November 25, 2009

Clicklaw update

In the May issue of ELAN, we told you about Clicklaw, a new website for legal information in BC. The Clicklaw team has been working behind the scenes to make the website even more effective at helping the public and service providers find public legal education and information materials in BC.

Over the summer, we conducted usability testing, which told us many things about how well the website is working. We received positive feedback from our testers on the look and feel of the site, and the site navigation. We also learned that we need to make some changes, such as improving the relevance of search results and drawing users' attention to the different ways of refining a search. We've been working to address these issues, and you'll see the improvements in 2010.

Also coming soon: the Clicklaw team has been developing the Clicklaw HelpMap, which will be available on the website by the end of this year. Integrated with Google Maps, the Clicklaw HelpMap will help the public find in-person services that can help them with legal problems in their community. It will also help service providers who are making referrals for clients with legal issues.

The HelpMap will include information about legal services provided by groups in BC, including:

• pro bono clinics, community legal clinics, and legal aid offices
• court registries
• courthouse libraries
• self-help and justice access centres
• Native courtworkers and organizations with community legal advocates
• key government agencies
• dozens of other law-related helping services

We're excited about the potential of this phase of the project and hope that the HelpMap will provide you and your clients with a valuable resource to help you resolve legal issues.

If you have any questions or feedback about Clicklaw, please contact Clicklaw Project Coordinator Brenda Rose by e-mail at brose@courthouselibrary.ca or by phone at 604-660-3496, or e-mail the Clicklaw editor at editor@clicklaw.bc.ca.