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Google and Beyond: Finding Legal and Non-Legal Authority on the Internet

Google and Beyond: Finding Legal and Non-Legal Authority on the Internet. NOSSCR St. Louis Conference October 20, 2007 Eric Schnaufer www.schnaufer.com. Google : Basics. [] Search Term(s) Included Within Brackets; Brackets Not Part of Search Term(s) Automatic “and” Queries

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Google and Beyond: Finding Legal and Non-Legal Authority on the Internet

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  1. Google and Beyond: Finding Legal and Non-Legal Authority on the Internet NOSSCR St. Louis Conference October 20, 2007 Eric Schnaufer www.schnaufer.com

  2. Google: Basics • [] Search Term(s) Included Within Brackets; Brackets Not Part of Search Term(s) • Automatic “and” Queries • [herniated disk] finds pages with both words • Not Case Sensitive • [Commissioner] same as [commissioner] • Exclusion of Common Words and Characters (Unless Exact Phrase) • the, a, when, how • Advanced Search Page, Advanced Tips • Google Toolbar forFirefox, IE Google

  3. Google: Two Main Operators • Exact Phrase – Between Quotation Marks • [“residual functional capacity”] • [“Social Security”] • [“Robert T. Smith”] • [“Appeals Council”] • Site Restriction – site:URL • [site:www.ssa.gov], [site:www.socialsecurity.gov] • [site:www.nosscr.org]

  4. Google: Uncommon Acronym?Test Exact Phrase Alternative • Types of Legal Authority • [HALLEX]or [“Hearings, Appeals, Litigation”] • [POMS] or [“Program Operations Manual”] • [SSR] or [“Social Security Ruling”] • Legal Concepts • [IRWE] or [“impairment-related work”] • [PRW] or [“past relevant work”] • Other • [ODAR]or [“Office of Disability Adjudication”] • [DJD]or [“degenerative joint disease”]

  5. Google: OR Operator • Find Either Alternative With [OR] • Use When Uncertain About Alternatives • [PRW OR “past relevant work”] • [UWA OR “unsuccessful work attempt”] • [ALJ OR “administrative law judge”] • [“medical expert” OR “medical advisor”] • Agency More Likely to Use Acronym • Non-Agency Less Likely to Use Acronym; Acronym Normally Introduced

  6. Google: Automatic Stemming • Google Finds Similar Words Automatically • [stoop] finds stoop and stooping • [ALJ] finds ALJ and ALJs • Automatic Stemming Imperfect • Does Not Work 100% of Time • [occasion] does not find occasionally • [occasional] does not find occasionally • Use OR Operator • [occasional OR occasionally]

  7. Google: HALLEX • HALLEX is ODAR’s Procedural Manual • http://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/hallex/ • Google (Site Restriction Unnecessary?) • [site:www.ssa.gov HALLEX Branch Fax] • [HALLEX Branch Fax] • [HALLEX dismiss OR dismissal] • [HALLEX “Appeals Council” reopen OR reopening], [HALLEX subsequent] • [HALLEX judicata], [HALLEX “res judicata”] • [HALLEX ALJ writing], [HALLEX ALJ unfair]

  8. Google: SSR Searches • Social Security Rulings • More important than statute or regulations? • Binding on adjudicators, 20 C.F.R. § 402.35 (2007) • http://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/rulings/ • Sample Searches • [site:www.ssa.gov ssr stoop OR stooping] • [site:www.ssa.gov SSR uwa] • [site:www.ssa.gov SSR dictionary OR DOT] • [site:www.ssa.gov ssr cfs OR fibromyalgia] • [site:www.ssa.gov “ninth circuit” acquiescence]

  9. Google: Regulations • Regulations, 20 C.F.R. Parts 404, 405, and 416 • Bluebook Citation to Latest April 1st Edition • Free Internet Sources • http://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/cfr20/cfrdoc.htm • http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/ • http://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/cfr.php?title=20 • Google Searches • [404.1527], [20 CFR 404.1527], [416.920a] • [site:www.ssa.gov 404.1527] • [site:www.ssa.gov recontact recontacting]

