Yet today it has leveled the playing field for law firms and made federal practice more accessible. Immediate proximity to the courthouse and the ability to obtain copies of large files is not so critical. A law firm 150 miles away from the courthouse has the same access as a firm in the same city. Participants in focus groups wanted to be able to perform nationwide searches and access cases over the Internet. Focus groups also have raised questions about privacy, and the availability of data is also a concern.
Courts can even add local reports in the web environment.
Focus groups have said they'd like to receive automatic noticing when companies file for bankruptcy and view video presentations on the use of web products. These and other innovations may be just around the corner for electronic public access in the federal courts.