Law Librarian Blog

Presidential Recordings

From WhiteHouseTapes.org:

"Between 1940 and 1973, six American presidents from both political parties secretly recorded just under 5,000 hours of conversations. This site is designed as a service to the research community by making freely available all of the presidential recordings, along with relevant research materials, so that scholars, teachers, students, and the public can hear and use these remarkable tapes for themselves.
    The site is hosted and maintained by the Presidential Recordings Program at the University of Virginia's Miller Center of Public Affairs."

Read more about it. 

Ron Jones, Univ of Cinn Law Library   

Federal Court Management Statistics For FY 2004

From the U.S. Courts Newsroom: Now Online: Federal Court Management Statistics For FY 2004

     New filings in the nation’s 94 federal district courts totaled 358,983 in fiscal year 2004, the 12-month period ending September 30, 2004. That is a 9.3 percent increase from the previous fiscal year.

     In the 12 regional courts of appeals, 62,762 appeals were filed in FY 2004, a 3.1 percent increase over the previous fiscal year.

     Those statistics and many more are now available online. Statistics include actions per judgeship and median times of duration from filing to disposition. Statistics for each district court and court of appeals are available as well.

Ron Jones, Univ Cin Law Library

Electronic Discovery Case Database

Preston Gates & Elli, LLP:

"Preston Gates & Ellis maintains and continually updates a database containing nearly 300 electronic discovery cases collected from state and federal jurisdictions around the United States. This database is searchable by keyword, as well as by any combination of 19 different case attributes, e.g., back-up tapes, allegations of spoliation, etc. Each search will produce a list of relevant cases, including a brief description of the nature and disposition of each case, the electronic evidence involved and a link to a more detailed case summary if available. " Go to the database.

Ron Jones, Univ of Cinn Law Library

Contribute RSS Links for Your Newspaper

Thanks to ResearchBuzz:

"Kevin Reynen and Jackie Rejfek have put together a site that lists over 1100 newspapers and 78 RSS feeds for those newspapers. The twist is they're asking the community to help them fill in the blanks."

Great idea. Why not contribute the RSS feed of your hometown newspaper.

New Web Services Standards

Late January W3C released three standards as recommendations: XOP (XML-binary Optimized Packaging), MTOM (Message Transformation Optimization Mechanism) and RRSHB (Resource Representation SOAP Header Block). and the OASIS (Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards) released the specifications for UDDI 3.0. eWeek does its usual great job introducing its readers to these developments. See ABCs of Four New Web Services Standards.

Michael Jackson Grand Jury Transcripts Online

For those interested in such matters, the Smoking Gun web site is publishing transcripts of the Michael Jackson grand jury proceedings.

Other legal filings in the case are also available at the site. I report this with mixed feelings, as even celebrities such as Michael Jackson should have the benefit of grand jury proceedings remaining secret as they contain unproven allegations, and are effectively one-sided views of the case.

One-sided views, well Fox viewers should love the grand jury transcriptions.

Mark Giangrande, De Paul Law Library

Your Website - Don't Get "Owned"

A security hole was found in Awstats, preceding version 6.3 which allows command execution on the system hosting the web server. This exploit is in active use, and information on the Internet indicates that a larger number of hosts are being probed for the Awstats package.

If you use Awstats to analyze your website's traffic, your site is venerable -- a hacker may decide to "own" it.

For more information: http://awstats.sourceforge.net/

Stange But (Maybe) True Laws

According to TJ's Dumb Laws page:

In Oxford, Ohio, it is unlawful for a woman to appear in public while unshaven. This includes legs and face.

Meanwhile in Michigan, a woman isn't allowed to get her hair cut without her husband's permission.

According to a law in China, you must be intelligent to go to college. Wait a minute, that's a pretty good law!

In North Carolina, if a man and a woman who aren't married go to a hotel/motel and register themselves as married then, according to state law, they are legally married

In Greene, New York, during a concert, it is illegal to eat peanuts and walk backwards on the sidewalks.

In Alabama, it is legal to drive the wrong way down a one-way street if you have a lantern attached to the front of your automobile.

