Latest & Greatest – Strategic Legal Research

By Tobin A. Sparling

Published by Wolters Kluwer Law & Business (2015)

KF 240 .S63 2015

The Harris County Law Library is proud to feature the latest edition of Strategic Legal Research: Finding the Information You Need Efficiently and Cost-Effectively by Tobin A. Sparling, a Professor of Law at Houston College of Law (formerly South Texas College of Law). Sparling’s book stands out from other legal research resources in that he stresses a research methodology that focuses on thinking through the issue before jumping in and simply beginning the research. He suggests ten basic steps that will enable you to perform legal research more efficiently and economically. He identifies the advantages and disadvantages of various resources, such as print, in-house electronic, Bloomberg Law, and other internet research sources. Sparling also discusses the common features found in the major research databases like Lexis, Westlaw, and Bloomberg Law. The remainder of material in the book is dedicated to researching specific resources, such as statutes, court rules, administrative law, and nonlegal authority. Naturally, Sparling devotes some discussion to researching Texas materials and understanding the Texas legal system.

Power hacks, Shortcuts, and Well-Kept Secrets for Maximizing the Power of Your Search Engine

For today’s tech tip, the Harris County Law Library will share a number of power hacks, shortcuts, and well-kept secrets that will change your whole approach to searching. These underutilized features will increase the accuracy of your search results and allow you to get the most out of your Internet browsing experience.

Google is the most popular search engine, with an estimated 1,600,000,000 unique visitors per month. That’s roughly four times the number of visitors to the second most popular search engine, Microsoft’s Bing. Whichever site you prefer, it’s helpful to know the tips, tricks, and hidden features that make both engines so robust.

In both Google and Bing, there are a number of very useful operators that help to narrow your search results and give you the documents and/or websites you seek.

To locate nothing but PDFs, append filetype:PDF

Example: legal technology filetype:pdf

To search a particular site, append site:followed by the website URL

Example: legal technology site:harriscountylawlibrary.org

To search only the websites of academic institutions, append inurl:edu

Example: legal technology inurl:edu

To search only State of Texas government information websites, append inurl:state.tx.us

Example: legal technology inurl:state.tx.us

These are a few of the more popular search engine secrets that will help you in your research. For additional tips and tricks, visit the reference desk and ask for Google For Lawyers: Essential Search Tips and Productivity Tools. For a complete list of the advanced query operators used in Bing, visit the Advanced Operator Reference on MSN.microsoft.com.

President Obama Signs the FOIA Improvement Act of 2016

In July of 1966, the Freedom of Information Act was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. This landmark bill expanded access to public records and paved the way for greater accountability in government activities. FOIA has seen many changes in the last 50 years, especially in the wake of the Watergate scandal and the 9/11 attacks. The digital age introduced additional considerations and changed the law substantially, and on June 30, 2016, the law was revised yet again when President Obama signed the FOIA Improvement Act of 2016. In addition to open records reform, the Obama administration announced several other initiatives including the creation of a consolidated request portal for all FOIA requests, and the development of a Chief FOIA Officers Council to chart a course for FOIA’s future. Please visit the Law Library Events page for more information and links to additional resources about this historic legislation. 

Latest & Greatest – Federal Information Disclosure

By James T. O’Reilly

Published by Thomson Reuters (2016)

KF 5753 .O74 2012

In conjunction with the Law Library’s celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the enactment of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), we are highlighting some resources that will enhance your understanding of the scope and limitations of FOIA. Sometimes referred to as the “Bible of FOIA,” Federal Information Disclosure answers many questions surrounding the public’s “right to know” and the issue of governmental transparency. From the origins of the Freedom of Information Act with its adoption in 1966 to its inevitable expansion with the Privacy Act (1974), the Federal Advisory Committee Act (1972), and the Government in the Sunshine Act (1976), the author examines all aspects of FOIA as well as court decisions interpreting its provisions. The author explains the procedural aspects of FOIA, including the content of a request, the processing of the request, and the search limitations involved with the requests and addresses FOIA litigation and aspects of judicial review, such as de novo review, summary judgment, and the myriad issues that may arise during this review process. He also discusses the nine statutory exemptions to FOIA and how the courts have routinely interpreted those exemptions.

The author wisely avoids the political facets of FOIA and its progeny by simply explaining the process behind the disclosure of government information and how the United States courts have interpreted the statute and have balanced the public’s “right to know” with the government’s desire from some level of secrecy. His book is meant to be “an essential tool” for the seeker of federal information.

Accessing Government Information Fifty Years After the Passage of FOIA

Throughout the month of July, the Harris County Law Library is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Freedom of Information Act or FOIA, the landmark bill that expanded access to public records and paved the way for greater accountability in government affairs. On June 30th, President Obama signed the FOIA Improvement Act, which, among other revisions, stipulates the creation of a single online portal for all FOIA requests. This use of technology to improve government transparency will simplify and expedite the request submission process.

Another way that technology is being used to improve open access to government information is via the e-CFR website. The e-CFR is a daily updated version of the Code of Federal Regulations. It is an unofficial editorial compilation of CFR material and Federal Register amendments. The User Information Page advises those who access the site to verify the accuracy of the content using the CFR, Federal Register, and the List of CFR Sections Affected (LSA).

The e-CFR is just one example of how the government provides information to the public. Another useful resource is the Federal Digital System or FDsys.gov where Congressional Documents, Hearings, Records, and Reports, as well as the United States Code, are available. Federal Court Opinions from select Courts can also be found here, along with a wealth of additional government documents from the Federal Budget to the United States Statutes at Large. The full collection of available records and can be viewed here. 

The Library of Congress is also a rich resource for government documents, including the Federal Register, dating back to 1936. Published every business day, the Federal Register contains executive orders and proclamations, along with public notices and proposed rules issued by federal agencies.

When FOIA was signed in 1966, accessing public information was quite a different process. FOIA has seen many changes in the last 50 years, with substantial revisions due to the advance of technology. Thanks to online publishing and interactivity, as well as the development of authentication technology, the availability of accurate, up-to-date government documents is much greater, allowing the public to be better informed.