Top Legal Issues on Consumers' Minds in 2008

Findlaw compiled a list of legal issues on consumers' minds in 2008. As you might expect home foreclosures and voters' rights were at the top of the list. However, many consumers were also concerned about their dogs. View the entire list at this link.

Hat tip to Law Librarian Blog.

December Justice

See December Justice, a light-hearted holiday poem, in the December 13th issue of the Oklahoma Bar Journal (The Back Page, p. 2888).

Cost of E-Government Reauthorization Act Estimated to be $29 Billion

A Congressional Budget Office Report estimated last year that the 2008-2012 reauthorization of the E-Government Act, which ensures government information is accessible via the internet, would cost $29 billion. Yet, it isn't concerns over cost that has prevented passage of the reauthorization. Rather, as reported by Congress Daily's Andrew Noyes, concern regarding an amendment to the bill by Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, which would require federal agencies to conduct privacy impact assessments before using outside contractors to manage information, has delayed consideration of the bill.

Hat tip to Law Librarian Blog

Do law clerks influence Supreme Court decision-making?

Law Clerk Influence on Supreme Court Decision Making: An Empirical Assessment, 58 DePaul Law Review 401 (2008), an empirical study by Todd Peppers and Christopher Zorn suggests that Supreme Court clerks are selected, in part, based on ideology and that the clerks can and may influence the Justices.

Hat tip to Law Librarian Blog

Civil procedure innovation? Service via Facebook

An Australian court has permitted service of a default judgment via Facebook. Australian courts have previously allowed service by email and text message. Was service via Facebook was just the next logical step? Read the Sydney Morning Herald's article regarding the case here.

Hat tip to the Yale Law Library - Reference Blog

CALI Lessons Provide Review

As students are studying for finals, CALI lessons may serve as an excellent source for review. According to CALI News, on Sunday December 11, 2008, students set a record high for number of lessons run from the CALI website in one day. 21,371 CALI lessons were run. CALI provides a list of the top lessons run on its website.

ALR returns to LexisNexis

In January 2008, American Law Reports (ALR), a West publication, became exclusively available via Westlaw; however, in a turn of events, ALR has again become available via LexisNexis.

Hat tip to WisBlawg

What's Your Favorite Blawg?

The Law Library has a feed from Jurist. If you have a favorite blawg, you might want to visit the 2008 ABA Journal Blawg 100 site to vote for your favorite. If you don't have a favorite, you may want to visit the site just to see those blogs that have been nominated as the best blogs in 10 categories, including news, technology, careers, professors, students.

Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) System Turns 20

The pilot program for the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system was initiated in 1988 and became accessible via the Internet in 1998. The Third Branch, the Newsletter of Federal Courts, has an article on PACER's progress in its Nov. 2008 issue.

Hat tip to Law Librarian Blog

Youtube Westcast Shows Westlaws Editorial Processing of a Court Opinion

Westcast, available on YouTube, shows the editorial process of taking the court opinion in District of Columbia v. Heller and preparing it for access on Westlaw.

Hat tip to Law Librarian Blog

U.S. District Court Judge Disallows LexisNexis and Westlaw Research Expenses

In a November 7, 2008 order, the U.S. District Judge, in Carpenters Health & Welfare Fund, et al., v. Coca-Cola Co., disallowed $93,960.67 in Lexis, Westlaw, and online library research expenses, stating ...

This Court is of the opinion that charging separately for use of a research service is akin to charging for the use of a case law reporter. That is, the research service is a tool, much like a computer or a pen, and this Court considers the use of such a service part of a firm's overhead. “[C]omputer-aided research, like any other form of legal research, is a component of attorneys' fees and cannot be independently taxed as an item of cost in addition to the attorneys' fee award.” Leftwich v. Harris-Stowe State College, 702 F.2d 686, 695 (8th Cir.1983). Moreover, this Court is aware that many firms pay a flat rate to Lexis and Westlaw regardless of their usage, and class counsel cannot claim such flat rate payments as an out-of-pocket expense. 2008 WL 4997199

Hat tip to law.com

New House Member Directory from 111th Congress

The new member directory from the 111th Congress is available from GPOAccess. Along with pictures, the directory includes a brief biography of the new House members.

Law Practice Today

Read the November issue of the American Bar Association's webzine, Law Practice Today. Full of practical advice for practicing attorneys, you can easily subscribe to this monthly e-newsletter.

Hat tip to Stark County Law Library Weblog.

Google Image Adds LIFE Archives

Now, when you do a Google Image search, you can look for photos from the LIFE photo archive.

Thanks to Barco 2.0.

Digitial Forensic Information and Metadata

Mark McCoy, an assistant professor at the University of Central Oklahoma Forensic Science Institute, was a speaker at the 104th Oklahoma Bar Association Annual Meeting. McCoy's presentation, entitled Digital Forensic Information from Cameras and Cell Phones, was part of the Criminal Law Continuing Legal Education Track at the OBA Annual Meeting. McCoy discussed the increasing digital nature of evidence and the effective means of duplicating and discovering digital evidence.

Metadata is one form of digital evidence. Jim Calloway's article, Metadata - What Is It and What are My Ethical Duties, appears in the November 8, 2008 Oklahoma Bar Journal.

Resources on Exam Preparation

As you begin preparation for your exams, you might want some additional guidance from the "experts". Resources on exam preparation are currently on display outside the Reference Offices.

Formatting Tips

Read Typography for Lawyers for helpful hints about how to format documents. While this may seem insignificant, the Tenth Circuit and other courts specifically mention this in their local rules.

Thanks to Marquette University Law School Faculty Blog.

Bailing Out The U.S. Auto Industry

To find out more about the proposed bailout for the auto industry check CNN, NPR, the UAW, the WSJ, the Department of the Treasury, and the New York Times.

