Wills, Trusts & Estates Prof Blog

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

Best wishes to all on Saint Patrick’s Day!

Estate Planning Dilemma

The following was posted on the Dear Prudence: Advice on manners and morals page of the online Slate magazine. See I'm Not Saying She's a Gravedigger … slate.com, Feb. 28, 2008.

I recently proposed marriage to my significant other of two years. She accepted my proposal[.] Earlier in our relationship, I told her that if we got married I would want a prenuptial agreement, and she agreed. However, now that the time has come for us to sign, she is refusing. I have offered to write a will that protects her in the event of my death. But she says that if I die first, she would have limited rights to contest my will and is worried my family would attempt to claim my investments. She also stated that in the event of both of our deaths, her two adult children from a previous marriage would not have rights to my investments.***

Here is what was posted in response:

Since you are well-off, a potential spouse has a right to expect that you would provide for her in your estate planning, as you have said you will.*** Since she's been showing such an ugly side of herself during these discussions, her threat must seem more and more like a reprieve.

Special thanks to Joel Dobris (Professor of Law, UC Davis School of Law) for bringing this posting to my attention.

Wills, Trusts & Estates Prof Blog Ranked Number 26 in "Most Influential Law Blog" Study

I am pleased and humbled to report that according to Jay Brown (Denver) who has ranked the 50 Most Influential Law Faculty Blogs, the Wills, Trusts, & Estates Prof Blog came in tied for 26th place.

To all my readers, I greatly appreciate your support and contributions.

Happy Valentine's Day

Wishing you and your special someone a very Happy Valentine's Day,

Gerry

Comment Reminder and Request

Do you notice that when you post a Comment, it does not appear?  Do you post it again and again?  Then, after a while, do you notice that it suddenly appears?

This is not aberrant behavior. Instead, it is by design because comments on this blog, as well as all other blogs in the Law Professor Blog Network, are moderated.  This means that a comment will not appear until the blog editor approves the comment.  This requirement is imposed because the blog editor may be held liable for the publication of comments under the theory of publisher liability. Because of publisher liability concerns, the Law Professor Blogs Network does not allow automatic comment publishing.

Important Caveat:  Comments which contain potentially libelous material will either be edited to exclude the potentially libelous material or not posted at all.  Thus, I respectfully request that you refrain from including potentially libelous material in your comments.  TIA.

Happy New Year!

As you are probably aware, this blog attempts to serve as a central site to locate and explore comprehensive materials to enhance your teaching of courses that address intestate succession, wills, trusts, estate administration, non-probate assets, planning for disability, and other matters pertaining to estate planning.  A wide range of materials are presented including reference, practical, academic, scholarly, pedestrian, historical, current, etc.

I encourage you to make suggestions and recommendations for materials to be included on this blog.  Unless otherwise requested, I will acknowledge your contribution in my blog entry.

Also, have you recently:

• published a book or article?
• made an interesting presentation?
• received a noteworthy appointment?
• accepted a position at a different school (permanent or visiting)?

If yes, please consider submitting a summary of the book, article, activity, etc. and I will be post it to this blog.  I am sure your colleagues would be interested -- I know I am!!

Best wishes for 2008,

Gerry

P.S.  For my non-law professor readers, I also encourage you to submit items which you think may be of interest to blog readers.  Your input and readership are greatly apppreciated!!

2008 Arrives

Happy Holidays!!

A Mystery ----

Yesterday, this blog experienced its highest number of visitors in one day, 2,176.  This is a greater number of readers than even when we were discussing Anna Nicole Smith or Leona Helmsley on a regular basis.

I am really puzzled as to what triggered this tremendous increase in readership.  If you have any thoughts, please let me know.

And, as always, I greatly appreciate your readership and support.

Comment Reminder

Do you notice that when you post a Comment, it does not appear?  Do you post it again and again?  Then, after a while, do you notice that it suddenly appears?

This is not aberrant behavior. Instead, it is by design because comments on this blog, as well as all other blogs in the Law Professor Blog Network, are moderated.  This means that a comment will not appear until the blog editor approves the comment.  This requirement is imposed because the blog editor may be held liable for the publication of comments under the theory of publisher liability. Because of publisher liability concerns, the Law Professor Blogs Network does not allow automatic comment publishing.

