LibWorm.com provides a librarian RSS filtering service. Over 1500 RSS librarian sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest headlines from journals and sites in the Law interest group. http://www.libworm.com/rss/librarianqueries.php Fri, 05 Aug 2011 02:51:01 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://web.docuticker.com/go/docubase/62989 U.S. District Court Filings Continue to Climb Source:  Administrative Office of the United States Courts Newly posted statistics show that the nation’s federal trial courts experienced increases in the numbers of new civil and criminal cases filed in the 12-month period ending March 31, 2010. The number of new civil [...] (Source: Docuticker) Fri, 31 Dec 2010 14:41:00 +0100 895809 http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/barmax-999-99-bar-exam-prep-e-textbook-comes-to-ipad/ Back in June I covered BarMax, the bar exam test preparation software for iPhone that is the most expensive title in the app store at $999.99. But this is no “I Am Rich”. In fact, it costs significantly less than other bar exam test prep software on the market. What’s more, it actually works: those who’ve used the software have been passing bar exams at well above average rates. And now, TechCrunch reports, BarMax is coming to the iPad, in a new version rebuilt from the ground up to look good on the bigger screen. It includes a number of e-book-related enhancements such as the ability to highlight text and make notes and bookmarks. From the screenshots, it looks like a great deal, and law students can buy it and an iPad together for half or less of the cost of its $3,000-$4,000 competitors. Currently the California version is the only one available, but presumably other states will follow. The company has already earned $200,000 in sales from California and New York versions of the iPhone software. (Which, of course, just means a bit over two hundred people bought it, but still it’s an impressive monetary figure.) Who would have thought there could be a legitimate reason to charge $1,000 for an iPad app? (Source: TeleRead: Bring the E-Books Home) Fri, 31 Dec 2010 12:15:00 +0100 895816 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LawLibrarianBlog/~3/vRJE0QWrtPU/tis-the-season-for-year-in-review-blog-posts.html My favorite year in review post has to be Sarah Glassmeyer's 2010 Was an Interesting Year. She writes (and I intentionally omit the context): I got nailed by a lot of balls in 2010. I’ll wait for the #Iam12 crowd... (Source: Law Librarian Blog) Fri, 31 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 895835 http://feeds.lexblog.com/~r/ediscoverylaw/klgates/~3/90tDDPExFNo/ By: Martha Dawson, Michael Goodfried, K&L Gates This article appeared in DRI’s E-Discovery Connection, Volume 5 Issue 3, on December 23, 2010 Consider how you, or someone you know, uses social networking sites; and consider how valuable this could be in litigation. • “Check out the photos from my climb of Mt. Rainier. It rocked! I guess my back injury wasn’t that bad after all.” • I can’t believe what my boss just did.” • “My kids are driving me crazy. Anyone want to borrow them for the night?” Are Social Networking Sites Discoverable? Social networking sites are internet sites on which individuals or companies can create profiles about themselves and share information with others.  Users can update their status, type blog entries, post pictures or videos, send email or instant messages, or post comments on the profiles of their contacts, among many other offerings.  One of the most important aspects of social networking sites is the ability to link up with other users as “friends” or “contacts,” and decide with whom to share information.  Users can control their privacy settings and choose which information to make publically available, share with their contacts, share with their contacts’ contacts (friends of friends), or show only to certain individuals.  Some of the most popular social networking sites are Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and LinkedIn. To read the full article, click here. (Source: Electronic Discovery Law) Fri, 31 Dec 2010 01:02:17 +0100 895757 http://web.docuticker.com/go/docubase/62942 Multiple Perspectives on Battered Mothers and their Children Fleeing to the United States for Safety: A Study of Hague Convention Cases (PDF) Source:  National Institute of Justice (via National Criminal Justice Reference Service) Mothers who flee with their children because of domestic violence may have few other options to ensure their [...] (Source: Docuticker) Thu, 30 Dec 2010 21:54:00 +0100 895761 http://web.docuticker.com/go/docubase/62976 Information Sharing in Criminal Justice-Mental Health Collaborations: Working with HIPAA and Other Privacy Laws (PDF) Source:  U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance Individuals with mental illnesses are overrepresented at every stage of the criminal justice process. In response, many jurisdictions have developed a range of policy and programmatic responses [...] (Source: Docuticker) Thu, 30 Dec 2010 18:19:00 +0100 895695 http://web.docuticker.com/go/docubase/62975 Law Enforcement Agencies Are Phasing Out Old Radio Codes Source:  National Institute of Justice Does "10-13" mean an officer is in trouble or is it a request for a wrecker? Is the use of 10-codes ham­pering your ability to communicate over the radio with officers in other departments? The use [...] (Source: Docuticker) Thu, 30 Dec 2010 17:14:00 +0100 895697 http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/dec/30/john-sutherland-top-10-books-about-books From Aristotle to Roland Barthes, the author and commentator gives his analysis of the critics who find the hard answers to simple questions, and offers some improving ideas for new year's readingJohn Sutherland staggers under the title Lord Northcliffe professor emeritus of Modern English Literature at UCL. He has written numerous books on literature and a couple on himself (notably a drunkalog, Last Drink to LA). He has taught, principally, in the UK and America. His next book (out in a week or so) has the self-explanatory title: 50 Literature Ideas You Really Need to Know. Roll over Dr Johnson.Buy 50 Literature Ideas You Really Need to Know at the Guardian bookshop"There are only a handful of grand-master literary critics in action at any one time in the English-speaking world. We lost one of our greatest literary critics, Frank Kermode, a few months ago. That leaves, by my count, Christopher Ricks, Terry Eagleton, and Elaine Showalter. Others will have a different pantheon – but if they're honest it will be highly select."The hardest lit-crit is that which asks the simplest questions. What's the difference between a 'story' by Ian McEwan and a 'story' on the front page of the Guardian? What precisely, is 'lost' in translation? Literature 'means' something. But is that meaning located in the author's mind, on the page, or in the reader's mind? Why does literature (unlike, say, the discourses of law or science) cultivate 'ambiguity' – saying many things at the same time?"1. Aristotle, The Poetics (Ingram Bywater translation) The still-most-relevant work of literary criticism, given (as a lecture, probably) around the fourth century BC. Aristotle takes on the biggest/simplest questions of all. ... Thu, 30 Dec 2010 10:36:30 +0100 895642 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LawLibrarianBlog/~3/QgjtTY34as8/opening-reference-librarian-drake-university-law-library.html Drake University Law Library is seeking a Reference Librarian with a strong service orientation to help provide patron services to members of the Law School, Drake University, the local bench and bar, and the public. Located in Iowa’s capital city,... (Source: Law Librarian Blog) Thu, 30 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 895841 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LawLibrarianBlog/~3/T1kw7Kq_Zvk/using-ebooks-ereaders-in-your-library.html The Creekview High School Library (a/k/a The Unquiet Library) staff in Georgia have been documenting the library's process of acquiring and lending Kindles and Kindle book editions on The Unquiet Librarian blog and in a series of YouTube videos, which... (Source: Law Librarian Blog) Thu, 30 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 895840 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LawLibrarianBlog/~3/WAOl-tE67mM/want-to-be-the-next-public-printer-of-the-united-states.html Sounds like there is an opening but I didn't see an ad for the gig, at least not yet. From the GPO press release: Public Printer of the United States Bob Tapella announces his resignation as head of the U.S.... (Source: Law Librarian Blog) Thu, 30 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 895839 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LawLibrarianBlog/~3/LW4Wew1r0AA/friday-fun-law-school-fear-reckoning-.html (Source: Law Librarian Blog) Thu, 30 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 895838 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LawLibrarianBlog/~3/gS1gg5HxjkY/ebook-trends-that-will-change-the-future-of-publishing-sooner-rather-than-later-wexis-ebooks.html Philip Ruppel, president of McGraw-Hill Professional, identifies five eBook trends that will change the future of publishing: Enhanced E-Books Are Coming and Will Only Get Better The Device War Is Nearly Over The $9.99 E-Book Won’t Last Forever The Contextual... (Source: Law Librarian Blog) Thu, 30 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 895837 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LawLibrarianBlog/~3/wWG42_sDChA/president-obama-announces-recess-appointment-for-public-printer-cwa-senior-vice-president-william-j-.html From yesterday's White House Announcement: About William J. Boarman: Boarman recently served as President of the Printing, Publishing & Media Workers Sector of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and the Senior Vice President of CWA. He has been associated... (Source: Law Librarian Blog) Thu, 30 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 895836 http://micheladrien.blogspot.com/2010/12/recent-reports-by-law-commission-of-new.html The Law Commission of New Zealand recently published two reports on criminal law as well as its second in a series of issues papers on the law of trusts:Mental Impairment Decision-Making and the Insanity Defence: "The report Mental Impairment Decision-Making and the Insanity Defence (NZLC R120, December 2010) recommends a new decision-making framework for special patients, special care recipients, and restricted patients. Currently, their discharge, reclassification, and long leave for more than 7 days is dealt with by Ministers (the Minister of Health and, sometimes, the Attorney-General). Instead, we recommend a new Tribunal, the removal of the Minister of the Health from the process, and some slight modification to the Attorney-General’s functions. The report also reviews the insanity defence in section 23 of the Crimes Act 1961. The defence, despite being quite old-fashioned, is generally thought to be working as well as could be promised by any of the available reform options. All of the options are flawed, in one way or another. No change to the defence is proposed."Compensating Victims of Crime: "The Commission favours the alignment of the regimes for enforcement of reparation orders that exist for District Courts and the High Court, and that are contained in the Summary Proceedings Act 1957 and the Crimes Act 1961 respectively. The Government has recently decided to amend the law so that these regimes are consistent, which the Commission supports. The Commission also recommends that the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act 2009 be amended so that prosecutors may obtain a restraining order preventing a defendant from dissipating his or her assets prior to an order for reparation