Revamping The LSAT

According to an article in Inside Higher Ed, researchers are proposing a new standardized test for law school admissions. Their report outlines how the new test could give law schools a better indication of an applicant's post-law school success.

Hat tip to Out of the Jungle.

The End of Lawyers?

Richard Susskind author of the previously published The Future of Law, has written a new book entitled The End of Lawyers? In his new book, the author examines the legal profession and its future relevancy. Read more comments about the book from the TimesOnline.

Thanks to Law Librarian Blog.

Exam Preparation

As you begin to prepare for exams, don't forget to look at old exams. Several law school libraries also have guides with helpful tips and resources.

Transition Resources

To keep citizens informed, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has established a Web site with information and updates about the upcoming transition. The President-Elect also has an Internet presence for citizens to stay involved.

Thanks to the AALL Washington Blawg.

Veterans' Day

Tomorrow, November 11th, 2008, is Veterans' Day. You can celebrate by participating in local events, reading interviews with veterans, or learning about the day's history.

The "Barack Effect"

This National Law Journal article examines the issue of how President-Elect Obama may influence more law students to consider public interest jobs. For those interested in public interest jobs, you can find more information at National Legal Aid and Defender Association (NLADA), Equal Justice Works, Legal Services Corporation, or National District Attorneys Association (NDAA).

Thanks to the Boley Law Library.

Presidential Transitions

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) has issued a report about presidential transitions. The report addresses some of the major issues faced by incoming and outgoing administrations.

Thanks to Gallagher Blogs.

Ballot Measures

To find out more about ballot measures in tomorrow's election, check the National Conference on State Legislatures ballot measures database. By reading the measures ahead of time, you can be prepared on Election Day.

Thanks to ZiefBrief.

E-Rulemaking Report

The ABA recently published a report about the federal government's E-Rulemaking efforts. The report highlights some areas of concern and offers recommendations for future changes.

Hat tip to Barco Law Library.

Election Night Results

Remember to vote on Tuesday, November 4, 2008. In addition to watching election night results on TV, you can track results on CNN, NPR, ABC, CBS, or NBC.

Election Law Resources

As the presidential election draws closer you might want to check out OCU Law Reference Librarian Karen Kalnin's Election Law Research Guide.

Law Library Listing of All Journals

If you are trying to determine if the Law Library has access to a journal in print, microform, or electronic format there is now one place for you to look. The A-Z List of Journals lists out all journals we have in any format. It includes journals in LexisNexis, Westlaw and other databases. It even includes links directly to the journals in these database.

The list organizes the journals alphabetically or you can search the list of the title of a journal. With the content of legal databases changing constantly this is one resource that does a good job of pulling everything together for you in one convenient location.

You can access the list by clicking the link above or from our databases page.

Social Bookmarking in HeinOnline

Some think of social indexing as social tagging or social bookmarking in which you bookmark your favorite websites, popular blog posts, or news alerts. HeinOnline is now looking at social indexing from a scholarly perspective, bringing to you for the first time in a digital environment the concept of viewing most cited law review articles. For example, when you run a search for "Right to Privacy" across the titles in the Law Journal Library in HeinOnline, you will be able to determine how many times each result has been "cited by" other scholarly law review articles in HeinOnline. This allows you to view articles that have had a heavy influence or high impact on the subject you are searching. From here, you can then view the law review articles that cited this article to further your research in the given subject area. This research approach is easy, using simple links available in HeinOnline. Future enhancements in the Law Journal Library will allow you to sort your results based on the number of times the articles are cited, thus bringing the most cited articles to the top of your search results list. Additionally, HeinOnline makes it easy to cross-reference other documents by linking citations if the material is available in HeinOnline. Take a look at this brief demonstration to see how powerful these features are and how they bring together research material in HeinOnline!

MPRE Preparation

The MPRE will be administered on November 8, 2008. MPRE preparation and professional responsibility study aids and materials are currently on display in the library.

New Book on Electronic Evidence

Electronic Evidence: Law and Practice explores the range of problems encountered with electronic communications from discovery to trial, and offers practical solutions to both existing and potential problems. It examines (1) the new discovery rules and how they relate to past practices, and (2) fundamental evidentiary issues governing the admissibility of electronic evidence. Particular emphasis is given to the unique problems evolving around the way in which parties are asserting the attorney-client privilege and judges are applying it to e-mail communications.

This book is on order and when it arrives will be available at OCU Law Library Call # KF 8947.R53.

Database Trial - The Making of Modern Law

The Law Library has a one month trial of The Making of Modern Law. By digitizing the primary documents contained within Primary Source Microfilm's Nineteenth Century Legal Treatises and Twentieth Century Legal Treatises collections and adding the power of full-text searching, The Making of Modern Law brings nearly 10 million pages of legal history from America and Britain to researchers around the world in a matter of minutes. This archive — from one of the most important periods of legal development — is the world's most comprehensive full-text collection of Anglo-American legal treatises anywhere. It allows for full text searching of more than 21,000 works from casebooks, local practice manuals, form books, works for lay readers, pamphlets, letters, speeches and more — all separated into 99 subject areas.

You can access it from on or off campus by clicking here or from the Law Library's databases page.

Give it a try and take just a minute to let us know what you think about this database. It is very expensive and we value your input into our decision on purchasing this resource. You can send us an email reply here.

CiteGenie - Cut and Paste Bluebook Formatted Cites from Westlaw

Give CiteGenie a try. It is a new extension for Firefox that claims to create Bluebook formatted pinpoint citations when copying from Westlaw.

Help Finding a Topic to Write About - ACS Research Link

ACS ResearchLink is an innovative on-line resource for the legal community. The project leverages previously untapped resources to generate and share new ideas about important legal issues, while engaging the next generation of lawyers in addressing vital law and policy issues that will shape the future of our country.

