White Paper: "Authentication of Primary Legal Materials and Pricing Options"

This paper was written in December 2011 by the State of California, Office of the Legislative Counsel and is hosted on the Minnesota State Archives web site.

Abstract

The recent passage of the Uniform Electronic Legal Material Act (UELMA) has brought to the forefront the issue of costs of authenticating primary legal materials in electronic format. This white paper briefly reviews five methods of electronic authentication. These methods are based on trustworthiness, file types, effort to implement, and volume of electronic documents to be authenticated. Six sample solutions are described and their relative costs are compared. The white paper also frames the legal landscape and background of authentication for primary legal materials in electronic format, and provides context and points to applicable resources. The aim of this collective effort is to promote the understanding of costs related to authentication and invite further discussion on the issue.

Direct to Full Text: Authentication of Primary Legal Materials and Pricing Options (39 pages; PDF)
See Also: Related White Papers via Minnesota State Archive

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