being made in favour of any victims. ... Thu, 30 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 895773 http://www.bespacific.com/mt/archives/026120.html Peter Eckersley: "At the beginning of this year EFF identified a dozen important trends in law, technology and business that... (Source: beSpacific) Thu, 30 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 895758 http://cincinnatilaw.blogspot.com/2010/12/ohio-consecutive-sentencing-law.html The Ohio Supreme Court yesterday ruled that the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Oregon v. Ice, last year, 1).does not revive former Ohio statutory requirements for judges imposing consecutive sentences in criminal cases; and 2) defendants sentenced by trial judges who didn’t apply those former provisions are not entitled to resentencing. [ State v. Hodge, Slip Opinion No. 2010-Ohio-6320 ] In (Source: Cincinnati Law Library Association) Thu, 30 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 895725 http://www.librarian.net/stax/3432/morris-cohen-spitfire-legal-librarian-rip/ I first became aware of Morris Cohen because he has the same name as my grandfather only spelled slightly differently. We exchanged emails a few times and I finally met him at Yale when I was in town for the Reblaw conference. He went out of his way to find a time we could have coffee and chitchat about quasi-radical librarianship and he made an impression on me as both a deeply principled and interesting person as well as someone who cared about mentoring and passing on his legacy. I was saddened to learn of his passing this week. There are good obituaries available at the New York Times and Library Journal. (Source: librarian.net) Wed, 29 Dec 2010 19:03:38 +0100 895625 http://web.docuticker.com/go/docubase/62956 Do Not Call Registry Data Book for Fiscal Year 2010 (PDF) Source:  Federal Trade Commission The National Do Not Call Registry (Registry) provides consumers with an easy and efficient way to register their preference not to receive most telemarketing sales calls. The Registry has continued to grow since its inception in [...] (Source: Docuticker) Wed, 29 Dec 2010 17:54:00 +0100 895604 http://web.docuticker.com/go/docubase/62952 Dashed Hopes:Continuation of the Gaza Blockade  (PDF) Source:  Amnesty International Renewed international action to ensure an immediate, sustained and unconditional lifting of the blockade in line with international law is necessary. That includes allowing the movement of people into and out of Gaza, ending the ban on exports, allowing entry [...] (Source: Docuticker) Wed, 29 Dec 2010 14:39:00 +0100 895508 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LawLibrarianBlog/~3/q_cm21Zxrd4/opening-assistant-director-for-faculty-services-univ-of-south-carolina-school-of-law.html The Coleman Karesh Law Library, University of South Carolina School of Law, seeks motivated, experienced candidates for the position of Assistant Director for Faculty Services. The Law Library is an academic research library with the primary goal of supporting the... (Source: Law Librarian Blog) Wed, 29 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 895845 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LawLibrarianBlog/~3/PKUX8sjYJBk/putting-the-ipad-to-work.html Tablet Legal's Josh Barrett is posting a series of iPad apps reviews for lawyers which also may be of interest to law librarians who want to put their iPad to work for them. Here's Barrett's introduction to the series. So... (Source: Law Librarian Blog) Wed, 29 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 895844 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LawLibrarianBlog/~3/uD8eU1M3VyY/us-news-rankings-czar-urges-prospective-law-students-to-use-rankings-wisely.html According to a recent Kaplan Test Prep survey 30 percent of test takers say that a law school's ranking was the most critical factor in selecting a law school to apply to. US News rankings czar Bob Morse says this... (Source: Law Librarian Blog) Wed, 29 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 895843 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LawLibrarianBlog/~3/RIyX_ITrdJ0/voting-in-the-2010-aba-journal-blawg-100-will-end-cob-tomorrow.html "The Blawg 100 is compiled by ABA Journal staff and is largely a favorites’ list. Most are blawgs that are regularly updated, contain original content, opinion and/or analysis. Many are also on our radar because the Journal staff finds the... (Source: Law Librarian Blog) Wed, 29 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 895842 http://micheladrien.blogspot.com/2010/12/juror-misbehavior-in-information-age.html LLRX.com published an article last Sunday on Juror Behavior in the Information Age: "While the lure of tweeting or doing a Google search or updating a Facebook profile seems all but irresistible, these upheavals are reshaping the social dimensions of the trial and breaking down the barriers that channel the flow of information within the courtroom. Online misbehavior by jurors can be reduced to four principle areas: (1) publishing or distributing information about a trial, e.g., tweeting or posting updates on a social media site; (2) uncovering information about the case by searching the Internet, entering social networking sites or visiting virtual crime scenes; (3) contacting parties, witnesses, lawyers or judges via social networking for example; and (4) discussing or deliberating the merits of the litigation prematurely or inviting outside opinions." "Judges and court administrators are being tasked with responding to this technological revolution in jury behavior. They have been assigned expanded roles in jury selection and policing misconduct before, during and after trial (...)" "This article collects recent and notable examples of juror online misbehavior and highlights scholarship and practice resources concerning its implications for voir dire, trial management and the administration of justice" Earlier Library Boy posts on the topic include:Impartiality of Juries Threatened by Web? (October 22, 2009): "Donald Findlay QC, one of Scotland's top criminal lawyers, has warned that the impartiality of the jury system is at risk due to jurors using internet search engines and has warned that the Government cannot continue with its 'ostrich-like' attitude to the problem (...) "Should Twitter in the Courtroom Be Illegal? (November 11, 2009): "A U.S. ... Wed, 29 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 895632 http://www.bespacific.com/mt/archives/026108.html Net Neutrality as Diplomacy, Jonathan Zittrain. Vol. 29, Yale Law & Policy Review, December 2010. "Popular imagination holds that the... (Source: beSpacific) Wed, 29 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 895600 http://cincinnatilaw.blogspot.com/2010/12/ohio-gun-control-law-constitutional.html The Ohio Supreme Court this morning upheld a state law on handguns enacted in 2006 that provides that only federal or state regulations can limit an Ohioan's individual right to bear arms, saying ORC § 9.68, which displaces all local gun-control ordinances previously adopted by Ohio municipalities, does not infringe on the "home rule" powers of those municipalities under the Ohio Constitution and (Source: Cincinnati Law Library Association) Wed, 29 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 895568 http://cincinnatilaw.blogspot.com/2010/12/ohio-allied-offenses-law.html The Supreme Court of Ohio reversed itself today, overruling its 1999 holding in State v. Rance, and now holding that when determining whether two criminal offenses arising out the same conduct are "allied offenses of similar import" that must be merged for sentencing, the state's trial courts must consider the conduct of the accused in each case separately, and not merely compare the elements of (Source: Cincinnati Law Library Association) Wed, 29 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 895567 http://feeds.lexblog.com/~r/ediscoverylaw/klgates/~3/By2C8-Vivjc/ Willis v. Willis, 2010 WL 5186606 (N.Y. App. Div. Dec. 21, 2010) Plaintiff filed suit against her former husband and his current wife alleging defamation.  Specifically, plaintiff alleged that defamatory statements had been made in an email addressed to her and sent to her account - an account which was also regularly used by the former couple’s children.  One of the children read the email.  Plaintiff alleged that the act of sending the email to that account constituted publication for purposes of her claim. In the course of litigation, plaintiff used the same account to communicate with her attorneys.  Defendant sought production of those emails contending that they were not privileged.  Plaintiff sought a protective order.  The trial court ordered their production.  On appeal, the court found that plaintiff “failed to meet her burden of demonstrating … that the email communications … were made in confidence” and reasoned:According to the plaintiff, her children did not merely know the password to the e-mail account that she used to communicate with her attorneys, but the children regularly used the e-mail account, and, the plaintiff alleged, the defendants' mere act of sending an e-mail addressed solely to her on that account constituted "publication" for purposes of establishing a defamation cause of action.  Furthermore, the individuals who had unrestricted access to the plaintiff's attorney-client communications were not unrelated to the plaintiff's adversary or to her lawsuit (cf. Stroh v. General Motors Corp., 213 A.D.2d 267, 267-268).  While these individuals were the plaintiff's own children, they were also the children of her adversary, and the plaintiff's lawsuit is grounded upon the publication of the allegedly defamatory e-mail to one of the children. ... Tue, 28 Dec 2010 21:54:15 +0100 895759 http://web.docuticker.com/go/docubase/62938 Toward a Comparison of DNA Profiling and Databases in the United States and England Source:  RAND Corporation Many senior U.S. law enforcement officials believe that the English criminal justice system has capitalized more fully on the crime-fighting potential of forensic DNA evidence than the U.S. criminal justice system. They contend that [...] (Source: Docuticker) Tue, 28 Dec 2010 20:55:00 +0100 895422 http://www.lisnews.org/law_librarian_several_ivies_morris_l_cohen_dies From the New York Times: Morris L. Cohen, a book lover who shunned the practice of law because it was too contentious and became one of the nation’s most influential legal librarians, bringing both the Harvard and Yale law libraries into the digital age, died Dec. 18 at his home in New Haven. He was 83. Morris L. Cohen, at the University of Pennsylvania's law library in 1971, went on to be law library director at Harvard and Yale. The cause was leukemia, his wife, Gloria, said. Mr. Cohen had worked at his Uncle Max’s law firm and on his own in Brooklyn in the 1950s before deciding that enough was enough. “He wasn’t cut out for practicing law,” Mrs. Cohen said. “He was not confrontational.” Instead, he would become director of the law libraries at four universities: the former University of Buffalo, the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard and Yale. He brought to those positions a fascination with legal history — as evidenced in the six-volume Bibliography of Early American Law (1998), which he researched and compiled for 35 years — and with modernizing law libraries. He also brought that fascination to his classes in legal research. (Source: LISNews - Librarian And Information Science News) Tue, 28 Dec 2010 18:51:29 +0100 895868 http://lisnews.org/law_librarian_several_ivies_morris_l_cohen_dies From the New York Times: Morris L. Cohen, a book lover who shunned the practice of law because it was too contentious and became one of the nation’s most influential legal librarians, bringing both the Harvard and Yale law libraries into the digital age, died Dec. 18 at his home in New Haven. He was 83. Morris L. Cohen, at the University of Pennsylvania's law library in 1971, went on to be law library director at Harvard and Yale. The cause was leukemia, his wife, Gloria, said. Mr. Cohen had worked at his Uncle Max’s law firm and on his own in Brooklyn in the 1950s before deciding that enough was enough. “He wasn’t cut out for practicing law,” Mrs. Cohen said. “He was not confrontational.” Instead, he would become director of the law libraries at four universities: the former University of Buffalo, the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard and Yale. He brought to those positions a fascination with legal history — as evidenced in the six-volume Bibliography of Early American Law (1998), which he researched and compiled for 35 years — and with modernizing law libraries. He also brought that fascination to his classes in legal research. (Source: LISNews.org) Tue, 28 Dec 2010 18:51:29 +0100 895414 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/FreakonomicsBlog/~3/JAA59VsAkhU/ Harvard Professors Jim Greiner and Cassandra Pattanayak have posted a remarkable randomized experiment ("What Difference Representation?") with evidence showing that offers for free legal representation from the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau (HLAB) ended up hurting unemployment claimants. (Source: Freakonomics Blog) Tue, 28 Dec 2010 18:30:20 +0100 895399 http://www.teleread.com/library/why-i-am-a-library-traitor-and-love-the-kindle-by-sarah-houghton-jan/ Bless me, O Biblioblogosphere, for I have sinned. I have betrayed the trust of my librarian people by *gasp* loving my Kindle like I am told I would love a child if I had any interest in being a parent, which I don’t.  