ACS ResearchLink collects legal research topics submitted by practitioners for law students to explore in faculty-supervised writing projects for academic credit. Topic authors will receive a copy of the resulting student papers, which ACS will also post in a searchable online library. By connecting law students and faculty with the research needs of public interest organizations and advocates, ACS ResearchLink will become an increasingly comprehensive and powerful engine for change, while also enhancing the relevance and influence of student academic scholarship.

Free Law Review Article Submission Resource

You may be aware of Expresso, a pay service that automates the law review article submission process. But you might not know about Northern Kentucky's free alternative to Expresso. Their website allows you to select journals you want to submit an article to and then creates an Outlook email message with all the addresses of the reviews in the BCC field. All you have to do is attach your article and cover letter and click send.

Turn Citations Into Links Using Jureeka

Jureeka! is a new Firefox add-on that looks for legal citations in ordinary web pages and turns them into hyperlinks that lead to a free version of the cited source. Register first at Jureeka and start using it.

Hat tip to WisBlawg.

Courts Citing Wikipedia

Wikipedia has been cited almost 300 times in American judicial opinions as of September, 2008. Courts cite Wikipedia for a wide range of purposes. Some citations are merely mundane references to everyday facts well known by the general public. In other opinions Wikipedia is cited as a basis for the court’s reasoning or to support a conclusion about an adjudicative fact at issue in the case. In a notable recent case, Badasa, v. Mukasey, 2008 WL 3981817 (8th. Cir. 2008), The Eighth Circuit remanded a Board of Immigration Appeals decision because it upheld a lower court’s finding based on information obtained from Wikipedia.

What impact will all of these references to Wikipedia have on the law of evidence, judicial ethics, the judicial role in the common law adversarial system, the de-legalization of American law, and the future of stare decisis? I am currently working on a law review article that attempts to answer these questions. I hope to have it published in 2009.

In the meantime check out Diane Murley's In Defense of Wikipedia where she explores some good uses of Wikipedia for legal research.

Yom Kippur: No Classes But the Law Library is Open

There are no law school classes after 6 pm today or before 6 pm tomorrow. But the law library is open our regular hours.

The Oklahoman Archives Now Available

The Law Library is pleased to announce access for all OCU Law Students and Faculty to the complete full text archives of The Oklahoman back to 1901. You can access the archives from the Law Library's Databases Page from on and off campus.

The Future of Libraries is .... Print Shops

The University of Michigan's Shapiro Library recently installed a machine that will print an inexpensive copy of works out of copyright. Read more from their press release:

The book machine, located in the Shapiro Library lobby on U-M's Central Campus, prints out-of-copyright books from the University's digitized collections. At a cost of about $10 per book, the service is available to researchers, students and the public.

The printing process begins with a reader selecting a digitized book from U-M's pre-1923 collection or from another online source, such as the Open Content Alliance. Most books printed prior to the early 1920s can be reprinted without seeking the permission from whomever holds the copyright. Then the file is downloaded to the Espresso Book Machine, where it is formatted, printed and perfect bound with a four-color cover.

A finished printed book takes 5-7 minutes, depending on the number of pages.
Click here to see the machine in action.

Hat tip to WisBlawg

Listen to Podcast - Legal Side of Lehman Brothers Collapse

Click here to listen to this podcast.

"The largest bankruptcy case in U.S. history is playing out before us with the fall of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., creating chaos in the financial community. Join co-hosts and Law.com bloggers, J. Craig Williams and Bob Ambrogi, as they talk to the top legal experts, Attorney John D. Penn, Partner at the firm, Haynes and Boone, LLP and Attorney Victor Bass, Partner at the firm, Burns & Levinson LLP, about how lawyers will unravel the company’s assets, what will happen to stockholders and customers along with the impact of all that on the economy. Hear their take on the legal options and strategies being used in this unprecedented case."

Hat tip to Law Librarian Blog.

Developing better searching skills on the web

Web Search Strategies in Plain English is a short video that provides tips for improving your searching on the web. The video was produced by Common Craft.

Hat tip to Law Librarian Blog

Financial Bailout Bill Rejected by House

Reuters reports that the House has rejected the Financial Bailout bill by a vote of 228-to-205. Read the text of the proposed Financial Bailout Bill here.

Will YouTube Video Result in Support for Dissenting Judge's Opinion?

The ABA Journal Law News Now reports that the public may judge for itself whether a recent unpublished decision by 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is correct. The court ruled that a deputy’s tasering of a handcuffed suspect was not an excessive use of force that violated the Constitution. The dissenting judge clearly stated objections to the ruling. Members of the public may find themselves agreeing with the dissenting judge after watching the video recorded in by the deputy's in car video camera. The video is available on YouTube.

Hat tip to Legal Blog Watch

Debate on Legality of Federal Bailout

The legality of the federal bailout of AIG has recently been the topic of much debate in the legal blogosphere. Visit Legal Blog Watch for a summary of some of the postings on this topic.

Additional space available in Reference Wing

The Law Library Staff recently relocated materials previously located in the Reference Wing to Lower Level South. The staff also shifted materials within the Reference Wing. This project facilitated opening additional space in the Reference Wing through the removal of two ranges of shelves. In place of the shelves, two additional tables were added to facilitate student use of materials and group study. We hope you find the additional space useful.

PDA has a new meaning

PDA previously meant a public display of affection. These days apparently PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) means a lack of affection. According to a work-life survey from Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, as Reported in a Chicago Sun-Times article, 35% of professional responded that they would pick their PDA over their significant other.

Hat tip to Law Librarian Blog.

New Rule 502 to be included in Federal Rules of Evidence

On September 8, 2008, the House of Representatives passed S. 2450, a bill adding a new Rule 502 to the Federal Rules of Evidence. The Senate had earlier approved the bill. The bill has been forwarded to the President and now awaits the President's signature.

