Law Librarian Blog

The Papers of Justice Tom C. Clark

From the University of Texas at Austin:

These papers "contain a comprehensive record of Justice Clark's activities as a U.S. Supreme Court Justice, public servant, and advocate for improved judicial administration. ... [M]ost of it dates from Clark's appointment to the Supreme Court in 1949 until his death in 1977." This site features images of selected court documents relating to desegregation, school prayer, voting rights, Mexican American civil rights, and more.

Ron Jones, Unv Cin Law Lib

AALL/West Excellence in Marketing Award

The AALL/West Excellence in Marketing Awards honor outstanding achievements in public relations activities. These activities can be performed by an individual, a group of individuals, a library, a Chapter, an SIS, a Consortium, a Caucus, or any other group affiliated with the Association.

There are five categories for the AALL/West Excellence in Marketing Awards:

1. Best Brochure
2. Best Newsletter
3. Best Campaign
4. Best PR Tool Kit
5. Best Use of Technology

Entries must be postmarked by Feb. 11, 2006.

The application and guidelines are available via AALLNET or the PR Committee Website:

http://www.aallnet.org/about/award_eim.asp#application

http://www.aallnet.org/committee/pr/

EPA Turns 35 Today

Since created by President Nixon in 1970, EPA has been instrumental in creating a cleaner, healthier environment. Between 1970 and 2004, total emissions of the six major air pollutants dropped by 54 percent at the same time that the gross domestic product increased 187 percent, energy consumption increased 47 percent, and U.S. population grew by 40 percent.

For information about the history of EPA accomplishments, the origins of EPA and EPA's Strategic Plan, see EPA Commemorates its History and Celebrates its 35th Anniversary

Yale Law School Launches Website on How Children are Represented

On December 1, 2005, Yale Law School launched a new website, Representing Children Worldwide, which presents a global snapshot of legal provisions to guarantee children's right to express views freely in child protective proceedings. Representing Children Worldwide is the first comprehensive review of how children's voices are heard in child protective proceedings.

Representing Children Worldwide provides a summary of the practices of each of the 194 signatories to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child and the 56 jurisdictions within the U.S., as well as background information on each jurisdiction's child protective practices, and web resources and contact information for further research. The website uses an easy-to-navigate interface to guide web users to the listing for each jurisdiction. For many countries, the statutes are presented in their original language, as well as in English, to make them as useful as possible for advocates and researchers around the world.

Source: Press Release

UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Releases Recommendations to the Chinese Government

UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Mr. Manfred Nowak, after his recent 12-day visit to China has released his  "Recommendations to the Government of the PRC."

Federal Criminal Proceedings Against Mining Companies, 1979-2005

The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), a division of the Department of Labor, is in charge of enforcing federal safety and health laws and regulations in the nation’s mines. Mine operators can be charged criminally for violations, but only if a mine operator commits a violation in a willful or knowing manner, or flagrantly disregards the safety rules.

Once again, the good folks at the Memory Hole have obtained an othewise unavailable document. In this case, the Memory Hole has a detailed list of MSHA’s 242 prosecutions against mining companies from 1979 through part of 2005. The list has not been published on MSHA’s website.

AskSam's Alito Database

AskSam has created a database of SCOTUS nominee Samuel Alito's opinions The 350-plus opinions can be researched at http://www.asksam.com/ebooks/Judge_Alito/ Once again, AskSam is making a valuable legal resource available for free. BTW the Company's database app is a great product.

Nominate a Pioneer for EFF's 2006 Pioneer Awards!

From the Press Release: The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) established the Pioneer Awards to recognize leaders on the electronic frontier who are extending freedom and innovation in the realm of information technology. This is your opportunity to nominate a deserving individual or group to receive a Pioneer Award for 2006.

The International Pioneer Awards nominations are open both to individuals and organizations from any country. All nominations are reviewed by a panel of judges chosen for their knowledge of the technical, legal, and social issues associated with information technology.

