305 lines
14 KiB
Plaintext
305 lines
14 KiB
Plaintext
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* ELECTRONIC BAR ASSOCIATION (EBA) ANNOUNCED BY PAUL BERNSTEIN *
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A NEW ERA IN BAR ASSOCIATION ACTIVITIES COMMENCES
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Paul Bernstein announced in Sept. the formation of the Electronic
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Bar Association, commonly known as the EBA. The EBA will be the
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first bar association to rely primarily on telecommunications,
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electronic mail and teleconferencing for communication among and
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with members and to provide a forum for the discussion of topics of
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interest to attorneys across the country. Paul Bernstein, as
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sponsor of the EBA believes that the EBA marks the beginning of a
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new era in lawyers associating among themselves for their mutual
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benefit and for the benefit of the public at large.
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QUESTIONS ABOUT THE EBA -- WHY IS SUCH AN ORGANIZATION NEEDED?
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Why was the electronic bar association formed? The following
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detailed questions and answers serve to focus on the perceived need
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for such an organization.
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QUESTION #1. WHAT ARE THE GOALS OF THE ELECTRONIC BAR ASSOCIATION?
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ANSWER # 1. The goals of the EBA are:
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To serve as a method of instant communication among attorneys,
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vendors and those in need of legal services so as to provide
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the ultimate in electronic communications, electronic mail,
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discussion groups, information for lawyers and members of
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the public and a legal referral service, as well as providing
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significant membership benefits to participating attorneys.
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QUESTION #2. BUT, WHY AN ELECTRONIC BAR ASSOCIATION?
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ANSWER #2. The EBA is needed because:
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Lawyers are being dragged kicking and screaming into the
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1990's. More and more law firms are bringing computers
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into the law office, but far too few attorneys are using
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computers. Everything points in the direction of
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lawyers using computers (as executives in other types
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of businesses do) in order to become more productive
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and better serve their clients. The EBA is essential
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as participation requires that a lawyer not only learn
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a lot about microcomputers and how to use them, but also
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to learn to telecommunicate. We believe telecommunications
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is the KEY to law firms acquiring the computer capability
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and efficiency that is required in order to effectively
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deliver legal services to the public.
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QUESTION #3. WHAT MAKES THE EBA DIFFERENT FROM OTHER BAR
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ASSOCIATIONS?
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ANSWER #3. There are many things that make The EBA different:
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A. The EBA is the only electronic bar association.
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B. The EBA will forge relationships with vendors on a
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first come, first served basis. We believe vendor
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participation is critical as the vendors know best
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about their products and services. If vendors are
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available on-line in conferences and via e-mail,
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they can quickly educate lawyers on the value of
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their products and services, respond to inquiries,
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and quickly fill orders by on-line order forms.
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C. EBA will quickly offer many, many savings and benefits
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to member attorneys, such as discounts on software,
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Public Domain Software, Freeware (User Supported
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Software), free goods and services such as
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Automated Legal Forms and the LAWyers Microcomputer
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Users Group newsletter and much, much more. We
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are also talking to insurance industry executives
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about discounts on malpractice insurance because
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computerized attorneys are less likely to engage
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in malpractice.
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D. The EBA will be the ultimate in a democratic
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organization. Concepts and policy issues will be put
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to votes of the full membership! All lawyer-members
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will have the opportunity of voting and having the
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results of the vote count. Never before has this
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flexibility and latitude been brought to any association
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of attorneys.
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E. Politics will be non-existent! Conferences will allow
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everyone, from any place and at any time to have their
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voices and opinions heard. On-Line communications ring
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true and personalities are not important -- substance
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is. That alone should mean much to attorneys everywhere.
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QUESTION #4. CAN YOU GIVE US MORE DETAILS ON MEMBER BENEFITS?
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ANSWER #4. Yes, here are a few examples:
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A. The LAW MUG (<LAW>yers <M>icrocomputer <U>sers
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<G>roup Lexis/Nexis Membership Group Subscription will
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be a member benefit. Lexis normally costs $125.00
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per month for access. Via our membership group, and
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as a member of the EBA, lawyers can now have access
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to Lexis with no monthly access fee. Over the course
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of the first year, this amounts to a savings of
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$1,500.00.
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B. NorthEdge Software Corporation, the publishers of
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TimeSlips, are providing EBA members with a discount
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of 35% off of list price on their excellent time
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and billing packages.
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C. Automated Legal Forms is a series of legal forms
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that were formerly sold by Callaghan & Company,
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a portion of said forms appearing in the Law/Mart
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of ABA/Net as a value-added service. Those legal
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forms will be provided without charge except for
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normal telecommunications costs over the first
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year of membership.
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D. The LAWyers Microcomputer Users Group Newsletter is
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the only newsletter directed to attorneys relating
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to law office automation that is available
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electronically. The hard-copy cost of the newsletter
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will be $199.95 per year, effective September 30,
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1987. The electronic version of the newsletter will
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be free, on-line, to EBA members.
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E. Further, at an early date, the back issues of the
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newsletter will also be available and are a true
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data base. This has already been recognized
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by InfoMaster and SearchLink. Thus, a lawyer's
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"Encyclopedia of Computer Knowledge" will be
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available as a searchable data base.
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F. Consultants on law office automation and expert
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help and assistance will be an important part of
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the EBA. We are soliciting specialists on
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hardware, software, networks, legal research and
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more. These consultants will be available on-line
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in conferences to discuss law office automation
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topics. There will be no charge to members
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for this expert help and assistance.
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QUESTION #5. WHY CAN'T PRESENT BAR ASSOCIATIONS SERVE THESE NEEDS?
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ANSWER #5. Here's our opinion in answer to this question:
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A. Why couldn't our steel mills and auto industry
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compete with foreign manufacturers? EBA represents
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new technology and new delivery systems. Existing
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bar associations represent old technology and the
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old ways.