I do not receive an automatic notice that someone has posted a comment.  I do check on a regular basis but if you want to get you comment posted faster, please send me an e-mail simply stating you have posted a comment.

Distribution standard including the term “welfare” does not create an ascertainable standard.

The beneficiaries of a testamentary trust who could remove the trustee and appoint themselves sued the lawyers who drafted the will alleging that not limiting the trustee’s invasion power by an ascertainable standard was malpractice.

Before the suit was filed, the lawyers obtained a reformation of the trust which struck the word “welfare” from the language governing the invasion power.

In Carlson v. Sweeney, Dabagia, Donoghue, Thorne, Janes & Pagos, 868 N.E.2d 4 (Ind. Ct. App. 2007), the court held that a power to invade for the beneficiaries’ “medical care, comfortable maintenance and welfare” is not limited by an ascertainable standard; that the use of the word “welfare” was mistake of law that does not warrant reformation; and that the malpractice suit could proceed although the adverse tax effects of the language would not occur until the beneficiaries’ deaths.

Comment Reminder

Do you notice that when you post a Comment, it does not appear?  Do you post it again and again?  Then, after a while, do you notice that it suddenly appears?

This is not aberrant behavior. Instead, it is by design because comments on this blog, as well as all other blogs in the Law Professor Blog Network, are moderated.  This means that a comment will not appear until the blog editor approves the comment.  This requirement is imposed because the blog editor may be held liable for the publication of comments under the theory of publisher liability. Because of publisher liability concerns, the Law Professor Blogs Network does not allow automatic comment publishing.

I do not receive an automatic notice that someone has posted a comment.  I do check on a regular basis but if you want to get you comment posted faster, please send me an e-mail simply stating you have posted a comment.

Comment Reminder

Do you notice that when you post a Comment, it does not appear?  Do you post it again and again?  Then, after a while, do you notice that it suddenly appears?

This is not aberrant behavior. Instead, it is by design because comments on this blog, as well as all other blogs in the Law Professor Blog Network, are moderated.  This means that a comment will not appear until the blog editor approves the comment.  This requirement is imposed because the blog editor may be held liable for the publication of comments under the theory of publisher liability. Because of publisher liability concerns, the Law Professor Blogs Network does not allow automatic comment publishing.

I do not receive an automatic notice that someone has posted a comment.  I do check on a regular basis but if you want to get you comment posted faster, please send me an e-mail simply stating you have posted a comment.

Back to School

For many of us, today marks the first day of Fall semester.  I hope you had a most enjoyable and productive summer.

As you are probably aware, this blog attempts to serve as a central site to locate and explore comprehensive materials to enhance your teaching of courses that address intestate succession, wills, trusts, estate administration, non-probate assets, planning for disability, and other matters pertaining to estate planning.  A wide range of materials are presented including reference, practical, academic, scholarly, pedestrian, historical, current, etc.

I encourage you to make suggestions and recommendations for materials to be included on this blog.  Unless otherwise requested, I will acknowledge your contribution in my blog entry.

Also, have you recently:

• published a book or article?
• made an interesting presentation?
• received a noteworthy appointment?
• accepted a position at a different school (permanent or visiting)?

If yes, please consider submitting a summary of the book, article, activity, etc. and I will be post it to this blog.  I am sure your colleagues would be interested -- I know I am!!

Best wishes,

Gerry

P.S.  For my non-law professor readers, I also encourage you to submit items which you think may be of interest to blog readers.  Your input and readership are greatly apppreciated.

Blogging -- Good, Bad, or Ugly?

J. Robert Brown (Professor of Law, University of Denver Sturm College of Law) has recently posted on SSRN his article entitled Blogs, Law School Rankings, and the Race to the Bottom.

Here is the abstract of his article:

Blogs are changing legal scholarship. Although not a substitute for the detailed, often intricately researched analysis contained in law reviews and other scholarly publications, they fill an important gap in the scholarly continuum. Blog posts can generate ideas and discussion that can be transformed into more a systematic and thorough paper or scholarly article. At the same time, blogs provide a forum for testing ideas once they are published in more traditional venues.