This year's award ceremony will be held in Washington, D.C. in conjunction with the Computers, Freedom and Privacy conference (CFP), which takes place in early May.

How to Nominate Someone for a 2006 Pioneer Award:

You may send as many nominations as you wish, but please use one email per nomination. Please submit your entries via email to pioneer@eff.org. We will accept nominations until February 1, 2006.

Simply tell us:

1. The name of the nominee,

2. The phone number or email address or website by which the nominee can be reached, and, most importantly,

3. Why you feel the nominee deserves the award.

Nominee Criteria:

There are no specific categories for the EFF Pioneer Awards, but the following guidelines apply:

1. The nominees must have contributed substantially to the health, growth, accessibility, or freedom of computer-based communications.

2. To be valid, all nominations must contain your reason, however brief, for nominating the individual or organization and a means of contacting the nominee. In addition, while
anonymous nominations will be accepted, ideally we'd like to contact the nominating parties in case we need further information.

3. The contribution may be technical, social, economic, or cultural.

4. Nominations may be of individuals, systems, or organizations in the private or public sectors.

5. Nominations are open to all (other than current members of EFF's staff and board or this year's award judges), and you may nominate more than one recipient. You may also nominate yourself or your organization.

6. Persons or representatives of organizations receiving an EFF Pioneer Award will be invited to attend the ceremony at EFF's expense.

More on the EFF Pioneer Awards: http://www.eff.org/awards/pioneer/

Opening: Circulation Librarian, Jacksonville, FL

Florida Coastal School of Law
Circulation Librarian

Description: The Circulation Librarian is responsible for outstanding customer service by supervising all aspects of the Circulation Department and the related functions. The Circulation Librarian reports to the Head of Public Services.

Compensation: Salary is dependent on qualifications. Full benefits package. Jacksonville is a major metropolitan area of Northeast Florida. We have beautiful ocean beaches and a low cost of living.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Supervise and ensure smooth operation of the Circulation Desk area. Provide circulation and informational assistance to Library patrons. Resolve patron service complaints.
• Responsible for supervising, hiring, training, and evaluating Circulation Managers and Circulation Desk Assistants.
• Propose, implement and review departmental policies and procedures. Produce Circulation Desk documentation.
• Maintain LTC hours, including ensuring that the library is opened and closed on time and delegated tasks are completed. Some evening or weekend hours may be required.
• Develop electronic reserves including copyright compliance. Responsible for maintaining the patron database and circulation financial transactions. Compile and report statistics.
• Control and maintain LTC study room and library class room reservations.
• Responsible for the patron copy center.
• Participate in rotation at the Library’s Reference Desk, including some evenings and weekends.
• Participate in librarian collection development and liaison programs.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills/Qualifications:

• MLS or JD and a commitment to earn a MLS.
• Customer or public service experience.
• Knowledge of library environment and basic library operations.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Computer experience.
• Supervisory experience.
• Attention to detail.
• Flexibility, enthusiasm, and a positive attitude.

To Apply: We will consider applications immediately as we receive them however preference may be given to applications received before December 31. Send letter of application, resume, and the names, addresses and phone numbers of three references to Colleen Manning, Head of Public Services, Florida Coastal School of Law, 7565 Beach Blvd. Jacksonville, FL 32216. Electronic applications may be sent to cmanning@fcsl.edu.

