Website Reviews Published in Cornell Law Library's InSITE

The June 19, 2006 issue of InSITE reviewed the following websites:

• FAIR: Federation for American Immigration Reform
• Globalcourts.com
• International Commission on Holocaust Era Insurance Claims
• Lobbying Database
• National Council for Adoption

Text of reviews...

FAIR: Federation for American Immigration Reform
The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) is a national,nonprofit, public-interest organization of concerned citizens who share a belief that the United States' immigration policies must be reformed.  FAIR seeks to improve border security, stop illegal immigration, and promote lower immigration levels.  Researchers will be interested in the site's "Doing Research?" section, which covers the basics of U.S. immigration policies, provides Census Bureau and INS data, and offers data on recent immigration settlement by year and nationality.  This section also covers issues such as refugee settlements, foreign students, and social policy concerns.  FAIR's "Policy and Legislation" section provides information to visitors regarding current and pending legislation, and offers the organization's legislative analysis reports.  The site may be browsed by issue, such as "Labor and Economics," "National Security," and "Environment."  Each issue section offers articles, news items, and abstracts of relevant reports and papers.  The FAIR website is searchable. [BWK]

Globalcourts.com   
GlobalCourts attempts to provide legal researchers with direct access to the Supreme Court decisions of countries around the world with the ultimate goal of a “worldwide exchange of jurisprudence.”  The product of Chief Judge Stein Schjøberg in Norway, GlobalCourts also provides information on e-filing, e-courtrooms, and e-judicial decision support systems, although the emphasis of the site remains on court opinions.  These are organized both alphabetically, and by geographic region.  Due to the rapidly changing Internet environment, some of the links are broken.  However, the author encourages suggestions and comments and his email is freely given (use the Moss Tingrett address).  This site is a welcome tool for locating Supreme Court jurisprudence around the globe. [JJ]

International Commission on Holocaust Era Insurance Claims   
The International Commission on Holocaust Era Insurance Claims (ICHEIC) was established in 1998 following negotiations among European insurance companies and U.S. insurance regulators, along with representatives of international Jewish and survivor organizations and the State of Israel. The resulting Memorandum of Understanding, signed on August 25, 1998, by several European insurance companies, created ICHEIC.  ICHEIC was the first organization ever to offer Holocaust survivors and their heirs an avenue to pursue a claim against an insurance company at no cost. The Commission was created as a means of addressing the gaps and shortfalls of postwar compensation programs of the 1950s and 1960s and was intended to provide an opportunity for thousands of Holocaust survivors and their heirs to submit claims for the first time.  The site's "Document Center" offers visitors statistical and financial reports; ICHEIC agreements, claims packet materials, and documents; outreach materials; and research and appeals reports.  ICHEIC research efforts include the most extensive project ever conducted to investigate and record information on insurance policies from Holocaust-era archives from around the world.  These materials cover potential policyholders and three reports detailing the Commission's archival research efforts. [BWK]

Lobbying Database   
The Lobbying Database is one prong of the “Who Gives” menu from opensecrets.org.  The website is a product of the Center for Responsive Politics, a not-for-profit non-partisan organization that “tracks money in politics, and its effect on elections and public policy.”   The Lobbying Database, funded by a grant from the Sunlight Foundation, tracks spending by lobbyists since 1998 in their attempts to influence Congress and federal agencies.  The database can be searched by name, industry, issue, bill number, federal agency, or foreign entity.  Data is compiled from required semi-annual public disclosure statements filed by lobbyists, and presented in easy to read charts and graphs.  This site provides a simple and effective tool for researchers interested in lobbying in the United States. [JJ]

National Council for Adoption   
The National Council for Adoption (NCFA) is a non-profit, non-sectarian organization founded in 1980.  It seeks to “create and support sound, ethical adoption services.”  NCFA works with community agencies and national groups to help place children in need, as well as promoting sound adoption policies.  The website provides significant information about adoption, both legal and non-legal.  Relevant federal and state law and state model legislation is compiled and explained on the site.  A state-by-state guide provides answers to common questions, such as who may adopt, if birthparent counseling is required, and how putative father rights are addressed.  Another section of the site provides information on recent federal and state legislative activity, as well as federal executive branch activity that impacts adoption.  Several NCFA publications are made available on the site including a newsletter, the National Adoption Report, and the Adoption Factbook, which is a compendium of adoption facts and statistics.  Links are provided to other sites that address such issues as adoption costs, adoption tax credits, and foster care adoption. [MM]

InSITE contributors: Julie Jones, Research Attorney, Brandy Kreisler, J.D., M.L.S., Matt Morrison, Research Attorney, Jean Pajerek (editor), Head of Technical Services & Information Management, all current or former members of the professional staff at Cornell Law Library.

About InSITE: InSITE highlights selected law-related Web sites in two ways: as an annotated publication issued electronically and in print; and, as a keyword-searchable database. The law librarians at Cornell evaluate potentially useful Web sites, select the most valuable ones, and provide commentary and subject access to them.

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