Law Librarian Blog

U.S. News & World Report Health Summit Video

From U.S. News and World Report:

On April 18, U.S.News & World Report convened its first-ever Health Summit in Washington, D.C., to examine the state of the nation's emergency preparedness. Keynote speakers included Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt and U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff."

Check it out. [RJ]

Columbia High Court Rules Abortion Decriminalized Under Certain Circumstances

From Women's Link Worldwide:

Colombia's Highest Court Rules in Favor of Easing One of World's Most Restrictive Abortion Laws

"In an historic 5 to 3 decision, the Constitutional Court of Colombia ruled yesterday in favor of decriminalizing abortion when a woman's life or health is in danger, the pregnancy is the result of rape, or the fetus has malformation incompatible with life outside the womb. Colombia's penal code provisions had previously outlawed the procedure under all circumstances."

Read more about the decision. [RJ]

Roberts File Still Missing in Action

From Legal Times:

A potentially controversial file at the Reagan Presidential Library that went missing in the weeks before the confirmation hearings for John Roberts Jr. as chief justice last year has still not been found, according to an internal investigation made public Tuesday.

Read the report (from the Memory Hole).

Ron Jones, University of Cincinnati Law Library

Need a User Manual or User Guide?

UsersManualGuides.com provides links to thousands of manuals for products like mobile phones, photo cameras, mother board, monitors, software, tvs, dvds, etc., all in various languages, all arranged by manufacturer's name.

Amazing.

Opening: Acquisitions/Serials Librarian (South Carolina)

The Coleman Karesh Law Library, University of South Carolina School of Law, is seeking an Acquisitions/Serials Librarian, to start July 1, 2006.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
The position reports to the Associate Dean for Libraries and Information Technology.  The successful candidate will manage all aspects of the library’s ordering, receipt, payment, and binding operations, including the supervision of three full-time employees and one part-time employee.  The Coleman Karesh Law Library houses over 500,000 volumes and volume equivalents.  It is a selective government depository.

QUALIFICATIONS:
REQUIRED:  MLS (or equivalent) from an ALA accredited institution; minimum of three years of supervisory experience in technical services, preferably in an academic setting; knowledge of the U.S. and foreign publishing industry; significant budgetary experience; the ability to work effectively and collaboratively with others; excellent oral and written communication skills; superior service orientation and team spirit.

PREFERRED: Experience handling legal materials; experience with integrated library systems, preferably Innovative Interfaces’ Millennium.

SALARY AND BENEFITS:  Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. The University of South Carolina offers a competitive benefits package.  This is a tenure track position.

APPLICATION: To apply, submit a current resume and three references via the USC Human Resources website: http://hr.sc.edu/employ.html .

The University of South Carolina is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. 

Opening: Faculty Services / Reference Librarian (Campbell)

Faculty Services / Reference Librarian
Campbell University School of Law
Buies Creek, North Carolina

Description: The Campbell University School of Law Library has an opening for a Faculty Services / Reference Librarian.  In this new position, the law librarian will develop programs and services to assist faculty in identifying, developing and using library resources and electronic tools for their teaching and research needs.  Such services may include developing bibliographies and research guides, providing instruction as well as developing faculty course pages and other electronic resources.  This librarian will also (1) teach legal research in the Legal Research and Writing program; (2) provide individual and small group instruction; (3) serve as the primary contact for coordinating CALR resources; (4) participate in Collection Development with the other librarians and (5) provide reference desk coverage including evening and weekend hours.  Reports to the Director of the Law Library.

Qualifications:
Required: JD and MLS or equivalent degree from accredited institutions.  Experience teaching in a classroom setting; Experience conducting research using Westlaw, Lexis and other digital collections.  Substantial knowledge of traditional legal bibliography and electronic information resources.  Must be service oriented and have ability to work independently as well as with others in a team environment. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

Preferred: Experience using information technology tools to create web pages, presentations and to develop databases.  Experience in academic law library setting. Ability to work evening and weekends. 

Salary: Competitive salary with a full benefits package.

Application: Position available July 1, 2006. To apply, send a cover letter, resume and contact information of three references to Robert M. Linz, Director of the Law Library and IT Services by e-mail to linz@law.campbell.edu (preferred) or by mail to P. O. Box 458, Buies Creek, NC, 27506.

