Recommendation no. R (92) 15

I. Search and seizure.

In this book, Georgios N. Yannopoulos appropriately relates the developing field of knowledge based systems in law with the basis in classic philosophy, explicating relations which too often are not properly understood. The decision model developed by the author is important, as it integrates and explains arguments which often have been seen as imcompatible. The use of the theoretical foundation in describing and in giving a critical analysis of the construction of real knowledge bases systems becomes therefore very valuable.and’ Jon Bing, Norwegian Research Center for Computers and Law and‘Expert systems in law have not been as easily achieved as was originally envisaged, because too many thought the task to be trivial and ignored the complex issues involved. Yannopoulosand’ work is valuable because he attempts to detail these issues and overcome them.and’ Philip Leith, Queenand’s University of Belfast and‘Yannopoulosand’ book addresses some of the most crucial problems in the field of information technology and law. The development of more advanced IT solutions for the legal sector will always be closely related to our ability to model and understand the legal reasoning process. In his analysis Yannopoulos elegantly integrates knowledge from many different areas, and in this respect the book reflects an all too seldom seen broadness.and’ Pete Wahlgren, The Swedish Law and Informatics Research Institute (IRI) and‘There has been an abundance of recent research on developing intelligent support systems. Dr Yannopoulosand’ work is especially significant because it examines the necessary legal background for building such systems. It will be an essential reference for the prospective builders of intelligent legal support systems.and’ John Zeleznikow, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia

The purpose of the colloquy was to list and describe the really new and promising technologies which are beginning to be applied in the legal sector; to assess the effectiveness of these technologies and record successes and failures; to make proposals for general policies in the legal and administrative sector concerning the use of such technologies and to propose priorities; to discuss concrete strategies for introducing or improving such systems, particularly in the administration of justice; to make proposals for the training of the persons called upon to organise and operate these legal information technology systems; and to contribute to the discussions in many European States on the revision of public management, in particular in respect of the cost-effectiveness of the methods employed.

Teaching Legal Research and Providing Access to Electronic Resources is an essential guidebook to teaching lawyers and legal researchers how to find the information they need. Law librarians and reference librarians will welcome its timely, effective, and innovative techniques for facilitating their patrons’legal research. According to the MacCrate Report, legal research is one of the ten essential skills for practicing law, and educating users in research skills is a crucial part of the law librarian’s job. Teaching Legal Research and Providing Access to Electronic Resources provides you with techniques for training your patrons in effective search strategies. This comprehensive volume will help you offer much more than a list of information on where the data is located. This helpful volume covers the full range of both users and resources, from helping first-year law students find cases in print to helping attorneys learn to use new Web sites and search engines. Its range includes academic, company, and public law libraries. Teaching Legal Research and Providing Access to Electronic Resources discusses formal ways to teach the skills of research, such as scheduled workshops, one-on-one tutorials, for-credit courses in law schools, and CLE-credit courses in law firms. In addition, it offers hints for seizing the teaching moment when a patron needs help doing research. Teaching Legal Research and Providing Access to Electronic Resources presents practical advice for all aspects of patron education, including: the rival merits of process-oriented versus results-oriented learning strategies; coordinating library education programs with courses in legal writing; teaching foreign and international legal research; using learning style theory for more effective classes; helping patrons overcome computer anxiety; lower-cost alternatives to Lexis-Nexis and Westlaw; using technology to deliver reference services.