Monday, July 28, 2008

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.

Friday, July 25, 2008

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.

Monday, July 21, 2008

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.

Saturday, July 19, 2008

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.

Monday, July 14, 2008

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.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Sunday, July 6, 2008

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)

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

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)

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

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.