Law Librarian Blog

The Sunlight Foundation's Fortune 535

For eleven years, lawmakers’ personal financial data has been public information. Now, for the first time ever, that information has been compiled and visualized on a website where you can find out just how much your member of Congress is worth. Fortune 535 has been created by the Sunlight Foundation.

The Fortune 535 site profiles every Senator and Representative in Congress showing how their average net worth has changed since entering Congress (or from 1995, the first year the data is readily available) and how their wealth relates to that of an average American family. It also lists the wealthiest lawmakers, those whose wealth has changed the most over the covered time period, those who began their careers with no net worth and those whose net worth was less than $0 in 2006.

Top 10 Wealthiest Lawmakers (in millions)

1. Jane Harman: $409
2. Darrell Issa: $337
3. John Kerry: $267
4. Vernon Buchanan: $191
5. Herb Kohl: $171
6. Edward Kennedy: $101
7. Jay Rockefeller: $91
8. Robin Hayes: $82
9. Dianne Feinstein: $79
10. Frank Lautenberg: $79

[JH]

Early Adopters Still Spend More Time With Microsoft Apps

Interesting article from TechCrunch:

  "When early adopters sit at their computers, what applications and  websites do they use the most? The answer: Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Office, and MSN Messenger—just like most everyone else. At least according to data from RescueTime, the productivity app that monitors the amount of time a user spends on every application on his desktop. The Y Combinator-funded startup has given us an exclusive look at the usage data they’ve compiled from over 30,000 users (most of whom are early adopters). This data represents real-life usage on a huge scale, totaling 475,190 man-hours.

Gmail, Facebook, and Skype make strong showings, but still lag behind Microsoft’s desktop apps. Microsoft Websites, however, are nowhere to be seen. All of this suggests that among early adopters, desktop apps still rule, but Webtop apps are gaining ground in terms of what they use every day. After Outlook and Word, Gmail is the third most-used application, Facebook is No. 6, Google search is No. 10, iTunes is No. 11, and Skype is No. 16."  [RJ]

Friday Fun: Dog Lawyer Ad

When the plaintiffs' bar runs out of human clients... [JH]

AALL's Day in the Life Photo Contest Winners Announced

The description for the winner of the Best Picture Overall (left) is "Vicenc Feliu gets caught in the act of taking a photo for the 'A Day In The Life' contest." Check out all of this year's winning photos by the following categories:

• Best Picture Overall
• Librarians as Information Evaluators and Managers
• Librarians as Expert Researchers
• Librarians as Teachers and Trainers
• Librarians as Trailblazers in New Technology
• The Artistry of Librarianship

Congratulations to all! [JH]

Reducing e-Discovery Processing Costs

Tim O'Connor, director of the Legal Electronic Document Institute, outlines a new approach to processing electronic files as documents, not as pages, for reducing costs in e-discovery processing in Defining Documents, Law Technology News, May 2008. See also What is Web 2.0?, Dan Regard and Tom Matzen's primer on Web 2.0 in the same issue. [JH]

Loyola Law School Launches First Monday Podcasts

Loyola Law School in Los Angeles has launched First Monday Podcasts, a program of free monthly podcasts on legal topics for the general public hosted on iTunes U. (iTunes U Path: Loyola Marymount University > Law School)  [RJ]

2008 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report

New report from the U.S. Department of State: "The 2008 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR) is an annual report by the Department of State to Congress prepared in accordance with the Foreign Assistance Act. It describes the efforts of key countries to attack all aspects of the international drug trade in Calendar Year 2007. Volume I covers drug and chemical control activities. Volume II covers money laundering and financial crimes."  [RJ]

Professional Reading: Using the Law Review Article Type Indicator to Make Publishing Decisions

Does Yale Law Journal review "all manuscripts anonymously, without regard to the author's name, institutional affiliation, prior publications, or pending publication offers" as claimed? Apparently not according to Jack Chin's post on PrawfsBlawg, at least not after the initial screening.  Of course, Yale is not alone. Eric Chiappinelli (Seattle) suggests a tool for screening articles in Definite Articles: Using the Law Review Article Type Indicator® to Make Law Review Publishing Decisions (SSRN). Here's the abstract:

Each year close to two thousand law review articles are circulated among about two hundred student-edited law journals. As a result, law reviews around the country spend upwards of three thousand hours a year screening potential articles for publication. This process is exhausting for both authors and editors alike. The core problem in the law review article selection process is the information asymmetry between authors and law reviews. This article presents a tool, the Law Review Article Type Indicator (LRATI) that aims to reduce the information disparity, in turn making the article selection process less time consuming, more fruitful, and generally more pleasant for law review editors and authors. To achieve this end, the LRATI employs four bipolar scales that systematically evaluate both the author and the submission in an effort to ensure that law reviews only publish author's who are "stars" or "keepers", or at the very least "fillers" while eliminating with ease any and all "losers." This article argues that if law reviews implement the LRATI, the selection of law review articles will be quicker, more accurate, and will take place with less rancor and fewer interpersonal conflicts than ever before.

Opening: Reference Librarian, University of Washington School of Law Library

The Marian Gould Gallagher Law Library, University of Washington School of Law, seeks an enthusiastic, self-directed, and flexible reference librarian.

DEADLINE: Review will begin June 5, 2008 and will continue until the position is filled. To ensure consideration of your application, please submit it by 5 p.m. PDT June 2, 2008.