The legislation, which protects against inadvertent waiver of the attorney-client privilege and also provides work product protection, is identical to the version of the rule approved by the Judicial Conference of the United States. The Judicial Conference transmitted the proposed rule to Congress in September 2007.

Hat tip to Electronic Discovery Law.

Google Server Log Retention Policy Adjuested to Increase User Privacy

On September 8th Google announced a new server logs retention policy. As the Official Google Blog explains, Google will now "anonymize IP addresses on our server logs after nine months." Google retention policy change, which shortens the retention period from eighteen months, is intended "to address regulatory concerns and to take another step to improve privacy for our [Google] users."

Hat Tip to Law Librarian Blog

Constitution Week - Sept 17 - 23

On September 17, 1787, the U.S. Constitution was signed by thirty-nine men. 221 years after the original signing, Constitution Day 2008 celebrates the enduring nature of the Constitution and the system of government it created. President Bush has proclaimed September 17, 2008 as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day. September 17-23, 2008 has been established as Constitution Week.

Access a transcription of the Introduction and the U.S. Constitution from the First Volume of the Annals of Congress at http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/ac001/lawpres.html

Visit the American Bar Association's Constitution Day website at http://www.abanet.org/publiced/conversations/constitution/home.shtml

Materials on the Constitutional History and Law are currently on display outside the Reference Offices.

New Database - CCH Internet Research NetWork

We recently subscribed to the CCH Internet Research NetWork. This includes over 85 individual titles in the subjects of securities law, international business, banking, products liability, intellectual property & computer law, and other areas.

A list of all the databases included and a short guide to using the service is available at: http://www.okcu.edu/law/lawlib/pdfs/cchquickreferencecard.pdf

The CCH Internet Research NetWork can be accessed from our page of databases at: http://www.okcu.edu/law/lawlib/library_databases.php

It is accessible on and off campus. Just click CCH Internet Research NetWork. You can set up email alerts to notify you when new content appears in any database you select. If you need any help with this or any other database just contact a reference librarian.

New Search Engine for Images

The TinEye search engine, developed by Idee and due to be released out of beta later in September, allows users to search for an image by uploading a picture rather than searching by keyword. The search engine will conduct a pixel by pixel search to identify all instances of the image (even if the image has been digitally altered). The primary use of the search engine may be copyright enforcement; however, it may also be useful in identifying image creators so that proper attribution can be provided.

Thanks to the Law Librarian Blog for information on this new resource

Second edition of ABA's Guide to Professionalism Commissions Released

The ABA has released its second edition of A Guide to Professionalism Commissions. The Guide describes the professionalism commissions operating in 14 states and the types of programs and activities commissions have used and can use in promoting professionalism in the legal profession. The Guide also contains a subsection discussing the potential for collaboration between law schools and professionalism commissions.



Hat tip to Law Librarians Blog.

Got an IDEA? The Securities and Exchange Commission Does

According to a Securities and Exchange Commission press release, the SEC's new system, Interactive Data Electronic Applications (IDEA) will allow investors "to instantly collate information from thousands of companies and forms, and create reports and analysis on the fly, in any way they choose." Currently, most SEC filings are available only in government-prescribed forms through EDGAR. IDEA will first supplement and finally replace EDGAR.



Thanks to WisBlawg.

Chrome - To Use or Not to Use

There has been significant discussion about the use of Google's new browser, Chrome. Some discussion was fueled by the inclusion of language in the end-user licensing agreement, that granted the Company a perpetual license to among other things, reproduce, display and distribute any Content submitted, posted or displayed using Chrome. According to postings on September 4th, Google has deleted this language from the agreement. This action quieted some of the popular resistance to use of the browser.

For additional details regarding the new browser see "Do you want to use Chrome?" on the Law Librarian Blog.

ABA reports Lawyer Use of Technology Still Needs Improvement

Lawyers Still Lag on the Technology Front is the title of a recent post on Legal Blog Watch. The post references several sources, including a summary, prepared by the ABA Journal Editor Ed Adams, of the American Bar Association's 2008 Legal Technology Survey Report. The results of the survey indicate that while lawyers love their mobile devices, law firms and attorneys are not taking full advantage of the tools offered by the internet and technology.

National Preparedness Month

September has been designated as National Preparedness Month. This is an excellent time to consider the need for law offices to prepare for disasters and emergencies. Many of the law office management resources in the law library address this topic. Additionally, legal professionals are often called upon to assist those affected by national disasters and other emergencies. The American Bar Association's Disaster Recovery Resource Center provides links to resources addressing both general preparedness issues and issues regarding specific disaster relief efforts, such as Hurricane Gustav. Select materials on Preparedness are currently on display outside the Reference Offices.

Advice to 1Ls

What do you do if you get called on and find yourself unprepared? Orin Kerr, law professor and blogger at the Volokh Conspiracy, offers some sage advice to 1Ls.

Thanks to Heafey Headnotes from Santa Clara Law.

Political Conventions

Find out the latest from the Democratic and Republican conventions. Most major television networks such as ABC, NBC, CBS, and PBS are also covering the events.

Webcasts From the Law Library of Congress

Watch webcasts from programs presented at the Law Library of Congress. Some of the topics include extraordinary rendition, terrorism, and Native American Heritage month.

Top Five Things to Know About the Library

1. Bathrooms are on the lower level, second floor, and third floor. Vending machines are on the lower level.
2. To see if the library owns something and where to find it use the catalog.
3. To access library databases go to the databases page.
4. Email your reference question to us if you are off-campus and do not want to call.
5. Check out permanent and course reserve materials at the circulation desk. To see if your professor has placed something on reserve, check your syllabus.