While over time, a blog presence will likely become de rigueur for top scholars and law reviews, top tier schools as a group have not yet targeted blogs as a necessary component of scholarly activity. In the short term, therefore, blogs provide unique opportunities for faculty and law schools outside the top tier to enhance their reputational rankings. Blogs can enhance reputation by allowing faculty to route around some of the biases in law review placements and SSRN rankings that favor those at the top tier schools. Blogs also represent a cost effective mechanism for advertising scholarly activity.

The paper discusses the evidence that blogs enhance reputation and surveys the way that scholars at law schools outside the top tier are already harnessing blogs to enhance their reputations. The paper also discusses what it takes to create a successful blog, from the search for content to the benefits of advertising. The paper finishes with a brief history of The Race to the Bottom, a corporate governance blog.

Law Prof Blogosphere Census

The following is from the Tax Prof Blog:

Dan Solove (George Washington) has updated his census of law professor bloggers (here and here). He notes that there are now 365 law professor bloggers (up from 309 in October 2006).  The gender breakdown of the 365 law professor bloggers is 74% male and 26% female. 

77 (21%) of the bloggers are part of [the] Law Professor Blogs Network.  [This] network is more diverse than the general law prof blogosphere:  66% male and 34% female.

Blog Editor Returns

Dear Readers,

I have returned from vacation.  I hope you enjoyed the postings made by my research assistant, Elizabeth Storm, who, in addition to helping out with the Blog, was also in the midst of studying for and taking the Texas bar.

As always, if you have any contributions, suggestions, or comments, please let me know.

Gerry

Blog Editor to Take Vacation

Dear Readers,

Starting tomorrow (July 8, 2007) I will be on vacation for three weeks.  In my absence, postings will be made by my research assistant, Elizabeth Storm, who graduated in May from the Texas Tech University School of Law and who is in the midst of preparing to take the Texas Bar.

If you have any suggestions for postings, please forward them to her at elizabeth.storm@yahoo.com.  TIA.

Gerry

New Blogs Join Law Professor Blogs Network

Several new blogs have recently joined the Law Professor Blogs Network (http://www.lawprofessorblogs.com):

Administrative Law Prof Blog, edited by Drury Stevenson (South Texas) & Cynthia Quinn (Hawaii)

http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/adminlaw
   

Civil Procedure Prof Blog, edited by Jeremy Counseller (Baylor) & Rory Ryan (Baylor)

http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/civpro
   

International Environmental Law Prof Blog, edited by William Burns (Santa Clara) & Richard Caddell (Wales)

http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/intlenvironment
   

M&A Law Prof Blog, edited by Steven Davidoff (Wayne State)

http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/mergers
   

Poverty Law Prof Blog, edited by Ezra Rosser (American) & Lowell Hull (Notre Dame)

http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/poverty/

Blog has Quarter-Millionth Visitor

Sometime yesterday (April 24, 2007), this blog reached a milestone in that it had its quarter-millionth visitor.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation for your support and the contributions that many of you have submitted.

The two most popular postings have been those about Anna Nicole Smith (no surprise) and a motorcycle trailer which will double as the rider's casket upon death (big surprise).

Original Prof Blog Celebrates Three Year Anniversary

The blog that began the Law Professor Blogs Network, the Tax Prof Blog edited by Prof. Paul Caron, celebrated its three year anniversary yesterday (April 15, 2007).

The network now has 46 blogs, either existing or in development.

To read about what has happened over the past three years, see Three-Year Anniversary of TaxProf Blog.

Comment Reminder

Do you notice that when you post a Comment, it does not appear?  Do you post it again and again?  Then, after a while, do you notice that it suddenly appears?

This is not aberrant behavior. Instead, it is by design because comments on this blog, as well as all other blogs in the Law Professor Blog Network, are moderated.  This means that a comment will not appear until the blog editor approves the comment.  This requirement is imposed because the blog editor may be held liable for the publication of comments under the theory of publisher liability. Because of publisher liability concerns, the Law Professor Blogs Network does not allow automatic comment publishing.

I do not receive an automatic notice that someone has posted a comment.  I do check on a regular basis but if you want to get you comment posted faster, please send me an e-mail simply stating you have posted a comment.

