Summer Reading, Anyone?

If you like to spend spare hours with an e-book reader or print volume in hand, you already may have perused the latest New York Times Book Review: Summer Reading Edition. You can find more ideas for summer reading material in 100+ Books About Law, where topics range from trial lawyering to drama and fiction. The Legal Skills Prof Blog provides a much shorter reading list, with an emphasis on law school success. If more eclectic offerings off the beaten path strike your fancy, consider Library Book Lists for lists of reading material on sometimes whimsical topics ranging from cats to “golf in crime fiction” to “unusual and unlikely murder weapons.”

Legal Language IS Important!

If you haven't listened to your professors, your librarians or your LRW instructors perhaps you will listen to members of our profession! The devotion you pay to your legal researching, writing and advocacy is important.

Thanks to Bryan Garner and Law Prose you can get valuable insights from US Supreme Court justices, sitting during the 2006-2007 term, regarding the need to pay attention to your legal research and writing ability. What makes these interviews so interesting is the willingness of these justices to discuss their craft. Great listening. Enjoy.

See also the video excerpt of Honorable James M. Rosenbaum of Minnesota regarding a well written brief.

Windows 7 is coming this summer/fall

ITS will be installing Windows 7 on all the lab computers in the law library later this summer. The reimaging of all the computers should be completed in a day. More information will be posted closer to the actual date of installation. Additional information is available here.

Opportunities for a Career Attorney

Interested in working as a law firm attorney but not interested in seeking partnership? Several US law firms are offering attorneys employment as 'career attorneys.' A recent New York Times article examined this model used by several prestigious large US law firms. These people are attorney employees at their firm: they just are not on the partnership track and they are paid less than their prospective partner attorney peers. On the plus side they do not have to worry about 'billable hours' nor substantial, and frequent, long hours. This model is also seen as a means not to outsource attorney work overseas.

Good News/Bad News about Law School Construction

Work began on Monday to replace the leaking portions of the law school roof and is anticipated to be completed in early July.

The good news is that this will hopefully mean the end to bookcases covered in plastic due to leaks.

The bad news is that it's been smelly (tar) and can be loud on the 3rd floor. For the most part, the project will be external only, but there have already been occasions when work has been done internally in the 3rd floor ceilings. Please be careful when accessing materials on the 3rd floor, since you might encounter scaffolding or displaced furniture.

Thank you for your patience while we all live through the disruption.

Federal Court Opinions to be Available on FDsys

Some federal court opinions will be available for free on FDsys as part of a yearlong pilot program between the U.S. GPO and the federal judiciary.

Federal court opinions are already available on PACER, but an account is required. The pilot project will allow users to access them without a login in FDsys.

Twelve federal courts will participate in the pilot phase: the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the 2nd and 8th Circuits; the U.S. District Courts for the Districts of Minnesota, Rhode Island, Maryland, Idaho, and Kansas; the Northern District of New York; the Northern District of Alabama; and the U.S. Bankruptcy Courts for the District of Maine, the Southern District of Florida, and the Southern District of New York.

Thanks to Law Technology News and WisBlawg

Copyright law comic book style

Want an interesting discussion of copyright law? What is fair use? What rights does an author retain under copyright law? And most importantly, does that TV playing South Park in the background of my film mean that I need to pay for the rights to use it?

Keith Aoki (a law professor and a great illustrator -see here and here) with Jennifer Jenkins and James Boyle published a great overview, Bound by Law (starring Akiko, a documentary filmaker), which is humorous and informative. Check it out. The link is to Duke's Center for the Study of the Public Domain. There you can read the book via html and download some interesting extras.