Why Books are Still Relevant in the Practice of Law

The Florida Bar's LegalFuel Podcast

The ABA 2023 Tech Survey highlights that 56% of respondents regularly utilize fee-based online services for legal research, with an additional 21% using them occasionally. Surprisingly, 12% never utilize these resources. Despite the abundance of technological options available for legal research, many lawyers still hold a preference for hard copy books. Research suggests that modern screens and e-readers struggle to replicate the tactile experiences of reading on paper, hindering the natural navigation of lengthy texts. For lawyers, books offer a tangible resource for easy browsing, annotation, and cross-referencing that online research might not offer.

In today’s episode hosts Christine Bilbrey and Jamie Moore welcome Maggie O’Neill, to discuss why books are still relevant in the practice of law.

Maggie O'Neill holds a bachelor's degree from the University of North Dakota, and a law degree from Northeastern University School of Law.

For over 17 years, Maggie ran a solo practice specializing in family law and dependency cases, focusing on litigation and mediation. Maggie's experience in the publishing industry is extensive, having held key roles including Vice President of Product Management and Vice President of HR Publishing at Thomson Reuters and as Editor in Chief of Professional Publications at Reed Elsevier. Additionally, Maggie worked at Callaghan and Company as a Legal Editor and Project Manager.

This podcast has been approved by The Florida Bar Continuing Legal Education Department for 0.5 hour of General CLE credit. Course # 8493.

REFERENCED RESOURCES:

• Florida Bar Member Benefits: Legal Publications
• The Florida Bar and LexisNexis Store
• Contact Sales 1-877-394-8826
• ABA to release TechReport 2023 survey on legal tech trends [American Bar Association]
• ABA Profile of the Legal Profession 2023 [American Bar Association]
• The Reading Brain in the Digital Age: The Science of Paper versus Screens [Scientific American]
• LegalFuel: The Florida Bar’s Practice Resource Center