Law Librarian Blog

Does Valid Markup Boost Your Search Engine Rankings

Search Engine Roundtable discussion on the issue: Does Having Validated XHTML/HTML Help With Higher Rankings?

A Quick Look at NSSN (National Resource for Global Standards)

NSSN: National Resource for Global Standards is striving to be the Web's "most comprehensive data network on developing and approved national, foreign, regional and international standards and regulatory documents."

The NSSN contains over 250,000 references to approved standards and standards under development from more than 600 developers worldwide. The collection is organized into six databases (see below).

The search engine provides the ability to limit or expand searches to a particular database. Search results produce brief descriptions of the standards and provide links to purchase electronic or print versions of the full text.

Here is a brief description of each database:

1. Approved Industry Standards
Provides access to nearly 200,000 records from developers worldwide. Includes information on standards from U.S. developers, foreign national standards bodies, and corporations. This data is provided by a number of sources, and is updated regularly (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or quarterly, depending on the source).

2. Approved International Standards
Provides access to 15,000 records from ISO and IEC. Updated monthly.

3. Approved U.S. Government Standards
Contains information about the approximately 46,000 active standards and specifications used by the Department of Defense, including standards adopted for use from non-government developers. Updated weekly.

4. Industry Standards Under Development
Provides information on approximately 10,000 standards development projects from U.S. SDOs. Updated weekly.

5. International Standards Under Development
Information on over 3,000 international standards projects in development by ISO. Updated monthly.

6. U.S. Government Standards Under Development
Information on approximately 4,000 Department of Defense standards projects. Updated weekly. Available via STAR Data search engine only.

Tennessee Supreme Court Adopts New Open Records Rule

The Tennessee Supreme Court adopted a new rule that creates written guidelines about when judges can seal certain court records. Settlement agreements and discovery materials are now presumed to be open records.

For more information, see New Supreme Court rules may affect lawyers' practice, City Paper (Nashville).

FreeEdgar RIP

You can remove Free Edgar from your Favorites list.  The service has been discontinued.  Here's the notice published on Free Edgar's front page:

Since 1995, FreeEDGAR has provided millions of SEC filings to individual investors, professionals, students and journalists. As a service of EDGAR Online, Inc., FreeEDGAR's basic functionality allowed our visitors to experience the power of our premium services including EDGAR Online Pro.

As we have expanded the functionality in our EDGAR Online Pro product significantly over the last year we are no longer continuing to support the FreeEDGAR website.

Not in My Lifetime: AACR3

David posts the following on his Catalogablog:

AACR3: Resource Description and Access Part I. Description Background to the December 2004 Draft (a four page overview of what's coming) is available .

Coming to you perhaps, but not in my lifetime.

Electronic Discovery Law Blog

Check out  Preston Gates' Electronic Discovery Law blog.

The blog features a resources page  that includes links to hard to find state e-discovery rules.

Database. You can use the site's E-discorvery law case database to search hundreds of cases collected from state and federal courts involving electronic discovery issues by keyword, or by any one of 19 different attributes, including backup tapes, cost-shifting, privilege concerns, etc.

Submitted by Ron Jones, U Cincinnati Law Library.

Brookings Institution Press Warehouse Clearance Sale

Missing a few Brookings Institution publications? Check out  the Institution's Press warehouse clearance sale (online sales only) going on right now.

List of Sales Items

For more informations, visit the Bookstore.

Judge Orders School District to Remove Evolution Stickers From Textbooks

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the San Francisco Chronicle and other news sources are reporting that a Federal Judge in Atlanta has ordered the Cobb County school system to remove stickers from text books which indicate that evolution is a theory rather than factual Judge Clarence Cooper said that by doing so, the school system is impermissibly endorsing a religious doctrine in violation of the Establishment Clause.

As Judge Cooper stated:

"Adopted by the school board, funded by the money of taxpayers, and inserted by school personnel, the sticker conveys an impermissible message of endorsement and tells some citizens that they are political outsiders while telling others they are political insiders,"

The news reports on the AJC website (subscription required) and on SFGate.com

The Opinion (pdf)

Mark Giangrande (DePaul Law Library)

ASC - Looking for Student Bloggers

The American Constitution Society is conducting a writing contest to identity bloggers for their new ACSBlog. Entries are due by January 31, 2005.

Here's the Society's announcement:

ACSBlog, is seeking to hire up to five law student volunteers as Editors-at-Large to publish biweekly analytical columns on the official blog of the American Constitution Society. New columnists will be selected based on a writing contest to be judged by the blog's current editorial team. Any current law student may enter; 1Ls are especially encouraged to apply.