Laptop Security Anchor Points and Locks

Laptop anchor points are installed throughout the law library. You will find these in every study room and at various tables and carrels in each wing of the law library. To use the anchor points follow these steps:





1. Pass the loop end of the cable lock through the anchor point.





2. Pass the lock end of the cable lock through the loop end of the cable lock.






3. Secure the lock end to your laptop's security slot by pushing in the button on the back of the lock. Most laptops have security slots.





The cable lock needed to secure your laptop to the anchor point is inexpensive (around $25) and can be purchased at many local stores (Best Buy, Wal Mart etc …). The law library has several cable locks available for checkout from the circulation desk. These are available for use inside the law library only.



It is never a good idea to leave valuables unattended in the law library. Anchor points and cable locks are not a 100% guarantee against theft but they make it much more difficult for a thief to make off with your computer. Several laptops were stolen last year from the computer lab. In an informal survey conducted last week library staff counted 41 unlocked and unattended laptops at different times in the law library. Hopefully, these anchor points and laptop locks will help prevent future thefts.

Do You Need a Laugh?

Stressed out already? Here are some resources that take a humorous look at the legal profession.

Lowering the Bar-A blog dedicated to legal humor.

LegalHumour.com-Web site with articles, quotes, and a blawg.

Washburn University-List of legal humor resources.

Tracking Lobbyists

OMB Watch reported that both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate have established searchable databases with information about lobbyists and their contributions. This makes it easier for citizens and researchers to follow the money trail between lobbyists and politicians.

Thanks to beSpacific for this news.

AudioCaseFiles: Audio Opinions and Trial Video

AudioCaseFiles offers downloadable MP3 files of court opinions as well as streaming trial video. Search by course or casebook to find audio material from 1L classes and 2L and 3L subjects. Sample audio from People v. Zackowitz. Watch seasoned practitioners argue cases on products liability, antitrust, mergers and acquisitions, and more.

To register, go to http://www.audiocasefiles.com/register/. You must use your law school email address.

Welcome 1Ls

Welcome 1Ls

If you would like to review some resources on how to succeed in law school, see the display outside the Reference Offices.

Zotero

Zotero is a handy tool that helps collect and manage your citations. Moreover, it can export citations in a variety of styles.

Thanks to Bonnie Schucha from WisBlawg.

Legal Analysis Reading for 1Ls

If you have not already registered your Westlaw password and registered for the Legal Analysis class, please do so today. Once you register for the class you will find more information and reading.

Word to the wise-be prepared and do the reading before the first day of class!

Background Checks

Now you can take advantage of the free service, Criminal Searches, to check a person's background. While still in its Beta version, this service offers a preliminary look at someone's record.

Hat tip to Abbie Mulvihill from AbsTracked .

Justia's Regulation Tracker

Now you can add Justia to your list of free resources for finding and tracking regulations. While the content only goes back to 2005, it gives researchers an excellent way of keeping updated on new regulations.

Thanks to the Valpo Law Blawg.

Searching the Deep Web

Information Week reports that Google has started testing ways to index data from the invisible Web, including "Web pages generated dynamically from a database, based on input such as might be provided through a Web submission form." (For more on the invisible Web, see my Wisconsin Lawyer article, Searching Smarter)

Given that the invisible Web, also know as the deep Web or hidden Web, is approximately 400 to 550 times larger than the visible Web, that could amount to a lot more data accessible via Google.

Over at Search Engine Land, Danny Sullivan points out that "Google's not the first to do something like this. Companies like Quigo, BrightPlanet, and WhizBang Labs were doing this type of work years ago. But it never translated over to the major search engines. Now chapter two of surfacing deep web material is opening, this time with a major search player -- in that, Google is being a pioneer."

Hat tip to WisLaw for this post.

OBA Hosts Visiting Chinese Students and Lawyers

The Oklahoma Bar Association hosted a reception and dinner last night for the Chinese students and lawyers participating in OCU Law's Certificate in American Law Program. OBA President (and OCU Law General Counsel and Distinguished Lecturer in Law) Bill Conger presented the group with a proclamation. Distinguished guests from the local bench and bar were on hand for the ceremony. After the ceremony the Chinese guests enjoyed their first tex-mex meal from Ted's.

Mac vs. PC For Your Law Practice

I have noticed more law students using PCs in the past few years but the vast majority are still PC users. In the March issue of the ABA Journal two practicing lawyers debate the pro's and con's of using Macs or PCs in a law practice. Useful reading for anyone about to enter practice and especially those hanging out a shingle.

OCU Law's Certificate in American Law Program Begins

OCU Law welcomed 18 students and 1 professor from Nankai University School of Law in Tianjin China and 12 lawyers from the Tianjin Bar Association to campus today. The students and lawyers are participating in the Certificate in American Law Program. More information is available here. The program is directed by Lee Peoples.

Peoples Presents at AALL Conference

Lee Peoples, Associate Director of the Law Library and Director of International Programs, spoke today at the American Association of Law Libraries Annual Meeting. His presentation was titled A Century in the Making: Researching Legal Ethics Today. The presentation was drawn from his book Legal Ethics: A Legal Research Guide.

Here is a summary of his talk that he co-presented with Steve Young of Catholic University:

2008 marks the 100th Anniversary of the ABA's adoption of the Canons of
Professional Ethics. In recognition of this occasion, the presenters will
analyze and contrast the essential print and electronic resources for
researching issues in legal ethics and the law governing lawyers in
today's research environment. The size and complexity of the Internet,
combined with the variety of specialized electronic databases found in law
libraries today, has transformed the ways in which law students, attorneys
and librarians research this important area of law. The presenters will
incorporate into the presentation a discussion of recent issues in legal
ethics, and they will use this dialogue as a platform for highlighting the
research tools and methodologies relevant to the teaching and practice of
this essential subject.

