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Username: dotLawInc
Date/Time: Wed, November 15, 2000 at 3:45 AM GMT
Browser: Netscape Communicator V4.7 using Windows NT
Score: 5
Subject: Selected Comments on .law from the ICANN Public Forum

Message:
 

 
Username: SoCalLawyer
Date/Time: Sun, November 5, 2000 at 10:44 PM GMT
Browser: AOL Browser V6.0 using Windows 98 Score: 5
Subject: .law application by dotlaw, Inc.
Message:
This is an idea whose time has come. As a former legal journalist and current practicing attorney, it is obvious to me that a clearinghouse for law related resources and internet links will be of great benefit to the legal community and others who interact with it.
Unfortunately, the field of law is becoming more and more specialized. With specialization comes fragmentation. That makes it more, rather then less, difficult to find resources, both for members of the public and the legal and business communities.
I believe the dotlaw, Inc. proposal will assist attorneys in locating needed resources like expert witnesses, court reporters, graphic artists, and courtroom technical services like video editing and document scanning and retrieval. It will also, obviously, assist these same resources in finding clients.
More signficantly, perhaps, it will enable members of the public to go to a central location to find a lawyer. There is so much specialization in the practice of law, it is imperative that the public have a way of finding the right lawyer. I often receive phone calls from clients or other attorneys looking for a certain type of attorney-specialist, but I am unable to assist because I don't know of anyone who practices in that field or geographic area.
Finally, I think the proposal will assist lawyers in doing research that is often needed in the practice of law. What I am talking about is not finding legal cases, for which there are already adequate resources, but rather finding research in certain fields that lawyers often come into contact with, like medicine, science, meteorology, and government.
I enthusiastically support this proposal!


Username: Larry Rossomondo
Date/Time: Sun, November 5, 2000 at 12:02 AM GMT
Browser: Netscape Communicator V4.72 using Windows 98 Score: 5
Subject: The DotLaw Managed Domain Solution Just Makes Sense!
Message:
As a frequent commercial consumer of legal services, the legal landscape on the Internet at the present time could be vastly improved. DotLaw appears to have a management plan for this new legal space that would answer these issues and a Domain Advisory Board that will make sure that the final product is truly representative of what we need or what we subsequently find out that we need. This group has clearly put a lot of thought into their approach and are properly funded so that they are not going to fail. ICANN let these folks take this important .law domain idea forward.
Larry Rossomondo
Rockville, Maryland


Username: saama
Date/Time: Sat, November 4, 2000 at 9:36 PM GMT
Browser: Netscape Communicator V4.72 using Windows 98 Score: 5
Subject: DotLaw for Law Schools
Message:

As a law student .law would be a great help with my papers and course work by replacing the large searches I curently have to do with much more focused legal information. In addition I would also be very interested in establishing a professional .law e-mail address while in law school that might follow me and remain constant for the rest of my professional career. ICANN should definitely say YES to DotLaw.

Saam A.
2nd year law school


Username: joematerazo
Date/Time: Sat, November 4, 2000 at 7:26 PM GMT
Browser: Microsoft Internet Explorer V5.5 using Windows 98 Score: 5
Subject: comments
Message:
I thing the .law domain proposal is an excellent idea. As a negligence trial attorney I frequently search for experts in several medical and engineering fields. Having an organized domain within which to search would be a great convenience. I encourage you to include information regarding the experts' availability to testify, and for what fee, in particular venues. I would also like to see a directory of CLE (continuing legal education) courses in NY. NY attorneys are required now to take 24 credits per 2 years but there is no centralized directory of course offerings. My law firm has unlimited internet access and the .law domain is something I know we would make productive use of. As trial attorneys we constantly seek to obtain last minute medical trial exhibits, texts, investigators and experts. I wish you well with this endeavour.