Writing Contest for ACSBlog

Entries should be between 250-750 words in length, and should focus upon a legal issue of national significance or interest. Additionally, entries should adhere to the following guidelines:

Writing Contest Guidelines

ACS is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) educational organization. We do not lobby, litigate, or take positions on specific legal or public policy initiatives, cases, legislation, or nominations. Accordingly, entries should provide rigorous analysis rather than editorializing or presenting statements of opinion. In general, both sides of an issue should be fairly presented, although authors enjoy discretion as to which arguments are worthy of greatest emphasis. Opinions, including controversial and strongly stated opinions, voiced by reputable sources, may and should be quoted, with full attribution provided.

Entries should be professional in tone and avoid ad hominem attacks. We emphasize brevity, good writing and accessibility for a readership that includes lawyers, law students and general readership interested in law and public policy issues. Appropriate uses of humor are encouraged, but must be genuinely funny.

Quotations, third-party opinions, cases and statements of controversial legal or political theories should be cited. While Bluebooking is acceptable for materials unavailable online, the preferred method of citation is a hyperlink to the original source.

Submissions will be judged based on relevance, clarity and entertainment value. Please avoid editorializing and statements of personal opinion. For writing samples, previously published columns are available at www.acsblog.org.

Entries should be submitted to Ian Millhiser, Editor-in-Chief at ian@acslaw.org by January 31st. In addition, please include your name, phone number, the name of your law school, your expected date of graduation and a copy of your resume. The top ten entries will be published on ACSBlog, and between 3-5 entrants will be invited to join the blog staff as Editors-at-Large.

In the event ACSBlog chooses to publish a particular submission, entrant grants the American Constitution Society first North American publication rights to their submission as consideration for ACS' effort in reading submissions.

The Internet Archive

One of the more fascinating online collections I’ve come across on the web is at Archive.org casually known as the Internet Archive.  The site's self-described goal is to create a "digital library of Internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. Like a paper library, we provide free access to researchers, historians, scholars, and the general public." 

Contained in the archive are snapshots of web sites created and archived between 1996 and the present.  These are accessible through the Wayback Machine (named for the device used by Mr. Peabody and Sherman to visit cartoon times past) by entering a URL.  Researchers should find this useful to find documents and other materials once available, but no longer, on the impermanent web.  There are at least 10 billion pages of material available for searching.  I’ve used this feature to verify the existence and content of more than one web site as part of research projects.  While not a day-to-day view of any one site, most of the pages and links it contains are searchable to varying degrees.   The Wayback Machine prominently appears on the Internet Archive main page.

The Internet Archive also features various collections of art, music, and film.  While at the site, check out the Prelinger Archive Collection of ephemeral films.  With approximately 2100 titles, a visitor can select from a vast array of government, educational, industrial films, and others, to view or download.  Those interested in law and culture will find the site invaluable.  There are, for example, films produced in 1943 and 1944 by the United States government defending the internment of Japanese citizens ("A Challenge to Democracy," and "Japanese Relocation").  These sit side by side with the often-parodied “Duck and Cover” civil defense film from 1951.

For those looking for a diversion, many of the social control films from high school are there as well.  While browsing, look for a film called "The Librarian," which shows the work of different library personnel, at least as it existed in 1947.  Every librarian stereotype is portrayed in the 10-minute film, along with some of the most condescending narration imaginable.  (“Do you like books?  Do you like people?  Young people?  Old People?  Then you may have the makings of a librarian.”)

Much of the collection is in the public domain, and the site encourages the downloading and reuse of material in its collection.

Mark Giangrande (DePaul Law Library)

A Quick Look at the Chilling Effects Clearinghouse

The Chilling Effects Clearinghouse offers background material and explanations about the intersection of free speech and intellectual property. It is targeted at "people whose websites deal with topics such as Fan Fiction, Copyright, Domain Names and Trademarks, Anonymous Speech, and Defamation."

The purpose:

"Chilling Effects aims to help you understand the protections that the First Amendment and intellectual property laws give to your online activities. We are excited about the new opportunities the Internet offers individuals to express their views, parody politicians, celebrate their favorite movie stars, or criticize businesses. But we've noticed that not everyone feels the same way. Anecdotal evidence suggests that some individuals and corporations are using intellectual property and other laws to silence other online users. Chilling Effects encourages respect for intellectual property law, while frowning on its misuse to "chill" legitimate activity."

Cease and Desist Notice Database. What law librarians may find interesting as a research tool is the site's searchable database of Cease and Desist notices sent to Internet users. The database currently has about 290 notices submitted by notice recipients. Each notice is annotated with questions and answers by clinical law students.

What does a cease and dissent notice sound like? Check out this one issued by Associated Press challenging the posting of AP articles.

"AP demands that you remove any and all AP content from your Internet site, including any archives, as well as from any site that mirrors or caches your site, that you cease and desist all use of AP copy -- whether verbatim or rewritten -- as well as all use of the facts contained in AP material, and that you confirm for me that you have done so within fifteen days from the date of this letter."