BACKGROUND:

Supporting the work of the University of Washington School of Law, one of the top ten public law schools in the country, the Gallagher Law Library is an active and responsive force in the life of the law school.  The law library serves 61 full time and 56 part time faculty, 550 JD students, 125 LL.M. and Ph.D. students, and visiting scholars as well as other members of the university community, the bar, and the general public. The law library also manages an internship program for library science students preparing for professional careers in law librarianship. The Gallagher Law Library has a strong tradition of service to all users. The law school’s graduate programs include Asian Law, Tax, and Intellectual Property Law. The law school hosts three journals: the Washington Law Review, the Pacific Rim Law and Policy Journal, and the Shidler Journal of Law, Commerce + Technology (e-journal). The School of Law is in a building that opened in 2003; the library is spacious and attractive. The collection includes over 625,000 volumes, and the library is a selective federal depository.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: Reference Librarian, 1 FTE

Will join a department of reference librarians who provide high quality, wide-ranging services to all library users.

Core duties include front-line reference (about 12 hours per week), research projects for faculty, instructional presentations to law school classes and other groups, and the preparation of materials that enhance access to legal information.

Each reference librarian in the department also has some administrative duties – for instance, serving as liaison to online vendors, managing the library’s website, or coordinating teaching and training. It is likely that the new hire will be the liaison to online vendors.  All reference librarians report to and are evaluated by the Associate Dean for Library and Computing Services, Penny Hazelton.  The department works on a consensus model and is coordinated on a day-to-day basis by the Assistant Librarian for Reference Services, Ann Hemmens.

We look forward to hiring someone who is a self-starter, has a sense of humor, and enjoys collaborating on a wide variety of projects. We are especially interested in candidates who can contribute ideas to improve services in a fluid print and online environment.

Librarians are encouraged to be professionally active.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES

1. Provides reference service to library patrons, including members of the law school and university communities, the bar, and the public; uses online and print sources to answer general and legal reference questions
2. Prepares materials for and gives research presentations in law school courses
3. Conducts research for faculty and staff
4. Provides instruction and training to a wide variety of audiences including members of the law school community, professional colleagues, university students, and public librarians
5. Continually improves reference and research skills for high-quality service
6. Works some evening or weekend hours
7. Handles administrative projects and other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS:

REQUIRED:
• MLIS (or equivalent degree) from an ALA-accredited institution
• Excellent legal research skills
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Strong commitment to service
• Ability to work in a consensus-driven department as well as independently

DESIRABLE:
• Law library experience
• Teaching experience
• JD

BENEFITS:
The University of Washington's Gallagher Law Library is centrally located in Seattle, a beautiful, vibrant city on Puget Sound in the Pacific Northwest.
Librarians are academic personnel and are eligible to participate in the University of Washington Retirement Plan (UWRP) with investments available through TIAA-CREF, The Vanguard Group, SAFECO Mutual Funds and/or Fidelity Investments. Employee contributions are matched dollar for dollar by the University and immediately vested.  In addition to retirement, the UW offers a comprehensive benefits package including but not limited to medical, dental, life and long term disability insurance programs.  Librarians also receive 24 vacation days, 12 sick days and 11 paid holidays each year. There is no state or local income tax.

AVAILABLE: July 2008

APPLY TO: Penny A. Hazelton    Fax:  206-685-2165
Associate Dean for Library   http://lib.law.washington.edu/
and Computing Services
University of Washington
Gallagher Law Library
Box 353025
Seattle, WA  98195-3025

Applicants should submit a letter of application, a resume, and the names and contact information for three references in paper or via fax to be received no later than Monday, June 2, 2008, 5:00pm Pacific Time. 

The University of Washington, an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer, is building a culturally diverse staff and strongly encourages applications from female and minority candidates.

In compliance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, the University is required to verify and document the citizenship or employment authorization of each new employee.

Opening: Director of Library and Archives, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is currently considering applicants for the position of Director of Library and Archives.  The Director of Library and Archives reports to the Vice President of Exhibitions and Curatorial Affairs and is responsible managing the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Archives and Library, which will contain specialized research material relating to the history, music, and business of Rock and Roll. Details.

OK, so it's not a law library gig. [JH]

Professional Reading: An Empirical Investigation of Justice Scalia's Ordinary Meaning Method of Statutory Interpretation

Miranda O. McGown (San Diego) has depostied Do as I Do, Not as I Say: An Empirical Investigation of Justice Scalia's Ordinary Meaning Method of Statutory Interpretation in SSRN. Here's the abstract for this very interesting article.

Justice Scalia is one of the only American judges to have formulated a complete methodology of statutory interpretation. He contends that the rule of law requires "statutory construction to begin with the language employed by Congress and the assumption that the ordinary meaning of that language accurately expresses the legislative purpose." This article presents the results of a study that examined how Justice Scalia's practice of interpreting statutes compares with his theory. Based on a random sample of Justice Scalia's statutory interpretation dissents, this study uncovered the following. First, Justice Scalia entirely suspends textualism in about a quarter of the cases in the study's sample, because he is interpreting a statute that he believes grants the courts common law authority. Second, when Justice Scalia engages in textual analysis, more often than not his presumption that the ordinary meaning of words governs statutory meaning is overcome. He also consults an eclectic set of extrinsic materials - the same broad set of materials that other justices use, with the singular exception of legislative history. Third, purpose analysis lies at the core of Justice Scalia's method, and he considers a statute's purpose about as often as the Court as a whole does. Because Justice Scalia refuses to consult legislative materials, however, his purpose analysis frequently stems from the least formal source of all - his own sense of a statute's purpose or of absurd or anomalous results. This article concludes by observing that compared to ipse dixit purposivism, the evils of legislative history are grossly overstated.