But I do have an interest in reading digital content on a sleek, affordable, and easy-to-use device.  Thus the Kindle. In true geek fashion I recorded my Kindle unboxing (complete with Space Invader wall clings in the background). Let me tell you why I love my Kindle so.  But before I gush like a schoolgirl in love with Edward Cullen, let me tell you that I feel guilty for loving it.  I boycott the Kindle as a librarian but love it as a consumer. Stellar User Interface Design: The Kindle has a gorgeous form factor.  It’s easy to hold in your hands — light, smooth, and perfectly sized for my hands anyway.  The user interface is easy and intuitive, end of story. Smooth Content Delivery: The simplicity and speed of getting content is amazing.  I’ve been using the Kindle app on my Android phone for months now, and it literally takes you 5 seconds to buy and start reading a book from the Kindle Store. How long does it take to start reading a library eBook from the point you decide to download it? On the Kindle itself it’s just as easy. Cross-Device Content Delivery: Amazon was brilliant in being the distributor for the device, the content itself, and the interface/software used to access the content. But they were doubly brilliant in offering the content & interface on other devices through Kindle Reading apps, so you can use your desktop, laptop, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, etc. to access the Kindle universe of eBooks.  The Kindle device itself is secondary…they really covered their bases. Seamless Syncing: Amazon’s Whispersync technology syncs up your library and where you left off in your books without you having to do anything. Not having to think is good, yeah?  Steve Krugwould be proud. ... Tue, 28 Dec 2010 18:22:46 +0100 895405 http://web.docuticker.com/go/docubase/62924 Meth: Resurgence in the South: An SLC Regional Resource Source:  Council of State Governments   Methamphetamine, or meth, is a highly addictive, synthetically produced, central nervous system stimulant that, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), is the most common synthetic drug manufactured in the United States. The recent, [...] (Source: Docuticker) Tue, 28 Dec 2010 15:39:00 +0100 895427 http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/e-book-review-the-multiverse-series-by-david-weber-and-linda-evans/ I recently had the opportunity to pick up a pair of David Weber books I had not yet read. (Well, “pick up” in a figurative sense, as I read them as free e-books from the Mission of Honor CD on The Fifth Imperium Baen CD repository.) I found them to be quite exciting page turners, with only a few minor drawbacks. The books in question make up the “Multiverse” series: Hell’s Gate and Hell Hath No Fury. As with all Baen titles, they are available in multiple, DRM-free formats. The books are actually co-written between Weber and Linda Evans, who seems to be Baen’s designated co-author—apart from two singleton books, neither of which apparently sold well enough to merit a sequel (most frustrating in the case of one of them, The Far Edge of Darkness, which ended on a literal cliffhanger!), she has only co-written books with the late Robert Asprin, John Ringo, and now David Weber. The Setting The “Multiverse” books tell the story of the first encounter between two different human civilizations, both of which have been exploring chains of alternate universes connected via portals that have been forming from one earth to another. Most of these universes are bereft of any human presence, which makes them ideal for settling and exploiting natural resources (which are always in the same place from world to world, even though the portals open into different areas of each world—there will always be oil fields under the local equivalents of Texas or the Middle East, for example, but not every world has a portal open near there). ... Tue, 28 Dec 2010 15:15:00 +0100 895412 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LawLibrarianBlog/~3/BibUDJIaUac/is-depaul-laws-new-dean-a-glutton-for-punishment.html "Announcing the new Dean three days before Xmas when no one is around actually is *Not* normal......but that's what DePaul University has done," wrote Chicago Law prof Brian Leiter about the timing of the announcement that Gregory Mark, Vice Dean,... (Source: Law Librarian Blog) Tue, 28 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 895848 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LawLibrarianBlog/~3/TWT51OCNc1w/dennis-kennedys-2010-blawggies.html Few have been as close a watcher of law blogging developments for so long as Dennis Kennedy has. His first Blawggie awards was published in December 2004. Over the years, awards categories have changed to reflect the changing landscape of... (Source: Law Librarian Blog) Tue, 28 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 895847 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LawLibrarianBlog/~3/bXRvbszjyEM/earl-c-borgeson-passing-of-a-respected-best-friend-to-many-in-the-law-library-community.html In We Love to Help Each Other, 91 L. Libr. J. 195 (1999) Earl Borgeson wrote "everything you might want in a 'best friend' you will want to find in a mentor." Many who knew Earl Borgeson fondly remember him... (Source: Law Librarian Blog) Tue, 28 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 895846 http://librarychronicles.blogspot.com/2010_12_01_archive.html#4508538479948455573 Thinking about suing the GCCF? Let their lawyers help you out with that. Makes perfect sense to me. (Source: Library Chronicles) Tue, 28 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 895468 http://cincinnatilaw.blogspot.com/2010/12/ohio-modification-to-re-sentencing.html Last Thursday the Ohio Supreme Court, modifing its 2007 holding in State v. Bezak, ruled that when a trial court that sentenced a criminal offender prior to July 11, 2006 failed to properly include a statutorily required term of post-release control:The sentence is void, is not precluded by the principle of res judicata from review by an appellate court, and may be reviewed at any time, on direct (Source: Cincinnati Law Library Association) Tue, 28 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 895442 http://www.bespacific.com/mt/archives/026099.html News release: "The number of U.S. law enforcement fatalities spiked by 37 percent in 2010—an alarming increase that follows two... (Source: beSpacific) Tue, 28 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 895418 http://joblist.ala.org/modules/jobseeker/controller.cfm?rssjobid=16307 Director of the University Library (Norwich University, Vermont) Norwich University invites applications for the position of Director of the University Library.  The Director is the chief academic and administrative officer of the Kreitzberg Library, including the University Archives, with responsibility for coordinating programs, scholarship, and service activities.  The mission of Kreitzberg Library is to develop and provide the information resources, services, and environment that support Norwich University's academic and administrative goals.  The Kreitzberg Library assumes an important role as the provider and preserver of institutional heritage and memory and as a resource for all those with an interest in Norwich University history. ... Mon, 27 Dec 2010 23:20:01 +0100 895226 http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/dec/27/girl-gang-london-underworld Ruthless, all-female Forty Elephants gang ran capital's biggest shoplifting racket, according to new bookGirl gangs might sound like a modern British problem, but new research has revealed an all-female crime syndicate had a firm and pitiless grip on London as far back as the 18th century.Forgotten stashes of photographs, records and letters have revealed that although the capital was carved into different fiefdoms by various male villains, one all-female gang ruled part of the gangland underworld for almost two centuries."Many a husband lounged at home while his missus was out at work, and many an old lag was propped up by a tireless shoplifting spouse. Some of these terrors were as tough as the men they worked for and protected," said Brian McDonald, who uncovered details of the criminals when researching for his new book, Gangs of London.The all-female Forty Elephants – or Forty Thieves – worked alongside the notorious Elephant and Castle gang, a sprawling, powerful army of all-male smash-and-grab artists, burglars, receivers, hard men and crafty villains operating across south London. The Forty Elephants, in contrast, was a tightly run, neatly organised collection of cells, whose operations extended across London and into other cities.Presided over by a formidable "queen", the Forty Elephants were responsible for the largest shoplifting operation ever seen in Britain between the 1870s and 1950s. The gang was first mentioned in newspapers in 1873, but police records suggest it had existed since the late 1700s.Dressed in specially tailored coats, cummerbunds, muffs, skirts, bloomers and hats sewn with hidden pockets, they mounted raids on London's West End shops, where they plundered goods worth thousands of pounds."The girls benefited from prudish attitudes of the time by taking shelter behind the privacy afforded to women in large stores," said McDonald. ... Mon, 27 Dec 2010 19:45:46 +0100 895221 http://www.slaw.ca/2010/12/27/lawyers-and-their-love-of-semicolons/ Came across this article and thought SLAW readers might find it useful. It was originally published in the December 2010 issue of Deadbeat, the Ontario Bar Association’s Trusts & Estates Section newsletter. Spelling and Grammar Query Susan J. Stamm* Lawyers love long and complex sentences. Lawyers love lists. Lawyers love semicolons and colons. If we are to maintain our love of semicolons, we must use them properly. Typical usage of semicolons by lawyers is in long complex sentences, or in lists. However, either way, two primary rules must be followed: You can use the semicolon to connect two independent clauses together into one sentence. You can use it as a super-comma. There are also some optional uses. To Connect Two