Lawyers setting up a new bankruptcy practice often want to know which of the legal research giants they should use. Doing my research this morning for a presentation on the means test I’m giving to other lawyers, I needed case authority on whether taxes were a consumer debt for purposes of Section 707(b).
My search on Lexis came up empty. Yet I’ve understood for years that taxes are not consumer debts. Which judge says so? I resorted to Google, and bingo (not Bing!), Google found me a case on the subject, by one of my local judges, no less!
Think outside the box when looking for legal information. Maybe Google has indexed all the world’s information.
Cathy,
I always enjoy reading your posts. They are always practical and you never fail to make an excellent point.
Regarding legal research, what in your opinion, is the best way to keep up to date on new developments in case law? I find Lexis a bit hard to navigate when it comes to this. Are there any bankruptcy news feeds or sites you would recommend?
You’ve hit on a real issue: there’s so much out there. I would see if your legal search rep could help you craft a standing query for new bankruptcy cases in your circuit. Watch the BAP site in your circuit. The NACBA list serve comments on important cases, but that’s like being at the business end of a firehose.
Happened again this morning: Google trumped Lexis. My friend Jed Berliner gave me a case name for a motion I’m writing trying to compell mortgage lender to take the property back NOW.
Lexis couldn’t find Pratt v. GMAC from the First Circuit. But Google did.
I need to look at what I’m paying Lexis.