In New York State, a person may not walk around on Sundays with an ice cream cone in his or her pocket.

In Louisiana, biting someone with your natural teeth is "simple assault," while biting someone with your false teeth is "aggravated assault."

There seems to be a special category of dumb laws namely animal laws:

In California, it is a misdemeanor to shoot at any kind of game from a moving vehicle, unless the target is a whale.

Meanwhile, in Texas, it is illegal for a person to shoot a buffalo from the second story of their hotel.

In Georgia, it's against the law to tie a giraffe to a telephone pole or street lamp.

In Louisiana, you may not tie an alligator to a fire hydrant.

In Massachusetts, no gorilla is allowed in the back seat of any car.

In North Carolina, elephants may not be used to plow cotton fields.

In Oklahoma, dogs must have a permit signed by the mayor in order to congregate in groups of three or more on private property.

Finally, according to Ohio law, it's against the law to kill a housefly within 160 feet of a church without a license; it is illegal to get a fish drunk; owners of tigers must notify authorities within one hour if the tiger escapes, and it is illegal to fish for whales on Sunday -- that's right, whales in Ohio.

Many more dumb laws at TJ's.

Economic Report of the President, 2005

From the GPO:

The Economic Report of the President, 2005 is now available from the U.S. Government Printing Office. It was transmitted to Congress February 2005, and released to the public on February 17, 2005.

The Economic Report of the President is issued by the Executive Office of the President and the Council of Economic Advisers. It includes:

Current and foreseeable trends and annual numerical goals concerning topics such as employment, production, real income, and Federal budget outlays, employment objectives for significant groups of the labor force, annual numeric goals, and a program for carrying out program objectives.

Also included is the Annual Report of the Council of Economic Advisers. Each year, the Council of Economic Advisers submits this report on its activities during the previous calendar year in accordance with the requirements of Congress as set forth in section 10(d) of the Employment Act of 1946 as amended by the Full Employment and Balanced Growth Act of 1978.

The Economic Report of the President, 2005 is available on GPO Access at: www.gpoaccess.gov/eop/index.html.

Documents are available in ASCII text and Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), with many of the tables also available for separate viewing and downloading as spreadsheets in xls and comma delimited formats.

Copies of The Economic Report of the President, 2005 are available for purchase from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at: http://bookstore.gpo.gov/market/05-04.html

In addition, The Economic Report of the President, 2005 will be distributed to Federal depository libraries in paper format,

under:

TITLE: Economic Report of the President, Transmitted to the Congress, February 2005 CLASS NUMBER: PR 43.9:2005 ITEM NUMBER: 0848-F SHIPPING LIST NUMBER: 2005-0087-P SHIPPING LIST DATE: February 18, 2005

TITLE: 109-1 Hs. Doc., Economic Report of the President, Transmitted to the Congress, February 2005 CLASS NUMBER: Y 1.1/7:109-1 ITEM NUMBER: 0996-A SHIPPING LIST NUMBER: 2005-0087-P SHIPPING LIST DATE: February 18, 2005

If you have questions or comments, please use the GPO online help service at:

http://gpo.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/gpo.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php

To ensure that your question is routed to the correct area, choose the category "Federal Depository Libraries" and the appropriate subcategory under Additional Information.

You may also contact the GPO Customer Contact Center at 866-512-1800,(Toll-free) or at 202-512-1800,(DC Metropolitan Area) Monday through Friday, 7:00 am - 9:00 pm, EST.

Recent Updates to HeinOnline

The following new titles are now available in HeinOnline:

John F. Kennedy University Law Review - Vols. 1-9 (1988-1998) All Published

Jones Law Review - Vols. 1-8 (1997-2004)

Penn State International Law Review - Vols. 1-22 (1982-2004)

Thomas M. Cooley Law Review - Vols. 1-20 (1982-2003)

Western New England Law Review - Vols. 1-25 (1978-2003

Western State University Law Review - Vols. 1-31 (1972-2004)

The following Journals have just been expanded:

Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law - Vol. 35 (2003)

Columbia Law Review - Vol. 101 (2001)

