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New Products & Services


West Group launches electronic KeyCite

West Group has introduced KeyCite, a new electronic citation research service which allows legal researchers to determine whether the cases they are relying on are valid. The service also enables attorneys to find related cases more efficiently and access analytical materials such as American Law Reports, and law review articles.

Utilizing West's exclusive indexing system Key Number System, KeyCite brings together information that was previously found in four separate services, making research faster and more comprehensive. For additional information call 800/700-9378.

IncSpot, News Spot developed by CSC

CSC has developed a useful Web site for corporate attorneys, secretaries and paralegals called The IncSpot (http://www.inc spot.com). The site consolidates access to state corporation filing forms and instructions; links to secretaries of state and other government jurisdictions, as well as legal and technology-related Web sites; provides useful news and reference materials; and ordering and service functions for CSC clients.

The site contains no slow-load graphics and requires no special software. A CSC client with an Internet connection can request an IncSpot membership password, unlocking realtime information about the client's service-of-process activity (with links to FedEx tracking) and searchable records of the client's affiliated entities.

The site is organized with self-explanatory tabs to indicate distinct categories of information:

The News Spot offers all site visitors links to Secretaries of State Web sites and free relevant content such as a calendar of government holidays, tax due dates and report due dates for domestic and international jurisdictions, and select articles on legal, corporate and technology topics.

The Link Spot links to related business, government and legal Web sites.

The Reference Spot offers site visitors the opportunity to review, download and print outlines of state filing requirements for incorporation and qualification forms in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and a variety of international jurisdictions at no charge.

The Client Spot currently includes the initial menu of password-secured, member-only subscription services. Corporations or law firms that have appointed CSC as registered agent for receiving and forwarding service-of-process can request a membership password.

For more information, call 800/872-4636.

1997 Survey of Law Firm Economics available

Altman Weil Pensa's 1997 Survey of Law Firm Economics is now available. Celebrating 25 years of publication, it remains the most complete, accurate and up-to-date compilation and analysis of economic statistics and financial data about the practice of law in the United States.

Designed as a management tool for managing partners and firm administrators, the Survey of Law Firm Economics allows comparison of a firm's financial numbers to standards for the legal profession as a whole, or to firms of similar size, geographic location, metropolitan area and practice specialty. It sells for $495. For further information call Joe Bello, product information and sales manager at 610/359-9900, ext. 435.

Trust Accounting System for Windows designed

Software Technology Inc. (STI) has released Trust Accounting System for Windows, a software designed to help law firms manage client trust, escrow and retainer accounts and accurately track computer generated and manually written checks. The software also has the ability to print 1099-MISC forms and reports.

TAS for Windows utilizes the same intuitive task folder concept used in STI's other Windows products. Users can open and view multiple client trust records simultaneously. A nice time-saving feature of the software is the ability for individual users to specify their own default report settings and save them for future use.

TAS for Windows integrates with STI's TABS III Time and Billing System, which enables firms to include trust activity on their client's billing statements. The software also integrates with STI's General Ledger and Accounts Payable System. For more information contact a local STI dealer or call the company at 800/487-7111, ext. 374.

Financial data on Internet

Moody's Financial Information Services (FIS) has introduced its first subscription-based Internet service designed to facilitate access to a broad range of U.S. public company information. The service, Company Data Direct, provides fully searchable descriptive and "as-reported" financial data on more than 10,000 NYSE, AMEX, Nasdaq and regional exchange companies.

Company Data Direct allows users to view 10 years of extensive company financial data; search the database using several different financial variables or text fields; and download text for word processing or financial information/spreadsheet formats.

Coverage includes history, business description, location, properties, subsidiaries, long-term debt, Moody's ratings, financial and operating statements, exchange and ticker symbol, number of employees and shareholders, and a management capital stock service which provides auditors, counsel and transfer agents.

Additional information on Company Data Direct can be accessed at: http://www.moodys.com/fisonline. Through a special offer, current Moody's Company Data CD-ROM customers who subscribe to Company Data Direct will continue to receive monthly CD-ROM updates at a reduced price. For further information call Moody's FIS Customer Service department at 800/342-5647, ext. 0546 or 212/553-0546.