Campbell University is affiliated with the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

New Law Library of Congress Publication: Global Legal Monitor

The Law Library of Congress has launched the Global Legal Monitor, which tracks new legal developments from around the world.  The first issue of the Global Legal Monitor may be accessed from the Law Library of Congress's opening Web page. Under the column titled "Digital Resources & Links, click on the Global Legal Moniter link. To save you the trouble, here's the direct link to the first issue (pdf) [JH]

U.S. Book Production Plummets 18% in 2005

From the press release:

Bowker, the world’s leading provider of bibliographic information, today released statistics on U.S. book publishing compiled from its Books In Print® database. Based on preliminary figures from U.S. publishers, Bowker is projecting that U.S. title output in 2005 decreased by more than 18,000 to 172,000 new titles and editions.

RJ

Tribe on NSA Wiretapping

Harvard Law School has republished an op-ed by Law Prof Laurence Tribe, Bush stomps on Fourth Amendment (Boston Globe, May 16, 2006). [JH]

Iran Special Collection

The Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS), Monterey Institute of International Studies, has released a series of policy papers and reports on Iran's nuclear program. Topics include safeguards, involvement of other countries (such as Russia), and treaties. Maps, satellite photos, and links to related websites are also provided.

Check it out. [RJ]

White House Logs Detailing Abramoff Visits

From Judicial Watch:

Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that the United States Secret Service, per the order of Judge John Garrett Penn of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, has released to Judicial Watch White House logs detailing the visits of corrupt lobbyist Jack Abramoff to the White House.  The logs, which show two documented visits to the White House by Abramoff, appear to be incomplete.  They are available on Judicial Watch’s Internet site, www.judicialwatch.org.

[RJ]

ABA Judical Ratings Updated

The ABA Standing Committee on Federal Judiciary has recently updated its Judical Ratings for the 109th Congress, giving Michael Wallace, Bush's nominee for the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, a "Not Qualified" rating.

Check it out. [RJ]

Measuring Power in Congress

From the press release:

"The first analysis and ranking system of power in Congress were released on Congress.org -- http://congress.org. Power Rankings is the culmination of a five-month research project by Knowlegis -- http://www.knowlegis.net -- that sought to measure various characteristics of power. Knowlegis is a knowledge management company that provides services and software for government relations professionals.

Knowlegis staff collected data in three Power Categories for every Member of Congress. The results are online at Congress.org and include the Power Ranking and Power Score for every Member of Congress. The public and the media are also able to search and organize lists to view rankings by state, committee membership, tenure (class in Congress), or Power Category."

[RJ]

Opening: Faculty Services Library, University of Pittsburgh School of Law

The University of Pittsburgh School of Law, Barco Law Library is seeking a Faculty Services Librarian who will work closely with the Research and Educational Services Librarian in providing dynamic and proactive support to law school faculty.  The successful candidate will serve as part of a team of reference librarians under the supervision of the Associate Director for Public Services.  The Barco Law Library houses over 390,000 volumes and volume-equivalents and uses the Endeavor Voyager library system in cooperation with other campus libraries. 

Responsibilities

Specific duties include:

• Initiate and maintain regular contact with the Associate Dean for Research and the law school faculty to ascertain specific research interests and requirements and develop research profiles of faculty members pursuant to those interests.
• Meet regularly with the Associate Dean for Research to coordinate his/her activities in support of faculty research with library activities in support of faculty research, and to develop new initiatives for supporting faculty research.
• Provide current awareness services to faculty through monitoring of legal publications, new books, and other materials.  Regularly report articles and books of potential interest to specific faculty members.  The Faculty Services Librarian will provide both direct support to members of the faculty and support for the current awareness activities of other librarians through the faculty liaison program.
• Support electronic current awareness services including SmartCILP, WestClip, and Lexis Eclipse by providing training, profile support, and other assistance to faculty.
• Coordinate and administer the faculty liaison program with the other librarians.
• Participate in the collection development process with particular emphasis on identifying current and out-of-print resources that address needs identified by the faculty research profiles.
• Actively promote current awareness, library liaison and other research support programs to the faculty and with the Associate Dean for Research through one-on-one meetings, brown bag sessions, attendance at faculty lectures and programs, and development of promotional materials including interactive Intranet Webpages and Web forms.
• Provide general reference and research services to the faculty, students, and staff of the law school, to the University community, and to local attorneys and residents through sharing in the staffing of the reference desk.  Some evening and weekend hours are to be expected.
• Establish and foster contacts with other professionals -- particularly those in faculty service positions -- and libraries by participating in committee work and activities of professional organizations.
• Participate in library staff development activities.
• Special projects and miscellaneous duties as assigned.

