Information Today
Volume 17,  Number 5 • May 2000
ABC-CLIO Unveils American Legal System CD-ROM

ABC-CLIO Interactive has announced the release of The History of the American Legal System: An Interactive Encyclopedia, a CD-ROM that the company says comprises a wealth of compelling content and illustrative multimedia components that include video clips and audio segments, photos, illustrations, tables, charts, and maps.

The CD contains more than 1,800 entries, including primary source documents, more than 200 court cases, biographies, political essays, treaties, key information about organizations, important concepts, significant events, and social and political movements. Also included on the CD-ROM are such topics as Hugo Black, Clinton v. City of New York (1998), the Fugitive Slave Act, Jefferson-Madison correspondence, Miranda v. Arizona (1966), NAACP v. Alabama (1958), The Red Scare, New York Times v. Sullivan (1964), Carrie Chapman Catt, Frederick Douglas, Thurgood Marshall, Lucretia Mott, Janet Reno, Sandra Day O’Connor, Roe v. Wade (1973), and the Teapot Dome Scandal.

The interactive encyclopedia also features a contextual timeline that prompts students to investigate how significant people, cases, and other events relate to each other. According to the company, educators and researchers will also appreciate how The History of the American Legal System is organized into the eight thematic strands that define the American legal system and are common units in American history and American government courses: the Amendment Process, the Appointment of Federal Judges, Civil Rights and the Constitution, Constitutional Interpretation, the Electoral College, the Bill of Rights, Voting Rights, and the Federal Judicial System.

The rich and varied interactive content is easy to navigate and contains powerful tools for finding and manipulating resources. A comprehensive glossary of terms adds referential support, and it also has the ability to print and export text, photos, and maps to use with other software programs.

In addition, every interactive ABC-CLIO encyclopedia features its own exclusive Web site, offering teachers and students an additional array of research and learning activities. According to the company, it’s a unique way for students, teachers, and librarians to participate in a collaborative learning environment dedicated specifically to the subject covered.

Source: ABC-CLIO Interactive, Santa Barbara, CA, 805/968-1911; Fax: 805/685-9685; http://www.abc-clio.com.


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