Current Awareness. The site maintains an RSS feed which provides links to notices recently added to the database.

Conceived and developed at the Berkman Center for Internet & Society, Chilling Effects is a joint project of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and clinics at Harvard Law School's Berkman Center, Stanford Law School's Center for Internet & Society, Boalt Hall's Samuelson Law, Technology and Public Policy Clinic, University of San Francisco, University of Maine, and George Washington University School of Law.

MSDS Make an Impression on RUSA

Machine-Assisted Reference Section (MARS) of the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) of the American Library Association (ALA) recently announced its choices for the best reference websites of 2004. Sites using Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) must have made an impression of the evaluators because two of the chosen sites featured MSDS data.

Household Products Database ("This is a valuable resource for both consumers and scientists who need to quickly find contents, health effects, or safe handling instructions for common household products."). Being inexperienced in this area, I found the evaluation's mention of TOXNET to be more valuable to me than the Household Products Database.

Where to find MSDS on the Internet ("Provides descriptions of and links to over 100 free MSDS collections available on the Internet. The sites are divided into general, government and nonprofit agencies, chemical manufacturers and suppliers, pesticides, and miscellaneous sites. The site also includes an MSDS FAQ, and a glossary of common MSDS terms.") The page linking to OSHA Regulations, Official Inspection Guidelines, and over 300 OSHA Interpretation Letters on the Hazard Communication Standard. may be of some use but I wish the editors cited to the Federal Register instead of merely stating the date that any give page was last updated. Which date?

European Parliament Endorses EU Constitution

This afternoon JURIST reported that "the European Parliament [official website] Wednesday overwhelmingly endorsed the first proposed EU constitution [official European Convention website; PDF text]. "

Here's the European Parliament press release on the vote. 

More details on JURIST.