Cumberland Law Review - Vol. 34 (2003-2004)

DePaul Journal of Health Care Law - Vol. 7 (2003-2004)

Energy Law Journal - Vol. 25 (2004)

First Amendment Law Review - Vol. 2 (2004)

Florida Law Review - Vol. 56 (2004)

George Washington International Law Review - Vol. 36 (2004)

George Washington Law Review - Vol. 72 (2003-2004)

Harvard Law Review - Vol. 114 (2000-2001)

Hofstra Law Review - Vol. 32 (2003-2004)

Houston Journal of Health Law & Policy - Vol. 4 (2003-2004)

International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family - Vol. 15 (2001)

International Journal of Refugee Law - Vol. 10-12 (1998-2000)

John Marshall Law Review - Vol. 37 (2003-2004)

Law and Social Inquiry - Vol. 24 (1999)

Law Library Journal - Vol. 96 (2004)

Loyola Law Review - Vol. 48-49 (2002-2003)

Loyola of Los Angeles Entertainment Law Review - Vol. 24 (2004)

Nebraska Law Review - Vol. 82 (2003-2004)

Oregon Review of International Law - Vol. 6 (2004)

Quinnipiac Health Law Journal - Vol. 7 (2003-2004)

Saint Louis University Law Journal - Vol. 48 (2003-2004)

Scribes Journal of Legal Writing - Vol. 9 (2003-2004)

South Texas Law Review - Vol. 45 (2003-2004)

St. Thomas Law Review - Vol. 16 (2003-2004)

Sustainable Development Law & Policy - Vol. 4 (2004)

Canadian Legal Research & Writing Work

Legal Research and Writing: Second Edition  by Ted Tjaden is, according to the publisher, the most up-to-date book of its kind available in Canada today. And why not. It was published in Nov. 2004.

From the book description: "This book seeks to explain the practical skills needed for print and online legal research and for legal writing. It provides a current and comprehensive look at the topic, consolidating information on legal research and writing into one handy, easy-to-use resource. The book is written for both seasoned practitioner seeking to add the latest techniques to his or her research arsenal and for the beginning law student who faces a bewildering array of information. It includes chapters on legal research malpractice and the acquisition of research resources, as well as expanded coverage of Internet law-related resources."

Irwin Law
Soft Cover | 368 pages
ISBN: 1-55221-098-7
$42.95 CDN

Fall Titles from West: Disability Law

Disability Civil Rights Law and Policy: Cases and Materials
Peter Blanck, University of Iowa,
Eve Hill, Loyola Law School, Charles Siegal,
Michael Waterstone, University of Mississippi

Major Issues Before the Supreme Court

CNN has published a summary of some of the major issues in cases pending before the Supreme Court.

February Releases from West

Just released by West

• Federal Trial Handbook: Criminal 4th
• New Jersey Drunk Driving Law
• Ohio Building Code and Related Codes
• Handbook of Texas Family Law
• West's Louisiana Statutes
• California Jury Instructions - Civil (BAJI), 9th and CACI

Patron Saint(s) of Librarians

According to the Wikipedia entry for librarians:

In the US, Saint Jerome is most often considered the patron saint of librarians (and translators), presumably for being considered among the ranks as the most learned of the western Fathers in the 4th century.

In Western Europe, Saint Lawrence is most often considered the patron saint of librarians (and tanners!). Why? Maybe because at one time he was in charge of the adminstration of the Church's goods in Rome.

Among some Orthodox Christians, Saint Catherine of Alexandria is most often considered the saint (patroness) of librarians. She also is the patron saint of lawyers, jurists and

apologists; craftsmen who work with a wheel (potters, spinners, etc.); archivists; dying people; educators; girls; knife grinders; knife sharpeners; libraries; maidens; mechanics; millers; nurses; old maids; philosophers; potters; preachers; scholars; schoolchildren; scribes; secretaries; spinners; spinsters; stenographers; students; tanners; teachers; theologians; turners; University of Paris; unmarried girls and, finally, wheelwrights

Quite a list. Unfortunately, Saint Catherine of Alexandria probably didn't exist! In 1969, the Catholic Church removed her feast day from its general calendar, citing a lack of historical evidence for her existence.

