The LawRunner s American State Index similarly limits searches to state government sites when a state is selected from the list. As the Internet continues to mature, expect to see the development of more analytical tools like the Internet Detective, and more sophisticated search templates like LawRunner that will help make the WWW a more efficient and effective research tool. It is quick, inexpensive, and facilitates communication among subscribers. Use has increased because of the cost-savings in terms of both time and money and so has the expectations of users. The legal profession has not remained unaffected by these advances in communication.
Attorneys can now communicate with clients, each other, and the courts quickly and inexpensively.
E-mail, however, is not without its problems. Although postal mail and telephone conversations are subject to stringent restrictions with regards to privacy, issues of both privacy of e-mail, as well as, the ownership of transmitted documents should be of concern to both law firms and law schools alike. While Iowa, North Carolina, and South Carolina have stated that lawyers may violate their ethical duties if they use unencrypted e-mail to converse with a client about confidential matters . Neither stance may adequately address the problems of the present state of the law. The ECPA amended and updated the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to reflect advances in technology, specifically with the purpose of protecting the privacy of electronic communications, such a e-mail 3 .