Today's Federal Register

Federal Register
Vol. 70, No. 8
Wednesday, January 12, 2005

Agricultural Marketing Service
RULES
Cranberries not subject to cranberry marketing order; data collection and reporting and recordkeeping requirements,
1995–2001 [05–582]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
PROPOSED RULES
Cotton research and promotion order:
	Cotton Board Rules and Regulations; amendments,
	2034–2053 [05–475]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
Fluid Milk Promotion Program:
	National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board; membership; amendments,
	2032–2034 [05–580]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
Spearmint oil produced in—
	Far West,
	2027–2032 [05–581]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
NOTICES
Meetings:
	Tobacco Inspection Services National Advisory Committee,
	2109 [05–578]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
Agriculture Department
See  Agricultural Marketing Service
See  Food and Nutrition Service
See  Forest Service
See  Rural Business-Cooperative Service
Air Force Department
NOTICES
Environmental statements; notice of intent:
	Realistic Bomber Training Initiative,
	2129 [05–616]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
Census Bureau
PROPOSED RULES
Foreign trade statistics:
	Automated Export System; rough diamonds; mandatory filing for exports (reexports),
	2072–2074 [05–597]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
NOTICES
Agency information collection activities; proposals, submissions, and approvals,
2111–2112 [05–564]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
2112–2113 [05–566]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
Coast Guard
RULES
Ports and waterways safety:
	Hempsted, NY; Sloop Channnel; Wantagh Parkway 3 Bridge; safety zone,
	2017–2019 [05–535]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	Puget Sound, WA, Captain of Port Zone; security zones; correction,
	2019 [05–546]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	San Diego Bay, CA; security zone,
	2019–2022 [05–547]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
NOTICES
Committees; establishment, renewal, termination, etc.:
	Prince William Sound Regional Citizens’ Advisory Council,
	2181–2182 [05–534]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
Commerce Department
See  Census Bureau
See  Industry and Security Bureau
See  International Trade Administration
See  National Institute of Standards and Technology
See  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
See  National Telecommunications and Information Administration
Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements
NOTICES
Cotton, wool, and man-made textiles:
	Cambodia,
	2128–2129 [05–720]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
Defense Department
See  Air Force Department
Education Department
NOTICES
Agency information collection activities; proposals, submissions, and approvals,
2129–2130 [E5–86]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
2130 [E5–87]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
Grants and cooperative agreements; availability, etc.:
	College Assistance Migrant Program,
	2130–2133 [05–633]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	High School Equivalency Program,
	2133–2136 [05–634]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
Energy Department
See  Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Environmental Protection Agency
PROPOSED RULES
Air quality implementation plans; approval and promulgation; various States:
	District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia,
	2085–2101 [05–617]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
Radiation protection programs:
	Transuranic radioactive waste for disposal at Waste Isolation Pilot Plant; waste characterization program documents availability—
		Hanford Central Characterization Project,
		2101–2105 [05–618]	[TEXT]  [PDF]
NOTICES
Air pollution control; new motor vehicles and engines:
	California marine spark ignition and off-road large spark ignition engine regulations; enforcement; public hearing and comment request,
	2151–2154 [05–628]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
Confidential business information and data transfer,
2154–2155 [05–621]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
2155–2156 [05–622]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
Meetings:
	National Pollution Prevention and Toxics Advisory Committee,
	2156–2157 [05–623]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	Science Advisory Board,
	2157–2158 [05–501]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
Pesticide programs:
	Risk assessments—
		2,4-Diclorophenoxyacetic acid,
		2158–2160 [05–505]	[TEXT]  [PDF]
Pesticides; experimental use permits, etc.:
	Monsanto Co.,
	2160–2162 [05–506]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
Toxic and hazardous substances control:
	Chemical substances release and detection in environmental media; substantial risk reporting; policy clarification and guidance; correction,
	2162–2164 [05–620]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
Farm Credit Administration
NOTICES
Meetings; Sunshine Act,
2164 [05–684]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
Federal Aviation Administration
RULES
Airworthiness standards:
	Special condtions—
		Learjet Model 35, 35A, 36, and 36A airplanes,
		2009–2011 [05–557]	[TEXT]  [PDF]
	Transport category rotorcraft—
		Flight and navigation instruments; correction,
		2011–2012 [05–553]	[TEXT]  [PDF]
PROPOSED RULES
Airworthiness directives:
	Airbus,
	2067–2070 [05–612]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	Boeing,
	2060–2062 [05–537]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	2064–2066 [05–614]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	Eagle Aircraft (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.,
	2070–2072 [05–606]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica S.A. (EMBRAER),
	2057–2060 [05–539]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	McDonnell Douglas,
	2062–2064 [05–615]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
		Withdrawn,
		2066–2067 [05–613]	[TEXT]  [PDF]
NOTICES
Aeronautical land-use assurance; waivers:
	San Bernardino International Airport, CA,
	2205–2206 [05–556]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
Airport noise compatibility program:
	Noise exposure maps—
		King County International Airport, WA,
		2206–2207 [05–555]	[TEXT]  [PDF]
Exemption petitions; summary and disposition,
2207 [05–551]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
2207–2208 [05–552]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
2208 [05–554]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
Meetings:
	RTCA, Inc.,
	2208–2209 [05–558]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
Federal Communications Commission
NOTICES
Television broadcasting:
	DTV and analog TV requests for allotment or service area changes; filing freeze,
	2164–2165 [05–467]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
NOTICES
Electric rate and corporate regulation filings,
2147–2149 [E5–83]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
Environmental statements; availability, etc.:
	PPL Holtwood, LLC,
	2149 [E5–112]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
Hydroelectric applications,
2149–2150 [E5–99]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
Meetings:
	California Independent System Operator Corp.; technical conference,
	2150 [E5–94]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	Centerpoint Energy Gas Transmission; site visit,
	2150 [E5–114]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	Enbridge Pipelines (KPC); technical conference,