Independent Clauses Independent clauses are series of words that could stand alone as complete sentences (i.e., they have both a subject and a verb). When you have two otherwise complete sentences that you want to connect to form one long sentence, use a semicolon between them. Example: Jane is a dependent child of the deceased; she is the applicant in these proceedings. If you put a comma where that semicolon is, you will have committed a “comma splice,” which some consider a serious grammatical mistake. There is, however, one exception that can cause you a problem. You don’t use a semicolon to connect two complete sentences if there’s a conjunction between the clauses (and, but, etc.). In that case, use a comma. I don’t know why. That is the rule. Example: Jane is a dependent child of the deceased, and she is the applicant in these proceedings. Adding that single word, the conjunction “and,” means that you must change that semicolon into a comma. However, if the first sentence already has one or more commas in it, you do use the semi-colon. ... Mon, 27 Dec 2010 13:00:38 +0100 895176 http://www.slaw.ca/2010/12/27/public-commission-on-legal-aid-in-b-c-hears-rural-perspectives/ Over the past few months I have had the privilege to be involved in an important project in British Columbia known as the Public Commission on Legal Aid (“Public Commission”). Although the scope of the Public Commission is province wide and therefore includes cities and communities of all sizes, I have been personally interested to hear the unique challenges faced by those in rural communities in regards to legal aid. Commissioner Leonard Doust, Q.C. will be releasing an official report of his findings sometime in 2011; however, I wanted to take the opportunity now to share some background on the Public Commission and some of themes that struck me as an individual attending the various Public Commission hearings throughout the province. The need for a Public Commission on Legal Aid was identified through a series of meetings that took place in 2009 between a variety of community organizations and justice system stakeholders. The attendees at the meetings expressed a collective concern regarding legal aid in British Columbia and a strong desire to seek progressive solutions for the future of legal aid in the province. Acting on this collective will, the Public Commission was officially established in June of 2010 by a variety of organizations including The Canadian Bar Association (British Columbia), The Law Society of British Columbia, The Law Foundation of British Columbia, The British Columbia Crown Counsel Association, The Vancouver Bar Association and The Victoria Bar Association.  In order to engage the public of British Columbia regarding their priorities for the future of legal aid in the province, an process was established that consisted of two principle activities: an open call for written submissions and an 11 community tour of the province to hear in person submissions. To date the Public Commission has received a significant amount of written submissions and has recently completed hearings in all 11 communities. ... Mon, 27 Dec 2010 12:00:20 +0100 895177 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LawLibrarianBlog/~3/EOfnirCJCHE/opening-law-librarian-supreme-court-of-nevada.html Under the general direction of the justices of the Supreme Court, the Law Librarian administers and manages the law library. The Law Librarian performs highly responsible administrative and legal research functions in directing professional level law library service to the... (Source: Law Librarian Blog) Mon, 27 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 895851 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LawLibrarianBlog/~3/Bm7l0crjhDc/ralph-nader-really-congressional-hearing-on-the-espionage-act-and-the-legal-and-constitutional-issue.html On December 16, 2010, the House Committee on the Judiciary conducted a hearing on the Espionage Act and the legal and constitutional issues raised by WikiLeaks. The link to the video webcast is available of this page. The witness list... (Source: Law Librarian Blog) Mon, 27 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 895850 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LawLibrarianBlog/~3/xCBGabH7CHk/addressing-us-national-interests-in-cyberspace-security.html "The United States’ overriding national interest in cyberspace is to preserve and extend the Internet as a tool for economic efficiency at home and as a facilitator for economic exchange internationally. The current level of criminal activity, espionage, and preparation... (Source: Law Librarian Blog) Mon, 27 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 895849 http://ddc.typepad.com/025431/2010/12/happy-retirement-dennis.html Our colleague Dennis McGovern, former chief of the Decimal Classification Division (DCD), is retiring this Thursday. (Longtime readers of the Dewey blog might remember Dennis as “the vicar of Dewey Manor” in the early days of the blog.)  Dennis was appointed to the position of DCD chief on May 17, 2004, after serving as the acting chief of DCD since February 2002, when previous chief David Smith retired.  He stepped down as DCD chief for health reasons in August 2008.  Since that time Dennis has worked a split detail as a Senior Decimal Classification Classifier in the areas of literature, language, sports, and recreation, and as a senior cataloger of romance language material in the Social Science Cataloging Division and the African, Latin American, and Western European Division.  Dennis first joined LC in as an editorial assistant in the Bill Digest Section of the American Law Division, Congressional Research Service.  In August of the same year, he joined the LOIS Processing Section in the former Order Division, Acquisitions Directorate, and April 1984 became a CIP publisher liaison in the Cataloging in Publication Division, while he also studied part time for his master's degree in library science at the University of Maryland.  After completing library school, he became a cataloger at the Martin Luther King Memorial Library in the District of Columbia Public Library system.  Dennis returned to LC as a descriptive cataloger in 1987.  He joined the Education, Sports, and Recreation Team when it was formed in 1989 as part of the Whole Book Cataloging Project.  Dennis came to DCD in 2002 from the position of team leader, Education, Sports and Recreation Team (ESR), Social Sciences Cataloging Division. ... Mon, 27 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 895834 http://www.teleread.com/copy-right/eff-reviews-predictions-for-newspaper-book-issues-in-2010/ Over the last few days, the EFF has been looking back at predictions it made at the beginning of the year to see how they have played out. Most of these have relatively little to do with e-reading (though the one on hardware hacking does touch on it orthogonally with mention of the exemption created for jailbreaking iPhones), but one of them looks specifically at books and newspapers. At the beginning of the year, the EFF noted the increasing complaints of publishers and publishing magnates such as Rupert Murdoch about the effect the Internet was having on their bottom line, and predicted that 2010 would feature publishers “attempting to […] break the fair use doctrine by lobbying to change accepted copyright law, challenging it in the courts, or by placing other pressures on intermediaries.” In fulfillment of this prediction, the article points to copyright troll Righthaven’s activities in suing a number of bloggers and websites that quoted from or reposted its articles. “As with the music industry’s failed ‘sue the customers’ gambit, this one has done nothing to help the newspaper industry, but has already caused damage to free speech and fair use.” Though the EFF made a similar prediction about “battles around user control” arising around e-book readers, it notes that 2010 still saw early market growth, especially involving the introduction of the iPad. It expresses disappointment that the use of DRM in the publishing industry continues, but notes that it took some time for the music industry to give up on DRM so it may take publishers a while to come to the same conclusion. (Source: TeleRead: Bring the E-Books Home) Sun, 26 Dec 2010 21:17:22 +0100 895100 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/26/stephane-hessel-93-french-bestseller Resistance hero Stéphane Hessel stuns publishing world with 30-page work that calls on readers to be outraged about societyProving that age is no boundary to publishing success, the French book world has been taken by storm by a surprise Christmas bestseller: a political call to arms by Stéphane Hessel, 93.The unlikely publishing sensation is a former resistance hero whose 30-page essay, Indignez-vous!, calls on readers to get angry about the state of modern society.Launched in October by Indigène, a small publisher working out of an attic in Montpellier, southern France, the book had a tiny first print-run, 6,000, and sold for €3, unprecedentedly cheap in a country where book prices are regulated and kept high by the law.Hessel's success has stunned France. After two months on the bestseller lists, the book has spent five weeks at number one, beating Michel Houellebecq's award-winning latest novel La Carte et le Territoire and a host of Christmas fiction. It has sold 600,000 copies and – publishers predict it will reach a million. Translations are underway for Italy and other European markets.The book's soaring sales reflect a general mood of French exasperation at the social inequalities of Nicolas Sarkozy's presidency. But the phenomenon is mostly down to Hessel's charisma and his life story.Hessel was born in Berlin in 1917 and emigrated to France aged seven. His free-spirited mother, Helen Grund-Hessel, inspired the novel Jules et Jim, which became Francois Truffaut's film about a love-triangle of two male friends and a woman who loves them both. During the Nazi occupation of France, Hessel joined the French resistance, was caught, tortured and and deported to Buchenwald and Dora concentration camps where he escaped hanging. After the war, he helped to draft the universal declaration of human rights and later became a diplomat. ... Sun, 26 Dec 2010 21:05:26 +0100 895145 http://www.lisnews.org/blog_gives_superheroes_and_supervillains_their_day_court A new blog addresses questions like whether Superman’s heat vision is protected by the Second Amendment. Full article in the NYT (Source: LISNews - Librarian And Information Science News) Sun, 26 Dec 2010 19:42:22 +0100 895873 http://lisnews.org/blog_gives_superheroes_and_supervillains_their_day_court A new blog addresses questions like whether Superman’s heat vision is protected by the Second Amendment. Full article in the NYT (Source: LISNews.org) Sun, 26 Dec 2010 19:42:22 +0100 895084 http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/dec/26/julian-assange-book-deals WikiLeaks founder says he had to sell rights to autobiography to cover legal costs and keep website afloatThe founder of the WikiLeaks website, Julian Assange, has said he expects to earn more than £1m from book deals.Assange, who achieved global notoriety after his whistleblower website began releasing more than a quarter of a million diplomatic cables, said he would use the money for legal costs.The 39-year-old is fighting extradition to Sweden, where two women have accused him of sexual misconduct. He denies the allegations.Since being released on bail earlier this month pending extradition proceedings, Assange has been living under virtual house arrest at Ellingham Hall, a Norfolk country mansion, from where he regularly gives media interviews.He told the Sunday Times that he was forced to sign a deal worth more than £1m for his autobiography due to financial difficulties. "I don't want to write this book, but