Sarah Long

Empirical studies in bioethics, as well asclinical experience, demonstrate the existenceof inter- and intra-cultural diversity invalues and perspectives on end-of-life issues. This paper argues that while survey researchcan describe such diversity, explaining itrequires ethnographic methodology that allowsordinary people to frame the discussion intheir own terms. This study of attitudestoward euthanasia in Japan found that peopleface conflicts between deeply held values suchas life versus pain, self versus other, andburden versus self-reliance that make itdifficult to rely on a ``rational person''''approach to decision-making. An inductiveethnographic approach grounded in people''s lifeexperiences can indicate the reasons forvariation in responses to surveys, and canclarify the nature of ethical conflict in aparticular cultural setting.

The proliferation of electronic databases is raising someimportant questions about how the evolving access to new or previously inaccessible information is likely to change the practice of law. This paper discusses TRAC, an interesting electronic source of previously inaccessible information that is currently used by members of the media, public interest groups, lawyers, and the federal government. Summaries, reports, and snapshots of TRAC's data can be accessed through a series of public web sites. TRAC's subscription service allows users access to the data warehouse and data mining tools (see http://tracfed.syr.edu/info.html for more information). Additionally the paper examines how AI can be employed to assist for the legal profession in utilization of TRAC's data. Finally, it speculates about how TRAC and other new electronic data sources may impact the practice of law.