Hat tip to Statutory Construction Blog. [JH]

Thomson Reuters' World IP Today: Technology Innovations and Patent Activity in 2007

Thomson Reuters has launched a new series of reports under the title, World IP Today. Here's the first two reports:

Global Technology Innovations in 2007 (pdf). Key Study Findings:

• Four areas of technology are truly exemplary in protecting high volumes of inventions: consumer electronics, computing, telecommunications and entertainment and business services technology.
• Protection for computing inventions in the three largest markets, Japan, the U.S. and Europe, has been more prevalent than in other technology sectors.
• Innovation within the computing industry is far more evenly distributed between countries than with other technologies.
• Of the top ten patent assignees based on innovations filed in the United States, Europe and Japan during 2007, most are from Japan.
• When we delve deeper into the technology produced by the top ten patentees, we find some interesting changes in the volumes between 2001 and 2007. Specifically, there has been a significant drop in innovation within the industrial and audio/visual and data recording sectors, as well as a dramatic fall in the semiconductors field which decreased by 26% between 2001 and 2007.

Global Patent Activity in 2007 (pdf). Key Study Findings:

• Global patent activity has grown by 21% between 2003 and 2006, with 2007 shaping up as another year of growth for patents.
• Japan is still the world’s leading filer of patents, but continues to decline slowly. Its lead over the U.S. and China is eroding as their patenting activity increases.
• Academic innovations are at their highest ratio in China and Russia where they represent nearly 25% of total patenting activity.
• South Korea safeguards more inventions worldwide than ever before, while the U.S. has greatly decreased the number of patents it files across the key patent regions.

[JH]

New Titles for Information Professionals

A sampling of recent publications. Details below the fold. [JH]

• Building Web-Scale Libraries: Libraries, Networks and Services, by Lorcan Dempsey and Brian Lavoie
• Blended Learning: Tools for Teaching and Training by Barbara Allen
• Semantic Web for the Working Ontologist; Effective Modeling in RDFS and OWL by Dean Allemang and James Hendler
• Keeping Found Things Found: The Study and Practice of Personal Information Management by William Jones
• Knowledge Management and Reducing Risk by Joseph M. Firestone
• Making Knowledge Work- The Arrival of Web 2.0 (2d ed.) by Jon Husband and Jim Bair
• Video Over IP: IPTV, Internet Video, H.264, P2P, Web TV, and Streaming: A Complete Guide to Understanding the Technology (2d ed.) by Wes Simpson (forthcoming August 2008)

Building Web-Scale Libraries: Libraries, Networks and Services
By Lorcan Dempsey and Brian Lavoie

List Price: $115.00
Neal-Schuman Publishers, 2008
224 pp
ISBN: 9781856046336

Book Description: Libraries are entering a second phase of their networked life. In the first they thought about how to connect their services to the network. However, now that the network has reconfigured behaviours and structures in significant ways, a new set of issues needs to be addressed. In this second phase, libraries need to create value in an environment where major web presences have changed how people search for information, where the conduct of learning and scholarship is changing, and where scale and network effects are increasingly important. Combining published blog entries and new material this collection explores these issues and considers some library responses.

Blended Learning: Tools for Teaching and Training
By Barbara Allen

List Price: $115.00
Neal-Schuman Publishers, 2008
192 pp
ISBN: 9781856046145 

Book Description: Blended Learning integrates traditional and distance learning methods into a blended approach, the ideal for today's modern learning environment. With this book, you'll learn how to combine the best of traditional and new approaches to learning, gaining the benefits of both and none of the disadvantages. This practical guide to designing and delivering training that meets the needs of every group, no matter the size, is filled with library-based examples, checklists, and case studies. Topics include:

• Virtual communication tools
• Models of teaching and learning
• Individual and group learning activities
• Development of online communities

Semantic Web for the Working Ontologist
Effective Modeling in RDFS and OWL
By Dean Allemang and James Hendler

Paperback, 352 pages,
Publication date: April 2008
ISBN-13: 978-0-12-373556-0
ISBN-10: 0-12-373556-4
Imprint: MORGAN KAUFFMAN
Price: $49.95

Description: The promise of the Semantic Web to provide a universal medium to exchange data information and knowledge has been well publicized. There are many sources too for basic information on the extensions to the WWW that permit content to be expressed in natural language yet used by software agents to easily find, share and integrate information. Until now individuals engaged in creating ontologies-- formal descriptions of the concepts, terms, and relationships within a given knowledge domain-- have had no sources beyond the technical standards documents. Semantic Web for the Working Ontologist transforms this information into the practical knowledge that programmers and subject domain experts need. Authors Allemang and Hendler begin with solutions to the basic problems, but don?t stop there: they demonstrate how to develop your own solutions to problems of increasing complexity and ensure that your skills will keep pace with the continued evolution of the Semantic Web.

