Law Librarian Blog

The Uncyclopedia

Those that hate Wikipedia (well, even for those that like it) will get a kick out of Uncyclopedia:

"Upon first coming here, some people have the impression that this is not a "serious" website. Their brains then take them on a magical journey which leads them to think that anything goes here. This is simply not the case. We pride ourselves in humor that can be understood and appreciated by most people, or at least a very large number of people. Jokes that only you or your friends understand are not acceptable content for the Uncyclopedia. We do take this site seriously as a parody, if you can wrap your head around that."

Ron Jones, Unv Cin Law Lib

Judge Dismisses Web Copyright Suit Against Law Firms

Two law firms that allegedly surreptitiously accessed an expert witness's password-protected Web site to show a judge that the witness violated a gag order cannot be held liable under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, ruled a federal judge who dismissed the suit. Read more about it at Law.com

Government Gazettes Online (GGO)

Another excellent resource from the University of Michigan’s Documents Center:

Government Gazettes, which are published by federal governments worldwide, are the means through which the government can communicate to officials and the general public. Although most countries publish a gazette, their regularity and content varies widely, which is noted in the description of each gazette. Gazettes are useful not only to monitor the actions of the government, but also as primary source documentation in research. This website attempts to list all online government gazettes and their characteristics to aid researchers. A description of the contents and coverage are included for each gazette.

Check it out.

Ron Jones, Unv Cin Law Lib

What Would Happen if All Nine Justices of the Supreme Court Were to be Killed at Once?

In Imagining a Doomsday Scenario for the Supreme Court, Tony Mauro contemplates this worst case sceanero.  Unlike the other two branches of government, Mauro notes that "there is no provision for quick replacement of Supreme Court justices."

New Edition of Imvinkelried's Evidentiary Foundations

Evidentiary Foundations, Sixth Edition by Edward J. Imwinkelried

Price: $87.00
Publisher: Matthew Bender
Format: 1 volume, hardbound
ISBN: 0820575143
©2005

Book Description:Imwinkelried’s Evidentiary Foundations has sold more than 125,000 copies in its publication life. This popular book covers all major evidentiary doctrines, providing for each doctrine:

• a brief description of the pertinent Federal Rules of Evidence and the most recent leading cases construing the Rules
• a list of foundational elements-the events and facts you need to lay a complete foundation
• an illustrative foundation showing how each question relates to a particular element of the foundation

The revised Sixth Edition features an analysis of statutory developments, notably the 2003 amendment to Federal Rule 608 and the proposed amendment to Rule 408. It also discusses significant new cases, and reviews relevant new technical developments, such as the ascendance of short tandem repeat(STR) DNA analysis. There is a new foundation for STR testimony.

Hurricanes Katrina & Rita Web Archive

Internet Archive and many individual contributors created a comprehensive list of websites documenting the historic devastation and massive relief effort due to Hurricane Katrina. The sites were crawled between the dates of September 4 - October 17th. This collection, containing more than 25 million searchable documents, will be preserved by Internet Archive with access to historians, researchers, scholars and the general public.

Ron Jones, Unv Cin Law Lib

Editor's Note: While useful, the list is hopelessly incomplete and biased toward mainstream media outlets. The number of hurricane-related blogs and blog posts missing from this collection is a real disappointment. Without more comprehensive blog coverage, this archive will fail to reflect the blog community's effort to provide information, aid, and comfort. As someone who participated in getting the information out via blogging, as did many of my blog colleagues, I am very disappointed in this effort. JH

Antitrust Lawsuit Proceeding Against BAR/BRI

If you are among the hundreds of thousands of law school graduates who begrudgingly paid $1,000 + for a BAR/BRI course like me, take heart.  BAR/BRI (owned by Thomson) has been hit with an antitrust lawsuit alleging among other things that BAR/BRI operated an illegal monopoly and overcharged students.

Read the complaint (pdf) 

For more on this see the excellent article from last Sunday’s New York Times.

Lee Peoples, Oklahoma City University Law Library

Want to be a Law Librarian?

Here's the job outlook for librarians according to the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook:

Employment of librarians is expected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations over the 2002–12 period. However, job opportunities are expected to be very good because a large number of librarians are expected to retire in the coming decade, creating many job openings.

Still interested? If so (and, based on the above, why wouldn't you be), then get yourself over to the American Association of Law Library's Recruitment Committee website where you will find many resources and articles of interests for prospective law librarians.

Editor's Note: The above quote sure strikes close to home. The average age of the library staff at University of Cincinnati Law Library is 52! We start staff meetings with our "aches & pains" reports and proceed to adjust work schedules based on the need to cover for doctor appointments, out-patient procedures, surgeries and physical therapy sessions.

Will Fair Use Survive?

Are increasingly heavy assertions of control by copyright and trademark owners smothering fair use and free expression? In Will Fair Use Survive (pdf) Marjorie Heins and Tricia Beckles address that question. The report incorporates data from the Berkman-hosted Chilling Effects project and is a product of the Free Expression Policy Project at NYU's School of Law.