Happy Valentine's Day

Wishing you and your special someone a very Happy Valentine's Day,

Gerry

New Law Prof Blogs

The Law Professor Blog Network has recently added the following new blogs:

Food Law Prof Blog, edited by Donna Byrne (William Mitchell)

http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/foodlaw
   

Law Blog Metrics (formerly Ian Best's 3L Epiphany), edited by Joe Hodnicki (Cincinnati)

http://3lepiphany.typepad.com/3l_epiphany
   

Reproductive Rights Prof Blog, edited by Caitlin Borgmann (CUNY)

http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/reproductive_rights
   

Securities Law Prof Blog, edited by Barbara Black (Cincinnati)

http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/securities/

In addition, the Antitrust Prof Blog has re-launched as Antitrust & Competition Policy Blog with Shubha Ghosh (SMU) and Daniel Sokol (Wisconsin) as co-editors.  http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/antitrustprof_blog

Blogging as Lawyer Advertising -- An Update

Earlier on this blog, I reported on proposed rules in New York which would include blogs within the scope of lawyer advertising if the blog could be accessed from a computer in New York, even if the attorney is not practicing or domiciled in New York.

According to Stephanie Francis Ward, New York Revises Ad Rules, ABA J e-Report, Jan. 19, 2007, "[i]n the final regulations, which go into effect Feb. 1, it's made clear that such computer advertising regulations only apply to licensed New York lawyers."

One of the new requirements is "that all attorney Web sites include the term attorney advertising on home pages."

Comment Reminder

Do you notice that when you post a Comment, it does not appear?  Do you post it again and again?  Then, after a while, do you notice that it suddenly appears?

This is not aberrant behavior. Instead, it is by design because comments on this blog, as well as all other blogs in the Law Professor Blog Network, are moderated.  This means that a comment will not appear until the blog editor approves the comment.  This requirement is imposed because the blog editor may be held liable for the publication of comments under the theory of publisher liability. Because of publisher liability concerns, the Law Professor Blogs Network does not allow automatic comment publishing.

I do not receive an automatic notice that someone has posted a comment.  I do check on a regular basis but if you want to get you comment posted faster, please send me an e-mail simply stating you have posted a comment.

Happy New Year!

As you are probably aware, this blog attempts to serve as a central site to locate and explore comprehensive materials to enhance your teaching of courses that address intestate succession, wills, trusts, estate administration, non-probate assets, planning for disability, and other matters pertaining to estate planning.  A wide range of materials are presented including reference, practical, academic, scholarly, pedestrian, historical, current, etc.

I encourage you to make suggestions and recommendations for materials to be included on this blog.  Unless otherwise requested, I will acknowledge your contribution in my blog entry.

Also, have you recently:

• published a book or article?
• made an interesting presentation?
• received a noteworthy appointment?
• accepted a position at a different school (permanent or visiting)?

If yes, please consider submitting a summary of the book, article, activity, etc. and I will be post it to this blog.  I am sure your colleagues would be interested -- I know I am!!

Best wishes for 2007,

Gerry

P.S.  For my non-law professor readers, I also encourage you to submit items which you think may be of interest to blog readers.  Your input and readership are greatly apppreciated.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving.

New Blogs Added to Law Professor Blogs Network

Below is a list of the newest members of the Law Professor Blogs Network:

Aviation Law Prof Blog

Editors:  Brian Havel (DePaul), Michael Jacobs (DePaul) & Andrew Eastmond)
   

Banking Law Prof Blog

Editor:  Ann Graham (Texas Tech)
   

Legal Profession Blog

Editors:  Alan Childress (Tulane), Michael Frisch (Georgetown) & Jeffrey lipshaw (Tulane)
   

Mass Tort Litigation Blog

Editor:  Byron Stier (Southwestern)
   

Science & Law Blog

Editors:  David Faigman (Hastings), David Kaye (ASU), Michael Saks (ASU), Joseph Sanders (Houston) & Edward Cheng (Brooklyn)
   

Statutory Construction Blog

Editor:  David Hricik (Mercer) 

Like the other blogs in the network, these new blogs combine both (1) regularly-updated permanent resources and links, and (2) daily news and information.  The editors are leading scholars and teachers who are committed to providing the web destination for law professors in their fields.  I hope you will check out the blogs in your areas and become regular visitors.

