1. INTRODUCTION

Much as the invention of the moveable type printing press impacted upon the 16^th Century, today the Internet is revolutionizing how we communicate, gather information, and deliver work product to our clients. Recent advances in computer software and telecommunications have brought us to a point in which Internet access is now an essential part of our legal practice.

Proficiency in "surfing" the Internet is remarkably easy to achieve; far easier, for example, than learning a new word processing or graphics program like "MS-Word" or "PowerPoint." On the other hand, creating a web-site is more complicated and will likely require the assistance of your local Information Management Division (IMD). Nevertheless, the minimal time spent learning about the Internet or planning a user-friendly website with your local "web-master" pays great dividends. Once your website is established, utilization of internal "http" links on your website allows Internet visitors to connect directly to other related web-sites on the Worldwide Web.

2. While by no means a comprehensive list, the following websites may be of practical value to health law practitioners utilizing the Internet or planning a website of their own:

a. LEGAL RESEARCH:

The Legal Research Institute: (fatty.law.cornell.edu). Federal and state cases and statutes.

Rominger Legal: (romingerlegal.com). Federal and state cases and statutes, Blue Books, maps, medical links, People Finder, telephone directories.

Findlaw: (findlaw.com). Federal and state cases and statutes, specific practice and sub-specialty areas.

The W3 Lawyer: (law.indiana.edu/law). Links to various legal websites.

Lawlinks: (lawlinks.com). Comprehensive legal website for attorneys and consumers.

Virtual Lawyer: (sar.usf.edu/~novak/contents). Useful links to legal websites, state and federal agencies, and other organizations.

Lawyers.com: (lawyers.com). Official website of Martindale-Hubbel with other useful links.

b. HEALTH LAW

American College of Legal Medicine: (aclm.org). Website of legal-medicine specialists with useful links.

Health Layers Resource Center: (healthlawyers.org). Official website of American Health Lawyers Association. Online magazine and health law updates.

c. MEDICINE

Medscape: (medscape.com). Comprehensive medical website oriented towards practicing clinicians.

E-Medicine Online: (emedicine.com). Similar to Medscape website, many useful links.

Ball State University Scholarly and Professional Journals: (library.bsu.edu/ejournal.scholar/html). Large selection of on-line English language scientific and medical journals.

Healthfinder: (healthfinder.gov). U.S. Government sponsored website oriented toward preventive medicine, includes on-line medical dictionary.

Virtual Hospital: (vh.org). Much educational materials for patients, families, and clinicians.

d. ADVANCED MEDICAL DIRECTIVES

Choice in Dying: (choices.org). Invented "Living Wills" in 1967. Download advanced directives valid in all 50 states.

VirtualHospital:(vh.org/Patients/IHR/Misc/AdvanceDirective.html). Forms and information.

e. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND FEDERAL LINKS

Defense Civilian Personnel Management Service: (cpms.osd.mil/fas.htm). DoD Civilian Personnel Management Service. Information on managing, supervising, compensating, and disciplining DoD Civilian Employees (e.g. hours of work, differential pay, grade and retention, travel as hours of work). Very responsive (24 hours or less) to e-mail inquiries from JAs and other command legal advisors.

National Archives and Records Administration: (nara.gov). Code of Federal Regulations (CFRs), Federal Register, Public Laws, and Privacy Act compilations.

Defense Link:(defenselink.com). Defense Department Publications link. DoD Directives and other official information.

USAPA Home Page: (usapa.army.mil). U.S. Army Publishing Agency. DA Pams and Army Regulations online.

United States Office of Government Ethics: (http://www.usoge.gov/). You will be able to access data about OGE and the services provided.

Introduction to Ethics Training Program: (http://www.usdoj.gov/jmd/ethics/). QUANDARIES, an interactive training program developed by the Department of Justice to teach the Standards of Conduct to federal employees.

U.S. Department of Defense Standards of Conduct Office: (http://www.defenselink.mil/dodge/defense_ethics/main.html). The General Counsel provides and oversees the ethics and standards of conduct programs throughout DOD. Excellent information provided.

Eisenhower Army Medical Center: (http://www.ddeamc.amedd.army.mil/InfoStaf/medicalp.htm) and (http://www.ddeamc.amedd.army.mil/Links/eamc_links.htm). Helpful websites.

AMEDD Medli-net http://www.armymedicine.army.mil/medcom/medlinet/. AMEDD medical library and information network.

Womack Army Medical Center: (http://158.5.111.70/cja/cja.html).

f. SEARCH ENGINES

Yahoo: (yahoo.com). Powerful search engine for web searches.

Dogpile: (dogpile.com). Multi-search engine. Queries all significant search engines (Yahoo, Lycos, Webcrawler, Excite, Altavista, etc., fast response in 20 seconds or less.

g. OTHER USEFUL OR NOTEWORTHY WEBSITES

MS-NBC News Summary: (msnbc.com). News summary, weather, technology updates, courts, health and medicine.

ABC NEWS:(abcnews.com). News summary, weather, technology updates, courts, health and medicine.

The BBC: (news.bbc.co.uk). Worldwide news, especially good for continuing coverage of U.S. military operational areas overseas.

The AMEDD Knowledge Management Network: (kmdnev.com). AMEDD knowledge management and information services website.

BrintNet Online: (Brint.com). Business, Information, and Technology Management website. Includes articles, forums, links, and education resources. Highly recommended.

The Junk Science Home Page: (junkscience.com). Debunks pseudo-sciences and flawed studies. Very topical and current. Potentially useful as source for defensive medicine/malpractice, etc.

Elements of Style (Strunk &n White): columbia.edu/acis/bartleby/strunk/). Full text of Strunk & White’s rules of usage and principles of composition.

Bartlett’s Quotations:(columbia.edu/acis/bartleby/ bartlett). Passages, source materials, and word histories.

Local Weather and Doppler Radar: (no specific website). Almost all local television stations maintain a weather

site with a Doppler radar screen. Allows supervisors to monitor potentially severe or hazardous weather conditions to ensure appropriate travel and safety decisions can be implemented. Just type the call letters (e.g. "WJAG") of

A local TV station into a search engine (e.g. "Yahoo") and select a "weather" link.

People Search, Driving Directions, Telephone Numbers, Yellow Pages, and E-Mail Addresses: (Yahoo.com). Locate lost witnesses (i.e. ETS’d doctors, nurses, etc.), free maps and directions to virtually any location in the U.S., Canada, and selected countries, telephone listings, Yellow Pages, and E-mail addresses.