I have to," he said. "I have already spent £200,000 for legal costs and I need to defend myself and to keep WikiLeaks afloat."He will reportedly receive $800,000 dollars from Alfred A Knopf, his American publisher, while a British deal with Canongate is said to be worth £325,000. An estimated £1.1m will be generated from the deal, including serialisation, he said.Previously Assange told the Guardian that WikiLeaks does not have enough money to pay its legal bills, even though "a lot of generous lawyers have donated their time to us".Legal costs for WikiLeaks and his own defence were approaching £500,000, he said. The decisions by Visa, MasterCard and PayPal to stop processing donations have cost the organisation £425,000, enough to fund WikiLeaks' publishing operations for six months. At its peak the organisation was receiving £85,000 a day, he said. ... Sun, 26 Dec 2010 18:17:49 +0100 895076 http://web.docuticker.com/go/docubase/62898 Center for Juvenile Justice Reform Presents New Approach to Improve the Effectiveness of Juvenile Justice Programs (PDF) Source:  Center for Juvenile Justice Reform, Georgetown University Georgetown Public Policy Institute's Center for Juvenile Justice Reform released a paper today titled "Improving the Effectiveness of Juvenile Justice Programs: A New Perspective on Evidence-Based [...] (Source: Docuticker) Sun, 26 Dec 2010 17:02:00 +0100 895090 http://web.resourceshelf.com/go/resourceblog/62905 From a NY Times Obiturary by Dennis Helvesi: Mr. Cohen had worked at his Uncle Max’s law firm and on his own in Brooklyn in the 1950s before deciding that enough was enough. “He wasn’t cut out for practicing law,” Mrs. Cohen said. “He was not confrontational.” Instead, he would become [...] (Source: ResourceShelf) Sun, 26 Dec 2010 16:06:00 +0100 895108 http://web.docuticker.com/go/docubase/62897 Findings From the Evaluation of OJJDP's Gang Reduction Program Source:  Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice Presents the findings from an independent evaluation of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's (OJJDP's) Gang Reduction Program—a comprehensive, multifaceted approach to gang reduction. Researchers from the Urban [...] (Source: Docuticker) Sun, 26 Dec 2010 15:58:00 +0100 895092 http://www.slaw.ca/2010/12/26/baldwin-v-costner-and-the-bp-oil-spill/ Most people are too busy shopping during the holidays to be worried about filing suits. Unless, maybe, you’re a celebrity. Stephen Baldwin filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against Kevin Costner, not for any work they had done together in the entertainment industry, but for Baldwin’s investments in Costner’s company, Costner in Nevada Corporation (CNIC). Baldwin claims he met Costner in April and decided to become a 10% partner in an invention backed by CNIC which could separate oil from water. With the backdrop of the April 20, 2010 BP oil spill, it seemed like a good venture. Interestingly enough, the device was developed during the filming of Costner’s 1995 film Waterworld. The basis of the claim is that the Plaintiffs allege the Defendants bought out their shares without telling them about a $52 million sale to BP. A complete summary of the facts can be found on Courthouse News Services, and the Statement of Claim is available through TMZ. (Source: Slaw) Sun, 26 Dec 2010 15:27:34 +0100 895178 http://web.docuticker.com/go/docubase/62901 Drugs Identified in Deceased Persons by Florida Medical Examiners - 2010 Interim Report (PDF) Source:  Florida Department of Law Enforcement ␣ The four most frequently occurring drugs found in decedents were Ethyl Alcohol (1,831), all Benzodiazepines (1,700 including 986 Alprazolam occurrences), Oxycodone (1,117), and Cocaine (603). ␣ The drugs that caused [...] (Source: Docuticker) Sun, 26 Dec 2010 12:13:00 +0100 895094 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LawLibrarianBlog/~3/IfKeOYM7_lw/20-gadgets-gizmos-meaning-former-christmas-gifts-and-services-and-products-that-became-obsolete-duri.html See HuffPostTech's look back at the things that have become obsolete. And what did you open under the Christmas tree that will become just as obsolete in a couple of years? [JH] (Source: Law Librarian Blog) Sun, 26 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 895852 http://outofthejungle.blogspot.com/2010/12/prison-libraries-true-value-lies-beyond.html A very good essay in the Boston Globe Ideas section today by Avi Steinberg, who recently came out with the memoir, Running the Books about his stint as a prison librarian in the Boston area Suffolk County House of Correction. He writes about the periodic, well, probably ongoing, attacks on prison libraries, from well-meaning reformers who fear that the books will undermine the principle of punishment or might encourage prisoners to consider making a break for it or more fruitless appeals. Steinberg writes with excellent detail about the experiences he had as a prison librarian that lead him to the opposite conclusion. In his opinion, the true value of the prison library lies not so much in the reading material, as in the civilizing, educating locus of the place. The prisoners, who learn that the library is a haven that can make them feel like normal people for that short visit, run there when allowed, they are so eager to arrive. Prisoners who are allowed to work as library assistants value the privilege, and take the leadership skills into life after prison. It was more educational that spending time in the recreation yard, and it was less formal than the classrooms. It was a public space, and often the only time these individuals had ever been exposed to a library. They were learning important skills to take with them after they were released, even if they only read glossy magazines. Steinberg's argument is the classic rehabilitation argument, but it is an important one, and he gives some very good details from his time at the Suffolk County House of Correction. Steinberg introduces the reader to Fat Kat, his head of circulation, and unofficial captain of the inmate prison work detail. Fat Kat's name describes both his physical appearance and his boss persona. He was mid-way through his sentence when Steinberg met him. ... Sun, 26 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 895153 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/26/20-things-we-learned-in-2010 Observer writers and experts chart the concepts, trends and buzz words that defined the past year and are likely to shape the next one1 The new politics is, in fact, the old politicsNick Clegg will regret many things about 2010. One will be his decision to produce a Lib Dem election poster warning that the Tories would raise VAT. A few weeks later Clegg, installed as deputy prime minister, was backing coalition plans to – yes – raise VAT.Then there was the pre-election pledge to vote against any rise in tuition fees. Six months later Clegg was pushing a policy to triple them.These shifts were damaging not just because they were old-fashioned U-turns but because they fatally undermined the party's raison d'etre – its commitment to deliver a new, honest politics. A vote for the Lib Dems, Clegg had said, would be "a vote that counts".It was all part of his broader attempt to promote the merits of voting reform – the Lib Dems' core policy. Fair votes through proportional representation would mean that everyone's vote would matter and everyone's voice would be heard.Floating the idea of "new politics" and calling for an end to the duopoly of the "old parties" made Clegg more popular than Churchill for a while. But it is dangerous to take the moral high ground in politics.A mid-December poll for the News of the World found 61% of respondents saying that they didn't trust Clegg, compared to 24% in April. In a few months, he had gone from being one of the most trusted politicians to one of the least trusted.To many, the "new politics" had begun to feel very much like old politics – if not rather worse, as angry protests hit the streets and chants rang out about promises broken. Toby Helm2 Kanye West is pop's top innovatorIn 2009, Kanye West had the distinction of being called a "jackass" by the US president, after rudely interrupting an acceptance speech by his fellow performer Taylor Swift at an awards show. ... Sun, 26 Dec 2010 00:07:13 +0100 894991 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/26/20-things-we-learned-2010 It was a year in which game-changing developments in social media competed with a new political turf wars over the 'squeezed middle'. Here a team of Observer writers and experts chart the concepts, trends and buzzwords that defined the last year and are likely to shape the next one1 The new politics is, in fact, the old politicsNick Clegg will regret many things about 2010. One will be his decision to produce a Lib Dem election poster warning that the Tories would raise VAT. A few weeks later Clegg, installed as deputy prime minister, was backing coalition plans to – yes – raise VAT.Then there was the pre-election pledge to vote against any rise in tuition fees. Six months later Clegg was pushing a policy to triple them.These shifts were damaging not just because they were old-fashioned U-turns but because they fatally undermined the party's raison d'etre – its commitment to deliver a new, honest politics. A vote for the Lib Dems, Clegg had said, would be "a vote that counts".It was all part of his broader attempt to promote the merits of voting reform – the Lib Dems' core policy. Fair votes through proportional representation would mean that everyone's vote would matter and everyone's voice would be heard.Floating the idea of "new politics" and calling for an end to the duopoly of the "old parties" made Clegg more popular than Churchill for a while. But it is dangerous to take the moral high ground in politics.A mid-December poll for the News of the World found 61% of respondents saying that they didn't trust Clegg, compared to 24% in April. In a few months, he had gone from being one of the most trusted politicians to one of the least trusted.To many, the "new politics" had begun to feel very much like old politics – if not rather worse, as angry protests hit the streets and chants rang out about promises broken. ... Sun, 26 Dec 2010 00:05:53 +0100 894994 http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/dec/26/kate-horsley-fancy-dress William has everything he ever wanted. Sophie, lying beside him, is expecting their first child. She is perfect, it is Christmas, so why does he feel so awful? An exclusive short story by Kate HorsleyWilliam woke up earlier than he would have liked. It was the morning of Christmas Day, but it was still dark outside. He thought about trying to go back to sleep, but even though he felt tired, he knew he wouldn't be able to. He got out of bed and walked over to the window. The blind had been lowered and he edged his body between the material and the glass. He looked down at the road running adjacent to the house. The streetlamps were still lit; grey parking meters stood at intervals along the pavement. The families in the row of houses opposite didn't appear to be up: the windows were dark and each building gave the impression of great stillness. He could hear some wind in the trees, but apart from that it was very quiet, as though there'd been a large fall of snow. He walked back over to the bed and he sat down on the nearest corner. Sophie had always been a good sleeper; she could sleep anywhere – in the back of a car, curled up on a sofa at a party. Since she'd become pregnant, she'd started having lie-ins too. Over the last few months William had grown more sensitive to his wife's habits because he'd been having trouble sleeping himself. It was a similar pattern every night. He'd go to sleep for a few hours and then he'd wake up, very suddenly. Sometimes he was still awake at six or seven the following morning. It