Subject: Re: ABA citation method reform 
   Date: Sun, 9 Mar 1997 21:16:40 -0800 (PST) 
   From: Dana Barsish <dbarish@efn.org> 
     To: citation@teo.uscourts.gov 
 
     West Publishing has in the past performed a great public 
service, and profited handsomely as well. The tools are now at hand, 
however, to do a better job at a far lower cost. Only competition can 
reduce the cost of court record management and dissemination. Records 
other than opinions can now be stored and indexed in a way not 
dreamed of until recently. Allowing a public domain citation method 
is only the first step. 
 
     My other concern is that West's strangehold on records has 
allowed them to perpetrate some rather biased indexing of cases. Only 
computer based text searches can locale all relevant case law at 
times and at substantial cost. Most search tools on the internet are 
free and access similar volumes of data. 
 
     I make these comments as a non-lawyer who has presented cases 
before two courts of appeal here in Florida.