Keeping Found Things Found
The Study and Practice of Personal Information Management
By William Jones

Paperback, 448 pages
Publication date: November 2007
ISBN-13: 978-0-12-370866-3
ISBN-10: 0-12-370866-4
Imprint: MORGAN KAUFFMAN
Price: $49.95

Description: We need information to make good decisions, to get things done, to learn, and to gain better mastery of the world around us. But we do not always have good control of our information - not even in the "home waters" of an office or on the hard drive of a computer. Instead, information may be controlling us - keeping us from doing the things we need to do, getting us to waste money and precious time. The growth of available information, plus the technologies for its creation, storage, retrieval, distribution and use, is astonishing and sometimes bewildering. Can there be a similar growth in our understanding for how best to manage information and informational tools? This book provides a comprehensive overview of personal information management (PIM) as both a study and a practice of the activities people do and need to be doing so that information can work for them in their daily lives. Introductory chapters of Keeping Found Things Found: The Study and Practice of Personal Information Management provide an overview of PIM and a sense for its many facets. The next chapters look more closely at the essential challenges of PIM, including finding, keeping, organizing, maintaining, managing privacy, and managing information flow. The book also contains chapters on search, email, mobile PIM, web-based support, and other technologies relevant to PIM.

Knowledge Management and Reducing Risk
By Joseph M. Firestone

Pages: 72
ISBN: 978-1-906355-12-8
Price: £295
Year published: 2008
Publisher: Ark Group

Description: The need for an effective risk management strategy has never been clearer. As Enron, Arthur Anderson and Merrill Lynch have fallen the professional and public worlds have woken to the real danger of unchecked risk. This crucial new report from the Ark Group focuses in on the root cause of bad management, the faults in the decision making process, and shows you the techniques and tools you need to correct them. Communicating in a clear and entertaining style Joseph Firestone leads you step by step through the process of using knowledge management (KM) to risk-proof your organisation.

Knowledge Management and Reducing Risk covers the crucial issues in Risk Management:

• Capturing knowledge to pinpoint your business’ areas of risk;
• Identifying differing types of risk and reacting accordingly;
• Adapting your decision making models to minimise risk and maximise opportunity;
• Weighting risk to provide a ‘fair comparison’ analysis;
• Developing a risk savvy culture through knowledge sharing;
• Measuring the success of the decision making process;
• Maintaining an atmosphere of open debate to ensure continued success.

Making Knowledge Work- The Arrival of Web 2.0 (2d ed.)
By Jon Husband and Jim Bair

Pages: 206
ISBN: 978-1-906355-09-8
Price: £345
Year published: 2008
Publisher: Ark Group

Description:  Making Knowledge Work is a unique, uncompromising examination of the practical considerations that influence the success of knowledge management (KM) in a corporate context. From exploring the various definitions of KM to understanding the arguments against KM programmes, Making Knowledge Work equips you with the knowledge and theories to effectively champion and implement KM at your organisation. Whether you are introducing KM to your organisation for the first time, or understand the huge potential and growing importance of Enterprise 2.0 to your existing KM strategies, this report is essential research in helping you realise the massive benefits while avoiding expensive pitfalls.

Since the first Making Knowledge Work report was published in 2004, there has been an enormous amount of implementation of KM-oriented technology, both with respect to systems architecture and the integration of KM-oriented capabilities like enterprise search, taxonomy, document management and more… The 2nd edition of this report takes into account all these advances and most specifically, the massive impact of Web 2.0 on information management, collaboration and organisational culture.

Making Knowledge Work considers these important developments while specifically guiding you through:

• Overcoming cultural issues;
• Securing senior management support;
• Selecting the most appropriate KM tools and technologies;
• Maximising the return on your investment.

Video Over IP
IPTV, Internet Video, H.264, P2P, Web TV, and Streaming: A Complete Guide to Understanding the Technology (2d ed.)
By Wes Simpson

Paperback, ISBN-13: 978-0-240-81084-3, 464 pages,
Publication date: August 2008
Imprint: FOCAL PRESS
Price: $59.95

Description: Video Over IP gives you everything you need to know to choose from among the many ways of transferring your video over a network. The information is presented in an easy to read format, with comparison charts provided to help you understand the benefits and drawbacks of different technologies for a variety of practical applications. This new edition is expanded to fully cover HD and wireless technologies and new case studies. Whether your background is video, networking, broadcast, or telecommunications, you will benefit from the breadth of coverage that this book provides. Real-life application examples give readers successful examples of a variety of Video over IP networks that are up and running today.

Commercial Law Bibliography

Michael Hillinger's Commercial Law Bibliography has been published in the DePaul Business & Commercial Law Journal. [Westlaw] [JH]

Opening: Project Software Manager/Database Administrator, Florida Bar Foundation

Overview: The Florida Bar Foundation is purchasing new integrated database software for its grantmaking,  development, finance, and administrative activities.  The various software modules are fully operational, although modifications are required to meet the specific needs of the Foundation.  The Project Manager will have overall responsibility for identifying and documenting the required modifications, preparation of memoranda of understanding with the software vendors describing the modifications, timelines and performance requirements, implementation of the modified software, including data conversion and testing, and the design, writing and testing of custom reports using a standard report generator. 

The Project Manager will be an independent contractor.  The project is expected to require at least six months to complete and could extend for several additional months.  The Project Manager will report to the executive director in consultation with Foundation department heads and staff development directors.

Responsibilities:

• Tests software and hardware to evaluate ease of use and whether product will aid user in performing work.

