Contrary to the media image of attorneys, much legal work requires hours of in-depth research in a law library or in an electronic database like Westlaw or LexisNexis. Few television programs and movies accurately portray the long nights surrounded by a pile of books or printouts which form the core of the occupational life of many attorneys.

Movies and television also do not show the stressful "juggling" aspect of litigation, in that most litigators have many cases in progress at any given time. Each case has deadlines that must be carefully monitored, and court dates which one must not forget to attend. The other side in any case can serve additional motions that will further complicate things. Repeated failures to attend to details can lead to malpractice suits or disbarment.

In litigation, attorneys spend much time discovering the facts of the case to develop a "theory of the case" that integrates facts and law in a way most favorable to their client. The discovery phase of a case sometimes turns into an unpleasant war of attrition over petty technicalities. Some attorneys believe approximately 50% to 70% of all funds spent on legal services in the U.S. cover discovery costs.

While often portrayed as a glamorous and influencial profession, real attorneys poll fairly low in terms of job satisfaction, and often have high rates of alcoholism and suicide. There are a fair number of licensed attorneys that are un- or underemployed, or float from one temporary assignment to another, doing nothing but pouring through the discovery process.

What's out there?

Being aware of what's out there is half the battle of finding authoritative legal information on the web. Findlaw and LexisOne have already been mentioned. These are two of the best free/low cost legal research portals, and they are sponsored by the two main legal research database vendors, Lexis and Westlaw. Each site has a free registration option (although only Lexis' is mandatory). Signing up for MYFINDLAWprovides you with a customizable portal to legal news, legal research resources, as well as up to 10 of your favorite websites. Additionally, CommandLaw offers a custom legal research service, which is $135 per query.

There are are several other portals and information sources you may want to try, such as Lexnotes, the Cornell Legal Information Institute, and Villanova Legal Express.

What people often want are documents connected with a "hot" case or issue that has been extensively reported in the news media, such as the Terri Schiavo case. Good sources for current issues are Findlaw legal news (see featured documents), Yahoo Full Coverage, Library of Congress Bills in the News, and University of Michigan Documents in the News. You can also do a web search for organizations that might be tracking the issue, such as the ACLU, for example.