	2150–2151 [E5–103]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	Georgia Power Co.; dispute resolution panel and technical conference,
	2151 [E5–102]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
Applications, hearings, determinations, etc.:
	AEP Power Marketing, Inc., et al.,
	2136 [E5–85]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	Calpine Bethpage 3, LLC,
	2136 [E5–110]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	Columbia Gas Transmission Corp.,
	2136–2137 [E5–78]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	Crossroads Pipeline Co.,
	2137 [E5–79]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	Eastern Shore Natural Gas Co.,
	2137–2138 [E5–104]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	Great Lakes Gas Transmission LP,
	2138 [E5–81]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	Mankato Energy Center, LLC,
	2138–2139 [E5–108]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	MeadWestvaco Energy Services, L.L.C.,
	2139 [E5–107]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	Midwestern Gas Transmission Co.,
	2139 [E5–77]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	Mosinee Paper Corp.,
	2140 [E5–100]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	National Fuel Gas Supply Corp.,
	2140 [E5–76]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	New England Power Pool et al.,
	2140–2141 [E5–109]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	Northwest Pipeline Corp.,
	2141 [E5–80]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	2141 [E5–82]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	Oakdale Irrigation District, CA,
	2141–2142 [E5–95]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	2142 [E5–96]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	Pacific Gas and Electric Co.,
	2142–2143 [E5–97]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	2143 [E5–98]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	Portland General Electric Co.,
	2143–2144 [E5–101]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	Public Utility District No. 1 of Douglas County , WA,
	2144 [E5–84]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	Questar Pipeline Co.,
	2144–2145 [E5–105]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	Rendezvous Gas Services, L.L.C.,
	2145 [E5–106]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline, Inc.,
	2145–2146 [E5–113]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co.,
	2146 [E5–93]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	Texas Eastern Transmission, LP,
	2147 [E5–92]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	Walden Energy, L.L.C.,
	2147 [E5–111]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
Federal Maritime Commission
NOTICES
Agreements filed, etc.,
2165–2166 [05–574]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
2166 [05–647]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
Ocean transportation intermediary licenses:
	1st Class International, Inc., et al.,
	2166 [05–643]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	Confianca Cargo & Logistics, LLC, et al.,
	2166–2167 [05–646]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	MIF et al.,
	2167 [05–645]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	Tomcar Investment USA, Inc., et al.,
	2167 [05–644]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
NOTICES
Agency information collection activities; proposals, submissions, and approvals,
2209 [05–559]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
2210 [05–560]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
Federal Railroad Administration
PROPOSED RULES
Railroad safety:
	Locomotive crashworthiness,
	2105 [05–570]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
NOTICES
Traffic control systems; discontinuance or modification:
	CSX Transportation, Inc.,
	2210–2211 [05–571]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
Federal Reserve System
NOTICES
Meetings; Sunshine Act,
2167–2168 [05–703]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board
NOTICES
Meetings; Sunshine Act,
2168 [05–721]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
Federal Trade Commission
PROPOSED RULES
Regulatory review:
	Children's online privacy protection; and viewable pictures shown by television receiving sets, deceptive advertising as to size; economic impact, etc.,
	2074–2075 [05–593]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
NOTICES
Premerger notification waiting periods; early terminations,
2168–2174 [05–594]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
Fish and Wildlife Service
PROPOSED RULES
Endangered and threatened species:
	Findings on petitions, etc.—
		Greater sage-grouse,
		2243–2282 [05–583]	[TEXT]  [PDF]
NOTICES
Endangered and threatened species:
	Incidental take permits—
		Brevard County, FL; Florida scrub-jay,
		2184–2186 [05–611]	[TEXT]  [PDF]
		Clatsop County, OR; Oregon silverspot butterfly,
		2183–2184 [05–605]	[TEXT]  [PDF]
Endangered and threatened species and marine mammal permit applications,
2182–2183 [05–541]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
Marine mammal permit applications,
2186 [05–542]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
Food and Drug Administration
NOTICES
Agency information collection activities; proposals, submissions, and approvals,
2174–2175 [05–659]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
Food and Nutrition Service
NOTICES
Agency information collection activities; proposals, submissions, and approvals,
2109–2110 [05–562]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
Forest Service
NOTICES
Meetings:
	Resource Advisory Committees—
		Ravalli County,
		2110 [05–608]	[TEXT]  [PDF]
General Services Administration
RULES
Federal Management Regulation:
	Consumer Price Index; minimal value increase for reporting foreign gifts,
	2317–2318 [05–596]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
Health and Human Services Department
See  Food and Drug Administration
See  National Institutes of Health
See  Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Homeland Security Department
See  Coast Guard
Housing and Urban Development Department
NOTICES
Regulatory waiver requests; quarterly listing,
2217–2242 [05–495]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
Industry and Security Bureau
NOTICES
Agency information collection activities; proposals, submissions, and approvals,
2113–2114 [05–565]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
2114 [05–567]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
2114–2115 [05–568]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
2115 [05–569]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
Interior Department
See  Fish and Wildlife Service
Internal Revenue Service
RULES
Procedure and administration:
	Corporate income tax returns and organizations filing returns under section 6033; magnetic media requirement,
	2012–2016 [05–649]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
PROPOSED RULES
Procedure and administration:
	Corporate income tax returns and organizations filing returns under section 6033; magnetic media requirement; cross-reference; public hearing,
	2075–2076 [05–648]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	Written contracts or agreements for acquisition of property and services for tax administration purposes; returns and return information disclosure,
	2076–2080 [05–636]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
NOTICES
Agency information collection activities; proposals, submissions, and approvals,
2213 [05–637]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
Meetings:
	Taxpayer Advocacy Panels,
	2213–2214 [05–638]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	2214 [05–639]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	2214 [05–640]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	2214–2215 [05–641]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