• Confers with identified Foundation staff to analyze current operational procedures, identify problems, and learn specific input and output requirements such as forms of data input, how data is to be summarized, and formatted for reports.

• Writes detailed description of user needs, program functions, and recommendations for software modifications.

• Prepares workflow charts and diagrams to specify in detail operations to be performed by software programs and operations to be performed by personnel in system.

• Works with computer software vendors and Foundation IT staff in resolution of computer problems related to the new software.

• Prepares time and cost estimates for completing projects.

• Directs and coordinates work of others to develop, test, install, and modify programs.

• Provides assistance to IT Department staff on high level problem resolution.

• Conducts walkthroughs of systems in development with identified Foundation staff on a regular basis.

• Conducts user roundtables or training on special topics once or twice a year.

Position Requirements:

• Bachelor's Degree with 3 - 4 classes in Computer Science or Business Systems, or equivalent combination of education and experience.

• 2 - 3 years of related experience performing application development and support in a service environment, preferably with a charitable organization.

• Experience with Microsoft Windows XP and Vista, MS Office Suite 2003 and 2007, including MS Outlook/Exchange.

• Excellent planning, organization and writing skills.

• Excellent interpersonal and oral communication skills, including conflict management and group presentation.

• Demonstrated ability to work with minimal direction.

• Demonstrated ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions from complex manuals and technical materials.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Previous experience handing application development in Windows SQL Server database environment.

• Project management skills (group organization, communication, material preparation, cost benefit and financial analysis).

• Demonstrated ability to conceptualize and prepare administrative control systems for system applications. 

Submit cover letter, resume and salary history to: 

Personnel
PO Box 1553
Orlando, FL 32802-1553

AALL Announces Recipients of Marian Gould Gallagher and Joseph L. Andrews Awards

From the announcements:

The 2008 Marian Gould Gallagher Distinguished Service Award will honor the outstanding career of Robert (Bob) L. Oakley. His service to AALL and the profession is well known. Besides chairing numerous committees, Oakley served on the Executive Board and was elected as AALL president in 2000-2001. He was instrumental in establishing AALL’s government relations program. For 18 years Oakley served as Washington affairs representative, AALL’s advocate on Capitol Hill.

AALL presents the Joseph L. Andrews Bibliographical Award to Edward Grosek for his work, The Secret Treaties of History. As the title states, the book indexes treaties that nations entered into secretly. Some treaties trace back as early as 499 A.D. The result of the longtime effort of Grosek, this work includes 110 nations involved in secret treaties. The book annotates 973 secret treaties and includes an annotated bibliography, as well as an important country index. It is a unique resource that researchers in a variety of disciplines—from history to law to political science—can use. Grosek is currently associate professor at Northern Illinois University and is in charge of the United Nations collection at the Founders Memorial Library. He has published a number of articles on government information.

Congratulations! And congratulations also to the recipients of this year's AALL Research Grants

The AALL Research Committee selected the following grants for funding in 2008 by the AALL Research Fund: An Endowment Established by LexisNexis:

Jill Duffy, research librarian at the U.S. Supreme Court Library, and Elizabeth Lambert, pro se staff attorney at the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York, are awarded $2,383 for their project, "Dissents from the Bench: A Compilation of Oral Dissents Issued by the U.S. Supreme Court Justices."

Karen E. Kalnins, reference librarian at Oklahoma City University Law Library, is awarded $700 for her project, "Oral Histories of Oklahoma Judges and Attorneys."

[JH]

Just Released, Solove's Understanding Privacy, a Must-Read

About the Author

When research privacy issues, Daniel Solove's publications are the works I turn to first. His monographs include The Future of Reputation: Gossip, Rumor, and Privacy on the Internet (Yale University Press 2007), The Digital Person: Technology and Privacy in the Information Age (NYU Press 2004), Information Privacy Law (Aspen Publishing Co. 2006) (with Marc Rotenberg & Paul M. Schwartz), a casebook now in its second edition, and Privacy, Information, and Technology (with Marc Rotenberg & Paul M. Schwartz) (Aspen 2006), a book designed for use in cyberlaw, law and technology, privacy law, and information law courses and seminars. Solove has written more than 25 articles and essays including Data Mining and the Security-Liberty Debate, 74 U. Chicago Law Review 343 (2008) and A Taxonomy of Privacy, 154 U. Pennsylvania Law Review 477 (2006), winner of the 2006 Privacy Enhancing Technologies Award. He blogs at Concurring Opinions, a blog covering issues of law, culture, and current events. [JH]

Daniel Solove has had the patience and insight to lay privacy bare. This is the most thorough and persuasive conceptualization of privacy written to date. Solove's taxonomy of privacy will become the standard tool for analyzing privacy problems. -- Peter P. Swire, C. William O'Neill Professor of Law and Judicial Administration, Ohio State University

Understanding Privacy
by Daniel J. Solove

List Price: $45.00
Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: Harvard University Press (May 21, 2008)
ISBN-10: 0674027728
ISBN-13: 978-0674027725

Book Description: Privacy is one of the most important concepts of our time, yet it is also one of the most elusive. As rapidly changing technology makes information increasingly available, scholars, activists, and policymakers have struggled to define privacy, with many conceding that the task is virtually impossible.

