CiteFinder added to Shepard's Citations

Shepard's announced the release of version 3.3 of Shepard's Citations, CD-ROM edition, including a powerful new case-finding utility called CiteFinder.

The new release also incorporates and upgrades Shepard's Daily Update, which provides the most current analyzed citations available.

CiteFinder automates a crucial legal research function, locating on-point precedent quickly and reliably using the relationship between citations. When supplied with a handful of relevant citations, CiteFinder takes over to produce an organized and prioritized research plan.

CiteFinder's results are displayed in seconds: a ranked list of the authorities that most frequently cite the cases and/or statutes used in the query.

"CiteFinder operates on a simple theory -- cases that cite, or are cited by, the same authorities are related," explains Gary Spivey, Shepard's vice president of electronic product development.

"With CiteFinder, we've automated a necessary but extremely time-consuming manual research process. As soon as a legal professional has identified a few cases or statutes that are relevant to an issue, CiteFinder will electronically locate the most relevant related cases, out of the hundreds of thousands of cases that may cite those authorities. Legal researchers will instantly find cases that would take hours of painstaking research time to discover."

For more information about Shepard's Citations on CD-ROM, visit Shepard's Internet site at www.shepards.com or call 1-800/743-7393, ext. 7408.

Westlaw adds federal district court docket materials

CourtLink dockets are now available on Westlaw, giving attorneys a powerful new tool to follow federal court documents from complaint to judgment directly from their desktop.

The new database lets attorneys use Westlaw to track cases from start to finish for every federal district court. With CourtLink, attorneys can discover names of parties, attorneys of record, judgments, filing fees and conference dates. CourtLink provides day-to-day listings of all docket entries and gives specific ordering numbers for retrieving documents.

Federal court information is available for 48 states and the District of Columbia. Westlaw expects to add Federal Index, Federal Bankruptcy Courts and Federal Circuit Courts of Appeal soon.

For more information, contact Gretchen DeSutter at 1-800/328-7990, ext. 77450.

Sony introduces new video and data conferencing system

Sony Electronics has introduced the TriniCom Digital Meeting System, a video and data conferencing system that integrates the best features of a traditional group system with PC-based data sharing. The new system features high-quality videoconferencing and data collaboration in a lightweight design that transforms a personal or notebook computer into a comprehensive communication tool in minutes.

"Not only does the system offer clear, real-time, face-to-face communication, it offers the ability to collaborate on projects using all the applications and data on the user's existing computer," said Glenn Adama, vice president of videoconferencing systems for Sony Electronics' business and professional group.

The system easily connects to to any 486 or higher notebook or desktop PC, as well as any VGA display. It is H.320 and T.120 compatible, enabling users to connect to virtually any other standards-based video and data conferencing system worldwide.

The system is available from authorized Sony videoconferencing resellers, starting at a suggested retail price ranging from $2,995 to $4,995, depending on the configuration.

For futher information, contact Brian Levine at 408/955-5121.

New version of CustomFiles makes file organization easier

Organizing files for fast access to documents is now easier than ever with index tab dividers and the new CustomFiles Version 2.0 software from Bindertek Lawfiles.

With just a point and click, users can create a Table of Contents from a wide selection of standard terminology used in 18 different fields of law, including litigation, criminal law, family law, estate planning and probate. The software is Windows compatible.

CustomFiles Software Version 2.0 is priced at $39.95; the Version 2.0 upgrade is $15. to order or for more information, visit BinderTek's web site at www.bindertek.com or call 1-800/456-3453.

Edit, conform and proofread documents

The task of editing, conforming and proofreading complex legal documents can now be made easier using Expert Ease Software's new DEAL PROOF. The program flags errors and inconsistencies in definitions, section references, numeration and important phrasing.

DEAL PROOF also automatically generates a host of reports which help attorneys and their support staff keep track of and review the complex content of their documents. These reports detail defined terms, potential errors and open issues. Requiring no document preparation, users do not have to pre-tag any items or memorize key strokes or set-up fields. The program is compatible with Corel's Word Perfect and Microsoft Word, as well as with most major document management systems. For more information, contact Sallie Weathers at 212/242-6161.

Quick access to Social Security arguments, issues, cases

The latest Social Security offering from James Publishing, "Bohr's Social Security Issues Annotated," contains more than 200 pages of issue-oriented arguments and case summaries. The publication includes digests of the law pertaining to each issue, an outlined survey from the last two years and quarterly updates of cases from the last three months.

Bohr's Social Security Issues Annotated also provides targeted analysis on evaluation of pain testimony, failure to follow prescribed treatment due to inability to pay, fibromylagia cases, manipulative limitations on sedentary work, effect of borderline mental capacity on application grids, and much more.

It comes in a sturdy 8 1/2-inch by 11-inch loose-leaf binder and is tabbed for ease of reference. The cost is $95, which includes a subscription to the quarterly case update service, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Sales inquiries should be directed to James Publishing's customer service department at 1-800/440-4780.

Soft tissue injury video created

Legal Video Service Inc. of Tucson has released Dummy Tells All, a medical computer animation of soft tissue injuries of the neck and back.

The video incorporates digital 3-D computer animation with two-dimensional illustration. It can be used to show a jury the effects of low-impact soft tissue injuries from a medical point of view.

More information is available from the company by calling 520/798-6462 or contacting the web site at www.legalevidence.com.

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