Posted by Ken Adams on Tue, Apr 13, 2010
Whether you're studying law or currently established in the legal profession, staying current with legal issues is a must. One way to stay current involves subscribing to law journals. Below, we've outlined a collection of free law journals from well respected sources. After all, staying current doesn't mean you have to spend a fortune!
Duke Law Journal
Duke University School of Law offers issues of its law journal online for free. You can download and print issues without incurring any charges as well as read articles online for free. If you prefer professional, printed copies, the yearly subscription rate is $44 for U.S. deliveries. To read current or archived articles online, you'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader as all issues and articles are offered in the PDF format.
Expect in-depth articles with each issue. For example, the March 2010 issue features a 68-page analysis of antitrust law and boycotts titled, Antitrust Censorship of Economic Protests by Hillary Greene.
In addition to the journal, the Duke Law Journal is part of a larger legal community. Be sure to check the "Legal Workshop" which features op-ed versions of articles posted by other law journals participating in this unique judicial symposium. Articles posted here are thought provoking but not nearly as long as journal articles.
Web Journal of Current Legal Issues
Based in the UK, the Web Journal of Current Legal Issues is published five times per year by the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. It focuses on current legal issues in judicial decisions, legislation, law reform, policy related socio-legal research, legal research, legal information, information technology, and practice. Each issue typically contains several in-depth articles and book reviews.
Issues are posted online where you can read them directly. In addition, PDF versions are available for download. In order to download an article or book review, you'll need to first go to the site's index and select the issue containing the journal article that you'd like to save. Once selected, you'll then click on download where you can then choose the file to download.
The Open Law Journal
The Open Law Journal is a peer reviewed, online journal that publishes original research articles, short articles, and reviews covering U.S. federal and state law and international law. Currently in its third year, the Open Law Journal publishes roughly 4-5 articles per year. According to the Open Law Journal's manuscript guidelines, research articles must be between ten to thirty pages.
Like many of the other free online law journals, the articles published in the Open Law Journal can be read online or downloaded as PDF files.
Reading Online Law Journals
If you've ever spent much time reading law articles online, you know that the computer isn't the best medium for reading of this nature. Consider printing the articles and reading them offline or using the PDF download versions to import into an eReader device that's easier on your eyes.
Submitting Articles to Online Law Journals
Each of the above free online law journals accepts unsolicited submissions from legal professionals. Specific writing guidelines apply, so make sure that you follow the guidelines set forth by each journal. While it's unclear if these law journals pay for articles that they publish, getting your law research published in one of these online law journals allows you to reach a worldwide audience.
These are but a few of the many online law journals hosted on the Internet. Do you have a favorite that you'd like to recommend? Please share it in the comments below.
Sources:
Duke Law Journal:
http://www.law.duke.edu/journals/dlj/index
http://legalworkshop.org/
Web Journal of Current Legal Issues:
http://webjcli.ncl.ac.uk/
The Open Law Journal:
http://www.bentham.org/open/tolawj/index.htm
Posted by Chris MacNaughton on Wed, Feb 03, 2010
Amazon's Kindle, Sony's Reader, and now Apple's iPad have captured the imaginations of booklovers around the globe. Have they captured yours? While having access to millions of eBooks at your fingertips may make you want to curl up on the couch with a mug of hot chocolate for a few hours of escapism, these eReaders have practical applications as well. Imagine having an entire law library in the palm of your hands!
A quick look at Amazon's Kindle Store displays the store's bestsellers. Enter the term "law books" into the search box and you'll find a large selection of law books covering constitutional law, civil rights, general law, and human rights. If you drill down a little deeper, you'll soon find The Dispute Resolution Law Book Store where you'll find law books and legal guides both in print as well as for wireless delivery to the Kindle. Categories include: U.S. Law Books, International, Arbitration, Mediation, Paralegal, Ombudsman, Conflict Resolution, Self-Help Guides, Legal Forms, Student Textbooks, Bar Exam Guides, Kindle eBooks, Divorce Books, and Estate Planning.
Not to be outdone, Sony's eBook store is also loaded with law books with categories that include: business law, civil law, criminal law, family law, general law, government, legal reference, and property and tax. In addition, Sony's eReaders can connect to your local public library where you'll be able to browse for compatible digital law books that you can checkout and download. Sony also offers a huge library of public domain books in conjunction with Google Book Search.
Apple's iPad, a tablet computer-like device that also doubles as an eBook reader, has not yet hit the market. However, it will feature an online bookstore just as Amazon and Sony have created. The iBookstore will feature downloadable eBooks and it is presumed that some of them will fall under the law books category.
Each of the three big players in the eBook industry uses a different platform. For example, Kindle eBooks are compatible only with the Kindle and devices equipped with Amazon's software. Sony uses Adobe software which has been embraced by booksellers and public libraries as well. Recent reports indicate that Apple's iPad will use yet a third format for its digital books.
While you can certainly find law books available in Amazon and Sony's digital marketplaces, other sources of digital books exist. For example, Lincoln Memorial University's Carnegie-Vincent Library features access to law-specific eBooks and eBook journals. Among the digital collections available to students: AudioCase Files, BNA's Core Collection, CALI (Computer Assisted Legal Instruction), eBrary, FastCase, Gale Digital Libraries, Google Scholar, Hein Online, Index to Legal Periodicals 1908-1981, Lexis Congressional, LexisNexis, NetLibrary, and WestLaw. This is but one example of a university library making access to digital information a simple matter of signing in.
If you're interested in eBook readers, check with your alma mater's library and see what types of digital law books are available to you and which formats are most prevalent before you buy a reader. Next, explore the eBook stores from Amazon, Sony, and Apple to get a feel for the availability of law books in your practice area. Finally, consider how you will access and download the eBooks, journals, and periodicals. Is wireless access a must? While the Kindle has always had wireless capabilities, Sony has finally introduced a wireless Reader.
It took a few years for eBooks to capture the imagination of booklovers. Now that the technology is in place, have e-law books captured your imagination?