FOR MANY YEARS NOW, CONSIDERABLE NATIONAL PUBLICITY HAS BEEN DEVOTED TO BIG-CITY CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROBLEMS SUCH AS EXCESSIVE TRIAL DELAY. FAR LESS IS HEARD ABOUT INFORMATION DELAY AND ITS NEGATIVE IMPACT ON RURAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEMS. IN NEBRASKA, A 1974 SURVEY OF 173 ATTORNEYS AND JUDGES REVEALED THAT ONLY 63 PERCENT OF THE RESPONDENTS HAD ACCESS TO U.S. SUPREME COURT MATERIALS, ONLY 22 PERCENT HAD REPORTERS FROM OTHER STATES OR FROM FEDERAL JURISDICTIONS, AND THAT REPORTER SERVICES AND LEGAL MATERIALS WERE VIRTUALLY UNAVAILABLE. THE CREIGHTON LEGAL INFORMATION CENTER (CLIC), LOCATED AT CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY LAW SCHOOL IN OMAHA, WAS CREATED TO ASSURE THAT JUSTICE IN RURAL AREAS OF NEBRASKA IS CURRENT. USING THE RESOURCES OF THEIR LAW LIBRARY, COMBINED WITH THEIR PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE, CLIC RESEARCHERS SERVE AS MAIL AND TELEPHONE LAW CLERKS TO JUDGES, PROSECUTORS, AND COURT-APPOINTED DEFENSE COUNSEL IN THE ENTIRE STATE, EXCEPT FOR THE TWO URBAN AREAS OF LINCOLN AND OMAHA. FOUR FEATURES OF CLIC HAVE COMBINED TO PRODUCE SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENTS IN THE QUALITY OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE IN RURAL NEBRASKA. THESE ARE: LEGAL RESEARCH TAILORED TO USER NEEDS; CENTRALIZED RESEARCH SERVICES USING LAW SCHOOL RESOURCES; SPECIAL IN-DEPTH PROJECTS TO IMPROVE CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROCEDURES; AND CONTINUOUS MONITORING AND EVALUATION OF SERVICES. ALTHOUGH CLIC IS A NEBRASKA SOLUTION, THE PROBLEM IT ADDRESSES IS NATIONAL IN SCOPE. TO PROVIDE A GUIDE TO OTHER STATES INTERESTED IN EXPANDING THE INFORMATION RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO RURAL AREAS, THE CREIGHTON LEGAL INFORMATION CENTER HAS BEEN NAMED AN EXEMPLARY PROJECT BY THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE. THIS MANUAL DESCRIBES CLIC'S ORGANIZATION AND BUDGET, RESPONSE PROCEDURES, AND IMPACT ON THE NEBRASKA CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. A VARIETY OF REPLICATION AND POLICY ISSUES INCLUDING DESIGN, STAFF AND EQUIPMENT CONSIDERATIONS, AND PROJECTING USER DEMAND ARE COVERED.