Legal Information Resources, a new company formed to provide a range of computer-based information services to law firms, has established a Legal Journals Index, which provides an index to the entire range of articles published in all English legal journals. From this database it produces a monthly index of references, supplemented by quarterly and annual cumulations.
Legal Journals Index offers five indices for every legal article published. That is, articles are indexed by subject and author, and there are indices of legislation and book reviews, plus an index of cases reported in journals and cases commented on in articles in those journals.
Legal Information Resources has selected the MicroCAIRS information storage and retrieval software package from RTZ Computer Services as the basis of the system. This system is specifically designed for 16-bit microcomputers(*) and, it is claimed, provides a flexible application package which enables information seekers to search simply and quickly against a wide range of search criteria.
Nigel Smith of Legal Information Resources states: “MicroCAIRS exactly met our specifications. Each of the eight databases has very few limits on the size of files, fields or records. It is very flexible and allows you to output data in 260 different formats.”
In addition to its computerised service, Legal Information Resources will provide library and other information services on a consultancy basis both to legal practices and other related businesses such as surveying partnerships, local government and corporate legal departments and conveyancing firms. The company also provides a telephone service which will respond to user’s personal search inquiries using the database.
For further information on MicroCAIRS contact Howard Exton-Smith, Marketing Manager, RTZ Computer Services, 1 Redcliffe Street, Bristol BS99 7JS (0272 264181).
((*) For those who may wish to know what this means, there are three levels of micro-computers available: 8-bit; 16-bit; and, 32-bit. By far the most common at present are the 16-bit machines, of which the IBM-PC is an example. Some 32-bit machines are now being introduced and these will undoubtedly replace the 16-bit machines, which have themselves superseded the earlier 8-bit microcomputers. The larger the number of bits the faster and more efficient the machine. It is rather like passing water down a pipe — by widening the diameter of the pipe it is possible to pass more water within a given time.)