In this concise and lucid book, Daniel J. Solove offers a comprehensive overview of the difficulties involved in discussions of privacy and ultimately provides a provocative resolution. He argues that no single definition can be workable, but rather that there are multiple forms of privacy, related to one another by family resemblances. His theory bridges cultural differences and addresses historical changes in views on privacy. Drawing on a broad array of interdisciplinary sources, Solove sets forth a framework for understanding privacy that provides clear, practical guidance for engaging with relevant issues.

Understanding Privacy will be an essential introduction to long-standing debates and an invaluable resource for crafting laws and policies about surveillance, data mining, identity theft, state involvement in reproductive and marital decisions, and other pressing contemporary matters concerning privacy.

About the Author: Daniel J. Solove is Associate Professor of Law at George Washington University Law School [web profile].

Libraries and the Mega-Internet Sites

Produced by Primary Research Group, Libraries & the Mega-Internet Sites presents data from more than 120 academic, special and public libraries about how they use and relate to the mega-internet sites such as Google, Yahoo, Facebook, MySpace, eBay, Amazon, and others.

In many ways the mega-sites have transformed library management, fostering change in information literacy education, library marketing and public relations, cataloging, digitization, collection management and other aspects of librarianship. Library patrons often learn their initial information searching skills from the internet sites, as well as their formative information gathering experiences, creating a set of experiences and expectations that they bring to the library.

This report provides hard data on exactly how libraries are dealing with the emerging internet giants, how they are adopting, negotiating, repelling, embracing and in every way developing strategies to provide the best possible information services to their clientele.

Study of Experts and Novices Reading the Law

Leah Christensen's (University of St. Thomas School of Law) The Paradox of Legal Expertise: A Study of Experts and Novices Reading the Law has been published in the Brigham Young University Education and Law Journal (2008 BYU Educ. & L.J. 53) [Westlaw]. The article describes a study that examined how ten legal experts (eight lawyers and two judges) and ten novices (law students in the top 50% of their class) read a judicial opinion and suggests advice for improving the reading skills of law students. [JH]

2007 Report Card on American Education: A State-by-State Analysis

New report from the American Legislative Exchange Council:

"This publication serves to gather and present in a quick-glance format helpful data for reviewing the condition of education among the states.

The “snapshot” pages reveal states’ “inputs” and “outputs,” as well as demographic information. Policymakers and parents will be able to easily reference per-pupil spending, for example, as well as class size and achievement scores. By compiling this data from its sources, the Report Card aims to contribute to a well-informed community of parents and leaders.

The Report Card also reviews the data across states to identify any promising relationships among “inputs” and “outputs” in an effort to help answer the question: What works?"  [RJ]

Openings: Two Law Library Positions at UC-Berkeley

The Law Library at the University of California, Berkeley is recruiting for the following two positions, details on the webpages:

• Reference and Research Services Director
• Collection Services Director

Success Rate of Law School Graduates on the Teaching Market

Brian Leiter (Texas) has published Success Rate of Law School Graduates on the Teaching Market 2006-2008. This new ranking study is based on data compiled by Daniel Solove (George Washington) and Larry Solum (Illinios). See also Leiter's blog post. [JH]

2008 ABA Legal Technology Survey Report

The first two volumes of the 2008 ABA Legal Technology Survey Report, the new-for-2008 Baseline and Budgets (Vol. 1) and Law Office Technology (Vol. 2), are now available.  Highlights from the first two volumes include

• The 2008 survey observed a significant migration of respondents’ use of desktop computers to laptops.  Use of laptop computers jumped to 83% in the 2008 survey from 69% in the 2007 survey for solo respondents and to 73% from 59% for respondents from firms of 2 to 9 attorneys.
• The availability of Smartphones/BlackBerrys has increased considerably. In 2008 76% of respondents reported the availability of smartphones or BlackBerries at their firms, up from 55% in the 2007 survey and 49% in the 2006 survey.
• File Server availability has increased in this year’s survey to 85% from 73% in 2007.  This figure was nearly doubled for solo respondents, to 51% from 28%. Dell (59%) and HP/Compaq (17%) were the most-named brands, with 19% using custom servers.
• Proceed with caution!  While only eight percent of respondents report that their firms have experienced a security breach, 47% report that their law firm technology has been infected with a virus, spyware or malware.  However, no significant business disruption or loss resulted from the infection for 53% perhaps due to diligent backup practices; more than four-fifths (82%) of respondents report that their firm has a backup strategy.

The schedule for remaining volumes will be Litigation and Courtroom Technology (June), Web and Communication Technology (June), Online Research (July) and Mobile Lawyers (July). Details on the ABA site. [JH]

Cornell Law Library's InSITE Website Reviews

Reviews published in the May 5th, 2008 issue of InSITE:

• GLIN: Global Legal Information Network
• PLoL: Public Library of Law
• Trade Observatory
• Tribal Law Journal
• United Nations Scholars' Workstation

[RJ]

GLIN: Global Legal Information Network
http://www.glin.gov/

The Global Legal Information Network (GLIN) is a product of the Law Library of Congress that provides a freely searchable “public database of official texts of laws, regulations, judicial decisions, and other complementary legal sources contributed by [approximately thirty] governmental agencies and international organizations ... in their original languages.”  Every document record includes an English summary, as well as assigned subject terms.  Advanced features allow searching by jurisdiction, publication and issuance date, subject, document type, and language.  Results may be sorted or narrowed by jurisdiction, relevancy, or publication date.  Related legal resources are grouped together for ease of access.  Where available, the original documents are scanned color PDFs.  GLIN is a classic free resource for researching foreign and international law. [JJ]