Human Rights Watch Identifies Possible Ghost Detainees by Name

Human Rights Watch has just published a list of 26 "ghost detainees." Also from Human Rights Watch, the organization's briefing paper titled The United States' "Disappeared:" The CIA's Long-Term "Ghost Detainees" (October 2004)(pdf)

New Services vs. Patron Privacy

A November 20, 2005 article in the New York Times discusses new library services based on the data collection techniques of Amazon.com and others.  The North Carolina State University library will soon unveil a feature that allows patrons to set up personal webpages containing their favorite electronic library resources and alert services for their favorite databases and journals.  The article discusses the struggle between keeping patron information private and releasing new technologies driven by that private patron information.  A link to the article is available here:  http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/news/libraries.php?p=1807&more=1

Lee Peoples, Oklahoma City University Law Library

Members of Congress Request Investigation into Investment of Pension Money

The New York Times is reporting that Members of Congress George Miller (California-D) and Edward J. Markey (Massachusetts-D) are asking the GAO to investigate whether all pertinent federal agencies are policing the money managers who make investment decisions for pension plans. The request comes after the PBGC has taken over nearly 4,000 defunct pension plans in the last three years at a cost of $23 billion, including the high profile $10 billion United Airlines' pension plan.

Phishing Alert: IRS Warns of e-Mail Scam

Yesterday, the Internal Revenue Service issued a consumer alert about an Internet scam in which consumers receive an e-mail informing them of a tax refund. The bogus e-mail, which claims to come from "tax refunds@irs.gov," tells the recipient that he or she is eligible to receive a tax refund for a given amount. It then says that, to access a form for the tax refund, the recipient must use a link contained in the e-mail. The link then asks for the personal and financial information.

Click on image to view text of email.

Hat tip to TaxProf Blog for the tip.

New Titles from Ashgate

International Family Law
An Introduction
Barbara Stark

ISBN: 0 7546 2341 6
Publication Date: 11/2005
Number of Pages: 288 pages
$124.95/£65.00

International law has become part of everyday family law practice, as lawyers everywhere are confronted with questions regarding the rights of 'mail-order' brides, the adoption of children from other countries, the abduction of children by foreign parents, and domestic violence victims seeking asylum. Indeed, globalization is transforming family law, even as families themselves are being redefined. This book provides a practical overview of such issues and also examines the ways in which culture shapes family law in different countries. It provides students with a useful introduction to challenging, complicated and fascinating issues in international family law. Finally, by incorporating a comparative perspective, it gives readers an opportunity to re-examine their own legal systems.

Enforcing International Law
From Self-help to Self-contained Regimes
Math Noortmann

ISBN: 0 7546 2443 9
Publication Date: 10/2005
Number of Pages: 204 pages
$114.95/£60.00

Until recently, the fundamental link between two basic concepts in international law, namely the right to self-help and the obligation to settle disputes by peaceful means, has been neglected in doctrine and practice. The main issue is that international law traditionally recognizes the right of states to safeguard their own rights by resorting to countermeasures as well as the obligation to settle their disputes by accepted and recognized diplomatic and judicial procedures. Both concepts are based on their own merits, which are assumed to be valid in contemporary international law. It is the primary purpose of this study to determine which rules and principles govern the relationship between the two concepts.

The book's major findings arise from an analysis of scholarly work, supported by examples from five different case studies. Drawing insights from legal as well as political science, it will be a valuable resource for students, academics and policy makers in international law, international relations and related areas.

The Status of the Family in Law and Bioethics
The Genetic Context
Roy Gilbar

ISBN: 0 7546 4545 2
Publication Date: 11/2005
Number of Pages: 278 pages
$109.95/£57.50

Where do a doctor's responsibilities lie in communicating diagnostic and predictive genetic information to a patient's family members? On the one hand, a patient may wish to retain confidentiality while the relatives seek information; on the other, a patient may wish to share the information while the relatives would rather not know. This volume investigates the doctor's professional legal and ethical obligations in the context of these two familial tensions.

The examination is conducted within the liberal-communitarian debate, whereby the two philosophies hold different perceptions of the individual and the relationship he or she has with others. Within this theoretical framework, the book examines the approach taken by English medical law and ethics to the communication of genetic information to family members. Legally, the focus is on tort law and the law of confidentiality. Ethically, it concentrates on the approach taken by the bioethical literature, and more specifically by codes of ethics and professional guidelines.