Blogging = Lawyer Advertising??

As reported in Stephanie Francis Ward, Blogosphere Aboil -- N.Y. Proposal Would Designate Lawyer Blogs as Advertising, ABA e-Report, Sept. 29, 2006, "computer-accessed communications" such as blogs may be added to the definition of legal advertising which would then be subject to review by the govenment, disclosure requirements, etc.  The proposal may be broadly read to include blogs which may be accessed from a computer in New York, even if the attorney is not practicing or domiciled in New York.

In addition,

[o]ne proposed change would require lawyers to file copies of computer-accessed communications with the attorney disciplinary committee in the appropriate judicial department of the state. The revision also would require lawyers to retain copies of all written advertising, including Web sites and communications that may be accessed by computer, for at least one year,

Here is the link to the full text of the proposal.

New and Renamed Categories

A new category, "Faculty Positions -- Permanent," has been added to as a service to law school recruitment committees so they may announce positions in the wills, trusts, and estate area.  I encourage any readers who are aware of openings to send me the appropriate information to post.

The former category, "Vistorships," has been renamed "Faculty Positions -- Visiting."

A new category, "Income Tax," has been added to collect materials relating to the income taxation of gifts, trusts, and estates.

Request for Suggestions and News About You and Your Accomplishments & Activities

Greetings Law Professors:

For many of us, today begins the new academic year.  Personally, my Texas Estate Administration class begins at 8:00 a.m. followed by Estate Planning at noon.

As you are probably aware, this blog attempts to serve as a central site to locate and explore comprehensive materials to enhance your teaching of courses that address intestate succession, wills, trusts, estate administration, non-probate assets, planning for disability, and other matters pertaining to estate planning.  A wide range of materials are presented including reference, practical, academic, scholarly, pedestrian, historical, current, etc.

I encourage you to make suggestions and recommendations for materials to be included on this blog.  Unless otherwise requested, I will acknowledge your contribution in my blog entry.

Also, have you recently:

• published a book or article?
• made an interesting presentation?
• received a noteworthy appointment?
• accepted a position at a different school (permanent or visiting)?

If yes, please consider submitting a summary of the book, article, activity, etc. and I will be post it to this blog.  I am sure your colleagues would be interested -- I know I am!!

May the semester begin well for you and your students.

Gerry

P.S.  For my non-law professor readers, I also encourage you to submit items which you think may be of interest to blog readers.  Your input and readership are greatly apppreciated.

Blog Has 100,000th Visitor

Sometime yesterday, June 12, 2006, this blog received its 100,000th visitor.  I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to all of you who read this blog.  I hope you find the material I post to be interesting and useful.  And, remember, I encourage you to submit suggestions.

Impact of Legal Blogs

The following is from a message I received from Ian Best, the third year law student from Ohio State who has prepared the best, in my opinion, taxonomy of law blogs.

I wanted to let you know that I've just posted a collection of law review articles which cite legal blogs. There are 70 legal blogs represented. The 27-page collection is available for downloading here:
 
http://3lepiphany.typepad.com/3l_epiphany/2006/04/lawrevsciteblog.html.

   

Your blog is cited 1 time. But let me know if you are aware of articles that I have missed.
   

Also, there are two interviews with judges that you might be interested in, because they talk about legal blogs and law review articles. The posts are:
   

1. Justice Judith Ann Lanzinger, Ohio Supreme Court:

http://3lepiphany.typepad.com/3l_epiphany/2006/04/the_future_belo.html
   

2. Richard G. Kopf, U.S. District Judge (Nebraska):

http://3lepiphany.typepad.com/3l_epiphany/2006/04/judge_richard_k.html

Request for News About You and Your Accomplishments & Activities

Greetings,

Have you recently:

• published a book or article?
• made an interesting presentation?
• received a noteworthy appointment?
• accepted a position at a different school (permanent or visiting)?
• received an award or other recognition for your teaching, scholarship, or service?

If yes, please consider submitting a summary of the book, article, activity, award, etc. and I will be post it to this blog.  I am sure your colleagues would be interested -- I know I am!!  Don't be shy!!  Just click here to send me the information.