PLoL: Public Library of Law
http://www.plol.org

The Public Library of Law (PLoL), sponsored by FastCase, provides free online access to extensive primary sources of U.S. law.  The searchable case law database includes all U.S. Supreme Court opinions, federal circuit court opinions from 1950 to the present, and state supreme and appellate court cases from 1997 to the present.  When researching case law, PLoL allows advanced Boolean searching, narrowing by jurisdiction, and exact citation or docket number look up.  Free registration is required to view judicial opinions.  Also available are state and federal statutes and constitutions, state and federal court rules, federal regulations, and select state regulations.  These resources are fed into the PLoL website from their most authoritative free online location.  This allows users to research multiple jurisdictions without navigating to each state’s individual website.  To assist users, PLoL offers two quick video tutorials on finding cases and statutes, as well as a general user guide.  PLoL is a great new open access resource to help people research the law for free. [JJ]

Trade Observatory
http://www.wtowatch.org/         

Formerly known as WTO Watch, Trade Observatory is a project of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) and is part of a cluster of sites including “Ag Observatory,” "Health Observatory" and "Community Forestry Resource Center." Trade Observatory "[h]as been documenting the World Trade Organization, the North American Free Trade Agreement, the Free Trade Area of the Americas and other international trade agreements and institutions" and "[w]orking toward fairer trade systems and alternative approaches to globalization."  The site offers an extensive news feed, which offers both press releases and links to coverage, with an emphasis on the World Trade Organization, North American Free Trade Agreement, Free Trade Area of the Americas, International Monetary Fund, and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development activities.  The news feed is syndicated via RSS.  There is an extensive “Library” of original documents collected and submitted by multiple partner organizations.  This section is browseable by topic or language (English, Spanish, French, and German), and is full-text searchable.  Most documents are available in PDF. [BWK, JPC]

Tribal Law Journal
http://tlj.unm.edu/

The purpose of the online Tribal Law Journal (TLJ), issued by the University of New Mexico School of Law, is to "promote indigenous self-determination by facilitating discussion of the internal law of the world’s indigenous nations." The internal law of indigenous nations encompasses traditional law, Western law adopted by indigenous nations, and a blend of Western and indigenous law. Underscoring this purpose is the recognition that traditional law is a source of law.  In addition to providing the full text of the Journal’s contents, the TLJ website contains Tribal Law Profiles, which provide overviews of indigenous governmental structures and organization.  The Journal also provides multimedia material concerning indigenous issues, although content is somewhat sparse and poorly updated.  The site and journal archives can currently only be searched as a part of the global search of all University of New Mexico School of Law pages. [BWK, JPC]

United Nations Scholars' Workstation
http://www.library.yale.edu/un/

Developed by the Yale University Library and the Social Science Statistical Laboratory, "the United Nations Scholars' Workstation is a collection of texts, finding aids, data sets, maps, and pointers to print and electronic information." The Workstation is maintained by the United Nations Studies program. Topics covered include disarmament, economic and social development, environment, human rights, international relations, international trade, peacekeeping, and population and demography. The site categorizes its links into two areas, "Research Tools to Locate UN Information", which links to particular types of content (i.e. "Numeric Data" or "Maps") and "Research Approaches to UN Information", which categorizes information by different approaches such as UN organizational structure or geographic area. This multi-axis approach makes the site more accessible. The site primarily links to and aggregates external sources; no internal search engine seems to be available. The site is most valuable for demonstrating how the different UN agencies are linked to each other.  [BWK, JPC]

Free Webinar on Multi-Jurisdictional E-Discovery Issues Tomorrow

Crossing Borders: Managing Multi-Jurisdictional E-Discovery Matters

Event Date: May 21, 2008 1:00 PM Central Daylight Time
Speakers: Bob Little, VP of Marketing and Joseph Venturella, Senior VP of Legal Solutions, both affliated with RenewData
Registration: webpage

This free webinar will examine current challenges posed by global multi-jurisdictional matters in the U.S. and abroad. Experts will address ways to efficiently manage ever-expanding e-discovery matters crossing interstate and international borders, common global setbacks and pitfalls to avoid, and insight on the impact of the new FRCP amendments for international businesses. This webinar will guide attendees through the following topics to better prepare legal professionals like you when responding to e-discovery orders involving multiple states or countries:

• Relevant case law & practical examples
• Managing project scope across multiple courts
• Impact of e-discovery globally
• European Union Safe Harbor considerations

State Court Processing of Domestic Violence Cases

New study from the Bureau of Justice Statistics:

"Examines the processing of domestic violence (DV) and non-domestic violence (non-DV) cases filed in May 2002 in 15 large urban counties. The study compares the domestic and non-domestic offenses of sexual and aggravated assault on 11 prosecution, conviction, and sentencing outcome measures. Data are also presented regarding court issued protection orders, guilty plea versus trial convictions, and the demographic characteristics of domestic violence defendants."

Highlights include the following:

• A third of violent felony defendants were charged with domestic violence.
• Prosecuted domestic sexual assault defendants had a higher overall conviction rate (98%) than prosecuted non-domestic sexual assault defendants (87%).
• Domestic aggravated assault defendants (54%) were less likely to be granted pretrial release than non-domestic aggravated assault defendants (62%).