International Trade Administration
NOTICES
Antidumping:
	Cased pencils from—
		China,
		2115–2121 [05–604]	[TEXT]  [PDF]
Export trade certificates of review,
2121–2122 [E5–88]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
Meetings:
	Norwegian Offshore Opportunities Forum,
	2122 [E5–71]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
Justice Department
NOTICES
Pollution control; consent judgments:
	Weyerhaeuser Co.,
	2186 [05–642]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
RULES
Acquisition regulations:
	Final scientific and technical reports clause; alternate III use in small business innovation research and technology transfer contracts,
	2022 [05–530]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
National Archives and Records Administration
NOTICES
Agency records schedules; availability,
2186–2188 [05–575]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
RULES
Motor vehicle safety standards:
	Defect and noncompliance—
		Early warning and customer satisfaction campaign documentation; reporting requirements; correction,
		2022–2023 [05–532]	[TEXT]  [PDF]
PROPOSED RULES
Motor vehicle safety standards:
	Side impact protection—
		Phase-in reporting requirements,
		2105–2108 [05–548]	[TEXT]  [PDF]
NOTICES
Agency information collection activities; proposals, submissions, and approvals,
2211 [05–549]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
2211–2212 [05–550]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
National Institute of Standards and Technology
NOTICES
Information processing standard; Federal:
	Cryptographic modules; security requirements,
	2122–2123 [05–545]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
Inventions, Government-owned; availability for licensing,
2123 [05–544]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
National Institutes of Health
NOTICES
Agency information collection activities; proposals, submissions, and approvals,
2175–2177 [05–587]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
Meetings:
	Clinical Research Advisory Board,
	2177 [05–632]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	National Cancer Institute,
	2177 [05–584]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute,
	2178 [05–631]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	National Institute of Child Health and Human Development,
	2178 [05–586]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases,
	2179 [05–630]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	National Institute of Mental Health,
	2178 [05–585]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	National Institute on Aging,
	2178–2179 [05–629]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RULES
Fishery conservation and management:
	Northeastern United States fisheries—
		Atlantic surfclams, ocean quahogs, and Maine mahogany ocean quahogs,
		2023–2026 [05–626]	[TEXT]  [PDF]
PROPOSED RULES
Fishery conservation and management:
	Northeastern United States fisheries—
		Monkfish; correction,
		2108 [05–625]	[TEXT]  [PDF]
NOTICES
Marine mammals:
	Incidental taking; authorization letters, etc.—
		California Transportation Department, San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, CA; east span construction; California sea lions, etc.,
		2123–2127 [05–624]	[TEXT]  [PDF]
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
NOTICES
Agency information collection activities; proposals, submissions, and approvals,
2127–2128 [05–563]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
RULES
Byproduct material; domestic licensing:
	Portable gauges; security requirements,
	2001–2009 [05–590]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
PROPOSED RULES
Rulemaking petitions:
	Barbour, Donald A., Philotechnics,
	2053–2057 [05–589]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
NOTICES
Environmental statements; notice of intent:
	Carolina Power & Light Co.,
	2188–2189 [05–591]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board
NOTICES
Meetings:
	Yucca Mountain, NV,
	2190 [05–595]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
PROPOSED RULES
Electronic filing; annual and actuarial information; correction,
2080 [05–635]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
Personnel Management Office
NOTICES
Excepted service:
	Schedules A, B, and C; positions placed or revoked—
		Consolidated list,
		2283–2316 [05–533]	[TEXT]  [PDF]
Presidential Documents
PROCLAMATIONS
Armenia; normal trade relations (Proc. 7860),
2319–2322 [05–770]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
EXECUTIVE ORDERS
Committees; establishment, renewal, termination, etc:
		President's Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform establishment,
		2323–2324 [05–771]	[TEXT]  [PDF]
Rural Business-Cooperative Service
NOTICES
Agency information collection activities; proposals, submissions, and approvals,
2110–2111 [05–576]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
Securities and Exchange Commission
NOTICES
Self-regulatory organizations; proposed rule changes:
	American Stock Exchange LLC,
	2191–2193 [E5–66]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	2193–2194 [E5–74]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	2194–2196 [E5–90]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	Chicago Board Options Exchange, Inc.,
	2197–2200 [E5–67]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	2200–2201 [E5–72]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	2196–2197 [05–592]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	Fixed Income Clearing Corp.,
	2201–2202 [E5–68]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.,
	2202–2205 [E5–89]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
Applications, hearings, determinations, etc.:
	microHelix, Inc.,
	2190–2191 [E5–73]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
	Proctor & Gamble Co.,
	2191 [E5–70]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
State Department
NOTICES
Shrimp trawl fishing; sea turtle protection guidelines; certifications,
2205 [05–627]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
NOTICES
Agency information collection activities; proposals, submissions, and approvals,
2179–2181 [05–610]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
Surface Transportation Board
NOTICES
Rail carriers:
	Waybill data; release for use,
	2212 [05–598]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
Railroad operation, acquisition, construction, etc.:
	Union Pacific Railroad Co.,
	2213 [05–599]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
Textile Agreements Implementation Committee
See  Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements
Transportation Department
See  Federal Aviation Administration
See  Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
See  Federal Railroad Administration
See  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
See  Surface Transportation Board
Treasury Department
See  Internal Revenue Service
See  United States Mint
United States Mint
PROPOSED RULES
Operations and procedures:
	Misuse of words, letters, symbols, or emblems of United States; civil penalties assessment,
	2081–2085 [05–543]		[TEXT]  [PDF]
Separate Parts In This Issue
Part II
Housing and Urban Development Department,
2217–2242 [05–495]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
Part III
Interior Department, Fish and Wildlife Service,
2243–2282 [05–583]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
Part IV
Personnel Management Office,
2283–2316 [05–533]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
Part V
General Services Administration,
2317–2318 [05–596]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
Part VI
Presidential Documents,
2319–2322 [05–770]			[TEXT]  [PDF]
2323–2324 [05–771]			[TEXT]  [PDF]

