Claritas® Demographic Information (January 14, 2009)
Have you ever been asked to find demographic information? Recently, Julie Webster-Matthews, Librarian Relations Consultant, visited a librarian who had been asked to find a breakdown of local county populations in regard to education levels. This breakdown would then be used to analyze those populations for potential jury pools. The librarian asked Julie for suggestions, and Julie immediately showed her the Claritas County Demographics source which offered precisely what she needed.
The Claritas County Demographics covers all demographic data for each county in the United States. This source provides access to data such as population, age, income, sex, family-structure, education level and demographic data. While the Bureau of Census compiles demographic information for every neighborhood every 10 years, this source takes the compiled data based on U.S. Census information, and then updates annually from more than 1,600 local government and private sources. Demographic sources are easy to search and the Focus feature helps to narrow results.
To find demographic sources on lexis.com® use the "Find A Source" tab and search using the keyword “demographics.”
To find the "County Demographics" source, follow this path:
Legal > Area of Law—By Topic > Litigation Practice & Procedure > Investigate Person, Property & Business > County Demographics
To find the report on a county, enter the name of the county and state in the search box. For example, Fulton and Georgia.
Demographic information is needed in the practice of law for a variety of purposes. Savvy trial lawyers use the information to analyze the potential jury pool or justify a change of venue. Also, the strategic use of demographic information can be used to advise clients on business relocations or other decisions.