Qualifications: M.L.S. or J.D. from accredited programs required, both degrees preferred.  At least two years of professional experience in a law library working directly with law faculty members or attorneys.  Proficiency with print and electronic legal and interdisciplinary research resources.  Must demonstrate a strong service orientation, ability to creatively and effectively respond to faculty and other patron needs, and ability to work as part of a team and with minimal supervision and direction.  Excellent organizational and teaching skills, as well as oral and written communication skills are required.

Salary: Salary and faculty librarian rank are commensurate with experience.  Benefits include dental, eye, and medical insurance options, TIAA-CREF or Vanguard retirement, University educational, and 23 days of vacation annually.

Application Procedures:

To apply, please send a letter of application, résumé, and the names of three references to:

University of Pittsburgh Barco Law Library
c/o Helen A. Jarosz,
405 Barco Law Building
3900 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA  15260

Applications may also be submitted electronically to jarosz@law.pitt.edu 

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Review of applications will begin immediately.

The University of Pittsburgh is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employer.

Coworker Most Valuable To Office When He Fails To Show Up

Don't we all know someone like that! Read more about it. [RJ]

Yahoo's Home Page Transformation, 1994 to date

C|Net is featuring screen shots showing the gradual changes that have been made to Yahoo's home page since 1994. Follow the numbered links listed to the right of the feature's title. Check it out. [JH]

Website Reviews Published in Cornell Law Library's InSITE

The May 1, 2006 issue of InSITE reviewed the following websites:

• CFFPP: Center for Family Policy and Practice
• DRA: Disability Rights Advocates
• Electronic Discovery Law
• HealthLawProf Blog
• Tales from the Public Domain: Bound by Law?

Text of reviews

CFFPP: Center for Family Policy and Practice
The Center for Family Policy and Practice (CFFPP) engages in policy research, technical assistance, training, litigation, and public education in an effort to focus attention on the barriers faced by never-married, low-income fathers and their families.  CFFPP's projects and policies focus on issues such as "Domestic Violence and Fatherhood," "Criminal Justice System and Low-Income Noncustodial Parents," "Child Welfare and Fatherhood Policy," and "Economic Support Policies and Programs and Low-Income Families."  The Center also offers technical assistance to community-based organizations that serve low-income families, including policy and legislative analysis, legal education, and program implementation evaluation.  Researchers will be interested in the site's "Publications" section, which includes many no-cost PDF reprints of CFFPP monographs, as well as amicus briefs.  The Center's "National Policy Briefings" summarizes recent developments in policy, research, and legislation as they relate to child support, welfare reform, domestic violence, and poverty.   The CFFPP site is searchable. [BWK]

DRA: Disability Rights Advocates
Disability Rights Advocates (DRA) is a non-profit law firm based in Berkeley, California.  DRA pursues a mission of ensuring “dignity, equality, and opportunity for people with all types of disabilities throughout the United States” and the world.  The organization’s national advocacy seeks to make facilities accessible to the disabled, as well as enforcing disabled rights in areas such as employment, education, transportation, and health care.  In addition to its domestic work, DRA has an international program focusing on Eastern and Central Europe and another program that works to bring world attention to the Nazi holocaust against disabled people.  The website provides extensive information about DRA’s advocacy work and resources.  The Cases section describes the organization’s litigation in pursuit of access rights.  Representative cases are explained, and additional documents are made available.  These include full-text opinions, as well as settlement agreements, exhibits, and consent decrees.  Other material on the site includes the DRA newsletter and its various publications.  In addition, information for potential plaintiffs is available. [MM]