Ron Jones, University of Cincinnati Law Library

LexisNexis Resources for USA PATRIOT Act Section 326 Compliance

Under Section 326 of the USA PATRIOT Act, 31 USCS § 5318, financial institutions are required to verify the identity of people or businesses when opening an account, screen potential customers against government banned-entity lists, and maintain adequate records relating to identifying information. For an overview, see The Money Laundering Abatement and Anti-Terrorist Financing Act of 2001. 119 Banking LJ 1 (January 2002); Joint Final Rules for Section 316 (pdf)

Employing The Compliance Tools Required Under Section 326 is a free web seminar offered by LexisNexis. The seminar covers:

• The legal framework for Customer Identification Programs (“CIPs”) and the political environment in which these rules operate.
• Federal agency CIP guidance and examination procedures and how they impact the CIP compliance efforts of financial institutions.
• The interplay of CIP requirements and other BSA/AML rules.
• Understanding OFAC Nuts and Bolts.
• Risk-based assessments, "Red Flag" guidelines and other identity theft prevention initiatives.

The web seminar page also provides links to white papers and pertinent websites. All in all, this is a good starting point for anyone needing an introduction to the compliance issues under Section 326.

Hate Crime Statistics 2004

From the FBI:

"Published annually since 1992, Hate Crime Statistics is the byproduct of the joint effort between the FBI and the law enforcement agencies that identify and report hate crimes." This site chronicles thousands of "criminal incidents that law enforcement agencies reported -- as motivated by a bias against a race, religion, disability, ethnicity, or sexual orientation." From the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Ron Jones, Unv Cin Law Lib

Need Alibi? Have Website!

Perhaps you go to Las Vegas instead of, oh I don't know, let's say the AALL Annual Meeting. The Alibi Network will provide fake e-mail confirmations, a fake hotel reception desk to answer calls, and even doctored photographs for you. Fantastic!

Services provided by Alibi Network:

Alibi Network provides pretexts, excuses, cover stories, alibis, guises and concealment strategies, with related privacy, anonymity, and confidentiality services, tailored to any level of elaborateness for a variety of discreet situations, including: hiding extramarital affairs or illicit relationships; concealing romantic gift purchases, discreet hotel reservations and travel arrangements, package deliveries, romantic getaways etc. from spouses, partners, or other parties; fabricating excused absences for skipping work, school, social events, or other engagements and commitments - allowing you to conduct your private, personal activities free from the fear of exposure, humiliation, and social stigma.

There is an annual membership fee of $35. Fees for standard alibis vary between $10 and $55 per single alibi. Fees for customized alibis depend on their complexity. The Alibi Network.com has 1,600 clients.

Does the service "go all the way?" Nope. Alibi Network will not provide alibis for criminal activities. How will they know?

Opinions from Tampa Terror Cell Case

From the United States District Court, Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division:

Verdict form for Sami Amin Al-Arian
Verdict form for Sameeh Taja Hammoudeh
Verdict form for Ghassan Zayed Ballut
Verdict form for Hatem Naji Fariz

Ron Jones, Univ of Cincinnati Law Library

Washington Post sets up Congressional Votes Database

The Washington Post now offers a database that tallies congressional votes back to 1991.

From the Washington Post:

"This site is a deep database of every vote in the United States Congress since the 102nd Congress (1991). It lets you browse votes in a variety of ways -- both in aggregate and for individual members of Congress.

Browse the database by drilling down to a particular Congress (e.g. 109th Congress) or particular member (e.g. 109th Congress senators).

This site publishes an RSS feed of recent votes by each member of Congress, and a feed of the most recent votes in both chambers. See the RSS page for full details.

This site is generally updated every day, although there is a delay between a vote in Congress and its appearance on the official Congress Web sites."

Ron Jones, University of Cincinnati Law Library & Mark Giangrande, De Paul Law Library

Medicare’s Prescription Drug Coverage, A Guide to Resources for the Perplexed

Hopefully the resources listed below will get you started.

Statutes

Social Security Act

The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003

Regulations

Regulations, Generally

Regulations Updated, published this quarter

Regulations Updated, published last quarter

Federal Register

CFR (42 CFR 418)

Official Guides

SSA's Program Operations Manual System

Medicare’s Guide to Drug Benefit Plan

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Guide to Drug Benefit Plan

Other Guides & Information

Harvest resources from Elder Law Prof Blog

AARP’s Guide to Medicare’s Prescription Drug Coverage

Talking About Medicare and Health Coverage

Medicare Rights Center Drug Coverage Plan

Ron Jones, University of Cincinnati Law Library

Infolaw Legal Portal (UK) Changes Its Database To Free Browse Access

Infolaw,  “the longest-standing UK legal portal”, has opened up its entire Lawfinder database to free browse access. Lawfinder provides structured access to over 100,000 UK legal documents and resources, plus alerting and referencing tools. Read more about it at House of Butter.

Sean Hocking

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Sean Hocking, publisher of Practice Source, House Of Butter, and Law Librarian News, covers legal publishing and any other developments relating to law libraries in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, India, Singapore, Hong Kong, etc. Sean will be posting features about legal publishing and law libraries in commonwealth countries for Law Librarian Blog.