10 Killer Firefox Extensions

Firefox users might want to check out 10 Killer Firefox Extensions That You Probably Don’t Know About
(from Jim Calloway's Law Practice Tips)

OBA Launches OKNewsBar

The Oklahoma Bar Association recently introduced a new free online service called OKNewsBar. This is a resource for bar members that everyone can use, consisting of a set of Web pages to allow one to quickly access new Oklahoma and U.S. Supreme Court opinions as well as up-to-date legal news and law practice management tips. As you will be able to see, there are four sections to this feature: Court Opinions, Oklahoma Legal News, National Legal News and Law Practice Management Information. Some of you may decide to make one of these pages the home page for your browser. Anyone can access this information, so feel free to share it with others. The main web address is http://www.okbar.org/oknewsbar.htm. (from Jim Calloway's Law Practice Tips)

Google Scholar Indexing Journals in Hein Online

Google Scholar is indexing the Law Journals in HeinOnline to make the more than 1,100 titles searchable in the Google Scholar interface. The indexing is still ongoing, as Google Scholar has not fully indexed all of the titles in the Law Journal Collection as of yet. Over the next 30 days or so they should near completion of the indexing at which point the entire HeinOnline Law Journal collection will be searchable in Google Scholar. (from Hein Online Weblog)

Peoples Presents at IALS Conference

Lee Peoples, Associate Director of the Law Library and Director of International Programs, spoke on two panels at the International Association of Law School's meeting in Montreal, Canada . He was the only American speaker on a panel where speakers from around the world reported on their experiences teaching international students in law schools. He is pictured above with his co-presenter for the session Practical Demonstrations of Teaching Techniques. His presentations were based on the paper he submitted for the conference: Reflections on Oklahoma City University School of Law's Certificate in American Law Program.

Black's Law Dictionary Digital Available in Reference Wing

If you need a quick legal definition and would prefer not to use a print version or sign on to Westlaw or Lexis to access a legal dictionary, the digital version of Black's Law Dictionary (8th ed.) is now available on the public access terminal in the Reference Wing

Immigration Law Continues to be Hot Topic

The Associated Press reported last week that the Department of Labor is "probing" the work of the largest immigration firm in the nation. The Department of Labor inquiry is intended to determine if the firm, Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, has been advising its clients how to circumvent federal requirements that the companies seek qualified American workers before applying for a green card for a foreign worker. As a posting on Legal Blog Watch points out, last year the firm of Cohen and Grigsby "came under fire"when a video of its seminar on how to circumvent the requirements became available on YouTube.

D.C. v. Heller has Legal Blogs Buzzing

Legal blogs are buzzing about the recent Supreme Court decision in District of Columbia v. Heller. With amusing and creative titles like Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition and New Ruling on an Old Technology it seems like every blog has some discussion of the ruling. With a video posting of Professor O'Shea's appearance on KWTV to discuss the decision, OCU Law School's blog is no exception.

New Database: BNA Corporate Practice Library

The Law Library recently added the BNA Corporate Practice Library to our BNA Core package of databases. The Corporate Practice Library includes Corporate Counsel Weekly and a number of portfolios providing coverage in these subject areas:

ANTITRUST AND TRADE REGULATION
CORPORATE POLITICAL ACTIVITY
FORM OF BUSINESS
LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT
CORPORATE AND SECURITIES
ENVIRONMENT
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
SELECTED STATE CORPORATE LAWS


OCU Law Students, Faculty, and Staff can access the Corporate Practice Library (and all the other titles in the BNA Core collection) from on and off campus from the Law Library's page of databases

After accessing the database from the link above you can sign up to receive weekly e-mail alerts. Just click “sign up for e-mail highlights” link in the bottom left hand corner of the page.

In the next month or so you will also have access to all the BNA titles we subscribe to through LexisNexis and Westlaw.

Legal Blog Information Overload? New Tools to help.

With approximately 2,000 law related blogs, it is not difficult for lawyers to quickly become overloaded with information. News aggregators such as Google Reader may offer assistance; however, now there are two new tools.
Alltop - Law, pulls headlines from a diverse collection of popular law blogs and list the headlines on one page. LexMonitor, described as a "daily review of law blogs and journals," provides "channels" that enable readers to follow postings from blogs on certain subject matters in one Web-based feed.

Source: Introducing LexMonitor on Legal Blog Watch, June 23, 2008 at 12:32 PM

Tax Ruling on Law School Loan Forgiveness

Rev Rul 2008-34, 2008-28 IRB IRS website: http://www.irs.gov/

In a revenue ruling, the IRS has ruled that the forgiveness of a law student's loan in exchange for the borrower working for a certain period of time in a qualifying law-related public service position wasn't includible in his/her gross income. The revenue ruling clarified that a law school loan made under a Loan Repayment Assistance Program.

Source: University of Minnesota Law Library LexLibris Blog, citing Federal Taxes Weekly Alert 06/26/2008, Volume 54, No. 26 via RIA Newsstand 6/23/08 (RIA Checkpoint Academic Advantage Library is available via the OCU Law Library Database page)

Are you Linkedin? Social Networking is Here to Stay.

LinkedIn Valued At $1 Billion: What It Means for Lawyers was the title of a recent post on Legal Blog Watch. The conclusion reached was that "social networking sites are here to stay and lawyers need to get on board." Read the entire posting. OCU Law is providing social networking opportunities as well. OCU Law has established an online community on Facebook.

Do Lawyers Rock?

Do Lawyers Rock? The answer appears to be yes. See Above the Law for a listing of the Top Ten Law Songs. In addition to the listing, ATL provides links to performances of the the songs on YouTube.

Bar Exam Study Materials

The Oklahoma Bar Exam - July 29-30, 2008
Are you ready? Materials to help with bar exam preparation are available at OCU Law School's Conquering the Bar web page. Additional materials are available at the Law Library.

What do reference law librarians do?