Username: g_davis
Date/Time: Sat, November 4, 2000 at 6:25 PM GMT (Sat, November 4, 2000 at 12:25 AM MDT)
Browser: Netscape Communicator V4.04 using Windows 95 Score: 5
Subject: .law
Message:
This appears to be a great plan. The law is something that affects every person in the world, and is frequently criticized for being inaccessible to regular people. This new TLD will increase access to both information and services for individuals, and will increase access for attorneys as well. The market for certain types of legal information is controlled by some near-monopolies, and this domain would likely help open access by encouraging other companies to develop similar products. In addition, by verifying the origin of request for particular domain names, the chaos that reigns on the internet in general will be reduced, and the planned domain mapping and searching functions will contribute orgnization and stability to the TLD. .law should be approved!!!
Geoffrey M. Davis
Attorney at Law
Quane Smith, LLP
Boise, Idaho
gmdavis@quanesmith.net
g_davis@juno.com


Username: Heli Rostami
Date/Time: Sat, November 4, 2000 at 1:21 PM GMT
Browser: Netscape Communicator V4.72 using Windows 98 Score: 5
Subject: DotLaw Helps International Legal Community
Message:

As someone who must research and engage the legal international community from South Africa, DotLaw will be of immense help in separating the legitimate from the unhelpful legal resources that currently appear on generic search engines. I would love to be able to go to a single .law domain where an attempt had been made to qualify the content and the people who were listed as part of the legal profession. For those of us outside the United States, DotLaw is an idea whose time has come. ICANN please make this dedicated domain available to us around the world.
Heli Rostami, Esq
National Department of Agriculture
South Africa
helik@nda.agric.za


Username: bmcarson
Date/Time: Fri, November 3, 2000 at 11:14 PM GMT (Fri, November 3, 2000 at 5:14 PM CST)
Browser: Netscape Communicator V4.5 using Windows 95 Score: 5
Subject: Support for .law proposal
Message:
My name is Bryan Carson, and I am writing in support of the .law top level domain proposal. I am the Coordinator of Reference and instructional Services at Western Kentucky University and the Warren County (Kentucky) Law Library. I am also an attorney who is licensed to practice law in Kentucky and Ohio.
Creation of a .law top-level domain would make legal research far more accessible to attorneys, librarians, and the general public. I believe that the establishment of a .law top level domain name would empower people, giving them a place to go to look for legal content. Legal research is one of the most popular types of research on the Internet. Currently, there are a number of portals that users can go to, and several legal search engines. However, a .law domain would provide a scheme whereby everyone could find what they needed quickly and efficiently.
One of the biggest barriers to the effective use of the Internet is the uncataloged nature of "Cyberspace." The institution of a .law scheme would in effect be a way of cataloging legal sites for easy retrieval.
Creation of a .law TLD will directly benefit all users of the Internet by providing a forum for credible content with accurate searching and access to rich community oriented sites. Currently legal content on the Internet is fractionated across unrestricted top level domains such as .com, .org, .edu, and .net. These domains are unregulated and sites vary widely in their quality of content. Retrieval of legal information from the myriad of locations by conventional search engines is incomplete and relatively non-specific.
Although some commentators have interpreted this proposal as a level of regulation, i.e. the comment by retronics1 on Sat, October 28, 2000 at 6:39 AM GMT, that is a very narrow approach to the concept of .law. Instead of being regulation, this scheme is organization for the betterment of those who are using the Internet. According to the comment by EddieO, filed Wed, November 1, 2000 at 4:57 AM GMT, "From both a personal and professional perspective, the creation of dotLaw appears well-structured in boths (sic) its intent and execution. As an individual, the public benefits seem worthwhile and beyond sufficient. As a member of the national media, I found the presentation of the site engaging, useful and an attractive forum for discussion and contact. Hopefully, this site will serve as an effective form of commuication (sic) between those within and outside the legal community."
One of the biggest problems with legal research on the Internet is assessing the reliability of the information. Because anyone can post materials, there is often no way to tell whether a site is accurate. By verifying that materials are posted by those who are actually in the legal world, the public would be greatly served. There is a significant difference between an article written by a law professor and one written by a high school student. Yet under the current system, either one can post their articles to the Web.
This is a good thing in many ways, and it enhances the freedom of speech that we hold so dear. As I read the proposal, nothing would stop that high school student from posting their article on a .com, .net, .org, or .edu site. However, researchers would always know that by looking at a .law site the pages would be created by lawyers, law professors, or law librarians.
I also agree with the comment by R Deming, posted Fri, November 3, 2000 at 8:58 PM GMT. "DotLaw is a useful beginning and a useful potential resource, but the current range of information covered could be expanded to better suit the needs of a broader range of the legal community. I also agree that to the extent .law gets an advantageous market position, which in turn generates good profits, the owners of .law should expand its universe to cover pro bono postings, make it's services available to entities serving the underepresented and otherwise look for ways to support the provision of quality legal services to those needing assistance."
By providing Internet users a new .law TLD, it will be possible for sophisticated legal research to be conducted by the average person. I agree with the comment by Bert Foer, posted Fri, November 3, 2000 at 9:25 PM GMT, that "having a .law domain would benefit the public in several ways, most importantly by reducing the search costs of locating an appropriate legal representative or advisor. This efficiency gain will not only benefit individual clients but businesses, government, and others needing to find specific information relating to the law."
I therefore urge ICANN to adopt the .law top level domain name as a means of empowering the users of the Internet and serving the public interest.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at the address below. I appreciate the opportunity to comment on this proposal.
Bryan M. Carson, J.D., M.I.L.S.
Coordinator of Reference and Instructional Services
Western Kentucky University Libraries / Warren County Law Library
1 Big Red Way
Bowling Green, Kentucky 42101
Phone: 270-745-5007
Fax: 270-745-2275
bryan.carson@wku.edu
The preceding comments are my own and do not necessary reflect the
opinions of my employer. All original content Copyright 2000 Bryan M.
Carson. All rights reserved.