West Excellence in Law Librarianship Scholarships, Application Period Now Open!

The West Excellence in Law Librarianship Scholarships program encourages leadership and excellence within the profession.  West awards scholarships of $2,500 each year to several full-time students working toward graduate-level library science degrees with a demonstrated interest in law librarianship.  Law librarians pursuing library science, law or graduate-level technology or computer science degrees as continuing education within the profession are also eligible.

Applications are accepted between Dec. 1 and Feb. 28 for the following academic year. Once the application period ends, recipients are selected by an independent scholarship advisory board made up of practicing law librarians from private, academic, corporate, and government law libraries.  The awards are announced during National Library Week 2006.

Please visit the Librarian Relations Web site for full details and an application form.

Job Opening: Reference Librarian, Yale

Reference Librarian
Yale Law Library
Rank: Librarian I or II

THE UNIVERSITY AND THE LIBRARY

The University Library, which is a highly valued partner in teaching and research at the University, has more than 11 million volumes housed in the Sterling Memorial Library and 22 school and departmental libraries. It employs a dynamic, diverse and innovative staff of nearly 600 FTE who have the opportunity to work with the highest caliber of faculty and students, participate on committees, and are involved in other areas of staff development. A full spectrum of library resources, from rare books and manuscripts to a rapidly expanding network of electronic resources, constitutes one of Yale's distinctive strengths. The Library is engaged in numerous digital initiatives designed to provide access to a full array of scholarly information. For additional information on the Yale University Library, please visit the Library's Web site at: http://www.library.yale.edu/.

THE LAW LIBRARY AND THE UNIVERSITY

The Lillian Goldman law Library, with a collection of over one million volumes and volume equivalents, houses one of the world's finest collections of legal materials. The Law Library serves law faculty, students and staff at a research-oriented law school with a tradition of interdisciplinary scholarship, as well as researchers from other scholarly and legal communities.  This position is designed to introduce an ambitious, productive, and career-motivated librarian into the work environment of a highly regarded academic law library.

OVERVIEW OF RESPONSIBILITIES

Law Library Reference Librarians at the Yale Law Library are responsible for providing high-level, in-depth reference and research assistance in a dynamic and challenging environment. Reference librarians have the ability to function in a collegial, teamwork-oriented environment which emphasizes customer service and delivery of exemplary library reference and research services. Reference librarians are also expected to take part in library and campus planning committees and task forces, and to participate in campus, regional and national professional development activities. Among other responsibilities, the incumbent of this position will individually or in collaboration with other library staff:

- Provide general reference assistance, including participation in a Saturday rotation schedule
- Teach legal research
- Train faculty, staff, and students in the use of online databases and internet-based resources
- Identify, evaluate, and recommend purchase of new electronic and digital resources;
- Arrange trial periods for specific databases and other technology-based tools
- Create content for, develop and maintain the library's web site, and develop additional technology-based research tools.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required:

- M.L.S. from an ALA-accredited institution; J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school (significant applicable experience may substitute for one of the two degrees)
- Significant experience working with library-related electronic/digital resources
- Skilled in database and Internet searching
- Knowledge of current information technologies and publishing formats
- Thorough knowledge of traditional legal bibliography and legal research techniques as well as electronic and digital legal resources and formats
- Working knowledge of web design, current authoring languages, editing and authoring tools; experience with SQL databases
- Strong service orientation; excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Ability to work with diverse individuals at all levels of a complex organization
- Awareness of current trends in legal research and legal education

Preferred:

- Academic law library experience
- Familiarity with III integrated library system
- Teaching experience

SALARY AND BENEFITS

Rank and competitive salary will be based upon the successful candidate's qualifications and experience. Full benefits package including pro-rated 22 vacation days; 18 holiday, recess and personal days; comprehensive health care; TIAA/CREF or Yale retirement plan; and relocation assistance. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Applications consisting of a cover letter, resume, and the names of three references should be mailed to: Diane Y. Turner, Associate University Librarian for Human Resources, Staff Training & Security; Yale University Library; P.O. Box 208240, New Haven, CT 06520; fax: (203) 432-1806. Submissions via email are also welcomed and can be sent as a Word attachment to hrlibrary@yale.edu. 

Please be sure to include Source Code #LDTF14884 on any correspondence you send related to this position.

Yale University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer

Final Report on 9/11 Commission Recommendations

New from the University of Michigan Documents Center:

Report card on federal government's activities in implementing the original 9-11 Commission recommendations. Covers homeland security, foreign policy, and institutional reform. Released on December 5, 2005.

Ron Jones, Unv Cin Law Lib

AALL Election Results Announced

AAAL President Claire M. Germain has announced the results of the AALL election for 2006:

For Vice President/President-Elect (July 2006 - July 2007):
Ann T. Fessenden
 
For the Executive Board (July 2006 - July 2009):
Janice E. Henderson
Cornell H. Winston

Congratulations to all the candidates.

BTW This year 1,622 ballots were cast. That's 33% of total dues paying members.