Are you interested in law librarianship? Or maybe you've just wondered what legal reference librarians do? In addition to providing traditional reference services, legal reference librarians teach Advanced Legal Research courses, serve as guest lecturers for 1L Legal Research and Writing and other upper level courses, review electronic and print materials to add to the collection, serve as liaisons to Westlaw and LexisNexis, assist faculty with research ... In addition to these responsibilities, legal reference librarians conduct their own research and writing projects. View a select collection of the works written and edited by the OCU Law Library Reference and Administrative staff as you enter the West entrance to the library; and read a short piece about "What Do You [Legal Reference Librarians] Do All Day?"

Meet the Law Library Staff

In the last year we have had some Law Library staff retire and some to move on to other positions. We are excited that we have been able to hire some excellent new staff members to fill the positions. If you are entering through the West entrance, take a moment to learn about our staff. Additional information about the staff can also be accessed from the Law Library Staff web page.

On Display - National Home Ownership Month

Despite the national crisis in the home mortgage market, it has been reported that prospective homeowners in Oklahoma are finding favorable conditions. In recognition of June 2008 as National Home Ownership Month, the library is displaying materials available to assist home buyers and attorneys involved in real estate finance or homeowner association representation.

Meet Sammy Grimes - New Law Library Circulation Assistant

Sammy Grimes has joined the Law Library Circulation Staff. Sammy has previously worked in several special libraries; however, this is his first position in a law library. In addition to assisting patrons at the Circulation Desk, Sammy will be assuming responsibility for the Interlibrary Loan (ILL) program.

First Circuit dismisses challenge to Don't Ask, Don't Tell Policy

The US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit recently dismissed a challenge to the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Policy. The suit was brought by twelve former US military member who had been dismissed under the policy. The appellants were represented by the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN). See a more detailed story on the decision at Jurist. Also see a member of the SLDN discussing the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Policy and the Solomon Amendment at a program co-sponsored by OCU's PCDC, the Lesbian and Gay Law Student Association, American Constitution Society and the Federalist Society.

Kalnins' Article in June Issue of AALL Spectrum

AALL Spectrum, the monthly magazine for members of the American Association of Law Libraries, publishes articles on topics of interest to law librarians, as well as news about the American Association of Law Libraries. A short piece on the AALL Leadership Academy, entitled Training Tomorrow's Leaders Today, by our own Karen Kalnins appears in the June 2008 issue of AALL Spectrum.

Peoples attends AALS Law Librarians Workshop

This week Lee Peoples has been attending a Law Librarians Workshop at the Association of American Law Schools Mid-Year Meeting. Click on the link to access clips from Law Librarians, including Lee discussing the Workshop.

Summer Reading

If you are interested in reading law-related books this summer, the OCU Law Faculty list of suggested reading may assist you in identifying an appealing title.

There is a special collection of the books on the suggested reading list in the Reference Wing of the Law Library. Stop by and browse the collection.

FCIL Research Guides

Are you researching a foreign, comparative, or international law issue? If so, GlobaLex provides an excellent source for research guides. GlobaLex is produced by New York University School of Law.

Thanks to Legal Research Plus.

Share Documents With JD Supra

JD Supra allows users to post and search legal documents for free. The documents range from appellate briefs to memorandum.

Thanks to TrialAd Notes.

Recycle Your Plastics

Now you can recycle your plastics by dropping them off in the blue bin located on the law library's lower level. By recycling your plastics, you can ensure that they do not end up in the ocean or harm wildlife.

Keep Up With Your Candidate

As the election season continues, you can get involved and stay up-to-date with your favorite candidate. Whether you support John McCain, Barack Obama, or Hillary Clinton, you can blog, donate, or volunteer from the candidates' Web sites.

BNA Core Databases Available

OCU Law Library recently added BNA's Core databases to its electronic database collection. The databases include:

ABA/BNA Lawyers' Manual on Professional Conduct-Contains ABA ethics opinions, state ethics opinions, and practice guides.

Antitrust and Trade Regulation Report-Resource focusing on domestic and international decisions related to antitrust and trade. Coverage is from 1996 to present.

Criminal Law Reporter-With coverage back to 1996, this database includes rulings and decisions about various aspects of criminal law.

Family Law Reporter-You can search recent and past issues of this valuable family law resource. Coverage is from 1996 to present.

Intellectual Property Library-This thorough compilation of IP materials contains USPQ decisions, intellectual property laws, and regulations.

Labor & Employment Library-A one-stop shop for materials related to labor and employment law, this database has various searchable collections.

Securities Regulation and Law Report-Whether you access the information topically or search for a particular case, this database gives researchers another source for securities regulation information. Coverage is from 1996 to present.

U.S. Law Week-Get current news and information about court decisions, executive initiatives, or legislation.

In addition to searching the above databases, you can sign up for email alerts.

Victims' Rights Laws

VictimLaw provides a central search portal for crime victims. Researchers can search topically, with terms, by jurisdiction, or can find a document with a citation.

Thanks to beSpacific.

2008 Webby Awards

Take a look at the nominees and winners of the 12th annual Webby Awards.

Our Noble Profession

The University of Buffalo's career services blog is called Our Noble Profession. While it focuses on the resources at Buffalo, it also has information that applies to all law students.

Thanks to Out of the Jungle.

Legal Tabloid

Although you may think people gossip only about the lives of Hollywood celebrities, Above the Law provides a space for legal "gossip." This blog contains light-hearted stories and real advice for attorneys and law students.

Hat tip to the WSJ.

OK Nursing Home Ratings Are Online

Making a difficult decision easier, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority has established a searchable site to check an Oklahoma nursing home's rating.

Hat tip to ResearchBuzz for this.

VE Day-May 8, 1945

May 8, 1945 marked the day that the German Army surrendered to Allied Forces. This meant the end of World War II in Europe.

To learn more, you can read the Eyewitness to History Recollections, Winston Churchill's speech, or explore Experiencing War from the Library of Congress.