Broadcasting, Voice and Accountability

New publication from the World Bank Institute: "This book provides guidelines, tools, and real world examples to help assess and reform the enabling environment for media development that serves public interest goals. It builds on a growing awareness of the role of media and voice in the promotion of transparent and accountable governance, in the empowerment of people to better exercise their rights and hold leaders to account; and in support of equitable development including improved livelihoods, health, and access to education. The book provides development practitioners with an overview of the key policy and regulatory issues involved in supporting freedom of information and expression and enabling independent public service media. Country examples illustrate how these norms have been institutionalized in various contexts."  [RJ]

Opening: Head of Reference, Fordham University Law School Library

The Fordham University Law School Library in the heart of New York City is looking for a forward-looking, energetic law library leader to head our Reference Department.  Please see the attached job announcement.

TITLE OF POSITION:   Head of Reference

DEPARTMENT:   Library, Law School, Lincoln Center

RESPONSIBITIES:

• In coordination with the Associate Librarian for Public Services, supervises the reference department staff of six
  or more lawyer-librarians.
• Develops, implements, and evaluates reference department policies, procedures, and publications.
• Schedules and manages the coverage of reference desk.
• Contributes to library management as part of the library’s Executive Management Committee.
• Serves as library liaison to a minimum of ten faculty members and administrators.
• Provides extensive general reference assistance to law students, faculty, and administrators at the reference desk.
• Provides in-class bibliographic instruction and creates research guides.
• Actively participates in building the library’s print and online collections as a member of the Acquisitions Committee.
• Oversees production of library displays and exhibits.
• Participates in law school-wide meetings, programs, and committees as member of the law school’s senior staff.
• Reports to the Associate Librarian for Public Services who may assign additional functions as necessary.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• J.D. from an A.B.A. accredited law school or equivalent, non-U.S. law degree.
• M.L.S. or equivalent from an A.L.S. accredited library school.
• Minimum 3 years experience in legal reference; experience in an academic setting preferred.
• Willingness to participate, as Associate Adjunct Professor of Law, in introductory and advanced legal research instruction programs.
• Substantial knowledge of print-based and online legal research systems and resources.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Strong service orientation.
• Demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.

SALARY: Commensurate with experience

STARTING DATE: As soon as possible

SEND LETTER & RESUME:

Robert J. Nissenbaum
Director of the Law Library and Professor of Law
Fordham University School of Law
140 West 62nd Street, Suite 132A
New York, NY 10023
Fax: 212-930-8818
Email: missenbaum@law.fordham.edu

FORDHAM UNIVERSITY IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION INSTITUTION.

Own a Piece of "Legal History," Charlton Heston's Ten Commandments to Be Auctioned

AP is reporting that a pair of faux granite tablets that Charlton Heston cradled in the 1956 biblical epic "The Ten Commandments" is expected to fetch as much as $60,000 in an auction conducted by Profiles in History on July 31-August 1. It is the fourth set of tablets that remains from the film that featured Heston as Moses. [JH]

Professional Reading: Authors and Readers: Conceptualizing Authorship in Copyright Law

Alina Ng (Mississippi College School of Law) has deposited Authors and Readers: Conceptualizing Authorship in Copyright Law in SSRN. Here's the abstract: 

Copyright law recognizes authors as the first owners of copyright. However, there is paucity of literature in copyright analysis of the author and the rights which should be granted by virtue of the very act of creativity in the production of literary and artistic works. This indicates insufficient attention paid to a concept that is so central to a law that primarily aims to encourage authorship for society's benefit. The idea of the author and authorship as a creative process is central to copyright analysis. Deeper analysis of the author and creative authorship will provide insights into how the law can work towards encouraging better author-reader connection and create a more efficient market for literary and artistic works to provide rewards to authors to encourage greater production of works to benefit society. This article proposes that conceptualizing authors as the most important figure for the grant of property rights will facilitate greater production of works that society will be willing to pay for in the market. This paper concludes that copyright is a law to encourage authors to create literary and artistic works for society. The rights granted under the law should encourage creative authorship, rather than a recovery of investment, and that public interests are served best by a law recognizing the creative author over the economic investor.

International Survey of Institutional Digital Repositories

Produced by Primary Research Group, The International Survey of Institutional Digital Repositories (ISBN: 1-57440-090-8;  $89.50) describes norms and benchmarks for budgets, software use, manpower needs and deployment, financing, usage, marketing and other facets of the managment of international digital repositories based on data from higher education libraries and other institutions involved in institutional digital repository development. 

The 121-page study presents data from 56 institutional digital repositories from eleven countries, including the USA, Canada, Australia, Germany, South Africa, India, Turkey and other countries. Data is broken out by size and type of institution for easier benchmarking.

The report helps to answer questions such as:  who contributes to the repositories and on what terms? Who uses the repositories? What do they contain and how fast are they growing, in terms of content and end use? What measures have repositories used to gain faculty and other researcher participation? How successful have these methods been?  How has the repository been marketed and cataloged? What has been the financial impact?

Roy Mersky, Recipient of This Year's Spirit of Law Librarianship Award

The Spirit of Law Librarianship Award Committee has announced that the late Roy M. Mersky will be honored with this year's award. Richard Leiter writes "Roy exemplified all the virtues inten