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Application and Use of Computers in The Field of Law

Computers have significantly impacted the field of law. In legal education, computers allow for easier compilation and sharing of study materials between students and faculty. Students can use computers to research prior cases, submit assignments, and enhance their legal knowledge. In legal research, computers serve as large data banks that make vast amounts of case law and statutes easily accessible for both students and practicing lawyers. Practicing lawyers now rely on computer-assisted legal research to efficiently search precedents and understand how the law applies. Computers also facilitate the practice of law by enabling convenient data compilation and time-saving research. They are beginning to be used in courts as well to project evidence and efficiently record trials.

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Gunjan Joshi
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3K views4 pages

Application and Use of Computers in The Field of Law

Computers have significantly impacted the field of law. In legal education, computers allow for easier compilation and sharing of study materials between students and faculty. Students can use computers to research prior cases, submit assignments, and enhance their legal knowledge. In legal research, computers serve as large data banks that make vast amounts of case law and statutes easily accessible for both students and practicing lawyers. Practicing lawyers now rely on computer-assisted legal research to efficiently search precedents and understand how the law applies. Computers also facilitate the practice of law by enabling convenient data compilation and time-saving research. They are beginning to be used in courts as well to project evidence and efficiently record trials.

Uploaded by

Gunjan Joshi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Application and use of Computers in the field of Law

Certain inventions are formidable enough to mark turning points in the history of civilization. A
computer is one such example. The computer revolution has influenced
all walks of life in one way or the other. These machines have led to a substantial change in the
lives of professionals, all around the globe. They have led to the formation of new jobs(
Information Technology Industry) and has also led to the elimination of jobs which were done
manually before the existence of computers. As a matter of fact, computers are affecting "the
way in which we think about the world, and the way in which we think about ourselves.'? Amidst
other professions the legal profession has also altered its traditional operation to a great extend to
accommodate this technological advancement. A computer finds its applicability in various
sectors of the legal field, through the medium of this project we will discuss some of these
sectors.

Computers in Legal Education


 Computers play a very important role in the modern day legal education. Computers
make the compilation of legal data easier and makes is easily available for the students of
law.
 Since, law schools have to generate a lot of material for its students, doing it on the
computer makes it more convenient and more cost effective.
 Computers are used in delivering lectures through power point presentations and are also
used to share information to the students.
 The students on the other hand can use the platform provided by the computers to publish
their research papers and can use this to enhance and update their legal knowledge
outside of their course plan.
 Computer are used by the student to view filmed reenactments of events, e.g., the
celebrated accident in Palsgraj v. Long Island Railroad to sharpen his appreciation of the
legal principle developed in that case.
 A software developed by a software engineering could be used by the students to engage
in an interactive dialog with a computer programmed to instruct them in particular
subjects which are especially well suited to programmed instruction.
 Traditionally the educational institutions have been slow to evolve and rigid to change
their method of operation but through the convenience the computer gets along with it,
the scenario of a law school is extremely different today.
 Sharing study material through computers is likely to be relatively much less time
consuming as well as less expensive comparatively with material study material.
 The computers are also being used by the students to submit their assignments and
projects, the elimination of physical submission gives students mobility and the
advantage of being able to edit and alter their project to the very last.
 This revolution has been a boon to the faculty as well, they can easily assess the
submissions done by their students. Checking the content for plagarisim becomes more
accurate and easier for the teacher concerned.
 The students are also using this technology to share notes and other study materials
among themselves.
Computers in Legal Research
Computers also have an equally important role to play in Legal research.
 Computer-assisted legal research (CALR)[1] or computer-based legal research is a
mode of legal research that uses databases of court opinions, statutes, court documents,
and secondary material. Electronic databases make large bodies of case law easily
available.
 These are used by undergraduate and postgraduate students extensively to meet the work
requirements of their pursued programs.
 Computers used as a data bank and legal research tool has have had a far greater impact
on the legal profession. A data bank is a computer system designed to efficiently store
and process enormous amounts of information. A legal faculty is required to store
humongous amount of data which becomes easily accessable and convenient with a
computer system in hand.
 Practising lawyers hinge on computer-assisted legal research so as to properly understand
the status of the law, so they can act effectively in the best interest of their client.
 Professional lawyers also consult previous judgements (precedents) and statutes, as well
as wider academic comments, to be able to form the basis of (or response to) an appeal
thorugh CALR.
 The available legal information on the internet only differs by type, jurisdiction and
subject matter. The available types of information are as follows:

1. Texts of statutes, statutory instruments, civil codes, etc.


2. Explanatory notes and government publications relating to statutes and their
operation
3. Texts of governing documents such as constitutions and treaties
4. Case judgements
5. Journals on legal matters or legal theory
6. Dictionaries and legal encyclopaedia
7. Legal texts and materials in the form of e-books
8. Current affairs and market information
9. Educational information on the law and its operation

Computers in Legal Research


Computers in the Practice of Law
Computers are playing a very important role in the lives of practicing lawyers.

 Lawyers use the computer systems for the convenient compilation of enormous legal data
predominately previous judgements which could be used as precedents, satutes and the
legislation.
 Computerised research frees lawyers from the clerical procedure of thumbing through
indices and reference texts as well as eliminating the possibility of overlooking an
important precedent because of lack of a computer library, or simply by human error
because of excessive workload, frustration or fatigue.
 With the rate at which new laws are made and the existing ones are amended, keeping
updated is more easier and simpler with computer rather than looking through physical
material.

Computer in the
Practice of Law

Easy
Convinient
Compilation of Time Saving
Research
enormuos data

Utility of computers in Courts of Law

 Computers are also expected to play an important role in the administration of justice in
the law courts.
 Computers can be used to project CCTV recordings in the court .
 They facilitate easy recorting of the trial.
 Judgements can be made available to lawyers, legal scholars and jurists in a matter of
seconds .
Bibliography
1. Role of Computers in the field of Legal Education and Research.- Gurjeet Singh
2. The Impact of Computers on the legal Profession.- John D. Randall
3. Computers and the Legal Profession.- John L. Garland
4. scholarlycommons.law.hafstra.edu
5. en.wikipedia.org

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