legal research and the legal profession than do CALR first-generation systems, because their capabilities will include detecting or recognizing concepts; expressing them in written form; and organizing, storing, and retrieving them. Perhaps the most important features of second-generation CALR systems will be use of the full text of opinions, with mechanisms for entering and expressing questions and displaying responses. Present systems are the necessary first step toward these features. Fifty footnotes are provided.