| . Links
to Politics & Gov't On-Line
The amount of info on the web is enormous, as anyone who's ever tried to
run a search can attest to. And, to put it all in context, best
estimates say that only a fraction, maybe 20 - 40 % of what's out there is
actually making its way to the search engines.
Well ...
Here at DownStreet, we'd like
to try to help. So each issue, we post a few links in Politics &
Government to sites that might interest you. Sometimes the links
will be related to one another ... sometimes we'll just offer
up a somewhat random sampling. In either case, we think we might be
able to help you find the kind of site you've been looking for.
Of course, while we can't vouch for the fact that every link we provide
will be of interest to everyone, we do our best to filter out the noise
and the bustle. ... Researching
Supreme Court Cases
Last month we
mentioned the Politics1 web site at the best on the net for finding out
everything and anything about everyone running for office in the
country. This month, we're continuing the link to Politics1, and to
Vermont Secretary of State's "Elections and Campaign Finance"
site. Partly we're doing this because the presidential election is
obviously still up in the air as we go to 'press'; but partly, we're doing
it in the hope that we'll all come to understand that elections are really
the beginning, and not the end, of something. LII
Supreme Court Collection
This offering comes from Cornell's
Legal Information Institute [LII]. It is one of the most
comprehensive and esay-to-use resources on the web for researching
Supreme Court decisions. Given the size of the database it's
working from, the site is reasonably quick, too.
.
What's
contained in LII's Supreme Court Collection? Pending Cases,
including all cases scheduled for argument from the current date
forward and all cases scheduled for argument during the present term
... Decisions from 1990 to the present, which you can search in a
variety of ways, including by the names of the 1st or 2nd party to the
action ... and, for critical documents in the history of the U.S.,
Decisions before 1990, a collection of "over 600 of the court's
most important decisions."
.
Most of us stay pretty focused
on the President and Congress. But the Supreme Court is that
vital third branch that the framers put in place with the idea of
checks and balances. Like a three-legged stool, it is intended
to contribute to stability on an otherwise inevitably un-level playing
field.
Rating: ****1/2 [4-1/2 stars]
. Oyez
Oyez Oyez
Over our still-young history, cases argued before
the Supreme Court were often noted for their eloquence as well as
their fine points about the Constitution or the U.S. Code. This
site, from Northwestern University, is sub-titled a Supreme Court
Multimedia Database -- a compendium of court proceedings available
through searchable text and audio files.
Unfortunately,
the audio files do not yet seem to be available on-line, although
nowhere could we find a clear indication of that fact. But the
promise of their arrival is there, and in the meantime, they are
available on CD as The Supreme Court's Greatest Hits.
Even lacking the audio files at this point {although that is what we'd
most like to have available}, the site is a solid resource for the
Court and its decisions. You can search cases by title,
citation, subject, and even date. You can find info about the
current justices, or search all of them by order of appointment or
alpahbetically, or using the search tool. There is even a
virtual tour of the Court. ... Finally, the project promises an
interactive medium, particularly aimed at students and teachers, with
moderated discussions, and more. ...
.
When the audio
files become available, we'll be sure to return to this site.
That will definitely make it a 5-star site in our opinion. But
in the meantime, it is still worth a visit.
Rating: **** [4
stars]
. FindLaw:
Cases and Codes, Supreme Court Opinions
The FindLaw site is
one of the best legal resources on the web. So it should come as
no surprise that their database of Supreme Court decision goes back to
1893.
.
The opening page offers Selected Cases, as well as
Browsing, with search capabilities by Citation, Party Name, or Full
Text. There's also a Supreme Court Opinion FAQ, as well as links
to Supreme Court Resources, the US Constitution, and FindLaw's Supreme
Court Center, Supreme Court News, and Message Boards where you can
read or participate in discussions about current cases.
.
There's
no question that FindLaw's Supreme Court Opinions, like every other
part of FindLaw's site, is worth the visit.
Rating: ****1/2 [4-1/2
stars]
. *******
******* If you know of
any links that you think are worthwhile, why not send them along to
...
links@downstreetmagazine.com
... If we agree, we'll be happy to
include them in an upcoming issue to pass the word along. ...
Thanks. *******
******* . |