May the semester end well for you and your students.

Gerry

Request to Complete Survey

Please take a moment to fill out our short reader survey here.  We would like to have a better idea about who is reading this blog so we can better serve you.  Thanks in advance for your help.  (The survey will remain at the top of the middle column throughout this week.)

The Value of Law Blogging

The following is from the Law Librarian Blog:

The National Law Journal has a little piece on blogging titled "Blogging law profs assault ivory tower, Is it scholarship, or a cyber chit-chat?" (Feb. 27, 2007). The article features two Law Professor Blogs Network editors, Paul Caron, editor of TaxProf Blog and co-founder of the Law Professor Blogs Network, and OSU Law Prof Douglas Berman, whose blog, Sentencing Law & Policy, was cited by U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens in State v. Booker, 543 U.S. 220 (2005) in additon to be citing in at least four federal circuit court opinions and more than 10 federal district court opinions.

Law Student Studies Blogs

The following is from an e-mail message I received earlier today (2/6/2006):

Dear Professor,
   

Hello. I am a 3L at Ohio State University. I wanted to let you know about a collection of blog posts and articles on the topic of "Academic Blogging" that I have posted at my own blog, 3L Epiphany. I thought it might interest you. The URL for the collection is:

http://3lepiphany.typepad.com/3l_epiphany/2006/02/academic_bloggi.html

   

If you are aware of any online articles or blog posts that should be included in this list, please let me know and I will include them in a future edition. You can email me at ianbest@sbcglobal.net.

   

This compendium is part of an independent study project I am carrying out this semester. For a somewhat prosaic explanation, see here: http://3lepiphany.typepad.com/3l_epiphany/2006/02/and_so_it_begin.html .

For a more succinct explanation see here: http://3lepiphany.typepad.com/3l_epiphany/2006/02/greetings_and_s.html

   

Sincerely,

   

Ian Best

Four New Law Professor Blogs

Four new Law Professor Blogs have just started:

Legal Writing Prof Blog ( http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legalwriting)

Editors:  Nancy Soonpaa (Texas Tech) & Sue Liemer (Southern Illinois)
 

Products Liability Prof Blog ( http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/products_liability)

Editors:  J. David Prince, Michael Steenson & Kenneth Ross (all of William Mitchell)
 

State & Local Government Law Prof Blog ( http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/statelocal)

Editor:  Judith Welch Wegner (North Carolina)
 

TortsProf Blog ( http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/tortsprof)

Editor:  Bill Childs (Western New England)

Most Popular Law Professor Blogs

Follow this link for a listing of the most popular blogs by law professors.

AALS Program: Blogging: Scholarship or Distraction?

For an interesting report on the AALS program entitled Blogging: Scholarship or Distraction?, see the summary prepared by Paul L. Caron (Charles Hartsock Professor of Law, Director of Faculty Projects, University of Cincinnati College of Law).

Moderated Comments Now Active on This Blog

Effective with this posting, moderated comments have been activated for this blog, as well as the other blogs on the Law Professor Blogs Network.

You may make a comment on any new posting by clicking on the "Comments" link at the end of a posting.

Note that comments are moderated, that is, a comment will not appear on this site until the blog editor approves the comment.  This requirement is imposed because the blog editor may be held liable for the publication of comments under the theory of publisher liability. Because of publisher liability concerns, the Law Professor Blogs Network does not allow automatic comment publishing.

Leiter's Law School Rankings

The Law Professor Blog Network is delighted to announce the launch of Leiter’s Law School Rankings by Brian Leiter, the Joseph D. Jamail Centennial Chair in Law at the University of Texas School of Law, in association with Law Professor Web Services LLC.

Leiter’s Law School Rankings (1) contains two brand new law school quality rankings, and (2) expands and redesigns the rankings material formerly maintained on the University of Texas School of Law web site.