Legislative Source Book Web Page

Rick McKinney from the LLSDC Listserv reports:

"The Law Librarians' Society of Washington, D.C., Inc. is pleased to announce the availability on its Legislative Source Book Web page of a new website entitled United States Statutes and the United States Code: Historical Outlines, Notes, Lists, Tables, and Sources

The Website contains four handouts (in PDF with enhancements) from a November 9, 2004, program sponsored by the Society's Legislative Research Special Interest Section, which detail the history and development of the U.S. Statutes at Large and the U.S. Code with explanatory notes, listing of content, discussion of U.S. Code notes, prima facie and positive law and other matters rarely found on the web. Also for the first time on the web are optically scanned PDF copies of the six tables of the United States Code, 2000 edition. Finally there are links, with notes on content, to most all the known electronic sources of the U.S. Statutes and the U.S. Code."

Ron Jones (U Cincinnati Law Library)

Teach-In Call for Contributions

Thanks to Mark Giangrande (DePaul Law Library) for this tip:

Source: AALL Academic Law Libraries SIS List Post

Do you have any legal instructional materials, guides, presentations, assignments, exams? Why not consider sharing them with your colleagues through the RIPS-SIS Teach-In Resource Kit or the ALL-SIS Legal Research Sourcebook.

ALL-SIS and RIP-SIS, two long-standing AALL special interest sections, have joined together to recruit submissions of legal research training and instructional materials. The RIPS sponsored National Legal Research Teach-In campaign has provided the popular Teach-In Resource Kit for many years as a print publication designed to support the instructional activities of law librarians. It is published annually in conjunction with National Library Week each April. And now ALL-SIS has established its ground-breaking Legal Research Sourcebook as an electronic database of any and all legal research instructional materials that AALL members wish to submit.

How can you play a part in this exciting new partnership? Get involved by sharing your comments, suggestions - and materials! Teach In/Sourcebook submissions are currently being accepted. You can contact or send submissions as email attachments to any of the people listed below. Any document format that can be attached to email is acceptable.

We will accept most any instructional materials that you care to offer:

shows, basic instructional guides, examinations and guided quizzes, crossword puzzles and trivia quizzes. And we will recommend whether your materials are suitable for publication in the Teach-In Kit or the Sourcebook database - or both! So, you have the choice of contributing to both publications through a single submission process.

Both special interest sections will maintain these unique resources to provide the best legal research materials to AALL members. In order to solicit the widest range of submissions possible for both sources, RIPS and ALL-SIS decided to partner in their public relations efforts. Now your legal research materials can go the extra mile by supporting two resources at the same time!

We welcome your ideas and suggestions and encourage you to contact us to discuss your contributions to or comments about this exciting new partnership.

Send TEACH IN/SOURCEBOOK submissions to:

Gail Partin
Chair, RIPS-SIS Teach-In Committee
Penn State Dickinson School of Law
Gap6@psu.edu

Jennifer Murray
Chair, ALL-SIS Legal Research Sourcebook Committee
Greenberg Traurig
Phoenix, AZ
MurrayJ@gtlaw.com

Mary Ann Neary
Boston College Law School
nearyma@bc.edu

For more information, see:
National Legal Research Teach-In campaign web page:
ALL-SIS Legal Research Sourcebook web page:
Help is on the Way, 9 AALL Spectrum 18 (December 2004)

SCOTUS Rules of Sentencing Guidelines

Booker and Fanfan Opinions (pdf)

Note: Congratulatons to Professor A. Douglas Berman (OSU) -- his Sentencing Law and Policy Blog, a member of the Law Professor Blogs Network , was cited on page 63, footnote 4. Check his blog (frequently) for his analysis of the Booker and Fanfan opinions.

Live Webcast Featuring Justices Scalia & Breyer on Thursday

A Conversation on the Relevance of Foreign Law
for American Constitutional Adjudication with
U.S. Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia & Stephen Breyer

Co-sponsored by the U.S. Association of Constitutional Law
Thursday, January 13, 2005
4:00 pm - 5:30 pm
American University, Washington College of Law

Live Webcast (follow the above link)

From the event announcement:

WCL is honored to welcome Justices Scalia and Breyer to discuss "The Relevance of Foreign Law for American Constitutional Adjudication," which will address such topics as using foreign court precedent in deciding U.S. constitutional cases and whether the U.S. should take into account shifting world standards on social and moral issues such as the death penalty. The discussion will be moderated by NYU Law Professor Norman Dorsen.