all felt quite out of character. William liked to think of himself as a steady sort of man, the type of person who didn't let things get the better of him. He hadn't mentioned what had been happening to anyone – he didn't want to worry Sophie – until a few nights ago when he'd had a conversation with his brother on the phone. John had said something about it being a difficult time of year. ... Sun, 26 Dec 2010 00:05:12 +0100 894999 http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2010/dec/25/wombles-creator-elisabeth-beresford-dies Writer of children's books invented much-loved creatures who made use of 'things that the eveyday folk left behind'Elisabeth Beresford, the writer best known for creating the much-loved children's television programme,The Wombles, has died.The 84-year-old invented the characters of the Wombles of Wimbledon Common, who became household names in the 1970s.Beresford died at 10.30pm yesterday in the Mignot Memorial hospital on Alderney, in the Channel Islands, after suffering heart failure, her son Marcus Robertson said.The first Wombles book was published in 1968 and, after it was broadcast on Jackanory, the BBC decided to make an animated series. Beresford wrote over 20 Wombles books within a decade, which were translated into more than 40 languages. She also wrote a Wombles stage show, one version of which ran in the West End.A total of 35 five-minute films were broadcast on BBC One accompanied by Mike Batt's music and the programme's synonymous theme tune, Underground Overground, Wombling Free. The characters were voiced by actor Bernard Cribbens and the puppets created by Ivor Wood.Beresford was inspired to create the characters by a child's mispronunciation one Christmas, when she took her children to Wimbledon Common for a Boxing Day stroll and her daughter Kate referred to the area as "Wombledon".A number of the characters she developed were based on members of her family. Great Uncle Bulgaria was based on her father-in-law, Tobermory on her brother (a skilled inventor), Orinoco, on her son, and Madame Cholet on her mother.Beresford was born in Paris in 1928, although her family home was in England. Her father, JD Beresford, was a successful novelist and book reviewer and friends of the family included HG Wells, George Bernard Shaw, W Somerset Maguham and DH Lawrence.Her own literary career began as a ghost writer, specialising in speeches, including for Conservative MPs. ... Sat, 25 Dec 2010 15:21:57 +0100 894955 http://web.docuticker.com/go/docubase/62129 New Briefing Paper: Deterrence – Effects of Certainty vs. Severity Source: The Sentencing Project The report addresses a key concern for policy makers regarding whether deterrence is better achieved by increasing the likelihood of apprehension or increasing the severity of sanctions. Overall, the report concludes that: Enhancing the certainty [...] (Source: Docuticker) Sat, 25 Dec 2010 14:32:00 +0100 894964 http://web.docuticker.com/go/docubase/62424 The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act: Changes to the Regulation of Derivatives and their Impact on Agribusiness Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act makes significant changes to Federal regulation of the U.S. over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives market, with the [...] (Source: Docuticker) Sat, 25 Dec 2010 13:48:00 +0100 894965 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LawLibrarianBlog/~3/MtoKd89zdcE/where-is-the-legislation-that-banned-christmas.html A republication of LLB's Dec. 25, 2007 post. Cromwellian apologists, like the Cromwell Association, argue that there is no evidence to support the myth that Oliver Cromwell banned Christmas: There is no sign that Cromwell personally played a particularly large... (Source: Law Librarian Blog) Sat, 25 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 895853 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/26/us/26mcohen.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss Mr. Cohen became one of the nation’s most influential legal librarians, bringing both the Harvard and Yale law libraries into the digital age. (Source: NYT) Sat, 25 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 895782 http://www.slaw.ca/2010/12/24/christmas-in-1594/ The law student of 1594 passed Christmas revelling to The Comedy of Errors by Shakespeare. We know this because of the Gesta Grayorum which was printed in 1688 from a much older manuscript. This text has been conveniently reproduced with an introduction on the Mr. Shakespeare blog. We can also look forward to a 3 volume set, part of the Records of Early English Drama series, to be published in January 2011 by Boydell & Brewer: Inns of Court, edited by Alan H. Nelson and John R. Elliott, Jr. According to the publisher’s blurb: The Introduction provides a survey of Christmas entertainment supervised by Inns of Court Masters of the Revels and Christmas Princes, including minstrels, a lion-tamer, musicians, disguisings, plays, masques, and even a puppet-show. The illustrations (ground-plans and plates) offer evidence of the original performance conditions for Inns of Court plays and masques. The appendices will reproduce a number of relevant documents. A brief account of the Grand Christmases celebrated at the Inns of Court can be found in Anton-Hermann Chroust, in "The Beginning, Flourishing and Decline of the Inns of Court: The Consolidation of the English Legal Profession after 1400" (1956) 10 Vand. L. Rev. 79-123 (Hein), at 102-3: The fact that the Inns of Court were also schools of manners should explain the original meaning and functions of those periodic entertainments "which are called revels," and which for a long time played an important role in the lives of the Inns. These pastimes apparently were encouraged by the Benchers who believed that such activities would greatly improve the literary tastes and the social manners of the students.²⁸ Revels and masques were usually held at Christmas time or some other feast day, and the King as well as the Queen attended them regularly. ... Fri, 24 Dec 2010 16:39:19 +0100 895179 http://web.resourceshelf.com/go/resourceblog/62890 From a News Release: Legal publisher Fastcase today announced that it will collaborate with Public.Resource.org on a weekly feed of national caselaw updates – the nation’s first public broadcast of standardized judicial opinions for bulk download. The initiative is part of a broad-based Law.Gov effort to make the nation’s primary legal [...] (Source: ResourceShelf) Fri, 24 Dec 2010 16:18:00 +0100 894834 http://www.slaw.ca/2010/12/24/just-plain-wrong/ Clements (Litigation Guardian of) v. Clements, 2010 BCCA 581 - right result, bad reasons. A sub-text to the case is the manner in which the panel used a hot-off-the press article in a law review to explain and justify its analysis and conclusion, introducing and setting up the manner in which it intended to use the article this way: [54] The question of when it will be appropriate to resort to the material-contribution test discussed in Resurfice Corp. has been the subject of some appellate consideration and considerable academic writing. In my view, the answer to this question is fully and articulately set out in a paper by Professor Erik S. Knutsen entitled “Clarifying Causation in Tort”, found at (2010), 33 Dal. L.J. 153. Professor Knutsen’s view, with which I agree, is that a judge can resort to the material-contribution test in only two situations: what he refers to as ones involving circular causation and dependency causation. In all other cases, causation must be determined on the but-for test. The panel is right that there has been “considerable academic writing”. I’ve written some of it. (Some might accuse me of much of it, certainly more words than most, but that’s true only about the Canadian writing.) It’s my view that not much of it - the academic writing, that is – agrees with the contents of Prof. Knutsen’s article. The substance of the disagreement is an issue for another day. What isn’t is the fact that there is substantive disagreement but there’s no acknowledgement of that in the reasons.  The panel is also right that there has been “some appellate consideration”. Unfortunately, with the exception of a recent contribution from the Alberta Court of Appeal, all of what is useful appellate consideration is in decisions of the British Columbia Court of Appeal. ... Fri, 24 Dec 2010 11:09:49 +0100 895182 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LawLibrarianBlog/~3/Df9EGlOa5co/wikileaks-founder-assanges-first-cable-news-intervice-since-being-released-fro-jail.html Details with MSNBC interview video here. [JH] (Source: Law Librarian Blog) Fri, 24 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 894850 http://keptup.typepad.com/academic/2010/12/phd-degrees-are-just-not-worth-it.html Whining PhD students are nothing new, but there seem to be genuine problems with the system that produces research doctorates (the practical “professional doctorates” in fields such as law, business and medicine have a more obvious value). There is an oversupply of PhDs. Although a doctorate is designed as training for a job in academia, the number of PhD positions is unrelated to the number of job openings. Meanwhile, business leaders complain about shortages of high-level skills, suggesting PhDs are not teaching the right things. The fiercest critics compare research doctorates to Ponzi or pyramid schemes. Read more at: http://www.economist.com/node/17723223?story_id=17723223 (Source: The Kept-Up Academic Librarian) Fri, 24 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 894809 http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2010/dec/24/guardian-first-film-first-album-awards Will A Single Man overcome Monsters? Can Rumer conquer Mount Kimbie? Here are the nomineesAn alien invasion movie, a stately adaptation of a Christopher Isherwood story about a man in mourning, a vibrant piece of UK hip-hop and the debut from Burt Bacharach's latest protege are among the contenders for this year's Guardian First Film and First Album awards, the shortlists for which are announced today.The awards – won last year by Gideon Koppel for Sleep Furiously, his documentary about a dying Welsh hill village, and the xx for their eponymous album – reward the best film made by a first-time director from anywhere in the world, and the best debut album from a British artist. Koppel and the xx will be among the judges for the 2010 awards.The biggest films on the shortlist are Monsters, the low-budget alien invasion movie directed by the young Briton Gareth Edwards, A Single Man, adapted from an Isherwood story by the former Gucci creative director Tom Ford and Casey Affleck's I'm Still Here, a hoax portraying the supposed emotional and professional implosion of its star, Joaquin Phoenix.Six British directors made the shortlist, where they are joined by three Americans and a Frenchman.Frontrunners for the music award include Seasons of my Soul by Rumer, Disc-Overy by the London-based MC Tinie Tempah and the underground dance music of Ikonika, whose album Contact, Love, Want, Have won critical plaudits for its unusual and innovative use of sound.Guardian critics voted for the shortlists, the 10 films and albums winning the most votes moving through to the final stage. As well as last year's winners, the judges will include Guardian critics and significant figures from the film and music industries. ... Fri, 24 Dec 2010 00:01:09 +0100 894725 http://careercenter.sla.org/jobs/3823199/edward-cornell-law-librarian US - NY - Ithaca, Demonstrated ability to lead, motivate, and work successfully with a team of staff within a Law School setting. Excellent communication skills, compelling vision, and the ability to foster effective w (Source: SLA Career Center Search Results []) Thu, 23 Dec 2010 19:37:00 +0100 894736 http://feeds.lexblog.com/~r/ediscoverylaw/klgates/~3/GpP1hgI-JRY/ DeGeer v. Gillis, 2010 WL 5096563 (N.D. Ill. Dec. 8, 2010) Defendants and non-party Huron Consulting Services, LLC could not agree on the proper course of discovery.  