The year-2000 computer problem presents a new genre of legal question–and the answers, increasingly, are to be found on the Internet. Internet resources, from e-mail discussion lists to Web sites, have become a rich and reliable source of legal information. Indeed, the Y2K computer problem, caused by the inability of most software and hardware to handle dates after Dec. 31, 1999, is the first legal area in which the Internet is a richer research area than traditional legal authorities, such as treatises that can take months to publish and distribute.
Because the Y2K problem, in many cases, requires lawyers to examine carefully their clients’ exposure to risks posed by computer systems, it’s even more critical for practitioners to keep abreast of the latest high-tech developments on the Web.