Making Knowledge Visible
Communicating Knowledge Through Information Products
Elizabeth Orna

SBN: 0 566 08562 3
Publication Date: 08/2005
Number of Pages: 212 pages
$124.95/£65.00

This ground-breaking book opens up new territory for knowledge and information management.

The only way we can make what we know visible to other people is by putting it into Information Products - the products, in any medium, where users meet the information they need, and gain access to the knowledge of others.

Without them, little business would get done inside organizations or between them and the outside world. They are essential for the flow, exchange, application, and preservation of information and knowledge.

This is the first book to make the case for the proper recognition of information products by organizations. It shows how they should support business objectives and processes and be incorporated into information strategy and information architecture; illustrates the value they can both add and subtract; identifies the full range of stakeholders in them; and argues that a triple alliance of information management, information systems/IT, and information design is critical for successful information products.

GAO Report on Teacher Qualification Resources Under No Child Left Behind Act

No Child Left Behind Act: Improved Accessibility to Education's Information Could Help States Further Implement Teacher Qualification Requirements, GAO-06-25, November 21, 2005

Highlights | Full Report

Major Search Services Compared

Read all about it in As we may search – Comparison of major features of the Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar citation-based and citation-enhanced databases by Peter Jacso, 89 Current Science 1537

Hat tip to beSpacific.

Opening: Research Librarian, Univ of St. Thomas Law Library (Minneapolis)

The Schoenecker Law Library at the University of St. Thomas, located in the beautiful new School of Law building in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, seeks a Research Librarian to join a dedicated and experienced group of librarians and staff.  The Law Library and its staff were major factors in the School of Law’s recent number 1 quality of life ranking by the Princeton Review.  The Research Librarian is eligible for continuous appointment status, and will report to the Associate Director for Public Services.  The Public Services department includes two research librarians, a circulation supervisor, and two full time circulation assistants.

The Law Library staff includes 7 librarians and 7 paraprofessionals.  Our Research Librarians support the mission of the School of Law by providing outstanding teaching and research instruction to law students, as well as expert support for faculty scholarship and teaching.  They teach the legal research component of one or more sections of a nationally ranked lawyering skills program, share in teaching advanced legal research to upper level students, and participate in collection development activities.  Depending on departmental needs, the Research Librarian may also teach a substantial amount of computer assisted legal research, coordinate much of our relationship with the two major legal information vendors, and supervise several student research assistants.  Other duties will vary based on the successful candidate’s experience.

The mission of the University of St. Thomas School of Law includes the integration of faith and the Catholic intellectual tradition into the curriculum and life of the institution. The School of Law also features a nationally recognized mentor program and an interdisciplinary clinic combining law, social work and psychology in its work with clients.  The mission and these programs are discussed in detail on the School of Law web site at http://www.stthomas.edu/law/ .

The UST School of Law opened in 2001, was provisionally accredited in 2003 and graduated its first class in 2004. The school has raised an endowment of over $90 million. Our new building is connected via skyway to the Schulze School of Entrepreneurship, graduate programs in the College of Business, and graduate programs in education and psychology. The skyway also connects us to the federal and state courthouses, most of Minnesota's major law firms, and many business, governmental, and public interest organizations. 

Qualifications: MLS from an ALA-accredited institution; demonstrated teaching ability, strong oral and written communication skills, and the ability to work with a strong team of service-oriented professionals.  Significant law library experience and a JD from an ABA-accredited institution are preferred.

To apply, please submit a cover letter, resume or CV, and three references online at http://www.stthomas.edu/law/libraryandtech/search.asp  The web page will link you to our HR web site at cytiva.com, which is outside the UST domain.  All application materials must be combined into a single document in MS Word (.doc), Adobe (.pdf) or rich text (.rtf) format. Please refer to position #330116.

