Lycolaw.org Enters New Decade of Service

Website first hit the Web in April 2000

On April 11, 2000, the domain name "Lycolaw.org" was registered with Network Solutions, for a cost of $95.  Later in April, the Lycoming Law Association's Website first hit the Web with a (minor) splash.  The announcement came at the annual Law Day celebration, as contest winners were invited to view their essays online.

Ten years later, Lycolaw still covers Law Day, with essays and artwork spanning the decade all found on the site.  But in that decade, the site has evolved and expanded to a degree hardly imaginable in 2000.

The first edition included only court opinions, some announcements, an attorney directory and some news and notices. All the material was typed in manually, and all changes had to be entered by hand.

Later, the site added local rules, greater news and article coverage and biographical material on members.  The directory was expanded to include practice areas.  Historical items including the Historical Sketches volume, photographs and charter documents were added.

A major improvement came about in 2002 with the introduction of database technology.  Information that was frequently used (such as attorney directory data and court opinion records) could now be displayed in various formats and searches were possible.  Opinions could be searched by topics - the attorney list searched by practice area.

The site was redesigned several times.  Often, advances in technology (or in the "Webmaster's" skills) allowed for better display of information and ease of use.  This has led to significant usage of the site's materials.  The site often sees over 80,000 hits in a month and, in 2009, was visited nearly 898,400 times.

Although access to court materials and local rules and event information is certainly important, the legacy of Lycolaw.org will be its cataloging, storing and making accessible historical documentation of the activities, people and accomplishments of the Lycoming Law Association.

Here's hoping for another successful decade!