  10. Google: Regulations (cont.) • More Google Searches • [site:www.ssa.gov CFR treating source] • [site:www.ssa.gov CFR “Social Security Rulings”] • [site:www.ssa.gov CFR consultative] • [site:www.ssa.gov CFR “Appeals Council”] • [site:www.ssa.gov “code of federal regulations” 1.04] • [site:www.ssa.gov “code of federal regulations” asthma] • [site:www.ssa.gov CFR daily]

  11. Federal Register • Federal Register – Proposed Regulations, Final Regulations, SSRs, ARs, Notices • http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html • Federal Register Has Own Search Function, http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/advanced.html • http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/tips.html • Use [Baltimore Social ADJ Security] • Google Searches Unreliable • [“Federal Register” 2007 “Social Security Ruling”]

  12. Google: POMS Not Indexed • POMS – Agency’s Manual of Procedure • Washington State Dep't of Soc. & Health Servs. v. Keffeler, 537 U.S. 371 (2003) (deferring to POMS). • https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/ • Google Does Not Index POMS • POMS Has Own Search Function • Increase return pages to 250+ • Use word variants and fuzzy search • DAA Teletype?, http://tinyurl.com/2o3kq3 • Study and Use Table of Contents • Brute Force (Reading POMS) Sometimes Best Method

  13. Google: ssa.gov - Other Authority • [POMS SSA] • [site:www.ssa.gov cola 2008] • [site:www.ssa.gov “blue book”] • [site:www.ssa.gov “red book”] • [site:www.ssa.gov representation] • [site:www.ssa.gov “fee petition”] • [site:www.ssa.gov “hearing office” “St. Louis”] • Forms, Applications, etc. • Emergency Messages, http://tinyurl.com/35y64r

  14. Google: Statutes • E.g., 42 U.S.C. §§ 416, 423, 1382, 1382c • Free Internet Sources • http://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/ssact/ • http://www.gpoaccess.gov/plaws/index.html • http://www.gpoaccess.gov/uscode/index.html • http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/ • http://uscode.house.gov/ • http://thomas.loc.gov/ • http://www.ssa.gov/legislation/

  15. Google: Statutes (cont.) • Google Searches • ssa.gov primarily cites to the Social Security Act, not to the U.S.C. • [ 42 USC 423], [Cornell “42 USC 423”], [FindLaw “42 USC 423”] • [site:www.ssa.gov compilation 205(g)] • [site:www.ssa.gov “united states code" "Title II"] • [28 USC 2412] – Equal Access to Justice Act

  16. Free Case Law • Fee-Based Case Law Still Necessary • www.westlaw.com; www.lexis.com • Supreme Court Opinions • Supreme Court, www.supremecourtus.gov • FindLaw, www.FindLaw.com • Justia, www.justia.com • Cornell, www.law.cornell.edu/supct/ (since 1991) • Google Searches • [FindLaw Bowen Yuckert], [Justia Bowen Yuckert]

  17. Free Case Law (cont.) • Appellate Court Web Sites • http://www.uscourts.gov/courtlinks/ • http://www.schnaufer.com/case.htm (links) • FindLaw, http://www.findlaw.com/casecode/ • Exact phrase, use quotation marks like Google • Boolean operators, e.g., AND • Also search FindLaw with Google • [FindLaw fibromyalgia “Seventh Circuit” Posner] • [FindLaw “Ninth Circuit” credibility 96-7p] • [FindLaw “Sixth Circuit” “Social Security” Duncan]

  18. Google: Fact Finding • Medical Providers • [“123 Main St” Anywhere, MO] • [“Richard T. Smith”] • [“Richard Smith” board-certified] • [rheumatologist Milwaukee WI] • [847.570.2000], [(847) 570-2000] • Medical Facts and References • [define:lordosis], [ACR fibromyalgia] • [“Dr. Waddell” “waddell's sign”]

  19. Popular Web Sites • Peter Young’s Social Security Advisory Service, http://www.ssas.com/ • List of 137 unskilled sedentary DOToccupations, • Links, http://tinyurl.com/2w5exp • Charles Hall’s Social Security News blog, http://socsecnews.blogspot.com/ • David Traver’s SSA Connect, http://www.ssaconnect.com/ • Charles Martin’s e-mail list

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