What does all this mean? The Wikipedia is a great place to kill a couple of minutes between staff meetings. See also Wacky Wikipedia by Jim Regan (Christian Science Monitor)

Technology Trends for 2005

The current issue of Law Practice Today features articles on trends in legal technology. In What's BIG in 2005, Frederick L. Faulker IV  singles out RSS, desktop search and collaboration tools such as blogs, Wikis and bulletin boards. Faulker's article is a concise review that would be a good introduction to these technologies for partners, faculty, administrators, and other decision-makers.

A Quick Look at the Public Health Law Program on the CDC Website

The Public Health Law Program is a resource for all who are interested in strengthening public health practice through better understanding and use of public health law.   In the site, one will find information on public health laws, education and training, and case studies in using law as a public health tool.

This is a great site, one which could set the pattern for information dissemination by government agencies.

Coming Soon - Joyner's International Law in the 21st Century: Rules for Global Governance

Expected in late February, Joyner's International Law in the 21st Century: Rules for Global Governance.

From the publisher's catalog:

"In the freshest new international law text in 20 years, Christopher C. Joyner offers a critical assessment of international legal rules in the early 21st century as they are applied by governments to the real world. Looking at concepts and principles, processes, and critical problems, Joyner steers clear of an old-time case method approach, preferring to treat issues thematically. He shows the challenges of international law in terms of peace, security, human rights, the environment, and economic justice. Particular features of the book include engaging vignettes, clearly defined key terms, and special coverage of emerging topics including common spaces; international criminal law; rules, norms, and regimes; and trade relations and commercial exchange. Through it all, Joyner maintains an intent focus on the role of the individual in the evolving international legal order."

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. 
$35.00 Paper  0-7425-0009-8 February 28, 2005 384pp
$85.00 Cloth  0-7425-0008-X February 28, 2005 384pp

New from Princeton University Press

Law without Nations? Why Constitutional Government Requires Sovereign States
Jeremy A. Rabkin

From the publisher's description: "Americans have long asked whether the United States should join forces with institutions such as the International Criminal Court and sign on to agreements like the Kyoto Protocol. Rabkin argues that the value of international agreements in such circumstances must be weighed against the threat they pose to liberties protected by strong national authority and institutions. He maintains that the protection of these liberties could be fatally weakened if we go too far in ceding authority to international institutions that might not be zealous in protecting the rights Americans deem important. Similarly, any cessation of authority might leave Americans far less attached to the resulting hybrid legal system than they now are to laws they can regard as their own."

Brennan and Democracy
Frank I. Michelman

From the publisher's description: "In Brennan and Democracy, a leading thinker in U.S. constitutional law offers some powerful reflections on the idea of "constitutional democracy," a concept in which many have seen the makings of paradox. Here Frank Michelman explores the apparently conflicting commitments of a democratic governmental system where key aspects of such important social issues as affirmative action, campaign finance reform, and abortion rights are settled not by a legislative vote but by the decisions of unelected judges. Can we--or should we--embrace the values of democracy together with constitutionalism, judicial supervision, and the rule of law? To answer this question, Michelman calls into service the judicial career of Supreme Court Justice William Brennan, the country's model "activist" judge for the past forty years. Michelman draws on Brennan's record and writings to suggest how the Justice himself might have understood the judiciary's role in the simultaneous promotion of both democratic and constitutional government."

Federal Courts are Considering Changes in Civil Discovery Rules for Electronic Evidence

Slashdot is reporting that the federal courts are considering changes to the discovery rules contained in the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure governing the discovery and use of electronic evidence such as email.

The article contains links to the proposed rules, comments by civil rights attorneys from the Impact Fund arguing that the rules are too limiting, and comments by Microsoft that the rules don't go far enough.

While the article is laudable, Slashdot does somewhat a disservice to the people who care about such things by noting that the comment period ends today. Now all we can do is watch.

See the proposed rules

See also Pending Rules, Comments, and other available source material are available at

Mark Giangrande, DePaul Law Library