Website Evaluation: Nolo.com One of the biggest legal information clearinghouses online is the website Nolo.com. Based in the United States, and therefore mainly only applicable to that country, Nolo.com offers a wide range of informational articles and also links to law blogs. Additionally, Nolo.com promotes legal services with the ability for visitors to find a lawyer in their area. Nolo.com therefore combines educational, informational, and commercial services under one rubric. The confluence of information and commercial goals can be problematic, which is why it is important to thoroughly assess the credibility of this website.

The authority of the website can be determined by examining the “About Us” section, which also includes brief biographies of the Nolo staff and the editors of the website. In the “About Us” section, the organization also presents its mission as being directly related to helping ordinary individuals—and small businesses—to empower themselves with knowledge of “everyday legal and business questions,” (1). Therefore, the Nolo staff is not purporting to offer definitive advice but only to clarify quick and simple legal questions in language the average person can understand. The “About Us” section also talks about the history of the website, and how it was an amalgamation of other legal websites. Most importantly for establishing the authority of the website is the section on the authors who write the informational articles. The authors of the articles are mainly attorneys at law, claims Nolo,...

After all, the authors do have a professional responsibility to present information that is clear and also authoritative. The website also includes a legal disclaimer, which covers issues like the editorial objectivity. In other words, the Nolo team does not endorse any one product or service but only offers information that the reader or consumer can use to make an informed decision.
The legal articles form the crux of the content on Nolo.com. These articles should be assessed for objectivity and accuracy, even though the authors have established their professional credentials. Each of the articles addresses a specific legal concern, from personal injury law to bankruptcy law. The information is generalized, preventing any person from taking specific action without first speaking with an actual attorney. There are hyperlinks to other articles within and outside of the Nolo website, but unfortunately, the authors are unable to provide sufficient links to actual case law. The reason for this omission is clear: when it comes to most civil and criminal law issues, jurisdiction matters. Each and every state, and in some cases even local municipalities, will have different legal guidelines, procedures, bylaws, and stipulations impacting a case. The reader is strongly advised to seek advice from a local attorney familiar with the laws of their state or jurisdiction, even though the information in the Nolo articles is a good starting point. Although mainly objective, one of the goals of the Nolo website is to promote legal services…