After protracted communications consisting of accusations and demands, defendants sought to compel Huron to conduct additional searches for responsive ESI.  The court found that some additional searching was warranted and ordered counsel to meet and confer in person to establish the proper scope.  Citing the parties’ failure to cooperate as a “controlling factor” as to cost-shifting, the court ordered the parties to split the costs, with one exception.Defendants subpoenaed Huron seeking information relevant to ongoing litigation.  Huron complied, in part, but refused, for example, to restore certain back up tapes without cost-shifting and repeatedly declined to share the details of its searching with defendants.  Defendants, for their part, refused to provide Huron with search terms, despite repeated requests.  The details of the dispute are rather protracted.  Suffice it to say, even after Huron provided defendants with a general description of its database and search terms (pursuant to court order), no agreement could be reached regarding the proper scope of discovery and judcial intervention became necessary. Following its acknowledgement that non-parties are to be protected from unduly burdensome discovery, and highlighting the need for cooperation and early attention to e-discovery issues (attention which was lacking in this case), the court found that additional searching was warranted. ... Thu, 23 Dec 2010 18:25:07 +0100 894944 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/FreakonomicsBlog/~3/_HbIYo6-IFk/ Like great and inventive dishes, creative cocktails are often copied by others -- sometimes as overt homage, but often simply because they are great. Can cocktails be protected from copying? Some bartenders are trying to use aspects of IP law to protect their liquid creations. (Source: Freakonomics Blog) Thu, 23 Dec 2010 16:30:19 +0100 894648 http://www.slaw.ca/2010/12/23/ontario-publishes-advisory-panel-report-on-anti-activist-lawsuits/ The Ontario government this week made public the final report of an advisory panel on SLAPP suits (Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation). SLAPP suits typically take the form of abusive defamation lawsuits aimed at shutting down criticism by non-governmental organizations or citizen lobby groups. Targets of SLAPPs in various parts of North America have been local residents, neighbourhood associations, municipal governments, and peaceful protesters, who have been sued for acts such as reporting bylaw violations, speaking at municipal meetings or even just picketing and circulating petitions. The panel recommends that Ontario adopt anti-SLAPP legislation to protect the freedom of the public to participate in matters of public interest: “[19] Advocates of legislation who made submissions to the Panel tended to agree on its main characteristics: • It should provide a speedy and cheap method to stop lawsuits if those suits were brought for an improper purpose, namely to harass or intimidate the defendants; • It should put the onus on plaintiffs to prove that their lawsuits were not improper; • It should help rebalance an inequality of financial resources between the parties, possibly by an order that the plaintiff should pay the defendants’ costs at the outset of the litigation; • It should provide stronger legal protection for citizens engaged in public participation, such as through special defences; • It should deter people from bringing such suits in the first place, by exposing plaintiffs, and possibly their directors and officers, and lawyers, to awards of damages or even punitive damages. • Its principles should apply to the actions of administrative tribunals as well as to lawsuits in court. ... Thu, 23 Dec 2010 14:55:59 +0100 895183 http://www.slaw.ca/2010/12/23/csst-services-and-website-available-only-in-french/ Since April 2010, the Office québécois de la langue française required that all communications between the Commission de la Santé et de la Sécurité du Travail du Québec (CSST, Quebec’s workplace health and safety board) and employers, suppliers and partners take place in French only, to comply with the Charter of the French Language. However, if the head office of those parties is located outside Quebec, they may be served in English. Conversely, this requirement does not apply to CSST communication with employees. They can be served in English especially if it is in regards to their rights and obligations. Word for word, this is the CSST’s new Language Policy: As a Québec government agency, the CSST is required to comply with the rules of the Office québécois de la langue française. To do so, CSST employees must abide by the following general principles in their communication with English-speaking workers, employers, suppliers and partners: Workers may have access to CSST services in English, in particular for all matters regarding their rights and obligations. French is the language of work in Québec. All communication with employers, suppliers and partners must be in French only. However, an enterprise that does not have an establishment in Québec or whose head office is located outside Québec may ask the CSST to provide its communications in English. To find out more, consult the Charter of the French Language. The CSST is willing to receive complaints from employees in English, yet they are not willing to serve the employers in English. “The message is the language of business and commerce here in Quebec is French, and the public services will use French,” said Office de la langue française spokesperson Martin Bergeron. But this message and policy do not apply just to the CSST. ... Thu, 23 Dec 2010 14:30:52 +0100 895184 http://www.teleread.com/paul-biba/observant-jews-have-problems-with-ebooksereaders-on-the-sabbath/ Here’s a snippet from an article in The Atlantic: Many observant Jews do not operate lights, computers, mobile phones, or other electrical appliances from sundown on Friday until three stars appear in the night sky on Saturday. They abstain from these activities because, over the last century, rabbinic authorities have compared electricity use to various forms of work prohibited on the Sabbath by the Bible and post-biblical rabbinic literature, including lighting a fire and building. The difficulty of interpreting the Bible’s original intent and applying it to modern technology has rendered electricity use on the Sabbath one of the more contentious topics in Jewish law. E-readers are problematic not only because they are electronic but also because some rabbis consider turning pages on the device – which causes words to dissolve and then resurface – an act of writing, also forbidden on the Sabbath. Much more in the article. (Source: TeleRead: Bring the E-Books Home) Thu, 23 Dec 2010 14:10:51 +0100 894677 http://web.resourceshelf.com/go/resourceblog/62836 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Litigation Database The myriad consequences of the spill have already spurred an onslaught of litigation, with allegations ranging from personal injury and property damages to violations of RICO and securities law. As more damages are discovered, plaintiffs will likely continue filing new claims. This database attempts to [...] (Source: ResourceShelf) Thu, 23 Dec 2010 14:05:00 +0100 894685 http://www.teleread.com/chris-meadows/mobilerss-copies-reeder-interface-backs-down-when-called-on-it/ Yesterday, the developer of the Reeder RSS reader (which I’ve found to be the best RSS reader for either iPhone or iPad) noticed that MobileRSS’s latest version had added some disturbing similarities to Reeder’s interface. He posted some comparison shots on his site and tweeted about it, and the forces of indignant social-network-using Reeder fans went to work. It wasn’t long before both Instapaper and Read It Later, two of the major bookmarking/reformat reading services, both threw their support behind Reeder, and shortly afterward MobileRSS’s developer said it would be resubmitting the app with the similarities to Reeder removed. One of the things I find most interesting about this is that it’s a case of a “ripoff” similarity that was resolved not through costly, lengthy legal action, but rather through the voices of indignant users and curious press—and resolved within a day of its announcement, at that. If you’ve got the community on your side, do you really need the lawyers? (Source: TeleRead: Bring the E-Books Home) Thu, 23 Dec 2010 13:15:00 +0100 894678 http://web.docuticker.com/go/docubase/62826 Review of Combat Stress in Women Veterans Receiving VA Health Care and Disability Benefits (PDF) Source:  U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General As directed by the Conference Report to Accompany the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-117), we conducted a review to assess the Department of [...] (Source: Docuticker) Thu, 23 Dec 2010 12:37:00 +0100 894666 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BookKitten/~3/onMUS3q0lTg/good-morning.html I am *so* ready for a nap! Yesterday was a fairly productive day. My mother-in-law came to pick up the puppy for the afternoon so I could ScotchGuard our new couches and clean all the floors on the first floor. (We are hosting Christmas dinner for my Sweeheart's parents and his cousin and her family.) I also got some dusting done, put an area rug in the front room and washed all the puppy's (Source: Book Kitten) Thu, 23 Dec 2010 12:23:19 +0100 895483 http://50.16.230.151/article/thursday-threads-2010w51/ Receive DLTJ Thursday Threads:by E-mailby RSSDelivered by FeedBurner When I say “<blank> is a question answering system. A question can be posed in natural language and … <blank> can come up with a very precise answer to that question” — what comes to mind to fill in the <blank>? If you guessed a system developed by IBM to appear alongside human contestants on Jeopardy, you’d be right. That quote comes from video posted by IBM earlier this year that is the topic of the first DLTJ Thursday Threads entry. This weeks other entries look at possible erosions of copyright first sale doctrine, the state of open access publishing, and a proposition for new definitions to terms of art in data modeling.If you find these threads interesting and useful, you might want to add the Thursday Threads RSS Feed to your feed reader or subscribe to e-mail delivery using the form to the right. If you would like a more raw and immediate version of these types of stories, watch my FriendFeed stream (or subscribe to its feed in your feed reader). Comments and tips, as always, are welcome.Reference Librarian of the Future? IBM Supercomputer ‘Watson’ to Challenge ‘Jeopardy’ StarsIBM 'Watson' Video on YouTubeAn I.B.M. supercomputer system named after the company’s founder, Thomas J. Watson Sr., is almost ready for a televised test: a bout of questioning on the quiz show “Jeopardy.” I.B.M. and the producers of “Jeopardy” will announce on Tuesday [December 14, 2010] that the computer, “Watson,” will face the two most successful players in “Jeopardy” history, Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter, in three episodes that will be broadcast Feb. 14-16, 2011.For I.B.M., “Watson” is an important test of artificial intelligence. Scientists there have been talking to “Jeopardy” about a man vs. machine match-up for the better part of two years. ... Thu, 23 Dec 2010 12:06:53 +0100 895465 http://www.slaw.ca/2010/12/23/morris-cohen-1927-2010-a-few-thoughts/ Morris Leo Cohen died on Saturday, December 18, 2010. He had recently celebrated his 83rd birthday. More than a few of us call Morris mentor. During his years at Yale, Harvard, Penn and SUNY Buffalo, he attracted disciples with ease and grace. I trust that a round of tributes