Username: Hilton
Date/Time: Fri, November 3, 2000 at 10:58 PM GMT
Browser: Microsoft Internet Explorer V5.0 using Windows 95 Score: 5
Subject: tld.law
Message:
As a former judge, I once made it a hallmark of the courthouse for citizens to have easy access to the law. With TLD .law that access will now spread to the internet where the audience in the new centurey is active.
I support .law.


Username: StarDream
Date/Time: Fri, November 3, 2000 at 3:43 PM GMT
Browser: Netscape Communicator V4.72 using Windows NT 5.0 Score: 5
Subject: Smart Start
Message:
What a great way to approach an industry specific top level domain. To actually plan out the META Files and develop a Keyword data bank that can be used universally to find the answers to specific needs is a tremendous improvement over the dotCom scenario.
The current free-for-all system leaves many, both consumers and professionals, out in the cold when it comes to satisfying their needs on-line.
If the .law Domain Advisory Board can stay ahead of the game on most internet issues, you are destined for success.


Username: Coralie Matayoshi
Date/Time: Thu, November 2, 2000 at 11:15 PM GMT
Browser: Microsoft Internet Explorer V5.5 using Windows 98 Score: 5
Subject: .law domain
Message:
I am an executive director of a state bar association. I think the idea of having a top level domain for the legal community is a good idea. As a non-profit organization, I would hope that consideration will be given to offering a very modest (e.g. $25) domain registration fee for non-profit organizations.


Username: techentin
Date/Time: Thu, November 2, 2000 at 4:35 PM GMT
Browser: Microsoft Internet Explorer V5.5 using Windows 95 Score: 5
Subject: dotLaw proposal
Message:
This proposal is one of the more complex of the TLD proposals pending before ICANN (viz.: .tv, .museum, or .sex.), but its complexity lends great promise. There is a wealth of "legal" information on the web, but the lack of top-down organization has meant that there are only a few good, general sources of information, many (hard-to-find) particularized sources, and way-too-many meta-sites (consisting primarily of links to other sites, most of which are also meta-sites).
The dotLaw proposal could improve the ability of the legal community to develop its knowledge base on the web, and could dramatically improve the usefulness of the web for practitioners. The web's utility lies in ease of commerce and information. A well-managed, monitored .law domain would present a vast improvement in the relevance of the 'net's contents and the efficiency with which practitioners use the 'net.


Username: inhousec
Date/Time: Tue, October 31, 2000 at 4:35 PM GMT
Browser: Microsoft Internet Explorer V4.01 using Windows NT Score: 5
Subject: .law is a good idea
Message:
This appears to be an ideal system for connecting the public and the legal community in a particular geographical region. It will be especially invaluable if it provides links to organizations that provide pro bono services to the public and state bar organizations. However, it will also be commercially valuable to large and small firms who already have web sites and are looking for new ways to reach web surfing consumers.


Username: mrb
Date/Time: Mon, October 30, 2000 at 4:14 AM GMT
Browser: Microsoft Internet Explorer V5.5 using Windows 98 Score: 5
Subject: proposal feedback
Message:
I support the .law proposal. The proposal offers a creative yet rigorous approach to managing a credible TLD for an important community. The value proposition and delivery system are easy to envision, and the approach to verification without censorship is reasonable. The populated TLD will be a valuable addition to the Internet community.
Matthew Barry

       
     
     

 

Link: dotLaw, Inc.


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