A Kentucky Law WishList

Briefly Speaking
A Kenucky Law Wish List
Part I  Looking Back

Computers made their dubut over two decades ago, and we have come a long way from 'television' typewriters.  However, the internet with its listservers, file downloads, on-line data bases, blogs, blawgs, automated legal research, etc. still has fallen short of its promise and potential.

Before sharing thoughts, musings, wishes and meanderings, I think it best to look to the past and be thankful for the contributions and progress made thus far in the Commonwealth of Kentucky regarding internet, computers and the Law.

• Our bar associations have an on-line presence with useful links and research materials.
  • On-line access for KBA members for locating lawyers, ethics opinions for lawyers and judges, CLE credits and information. And with CASEMAKER coming on line in May 2005 with legal research etc, the KBA is entering its next phase of service to the bar since it already has on-line access to legal research topics such as ethics and advertising rules.
  • Local developments.
  • KBA, LBA, Northern Kentucky, Fayette Bar Associations have web sites either officially through the AOC of separately maintained.
  • LBA has HIPPA forms available in editable and downloadable format.
• Our official Kentucky Court System has been incredibly effective in providing
  • Published and nonpublished decisions.
  • Minutes and postings of orders and decisions from Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court.
  • Official AOC Forms (many of which are editable on screen using Adobe Reader).
  • Local rules of court.
  • Local case dockets.
  • On-line case information for lawyers.
  • Addresses, names, etc of judges, clerks, and more.
  • Publications useful to the public.
  • Motion hours and times for each court.
  • Links to the  Civil and Criminal Rules, as well as Evidence and Supreme Court Rules at the KBA.
• County Court web sites, eg., Fayette, Jefferson.
• Government sites where information abounds:
  • Our Secretary of State's official web site started by John Y. Brown, III and improved by Trey Grayson is probably one of the best in the nation with on-line information on businesses, forms, filings, agents for service (with address), and now you can check the status of summons with the SOS.
  • Our Department of Insurance web site has the name, address, and agents for service of process; current status of adjusters; DOI announcements on insurance subjects; PDF forms for no fault; and whether the insurer is registered to do business in Kentucky.
  • Our Workers Compensation site links you to the appropriate statutes, regulations, forms, publications, and more.
  • Board of Claims posts the appropriate forms for filing.
  • Revenue Cabinet has tax forms, pubs, and regs, too.
  • The Attorney General has links to AG Opinions and posts a plethora of pubs for consumers, plus lists names, addresses and locations of all the state's prosecutors - county and commonwealth.
  • The LRC site has a phenomenal listing of legislative information on bills, committees, members, STATUTES AND ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS.  Although the KRS is unofficial, it is very convenient when you simply wish to peruse by the statute sections on line rather than rely solely on key words.  The Kentucky Rules of Evidence are also available here.
• KATA - Kentucky Academy of Trial Attorneys services its membership with on-line ordering of forms and access to depositions, publications, etc for its members and some are fee based.  The listserver allows the instanteous exchange of information of questions, answers, announcements among its members.  A fantastic resource for the solo or nearly solo-practitioner.
• Kentucky's Law Schools.
  • Chase College of Law at NKU posts Kentucky Supreme Court Briefs on line.
  • College of Law at UK posts the ethics opinions.
  • Brandeis School of Law at U of L posts digital copies of some papers of Justices Brandeis and Harlan plus the Kentucky Jump Zone of legal links.
• LawReader is a fee based legal research portal which goes beyond legal research based upon key words, but is also organized by topics with annotations and commentary, plus the fast posting of published and nonpublished Kentucky appellate decisions on the net.

I just wished to dip my toe into the Intenet Pool for Kentucky to note what we have available.

In Part II,  My Wish List.