Finding your way on ATLA NET.

This column is designed to tell you how to use ATLA NET, the association's site on the World Wide Web. It's in plain English--no hype and no promise that "all the information you'll ever need is just a mouse-click away." Novices as well as experienced computer users will likely learn something they didn't know about ATLA NET in this column. Here's what the service has to offer.

ATLA NET has areas that are open to the public and others that are for members only. To reach the public home page--everyone's starting point--you need to have Internet access and a Web browser.

If you subscribe to a commercial online service, such as America Online, CompuServe, Prodigy, or countless other popular service providers, you more than likely already have these features. In your Web browser's "location" or address field, type in http://www. atlanet.org and hit "enter."

When ATLA NET's public home page is displayed, you will see the ATLA NET logo and other sections of the public site. Here, you will find links to registration forms, information about the association's upcoming seminars and colleges and conventions, and other Internet sites that are of interest to lawyers.

One large section, prepared by ATLA's Media Relations Department, gives the facts on a few recent well-known plaintiffs' cases, such as the McDonald's coffee case. Membership information, applications, and a selection of articles from the current issue of TRIAL magazine are also available to the public.

If you are already a member but have not used ATLA NET before, click on "Register for ATLA NET," on the public home page. Whether you are new to the service or have forgotten your password, you must complete an online registration form.

To do this, you will need to know your seven-digit membership number, which is located just above your first name on the TRIAL magazine mailing label. You will also need either your bar year or your birth year. Call the Membership Department at [phone] if you need help finding these numbers.

Once you are registered, you will be able to reach the members' area of the Web site by clicking on "Registered ATLA Members Only," which is on the public home page.

The members-only area offers access to online discussion groups for each ATLA section, such as the Products Liability Section and the Professional Negligence Section, plus other practice-related topics. You'll also have access to ExchangePlus search forms and document request forms, as well as a current and searchable member database. The full text of most of the association's publications is also available. A "What's New" page helps you find the most current information posted to the Web site.

Members' access to ATLA NET is free. The only charge you pay is to your service provider (for example, America Online) for Internet access. ATLA products and services that you would ordinarily buy via fax or mail do not cost more when you order from our Web site.

Meet me at the forum

The forum or discussion areas for each ATLA section may have the greatest relevance for members. Here, you can exchange ideas and information electronically with colleagues.

Once you have posted your message--let's say it's a call for specific information about how the National Practitioner Data-bank works--all visitors to the forum can view your message and respond, or they can wait end read others' replies.

Forum users have the option to view all messages by subject matter or in the order they were written, with the most recent appearing first. Messages are posted using any browser with e-mail capabilities or from any Internet e-mail program. Detailed instructions are available with each of the forums.

In addition to providing this message archive, forums also function as list servers or automated e-mail distribution lists. This feature is helpful if you don't simply have a browser (you don't need one for this) or if you want to receive forum messages via e-mail rather than take the time to physically tap into each discussion group on your own.

The e-mail feature lets you know when a message has been posted and delivers it to your mailbox. This way, you don't miss messages that need a timely response. Members can subscribe to one or all of the forums--they're free.

The Web site also has discussion areas for the Minority Caucus, the Women Trial Lawyers Caucus, members interested in law-related technology, and a general Meeting Room. A forum is in place for the Work-place Injury Litigation Group as are several specialty forums, which feature discussions on medical negligence, transportation, expert witnesses, and Macintosh computers.

ATLA NET staff know there is room for improvement in the interface to the forums, and we're working on it. Still, the forums are a powerful tool for members once you get the hang of it.

The more you participate in the forums, the more valuable you'll find them. Before posting or replying to a message, be sure to read the instructions for each forum.

Finding members

ATLA NET has a searchable member directory that is updated weekly. Next to the association's internal membership database, it's the most complete and accurate ATLA membership guide available.

You can search the online version by first, last, or middle name or by city or state. You can even search by section membership or by words in a member's sustaining or life membership biography.

The goal in creating the searchable database was to make it easy for you to find a member for whom you could remember only partial information, such as a first name and city, or area of practice.

Search results show a member's primary address, phone and fax numbers, and e-mail and Web site addresses when this information has been provided.

The Information Services Department updates this database with new information on Thursday mornings. Any changes received on or after Thursday will not be available online until the next Thursday.

Searching for information

You can obtain ExchangePlus research services online by using the electronic version of the ExchangePlus Request Form. If you type in your e-mail address on the online form, you'll receive a confirmation copy of your request. Users who are new to ExchangePlus should read the description of services on ATLA NET before ordering. Many members find it more convenient to fax a hard copy of the form to ExchangePlus, but if you are comfortable working online, it's hard to beat the convenience of never having to leave your computer to get what you need.

Members should understand that the ExchangePlus research and document databases are not directly accessible via ATLA NET. Staff are exploring options to make that possible.

The Web site does have two Exchange-Plus databases online that let you search for specific depositions or court documents. You can look for depositions by name, subject, or area of witness expertise and for briefs by case name, subject, or key words. These documents then can be ordered directly though ATLA NET.

Educating yourself

ATLA NET offers access to the National College of Advocacy (NCA) calendar, which lists upcoming educational programs. Typically, this part of the Web site--listed under "Events and Education" on the home page--gives a program overview, description of the target audience, detailed agenda, list of faculty, and information on hotel and travel arrangements.

You'll also find information about upcoming conventions here. Read the convention education program schedule and information about the hotel and city where the convention will be held. You'll also have access to registration, hotel, and travel forms.

The "Events and Education" section also offers information on law student education programs, a catalog of NCA audio tapes, and written reference materials grouped by topic.

Read all about it

Full-text electronic versions of TRIAL, the Law Reporter, the ATLA Aduocate, and ExchangePlus Quarterly have been available to members since mid-1995. We have recently placed online back issues of the Law Reporter, dating to 1993. We hope to make the Law Reporter and TRIAL searchable by the end of 1997. The Civil Justice Digest has been online for members through most of 1996, and we have just started to offer members selected ATLA newsletters, such as The New Lawyer Forum.

"The Courts" section of ATLA NET has updates on cases of interest to members. Click on "Amicus News," and you'll find summaries of various decisions. Click on "Amicus Curiae Briefs," and you'll find briefs ATLA has filed.

Shopping on the Net

ATLAmart is a new feature that gives the public and members the opportunity to buy products and services relevant to the legal community. ATLAmart has set up vendor listings and links that will take you directly to vendor home pages.

Visit us at http://www.atlanet.org, and let us know what you think about our site. We have opted for a straightforward presentation of information and made a conscious decision to refrain from using some of the Web's fancier features.

You can comment publicly in our Feedback Forum, or you can contact the ATLA NET coordinator, who handles general queries, at [phone], ext. 303, or via e-mail at [e-mail].