Legal Information Alert, a monthly newsletter covering what's new in legal publications, databases and research techniques, published a review of SimplyMap in their April 2009 issue titled, "SimplyMap: A Simple Solution for Complex Statistics."

The review was written by Sonnet Erin Brown, Head of Federal Documents at the Earl K. Long Library at the University of New Orleans, who noted how useful SimplyMap could be for legal researchers, especially as a tool for litigation:

"Using SimplyMap, lawyers can look at trends in a neighborhood, such as race, economic standing, crime, education levels, and many other factors. This can give lawyers some insight into jury pools and can also help them determine how to best present a client. The information gleaned from SimplyMap can even help a lawyer decide about whether or not a client should face a jury, a judge, or take a deal."

Brown goes on to describe how SimplyMap can be invaluable when setting up a business. Lawyers assisting businesses can use SimplyMap to decide the best location for a new restaurant, bank, or even a law firm. SimplyMap is also noted in the article as useful for real estate law (researching demographics of neighborhoods), and legal advertising placement (using crime data).

Looking beyond the data, Brown has many positive things to say about SimplyMap's interface:

"[SimplyMap] is especially useful for visual learners and for presentations. Instead of graphs and pie charts, users can create actual maps that convey the arguments they are trying to make. Nothing sells a particular argument like a good visual aid. SimplyMap is an amazing visual aid that can make even an Internet novice look like a professional."

In closing, Brown notes, "An assortment of professionals can use this database to enhance their businesses or careers, including politicians, lawyers, statisticians, and business executives."

Send us an email if you'd like a full copy of the review. View more information on Legal Information Alert here.