More than you might think according to Keith Lee, who authors a column at Above the Law in addition to his own very popular blog Associate’s Mind.  After reading some online comments from a state judge questioning whether Wikipedia is reliable enough to include in judicial opinions, Keith ran a quick Westlaw search and discovered that aside from a couple of federal courts that have written disapprovingly about its use, as a practical matter there seems to be many more federal courts that indeed rely and cite to Wikipedia in their opinions.  Keith’s informal survey of the federal circuits doesn’t purport to be the last word on the pervasiveness of Wikipedia’s use by lawyers in legal briefs and courts in their opinions, but it may indicate which way the winds are blowing given its greater acceptance since the last time he looked.

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