will follow his passing, but one aspect that may be neglected is the symbolic value of it for librarianship. Morris was the last great scholar bibliographer of his generation in American law librarianship. Not a scholar who stepped into the role of librarian, Morris was a scholarly bibliographer, a man of great learning, who could quote both Samuel Johnson and Ranganathan in the same sentence. Even more important, he was devoted to bibliographic integrity. While a hardy handful of American law librarians continue to pursue lines of scholarly interest, Morris stands for old-style, careful, bibliographic work. His work showed analytical depth combined with elegant style. It was an endeavor that called for intellectual focus and pure sweat equity. When I first met Morris in 1972, I was a second year law student at Harvard Law School. Sharon Hamby O’Connor, who had been my boss at the undergraduate library, suggested that I meet with him to discuss my very foggy career plans. (Sharon went on to become Law Librarian, Professor and Associate Dean at Boston College Law School, yet another of Morris’s mentees). Inspirational in every possible way, Morris told me to be a law librarian. Looking at him, at his work, and entranced, as so many were, by his sweet manner, he changed my life. I recall that on that day he told me of BEAL, his projected Bibliography of Early American Law. It was an ambitious project, conceived of with Balfour Halevy, that ultimately was designed to prepare a catalog that listed each and every legal imprint in the United States published before 1860. Ideally, Morris would look at each book in person. ... Thu, 23 Dec 2010 12:00:01 +0100 895185 http://web.docuticker.com/go/docubase/62774 Immigrant Legalization in the United States and European Union: Policy Goals and Program Design (PDF) Source:  Migration Policy Institute Immigrant legalization, while highly controversial on both sides of the Atlantic, is a critical and widely used tool for managing illegal immigration. Lawmakers seeking to design effective legalization regimes must balance competing [...] (Source: Docuticker) Thu, 23 Dec 2010 06:54:00 +0100 894672 http://librarychronicles.blogspot.com/2010_12_01_archive.html#9075342444686638243 Is the legal profession suddenly a religious order? When did this happen? Sean Hunter, the former aviation director at Louis Armstrong International Airport, intends to plead guilty rather than face federal charges of conspiracy and fraud, court records indicate.The records show Hunter is due in court Jan. 5 for a change of plea hearing. Previously, he and his wife, Shauna, pleaded not guilty to a nine-count superseding indictment issued in September.U.S. Attorney Jim Letten declined to comment.Hunter's lawyer, Arthur "Buddy" Lemann, meanwhile, declined to elaborate on the upcoming hearing."Like Brother Letten, I can't comment one way or the other," Lemann said. (Source: Library Chronicles) Thu, 23 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 895477 http://lovetheliberry.blogspot.com/2010/12/movie-of-week.html Law Abiding Citizen -- STOLEN! (Source: Love the Liberry) Thu, 23 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 895096 http://book-kitten.blogspot.com/2010/12/good-morning.html I am *so* ready for a nap! Yesterday was a fairly productive day. My mother-in-law came to pick up the puppy for the afternoon so I could ScotchGuard our new couches and clean all the floors on the first floor. (We are hosting Christmas dinner for my Sweeheart's parents and his cousin and her family.) I also got some dusting done, put an area rug in the front room and washed all the puppy's (Source: Book Kitten) Thu, 23 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 894927 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LawLibrarianBlog/~3/bwWuWtbdbS8/imagine-no-web-servers-this-december-25th-marks-the-20th-anniversary-of-the-birth-of-the-www.html Contrary to popular belief and Christian celebration, the birth of the baby Jesus did not occur on December 25 -- more likely September 11, 3 BCE by the Gregorian calendar we use now. But the birth of the World Wide... (Source: Law Librarian Blog) Thu, 23 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 894852 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LawLibrarianBlog/~3/JL2As66k6-I/friday-fun-of-thursday-despite-budget-cuts-public-libraries-still-rock.html Here's a recent flashmob dance, involving people of all ages from the Greater Columbus Arts Council's out-of-school-time program, Art in the House, partner program TRANSIT ARTS, adults and seniors! It all happened at the Columbus Metropolitan Library and in the... (Source: Law Librarian Blog) Thu, 23 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 894851 http://westwoodchildrensdept.blogspot.com/2010/12/lost-children-by-carolyn-cohagan.html Josephine’s life with her rich father is very lonely and quiet since her mother died. Her father doesn’t pay any attention to her at all –he doesn’t even speak to her! And to make matters worse, he is responsible for a new town law that says everyone must wear gloves all the time. At school the kids hate Josephine because they hate wearing gloves, so she doesn’t have any friends either. One day while searching the old shed in the back of her huge house, Josephine meets a boy from a different time., but before she can ask him anything, he disappears. Josephine decides to investigate the old shed to see if she can find any clues, and while she is searching, she falls through the shed wall into a dark, scary basement. When she lands on the basement floor, the first thing she hears is someone barking, “No, no that’s all wrong!.....I’m going to throw you down those cellar stairs,” and “you ant brained speck of fly dung! Into the cellar!” Josephine doesn’t know yet that she has landed in a different time zone and a different world –a dangerous world filled with horrible creatures and a more horrible master. Review by Loretta Eysie (Source: book bits) Thu, 23 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 894791 http://cincinnatilaw.blogspot.com/2010/12/changing-roles-for-criminal-attorneys.html The Blog of Legal Times yesterday posted this entry about the "changing role of criminal defense lawyers" in view of the recent Supreme Court case, Padilla v. Kentucky that is imposing new obligations on lawyers to advise clients about the consequences of criminal convictions. Padilla held that because counsel had to inform a noncitizen criminal client whether his plea carried a risk of (Source: Cincinnati Law Library Association) Thu, 23 Dec 2010 05:00:00 +0100 894767 http://www.slaw.ca/2010/12/22/slaw-makes-bruce-cartons-10-go-to-blogs-of-the-year/ Bruce Carton at Law.com’s Legal Blog Watch has honoured Slaw by picking it as one of his “10 most watched” blogs of 2010. He’s got a video of them all, which just so happens to start with you-know-which blog. Click on the image below to go to his post and the video. We are proud to be in the company of the following great blogs: Consumerist Jonathan Turley Legal Juice Legal Satyricon Lowering the Bar Simple Justice Slaw.ca SPAM Notes Texas Lawyer THR, Esq. Many thanks, Bruce. (Source: Slaw) Thu, 23 Dec 2010 00:04:14 +0100 895186 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Hangingtogetherorg/~3/F9-jfg-UgKw/ As 2010 winds down, we are reflecting on what we’ve worked on or created in a mini blog series. You can see a run down of highlights here. Is copyright making you blue And you don’t know what to do Take advantage of others’ tactics And put in place Well-Intentioned Practice! I want to give a shout out to the National Library of Australia for what has become an annual display of talent and imagination. Each year the staff performs for their holiday party, and they share with the rest of us on YouTube. The results are funny and toe-tapping. This year’s theme was Putting on the Writs,” an homage to the trials and tribulations of adhering to copyright law. National Library of Australia. We feel your pain. And we’ve been moved to do something about it. In the US. For unpublished materials. Following on the heels of Shifting Gears, we began to realize what a barrier copyright law presents to those working with unpublished materials. We convened an advisory group. We held an event. Out of this came a document called Well-intentioned practice for putting digitized collections of unpublished materials online (we call it WIP). WIP encourages institutions to take a risk management approach (rather than apply item by item assessment). WIP has been a success, and has been endorsed by numerous organizations and individuals. And we’ve just learned that we’ll have a session focusing on Well intentioned practices at the Society of American Archivists meeting in 2011. While WIP is based on US copyright law, as a risk management approach it may work in other situations. We’ve written about WIP in the past. Here are two previous posts on this topic. And if you haven’t seen it, here’s Puttin’ on the Writs in its full glory. If you want to see even more of our accomplishments look at this summary of our accomplishments over the last five years. ... Wed, 22 Dec 2010 23:42:41 +0100 895038 http://www.slaw.ca/2010/12/22/black-eyed-peas-spoil-blakes-flash-mob/ For a short moment, we had some innovative law firm marketing going on with Blakes flash mob dance! The Youtube video was here. That is until lawyers for the Black Eyed Peas called copyright foul. Youtube is now displaying the infringement image below: I say boooo to the Black Eyed Peas and Will.I.Am. It’s tough enough to get lawyers to leave their offices and walk down a couple flights of stairs for a fire drill. Can you imagine getting close to 50 of them dance in the middle of a shopping mall? Unheard of. Happy holidays! :) (Source: Slaw) Wed, 22 Dec 2010 23:37:32 +0100 895187 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BabyBoomerLibrarian/~3/qPhIV8hdu2M/special-request.html I received this email from a long time friend and colleague, Ed Rivenburgh. Please read and act on it. -----Original Message----- From: ids-l-bounces@geneseo.edu [mailto:ids-l-bounces@geneseo.edu] On Behalf Of Ed Rivenburgh Sent: Wednesday, December 22, 2010 1:55 PM To: Information Delivery Services Project Subject: [ids-l] A Special Request Colleagues: Please read the message below from Loretta Ebert, Director of the New York State Research Library. Loretta is a strong supporter of the IDS Project and the New York State Library is a member of, and great contributor to, the IDS Project. This summer's IDS Conference (August 2 & 3) will be at the Albany Law School and the Albany College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences. Loretta and her staff are hosting a very special conference reception Tuesday evening at the New York State Museum. I have been an admirer of the State Librarian, Bernie Margolis, for many years. Bernie is one of those library administrators who truly embodies a willingness to speak truth to power. For ten years, Bernie fought the good fight for all our libraries as he led the Boston Public Library to dramatically improve its services while battling the desire for debilitating control over BPL's activities by some influential politicians. In his first year as our State Librarian, Bernie quickly became a leader representing the best interests of all libraries and was beginning to work closely with other statewide library organizations, including the IDS Project. Then Bernie received the devastating news that he had leukemia. For almost a year now Bernie has demonstrated incredible true grit while battling this blood cancer. We all want Bernie to get well very soon and join us again as a leader for New York State libraries. Ed Dear Friends, On January 8th and 9th my husband Ken and I will be running in the Disney Marathon and Half-Marathon with Team Leukemia. ... Wed, 22 Dec 2010 19:30:00 +0100 894499