Electronic Discovery Law
Electronic Discovery Law (ED Law) is one of the latest in law firm blogs, published by the Document Analysis Technology Group of Preston Gates Ellis, LLP.  Unlike many blogs, ED Law is primarily organized by topic rather than chronology, and is easily navigated.   An e-discovery case database allows researchers to search case summaries using their own keywords and/or any combination of 19 subjects commonly addressed in e-discovery jurisprudence.  While case citations are provided, full-text is not.  Also available from ED Law are listings of upcoming e-discovery CLE programs and related events, updates on the federal civil procedure rule amendments concerning e-discovery, and other noteworthy news.  The Resources section provides annotated links to high quality e-discovery web sites.  A simple search feature makes finding different types of information on the same subject easy.  ED Law is a well-maintained blog (RSS available) for staying abreast changes in the ever-morphing world of e-discovery. [JJ]

HealthLawProf Blog
Law Professor Blogs is a network of blogs designed to assist law professors in their scholarship and teaching. Each site focuses on a particular area of law.  HealthLawProf Blog is edited by S. Elizabeth Malloy of the University of Cincinnati College of Law and Thomas W. Mayo of the SMU School of Law and the University of Texas, Southwestern Medical School (Dallas).  Posts are daily and are mostly excerpts from news items with minimal commentary.  Posts don't seem to be archived by month, but the entire Law Professor Blogs network is searchable.  HealthLawProf has RSS and Atom feeds, and is available at Bloglines and Juris Novus. Comments are not allowed on this site, but TrackBacks are available. [BWK] [Editor's note: Comments are allowed but are reviewed by blog editors before publication; posts are archived weekly. Joe Hodnicki]

Tales from the Public Domain: Bound by Law?
Duke Law School’s Center for the Study of the Public Domain was founded in 2002 as part of the School’s wider intellectual property program.  The Center’s main work is carried out through several projects, one of which is the Arts Project.  The Arts Project, which “analyzes the effects of intellectual property on cultural production,” has developed several educational resources and is working on comic books that help readers understand the impact of intellectual property law on art accessibility.  The current comic book, available on the website, is “Tales from the Public Domain: BOUND BY LAW.”  Inspired by the real-life copyright difficulties faced by the makers of the documentary, “Eyes on the Prize,” the comic book centers on heroine, Akiko, herself a documentary film-maker.  Through her adventure, readers learn copyright law basics, including the difficult area between fair use and copyright infringement.  As well, Akiko’s story provides a greater lesson on the role of the public domain.  The comic is available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license. [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.

Digital versions of this information can be accessed via:

1. Searchable database or by browsing current and archived issues on the web: Click InSITE at www.lawschool.cornell.edu/library

2. E-mail subscription. Send the following request: SUBSCRIBE InSITE-L <YourFirstName> <YourLastName> to: listproc@cornell.edu

3. Readers can subscribe to the new InSITE RSS feed at http://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/library/RESOURCES/insite.htm

The contents of InSITE and any recommendations therein are the opinions of the authors and do not reflect the views of Cornell University. InSITE is copyright protected by Cornell Law Library, © 2006 Cornell Law Library. Permission to republish InSITE issues on Law Librarian Blog has been granted. For permissions, contact Jean M. Pajerek [jmp8@cornell.edu].

Cornell Law Library URL: http://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/library

New Statistical Report: Americans with Disabilities: 2002

New Report from the U.S. Census Bureau:

About 18 percent of Americans in 2002 said they had a disability, and 12 percent had a severe disability, according to a [U.S. Census Bureau] report... Among people with disabilities, more than half of those 21 to 64 years old had a job, more than 4-in-10 of those ages 15 to 64 used a computer at home and a quarter of those age 25 to 64 had a college degree.

[RJ]

Election Map 2006: Analysis and Projections

NPR Political Editor Ken Rudin provides state-by-state analysis and projections for this year's Senate, House and gubernatorial election. [RJ]

Ethical Hacking?

Infosec Writers has published an interesting paper on the topic of ethical hacking.

From the abstract:

One of the fastest growing areas in network security, and certainly an area that generates much discussion, is that of ethical hacking. The purpose of this study is to examine the literature regarding how private sectors and educational institutions are addressing the growing demand for ethical hacking instruction. The study will also examine the opportunity for community colleges in providing this type of instruction. The discussion will conclude with a proposed model of ethical hacking instruction that will be used to teach a course in the summer semester of 2006 through the continuing education department at Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute within the North Carolina Community College System.

[RJ]