For the first time, all Tennessee trial and appellate judges have the ability to conduct fast efficient legal research via the Internet. The Administrative Office of the Courts has signed a contract with LexisNexis to provide state judges across Tennessee with online access to cases, statutes, Shepard’s, Tennessee Jurisprudence, law review articles and other state, national and international resources.
LexisNexis is one of the largest online libraries of state and federal primary law including case law, statutes and administrative/regulatory material. Additionally, the Nexis portion of the program offers access to domestic and international news sources. Also, as the exclusive home of the Shepard's citations service and with the Michie and Matthew Bender line of treatises, LexisNexis is a leader in secondary law coverage.
“This is going to be a tremendously helpful tool for judges and others in the judicial system who do legal research,” said Cornelia Clark, administrative director of the courts. “Our goal in negotiating this contract was to make courts more efficient. We are constantly looking at affordable technological and other advances to improve our system of justice.”
Previously, some trial judges had locally funded access to online legal research tools, while others did not. Under the new contract with LexisNexis, the AOC will have licenses available for all state judges and staff who need the service.