Are Law Books Obsolete? Yeah, Mostly
A few of the legal assistants in our office are taking college classes in paralegal studies. The other day at an office lunch they were telling me about the coursework in their legal research and writing class. The students are taught to do legal research the old-fashioned way, with (gasp!) books. That is also how I learned to do legal research back in the dark ages (late 90's).
It's funny. I do the overhwelming bulk of my research online now. I can't imagine Shepardizing a case using a book. I don't even remember how.
But some things I think are a lot quicker and easier with a book, like looking up a Maryland statute. If I know what I am looking for I can flip right to it more quickly than I can open Explorer and search. Plus, it helps to be able to browse the sections immediately before and after for related material. There are also a few reference books that I use regularly, like Pleading Causes of Action (Sandler & Archibald) and Maryland Rules Commentary (Neimayer & Schuett). Nearly everything else I do online.
Back in the day, online research was pay-per-minute or pay-by-search, and conducted over slow dial-up connections. Now flat-rate pricing and super-fast broadband have made online research much more accessible. I can do more research more quickly this way. I can do better research too, because I can access materials that would not be found in most law libraries.
I guess knowing how to do research the old way is a good foundation for learning, but I can't say that I would like to go back. I guess it was possible to practice law in the days before cell phones too, but I can't say that I would want to give it a try.
