Author: "A.M. Owens" at -Internet Date: 3/14/ 0 03:02 PM Priority: Normal BCC: citation at AO-OCPPO TO: citation@ao.uscourts.gov at -Internet Subject: ABA proposal To the Judicial Conference of the United States I write in support of the ABA uniform citation proposal published by the Judicial Conference of the United States in 62 Fed. Reg. 8037 (Feb. 21, 1997). I am an attorney licensed to practice in Washington, DC and the state of Alabama. I have experience writing briefs and memoranda for both federal and state courts. I support this proposal particularly for the advantages it offers a solo practitioner. There has been substantial improvement in legal research for solo practitioners as a result of two technological innovations: on- line research using the internet and CD-ROMs. Before these tools were available, both the efficiency and the effectiveness of solo practitioners' research were hampered by the necessity of making trips to the nearest law library for citations or, alternatively, incurring the cost of maintaining one's own library. The Internet and the CD-ROM allows the individual practitioner a thorough, convenient and affordable means of legal research. Present citation requirements, however, prevent the use of electronic source citation from publishers other than West Publishing Company or its licensees. The ABA proposal removes this barrier, thus allowing the solo practitioner to compete on more equal terms with firms and to provide more competent advice to and representation of his or her clientele. Yours sincerely Alice M Owens St John's College Cambridge CB2 1TP UK email: amo1002@cus.cam.ac.uk