1.  The new 2005 rankings are:

• Faculty Quality Rankings: Scholarly Impact (Citations), summarized below

• Student Quality Rankings

2.  Leiter’s Law School Rankings presents law school rankings material in seven categories:

•  Newest Rankings contains the latest 2005 rankings (Faculty Quality Rankings: Scholarly Impact (Citations) and Student Quality Rankings)

•  Faculty Rankings contains rankings of scholarly quality (as measured by reputation, productivity, and impact) and teaching quality, as well as a listing of faculty moves

•  Student Rankings contains rankings of student quality (as measured by LSAT scores and undergraduate GPAs)

•  Job Placement contains rankings of placement of students at elite law firms, a well as listings of where faculty went to law school and Supreme Court clerkships

•  U.S. News Rankings contains discussions of the U.S. News & World Report Law School Rankings and how the rankings on this site differ from U.S. News

•  Archives contains Educational Quality Rankings of U.S. Law Schools from earlier years

•  Links contains links to law review articles on law school rankings (the links are to the articles on SSRN, Hein-on-Line, and Westlaw, in that order of priority)

Property Blog Goes On-Line

Many of us who teach Wills, Trusts, and related subjects also teach Property.  Accordingly, you may be interested to learn about the launch of the newest member of the Law Professor Blogs Network (www.lawprofessorblogs.com): PropertyProf Blog (http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/property), edited by D. Benjamin Barros (Widener).  Prof. Barros  blogged yesterday (October 10, 2005) about Justice O'Connor, Midkiff and Kelo:  A Short Morality Play in Two Acts.

Like the other blogs in the network, PropertyProf Blog combines both (1) permanent resources and links, and (2) daily news and information.  The editors of the blogs in this network are leading scholars and teachers who are committed to providing the web destination for law professors in their fields

Immigration Professor Blog Joins Law Professor Blogs Network

The most recent addition to the Law Professor Blogs Network is the Immigration Prof. Blog edited by Jennifer Chacón (UC-Davis), Bill O. Hing (UC-Davis), and Kevin R. Johnson (UC-Davis).

LexisNexis to Help Katrina-Impacted Law Students

LexisNexis' Law School Publishing group has implemented a plan to respond to the needs of law school students displaced by Hurricane Katrina. LexisNexis will provide free coursebooks to all displaced students enrolled in a law school class that requires a LexisNexis coursebook. LexisNexis will also provide free copies of relevant titles from our Understanding Series and our Q & A Series to all displaced students enrolled in a law school class that corresponds to a title in our Understanding and Q & A product lines.

To receive this assistance, an appointed school administrator (e.g., the registrar) must make this contact on behalf of the displaced student(s) who have been invited to participate in their Fall 2005 program. Requests must include:

• Students' name
• Mailing address
• Email address (if any)
• Phone number
• Home law school
• Author name & title of adopted LexisNexis coursebook
• Fall 2005 course listing (to determine relevant study aid titles to send to each student).

Please send this information to: Lisa Hughes, LexisNexis Law School Sales Operations Manager, via email at Lisa.A.Hughes@lexisnexis.com, or via fax at 518-641-6090.

Family Law Blog Added to Law Professors Blog Network

The Law Professors Blog Network has just added the Family Law Prof Blog.

This new blog is edited by Ruby M. Hulen Professor Barbara Glesner Fines (Missouri-Kansas City), Professor Robert E. Oliphant (William Mitchell), and Associate Professor Nancy Ver Steegh (William Mitchell).

Some of the topics covered on this blog may also be of interested to those of us teaching in the Wills, Trusts, and Estates field.

Request for Suggestions and News About You and Your Accomplishments & Activities

Greetings:

For many of us, tomorrow begins the new academic year.  Personally, my Texas Estate Administration class begins tomorrow (August 22, 2005) morning at 8:00 a.m. followed by Estate Planning at noon.

As you are probably aware, this blog attempts to serve as a central site to locate and explore comprehensive materials to enhance your teaching of courses that address intestate succession, wills, trusts, estate administration, non-probate assets, planning for disability, and other matters pertaining to estate planning.  A wide range of materials are presented including reference, practical, academic, scholarly, pedestrian, historical, current, etc.

I encourage you to make suggestions and recommendations for materials to be included on this blog.  Unless otherwise requested, I will acknowledge your contribution in my blog entry.

Also, have you recently:

• published a book or article?
• made an interesting presentation?
• received a noteworthy appointment?
• accepted a position at a different school (permanent or visiting)?

If yes, please consider submitting a summary of the book, article, acti