How to find Legal Information Online

There used to be a TV commercial where a confident lawyer walked across the screen and stated “The Law’s for people too.” Well anyone who has ever had any actual dealings with the law would probably tell you that it's not quite that simple.  The law seems abstract, distant and scary to most people.  And the days when a young Abraham Lincoln could read up for the bar exam while splitting logs are long over.  But have no fear, the internet is here! The internet isn't making the law easier to understand but it is making it easier to access.  For today’s technology current event we’d like to share with you some great resources for legal information:  FindLaw.com - Provides legal information, lawyer profiles and a community that can help you make the best legal decisions. FindLaw.com for Legal Professionals - Resources a nd links for both state and federal codes in the United States. School Law Archive - Compiled by the American School Board Journal as a reference for the latest legal codes that effect education. U.S. Code - Available online at the Cornell University Law School. Library of Congress THOMAS - A project that is intended to make it easier to search through pending legislation in the U.S. Congress. And for entertainment purposes you can always check out some real dumb laws that are actually on the books:  DumbLaws.com None of this makes it any easier to understand the law, but at least you can access it a whole lot quicker now.

PRACTICE ACTIVITY:  Check out one of the links above and see if you can find a specific law or, try to find your own state's laws online. TO KEEP ON LEARNING:  Any of the links above could keep you busy reading and trying to understand for months, but here are some phrases you could search for on the internet anyway: Understanding the law Common law School Law United States Code