New smart cards secure Windows desktops

With a growing number of legal professionals sharing office space and administrative resources, the need to secure confidential client data and files remains critical. Maz Technologies has developed two "smart card" systems that address the issue.

Maz's new IntelliGard Series M1 and M2 Security Systems provide stand-alone or networked Windows-based PC users with a high degree of encryption and authentication technology in the form of a "token card" (about the size of a common credit card). The authorized user's ID, password or personal information number (PIN) is coded on the card which allows hardware access.

The IntelliGard System makes it possible for two lawyers sharing office space and administrative help to be on opposite sides of the courtroom for a civil suit. Many of the security technologies built into the IntelliGard System have been used by the U.S. Government and several military agencies for years.

DL Prenuptial Agreements Library added to series

A new software title, DL Prenuptial Agreements Library, has been added to the DL Document Assembly Library series sold through BlumbergExcesior. The library prepares agreements setting forth the rights and expectations of the parties during the marriage, in the event of a divorce or upon the death of a party.

The software offers the flexibility to select many provisions and criteria for each agreement, including rights to the marital residence and other reality; definitions of separate and marital property; rights to salaries, pensions, gifts and inheritance; tax returns and elections; the funding of a checking account for household and living expenses; payments of debts; custody of support of children; and more.

The program reflects the laws and practice of specific states and jurisdictions. For more information call 800/221-2972, ext. 565.

Medical online directory of board certified experts

Medical, legal and business professionals can now access the highly regarded Official ABMS Directory of Board Certified Medical Specialists to help in the identification of board certified medical experts in particular areas of specialty.

Published by Marquis Who's Who in cooperation with the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), the directory lists current professional information for more than 507,000 board certified U.S. physicians. The directory is located in the GENMED and LEXREF libraries on LEXIS-NEXIS.

A listing in the directory means the specialist completed three to seven years of postgraduate medical training and passed extensive certifying examinations required by ABMS member boards. All approved medical specialties and subspecialties are covered in the directory, which is designated by The National Committee for Quality Assurance and the Joint Commission for Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations as a primary source for verifying specialists' credentials. The directory has been published for more than 50 years.

For further information on the online directory or other LEXIS-NEXIS services, check out: http://www.lexis-nexis.com/.

Firms join to provide Internet research training

Counsel Connect and Docuwork Inc. have announced a joint initiative designed to make the World Wide Web a more effective source of information for attorneys. The two companies will work together to equip attorneys and law librarians with new Internet research software and training.

The program is built around a customized version of Docuwork's MeltingPoint software. With its Active Knowledge Management technology, the software allows lawyers, individually or in groups, to build a "smart" database of web links so they can bookmark sites and store information about why a particular site is useful. Data can be cross-referenced by client, subject, case, work product document, project or other matters.

This customized version will be enhanced by Counsel Connect's Law Links, a collection of law-related web resources. It will be available to Counsel Connect members for a 25 percent discount off the usual per-user price of $69 for Personal version and $299 for Pro version of the software. For more information, contact Lloyd Trufelman of Trylon Communications, 212/818-9151.

Online access to courts

Data West, the provider of CourtLink, an online real-time court access system, has begun offering access to the California state courts, beginning first with Riverside County. CourtLink already provides access to the California federal district and bankruptcy courts.

The service enables users, from a desktop, to conduct full-scale, nationwide searches without having to dial into each individual court. The latest version of the Windows-based software allows users to search federal district and bankruptcy, state and local court databases in more than 400 court systems throughout the United States. CourtLink accesses the most current electronic court records, including dockets and case details such as type and summary of case, names of parties, attorney of record, judgments and day-to-day listings of all docket entries.

Several industries have leveraged this online capability to perform active case management, determine litigation and current trial schedules, screen prospective new clients of employees and perform background and witness credibility checks. For further information about CourtLink, call 1-800/774-7317 or e-mail: datawest@courtlink.com.

[CALBAR JOURNAL]