FindLaw began in 1995 as a list of Internet resources compiled by engineer and attorney Timothy Stanley and attorney Stacy Stern for a workshop of the Northern California Law Librarians. The response to the material was so positive that the team decided to post it on the Web so that others could use it as well. In January 1996, FindLaw was launched, and it continues to grow in scope as well as in popularity. In January 2001, FindLaw became part of West Group, the foremost provider of e-information and solutions to the U.S. legal market. While FindLaw continues to operate as an independent division, this strategic alliance has enabled a rapid expansion of the number and variety of free offerings, as well as the creation of new, more powerful services.
The FindLaw® Guide is a comprehensive guide to legal information including more than 50,000 human-edited site listings (with editorial descriptions) in more than 30 practice areas, as well as state-specific, federal and international materials. FindLaw facilitates access to online codes and case law, legal forms, legal publishers, legal associations, law schools and law reviews, legal experts and continuing legal education courses. FindLaw`s channels for business and the public help non-lawyers navigate the Web for legal information and services. It is also the most complete online legal career center, with law firm salary charts, legal job listings, personalized legal job placement services and legal discussion forums. It has a searchable directory of businesses that provide a broad range of products and services to the legal community. Services listed include court reporters, expert witnesses, legal investigators and mediators.