Subject: Legal Citations Should Be in the Public Domain 
   Date: Thu, 13 Mar 1997 00:35:38 -0500 (EST) 
   From: CGCURRIER@aol.com 
     To: Citation@teo.uscourts.gov 
     CC: browne@libra.law.utk.edu, elewis@tax.org 
 
ABA Citation Resolution: 

     As a practising attorney in Tennessee who is a former public 
defender trying to build a private practice, I urge the adoption of a 
uniform system of citation in the public domain. If I am not 
mistaken, Thompson (West Publishing) and Reed-Elsevier (Lawyers Coop, 
Michie, LEXIS-NEXIS) are both foreign firms. 

     Whatever the merits of the copyright suits West has brought, we 
cannot expand usage of inexpensive resources such as the Supreme 
Court's Hermes project, or Emory University's Sixth Circuit 
publishing project or our Tennessee appellate courts' internet 
publication of their opinions without some fashion of citation which 
-- almost by definition will not include West Publishing Company's 
work. 

     Even if Westlaw & LEXIS-NEXIS continue to compete vigorously, 
they will have little incentive to undercut each other's price terms. 
Their prices -- $125 per month for Westlaw restricted to Tennessee 
state materials or $110 for similar coverage in LEXIS -- are much 
higher than the costs of public access through the internet. 

     Please concur in a citation system in the public domain. 

                                   Respectfully, 
 
                                   Charles G. Currier 
                                   CGCURRIER@AOL.COM