NSC's Iraq Plan Omits Casualty Projections

Here is the NSC's National Strategy for Victory in Iraq (pdf). Apparently at the strategic level of planning, one doesn't make casualty projections.

For those who want to cut to the chase, the Chicago Tribune has published a summary of the 35-page plan for Iraq. Here's a sample:

Victory Defined

• Short Term: An Iraq that is making steady progress in fighting terrorists, achieving political milestones, building democratic institutions, laying a foundation for a sound economy and training and equipping security forces.
• Medium Term: An Iraq that is taking the lead in defeating terrorists and providing its own security, has a constitutional government and is making economic gains.
• Longer Term: An Iraq that has defeated the terrorists and neutralized the insurgency, and has developed into a peaceful, united, stable and secure nation that is part of the international community and a partner in the war on terrorism.

Do we read "an Iraq" to mean with US troops on the ground or without?

Oregon Refuses to Pay Legal Fees of Law Prof Threatened with Lawsuit Over Law Review Article

TaxProf Blog is reporting on an interesting story in this morning's Inside Higher Ed: Twisting in the Wind.

Merle Weiner (Oregon) published Strengthening Article 20, 38 U.S.F. L. Rev. 701 (2004), which argues that Article 20 of the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction should be strengthened to offer more protection for domestic violence victims who flee transnationally with their children as part of their effort to escape from domestic violence.  The article made two brief references to a court dispute in one such case and one of the parties to that dispute threatened to sue.  Inside Higher Ed reports that Oregon refused to pay the legal fees of Prof. Weiner in defending against the threatened lawsuit...

More at TaxProf Blog

A Quick Look at Diplomacy Monitor

St. Thomas University School of Law (Miami) has set out to track Internet-based global diplomacy. The School's Diplomacy Monitor uses specially developed proprietary software to monitor the global output of communiqués, official statements, press briefings, position papers, interview transcripts and news releases from hundreds of diplomacy-related websites in near real-time and channel it into a synthesized information stream for scholars, diplomats, journalists, researchers, students and others interested in the interaction among nations.

In additional to using the site's search engine, the Diplomacy Monitor's documents can be accessed by the following channels:

• MAJOR INTERNET-PUBLISHED DOCUMENTS – An instant snapshot of the latest priority documents related to current major issues.
• ALL SUBSTANTIVE INTERNET-PUBLISHED DOCUMENTS – All substantive official documents detected that are related to diplomacy or international trade, displayed in order of their release on the Web.
• DIALOGUE – Newly issued documents related to the practice of diplomacy, including visits, meetings, conferences, diplomatic posts and telephonic interactions.
• HUMAN RIGHTS – Newly issued documents related to human rights.
• COMMERCE/TRADE – Newly issued documents related to commerce and international trade.
• INTERNET-PUBLISHED DOCUMENTS BY REGION – Documents categorized by region.
• INTERNET-PUBLISHED DOCUMENTS BY ISSUE – Documents categorized by current and standing major issues, as defined by the United Nations and news media globally. See http://diplomacymonitor.com/stu/dm.nsf/issue?OpenForm
• INTERNET-PUBLISHED DOCUMENTS BY NATION (SOURCE) – All substantive documents published on the Internet by entities of a specific nation.
• INTERNET-PUBLISHED DOCUMENTS BY NATION (AFFECTED) – All substantive documents published on the Internet by other nations and international organizations that have implications for a specific nation.
• NATION-TO-NATION INTERNET INTERACTION – An instant snapshot of all substantive Internet documents issued by two nations with implications for the other.
• NATION-TO-ISSUE – All substantive Internet-published documents issued by a specific nation involving a given topic or issue.

For additional information, see the site map

St. Thomas University School of Law (Miami) also publishes U.S. Law School News Brief. The News Brief tracks press releases published in law school websites. If you find humor in "law porn", the oftentimes outrageous steps law schools take to promote themselves (aka Sextonism), this is the site to visit (or just take the RSS feed).