by Stina McClintock

The other day, in line at the grocery store, I was debating the proverbial question: “What trashy magazine do I buy to balance this New York Times?”  When I saw that OK Magazine was advertising more content for half the price of US Weekly and that I could read all about Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom on their new free iPad app!  Without question, I was instantly drawn to the promise of more content for less money.

It seems that what is good enough for gossip news must also be good enough for legal news, as Justia.com and Oyez.org have recently announced that they intend to redesign parts of their websites to attract more users in the legal community.  In the coming months these sites will be unveiling new looks along with a slate of free-to-use additional features.  Also on the plate are mobile applications for better access.

Justia now offers free daily and weekly case summaries, claiming that these updates occur more quickly than the PACER system. Users can sign up for case summaries in all jurisdictions or focus on those jurisdictions where they live or practice.  The site will also get in the social networking game by adding a user reputation system later this year. Users will get points by answering others’ questions, contributing to a wiki, or linking their own blogs and social media accounts into Justia’s system. Site visitors will be shown the highest-ranked attorneys based on geographical regions or legal specialties.  Justia apps for Apple iOS and Google Android devices are slated for an October release.

Following the trend is a non-profit, The Oyez Project, which focuses on archiving Supreme Court audio recordings. A variety of improvements are planned for the remainder of 2011 and early 2012. Right now the site features Supreme Court audio recording from the 1970s to present. Oyez staff are currently digitizing and transcribing the 1955-1970 recordings with a $150,000 grant from Google. This will be completed early next year, completing the archive because there were no court audio recordings before 1955.

Also in the coming months Oyez plans on doing a “soft launch” of the redesign. This includes the added bonus of a more user friendly environment for iPhone and iPad users.  Currently, Oyez has two mobile applications: OyezToday, which distributes the latest cases, and PocketJustice, which focuses on constitutional law judgments.  There is promise for another app announcement in September.