CRS Reports - Tracking Down Free Copies of a Government Agency's Product

The Congressional Research Service's expertise and impartiality makes their reports very valuable to reference librarians. Penny Hill Press "offers same-day delivery of all publications of the Congressional Research Service (CRS), the 739-person, $91.7 million-per-year non-partisan "think tank" that works exclusively for Members and committees of the United States Congress." (emphasis added). (See also the Press' testimonial page for statements about the important contribution CRS reports make to legal research.) Penny Hill's charges are not exorbitant. Most publications cost a non-subscriber $29.95. Subscribers can purchase reports for only $7.95 and annual subscriptions only cost $299.

When I need same day delivery I'll gladly pay Penny Hill Press but why CRS reports are not readily (if not speedily) accessible at no expense is beyond me. After all, taxpayers pay $91.7 million a year for the Congressional Research Service

.

I think the Project on Government Oversight makes a strong case for giving taxpayers easy and free access to all CRS products but until that happens and before turning to Penny Hill Press, I search for free copies of CRS Reports as a matter of principle when I have time to stand by my principles.

Where to start:

Cheryl Nyberg's (Reference Librarian, Gallagher Law Library, Univ of Washington) Guide to Congressional Research Service Reports is the best and most current guide I know of so that's where I start.

There are two noteworthy repositories of CRS products. The Memory Hole has copies of several hundred reports that were once made available by three congressmen via their websites. Here's the story and the list of reports the Memory Hole grabbed from the ether.

As for recent reports, Steven Aftergood expends a good deal of effort and time tracking them down for the Federation of American Scientists' Project on Government Secrecy. He regularly publishes his finds in Secrecy News.

Here is a list of new or newly updated free CRS docs. This list is my compilation of several lists published in the December 2004 issues and the January 5, 2005 issue of Secrecy News.

Recent Congressional Research Service Reports (pdf files)

"Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004: 'Lone Wolf' Amendment to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act," December 29, 2004.

"Intelligence Community Reorganization: Potential Effects on DOD Intelligence Agencies," updated December 21, 2004.

"Terrorism and National Security: Issues and Trends," updated December 21, 2004.

"Border and Transportation Security: Overview of Congressional Issues," December 17, 2004.

"Nuclear Weapons: Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty," updated December 17, 2004.

"Intelligence Issues for Congress," updated December 9, 2004.

"U.S. Arms Sales: Agreements with and Deliveries to Major Clients, 1996-2003," December 8, 2004.

"U.S.-China Counter-Terrorism Cooperation: Issues for U.S. Policy," December 7, 2004.

"Port and Maritime Security: Potential for Terrorist Nuclear Attack Using Oil Tankers," December 7, 2004.

"Intelligence Community Reorganization: Potential Effects on DOD Intelligence Agencies," updated December 6, 2004.

"The National Intelligence Director and Intelligence Analysis," updated December 3, 2004.

"Terrorism: Background on Chemical, Biological, and Toxin Weapons and Options for Lessening Their Impact," updated December 1, 2004.

"Homeland Security Advisory System: Possible Issues for Congressional Oversight," updated November 12, 2004.

"Emergency Communications: The Emergency Alert System (EAS) and All-Hazard Warnings," updated November 12, 2004.

"Potential Military Use of Airships and Aerostats," updated November 11, 2004.

"Nuclear Testing and Comprehensive Test Ban: Chronology Starting September 1992," updated November 9, 2004.

"Continuity of Operations (COOP) in the Executive Branch: Background and Issues for Congress," updated November 8, 2004.

"Scientific Research and the Experimental Use Privilege in Patent Law," October 28, 2004.

"POWs and MIAs: Status and Accounting Issues," updated October 13, 2004.

More about Secrecy News. Secrecy News is a email publication of the Federation of American Scientists' Project on Government Secrecy. It is written by Steven Aftergood and it provides informal coverage of new developments in secrecy, security and intelligence policies, as well as links to new acquisitions on the FAS website. It is published 2 to 3 times a week, or as events warrant. The FAS website includes an archives of past issues.

Law Reviews - What's Quality Got to Do With It

Orin Kerr over at The Volokh Conspiracy reports that the editors of Harvard Law Review want your opinion about what law reviews can do to improve. Law profs only, please.

Link to the survey.

I think I'm much more interested in reading Dexter Samida's The Value of Law Review Membership, ___ U. Chi. L. R. ___ (forthcoming) than I am in seeing the survey results.