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B. I have been active in many bar associations since
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1959. I thought quality of work and paying ones
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"dues" would allow one's voice to be heard. I
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found out that such is not the case. In the EBA
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EVERYONE'S VOICE AND OPINION will be heard.
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Everyone will be able to participate.
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C. The cost of running the EBA will be less expensive
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as compared to other bar associations. Our meetings
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will be on-line. Benefits will be available
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on-line and quickly. As vendors hear about us,
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they will immediately see the benefit of working
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with us and join in.
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D. Committees will meet on-line. Accordingly,
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you won't miss meetings -- you dial up and
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join in when it is convenient for you to do so.
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E. We are inviting vendors to participate in the
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EBA, not to discuss legal matters, but to
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provide information, discounts and immediate
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ordering capability. Conventional bar associations
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do NOT invite vendors into their hallowed halls.
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We are not saying that existing bar associations couldn't do
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the same thing. We ARE saying that they have not. Clearly,
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our expertise in telecommunications, teleconferencing and
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data bases ought to serve as a foundation for various bar
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associations to participate in our program. We anticipate
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that many bar associations will want to join in and we will
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cooperate fully to have them join our group.
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F. We believe our costs will be much lower than
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any other facility and with a much broader
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base of capability. We will do everything to
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help lawyers minimize their on-line time and
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maximize their pay-off from being a member.
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QUESTION #6. HOW WILL YOU DO THIS? WHAT NETWORK WILL YOU USE?
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ANSWER #6. LEGAL EXCHANGE (Called LEGALEX) on The Source
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will be our home. LEGALEX has worked for almost
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two years with the folks at The Source to work
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out a series of menu structures, initial conferences,
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and other capabilities so that the EBA could have
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a sound and time-tested foundation. The Source (STC)
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offers the full range of electronic mail, conferencing,
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Bulletin Boards, file transfer and a wealth of
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other on-line services and software. STC has
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demonstrated a commitment to attorneys and the
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legal profession and at very reasonable rates.
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QUESTION #7. WHAT IS THE ESTIMATED FIRST YEAR VALUE OF MEMBERSHIP?
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ANSWER #7. Assuming a lawyer wants all our initial benefits:
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A. Yearly savings on Lexis/Nexis access: $ 1,500.00
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B. Automated Legal Forms (nine areas of law): 750.00
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C. The LAW MUG Newsletter, electronic version: 39.95
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D. STC Subscription fee waived: 49.95
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E. STC free on line time: 15.00
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F. A free ad in the legal referral section: 50.00
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G. Discount on TimeSlips III of 35%: 70.00
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MINIMUM PRESENT ANNUAL BENEFIT: $ 2,474.90
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We suggest you read the accompanying article in this, the October,
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1987 issue of our newsletter entitled:
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SPECIAL LEXIS/NEXIS MEMBERSHIP GROUP OFFER FROM LAW MUG
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for more information about additional benefits, including free
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searching on Lexis/Nexis for the month of December, 1987 if you
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register under this program during the period October 1, 1987 to
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November 30, 1987.
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QUESTION #8. TELL US MORE ABOUT THE LEGAL REFERRAL NETWORK.
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ANSWER #8. Here's how that will work:
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A. The referral network will be on-line and accessed
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via a series of menus. A charge will be assessed via
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registration by a lawyer in different areas of law.
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B. For example, an attorney will register for an area of
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law in which he/she is expert -- for example,
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Estate planning.
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C. The first listing will cost $50.00
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D. The second listing will cost $30.00
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E. The Third listing will cost $20.00
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F. One free listing will be provided each Charter
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Member of the EBA.
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G. Someone looking for a lawyer will go into the
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"Legal Referral Network" and see a First menu:
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PLEASE SELECT THE STATE YOU ARE INTERESTED IN
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H. The next screen after selecting the State is:
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AREA OF LAW YOU ARE INTERESTED IN
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1. Administration of estates.
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2. Adoption.
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3. Corporations.
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4. Divorce.
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5. Estate Planning
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6. Etc., etc., etc.
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I. Next will be an alpha list of lawyers who signed up
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for that area. There will be their name, address,
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phone, school, year of graduation, rates, courts
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admitted to and five to eight lines of
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text for the lawyer to enter information.
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J. New lawyers joining the referral network can be
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placed in the data base quickly and lawyers may
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make prompt changes to the data base. Compare
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this to hard-copy publications that may come
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out once a year or perhaps twice a year at best.
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QUESTION #9. WHAT WILL THE COST OF ALL THIS BE?
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ANSWER #9. We anticipate that the cost structure will be as follows:
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A. "Charter Memberships" will be $250.00 per year.
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Charter members are those subscribing via The Source
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on or before November 30, 1987.
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B. Of course, normal on-line charges and other charges
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of The Source will apply.
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C. A special vendor's membership will cost $250.00
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per year, for which we will also provide a
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customized on-line order form and conferences
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on the vendor's products and/or services. This
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vendor membership does NOT provide any of the
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above benefits but is solely a method
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whereby vendors can obtain special services
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form LEGALEX and be in close contact with present
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and prospective customers.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, DIAL US UP ON THE SOURCE
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For more information on this progressive and new program, please
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join us on The Source. Paul Bernstein can be located at EX1005
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and you will want to join many of the present conferences going on in
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LEGALEX. On other networks, you can inquire of us at:
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ABA/Net: ABA1125
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CompuServe: 72466,3137
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MCI Mail: 107-5685
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LAW MUG BBS: (312) 661-1740
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Law:Forum: Paul Bernstein
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The WELL: pbern
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STC: EX1005 --- We log on daily here. Less often on
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all other networks.
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