Stressed Out From Exams?

Here are a few ways to relieve your exam jitters.

-Tips from WebMD

-The Mayo Clinic's Stress Center

-The Onion newspaper, a satirical look at today's news

-Lawtoons, cartoons about lawyers and the legal profession

Thanks to the University of Denver Law Library for the idea.

Federal Sentencing Guidelines Supplement

The U.S. Sentencing Commission issued a supplement to the federal sentencing guidelines effective May 1, 2008.

Hat tip to AbsTracked for this update.

Law Day

May 1st is traditionally known as Law Day. To celebrate, Oklahoma attorneys are staffing a hotline and hosting a lunch at the Oklahoma County Bar Association. The ABA has a full list of Oklahoma events.

Online Popular Name Table

Need a quick way to look up a federal law by popular name table? Try the table available at Cornell's Legal Information Institute. Of course you could always use the paper version that comes with the USCA or USCS.

Lawyers Searching The Internet

Do lawyers have a duty to search the internet competently? How should competence in this area be defined? These questions are extremely relevant as more judges are citing the internet, blogs, and wikis in their opinions. Check out Ellie Margolis' article Surfin' Safari: Why Competent Lawyers Should Research on the Web available for download here with abstract below.

The easy availability of information on the internet has drastically changed the way that lawyers conduct legal research, but has it affected the standards for competency to which lawyers are held? This article explores the ways in which judges' and lawyers' expectations have been shaped by technological changes in the last two decades.

The article reviews the various ways in which the adequacy of a lawyer's research can be measured - the Model Rules of Professional Conduct, court rules such as Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and malpractice claims. All of these approaches reveal that competence is measured both by what techniques are standard in practice and by what sources judges look to in supporting their decisions. By both of these measures, a competent lawyer today must go beyond Lexis and Westlaw and conduct legal research directly on the internet.

Because many legal materials are increasingly available only online, and because judges are showing a greater willingness to rely on non-legal information available on the web, the article concludes that a lawyer cannot competently represent a client without conducting research on the internet. The conclusion urges law schools and the practicing bar to be aware of this development and instruct law students and new lawyers accordingly.

Gmail Custom Time

Ever wish you'd e-mailed that pleading to the court a few minutes or even a few days earlier? Ever regret having missed the deadline for exercising that option? Ever wish you'd e-mailed a birthday wish to your partner on the actual birthday? Never again miss a deadline -- or at least never again appear to miss a deadline -- thanks to a feature launched today as part of Google's Gmail called Gmail Custom Time.

Now, when composing an e-mail using Gmail, just set the date it should appear to have been received and it will land in the recipient's inbox in the appropriate chronological order. You can even decide whether to have the e-mail show up as read or unread. The new feature will allow you to backdate only to April 1, 2004. And it limits users to 10 custom time e-mails a year, so that people don't lose faith in the accuracy of time. (originally posted at Robert Ambrogi's Law Sites)

National Library Week Winners

Robert Duncan won the Movie Trivia contest by guessing all of the answers correctly. Robert won two mugs, an OCU keychain, and a water bottle.





Sheri Higgins won the M&M jar guessing contest with her winning guess of 1814. The actual number of M&Ms in the jar was 1800. For her correct guess, Sheri won all those M&Ms!

Peoples Co-Edits Book on Evolution and Innovation in Law Libraries

Associate Director Lee Peoples recently co-edited the book Public Services in Law Libraries: Evolution and Innovation in the 21st Century. Early reviews have been very positive:

“A variety of INSIGHTFUL commentary. . . . BREAKS NEW GROUND with innovative chapters on subjects that every law librarian needs to know. . . BELONGS ON THE SHELF OF EVERY PUBLIC SERVICES LAW LIBRARIAN!”

—James E. Duggan, Professor & Associate Director, Southern Illinois University School of Law Library

“Can be used as a text in a law librarianship course, as a guide for mentoring or training a new law librarian, or as a way to stimulate change and better patron service in an existing law library!. . . . MUST READING FOR ALL LAW LIBRARIANS.”

—Penny A Hazelton, MLL, JD, BA, Professor and Associate Dean for Library and Computing Services, University of Washington School of Law; Adjunct Professor, Information School, University of Washington

Law students could win $10,000!

Law students could win $10,000 if they enter and win this video contest sponsored by Access Group. See the information page for all the details and watch this YouTube video for inspiration. Access Group will select the 10 finalists and YouTube viewers will vote for the winner.

Good luck!

Hat tip to Hamline University Law Library for this.

National Library Week April 13-19

Please join the library staff in celebrating National Library Week. Beginning Monday, April 14th, the library will challenge law students with daily quizzes. Stop by to test your knowledge and you could be one of our lucky daily winners!

On Wednesday, April 16th, the library will offer law students amnesty from fines and serve coffee and cookies (while supplies last) to all. Throughout the week, students can guess the number of M&Ms in the jar.

New Database: BNA's Intellectual Property Library

We are pleased to announce on and off campus access to BNA's Intellectual Property Library including United States Patents Quarterly (USPQ). USPQ is a comprehensive collection of court decisions and administrative rulings affecting intellectual property law. Major topics covered include patent, copyright,trademark, unfair competition, trade secret and computer software protection law. Tribunals reported include the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, U.S. Court of Customs & Patent Appeals, U.S. Court of Appeals, U.S. Court of Federal Claims, U.S. Claims Court, U.S. District Courts, U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, U.S. International Trade Commission, State Courts (including District of Columbia) and other selected judicial bodies. Each decision is reported in full text and contains BNA headnotes and classification numbers.

The database also provides access to key intellectual property laws and regulations. Click here to register for e-mail updates when new content is published in the Intellectual Property Library. Click here to learn about the advanced features of the database including how to formulate and save your searches.