[via LawBiz]
Joy London posts: “Another law firm has partnered with a B-school to design a three-day customized Executive Education program for all of its lawyers This time it's Chicago-based Seyfarth Shaw and the Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. Several years ago, another Chicago firm, Baker & McKenzie, designed something similar with Kellogg for its partners.”
Source: Excited Utterances, 29 December 2004
From the e-newsletter: “Grapevine Mills mall isn't just a place to shop for bargain-priced sweaters and fashionable jewelry. Now you can get legal help. In a rare move, Southlake lawyers Tracey Justice and Dana White opened their law firm's second office in a 1,400-square-foot retail space next to Burlington Coat Factory. The women, who specialize in family and employment law, hope that more people will see their firm and not feel shy about having a contract drawn up or a legal consultation on the spot.”
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THE PRACTICE PAPER, Edited by Joel R. Zand, Esq.
A FindLaw Resource for Solo Attorneys and Small Law Firms
29 December 2004
Copyright (c) 2003 FindLaw, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Sabrina posts: "First article in a four part series on effectively navigating the shifting paradigms associated with the development and maintenance of a successful corporate intranet."
Source: beSpacific - Accurate, focused law and technology news by Sabrina I. Pacifici
29 December 2004
Copyright ©2002-2004 BeSpacific LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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Sabrina posts: "Having recently been caught on a treadmill to nowhere in my quest for "customer care" and "technical support" from two major vendors for hardware issues, this New York Times article hits home. It describes the frustrations of trying to locate a support telephone contact number on the websites of a range of product websites. This impediment is often accompanied by the hurdles placed in the way of consumers endeavoring to speak with a human being about a product or service related problem. Read on!
· From the article, note this reference to the GSA's Consumer Action Website of the Federal Consumer Information Center. "This section lists the names and addresses of more than 650 corporate headquarters and, in many cases, the name of the person to contact. Many listings also include toll free numbers and TDD (Telecommunications Devices for the Deaf) numbers."
Source: beSpacific - Accurate, focused law and technology news by Sabrina I. Pacifici
29 December 2004
Copyright ©2002-2004 BeSpacific LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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Sabrina blogs: "U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit ruled in favor of VoIP companies and against state regulation of their services in Minnesota.
· Related reference from November 09, 2004: FCC Declares VoIP Service Not Subject to State Regulation."
Source: beSpacific - Accurate, focused law and technology news by Sabrina I. Pacifici
29 December 2004
Copyright ©2002-2004 BeSpacific LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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From the website: “MSN has whipped up a Wiki for their search engine; see their announcement about it at http://blogs.msdn.com/msnsearch/archive/2004/12/22/330001.aspx. The Wiki itself is available at http://channel9.msdn.com/wiki/default.aspx/Channel9.MsnSearchFeedback. It is not well-populated yet, but I like the section headings a lot.
Doesn't look the individual sections have their own RSS feeds. Bleh.”
Source: ResearchBuzz, 27 December 2004
From the newsletter: "There's a new search engine called Blingo, now available at http://www.blingo.com/. The twist to this site is that when you search you have a chance to win a price.
This is giving me twitchy little reminders of iWon (remember iWon?) One of the differences is that you're not registering to win a big money prizes; instead the prices are smaller, things like Netflix subscriptions, movie tickets, all the way up to a TiVo or iPod. You don't have to register to win on the site, either; you just search. (Of course if you actually win something you have to provide information to actually get the prize.) Sorry, if you're outside the US or under 18 you can't win.
I ran some searches, figuring it was something running off the Google API, but the results don't match with a Google search (though Google ads are at the top of the page.) They have a Blingo external URL that looks like this:
http://www.blingo.com/external-result/http://www.fredmeyer.com/.
The relevancy seems a little odd; not bad, just odd. I wonder who's running their database?"
Source: ResearchBuzz #315
23 December 2004
Reproduced with permission of ResearchBuzz
Copyright 2004 Tara Calishain. All rights reserved.
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In the news: “The U.S. Air Force scandal over contracts with Boeing is more than just a cautionary tale. Stemming from revelations that the Air Force's former top procurement officer, Darleen Druyun, pushed for billions in contracts for Boeing in exchange for jobs for herself and family members, it is a warning siren for contractors to take a hard look at how government contracts are let and how former officials move into private enterprise.”
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Source: Law.Com's Daily Legal Newswire, 30 December 2004
Copyright 2004 ALM Properties, Inc. All rights reserved.
In the news: “The scene is a client development session for which big-firm lawyers have arrived late. As one attorney launches into a canned spiel about the firm's capabilities, a colleague looks down, intent on his BlackBerry. It's the moment that prompts the most groans of recognition from other lawyers, says Valerie Fitch of Pillsbury Winthrop, whose training video depicts a range of errors in judgment. The new breed of videos reflect firms' concern that their lawyers may not be on their best behavior in meetings.”
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Source: Law.Com's Daily Legal Newswire, 29 December 2004
Copyright 2004 ALM Properties, Inc. All rights reserved.
Dennis posts: "The new issue of the ABA Law Practice Management Section's webzine, Law Practice Today is out, with a theme of the future of the practice of law.
There's a great roundtable article (I'm pretty sure I guessed who the mystery panelist is), other related articles and the usual excellent collection of columns and core section articles. I've written a short column about good Internet resources on the future of the practice, which notes how vibrant and lively the blog world is in comparison with the world of standard websites, especially on topics like this one.
Recommended reading as you consider what directions to go in 2005 and beyond."
Source: DennisKennedy.com, 28 December 2004
If you haven’t had enough year-end lists, John posts:
“CourtTV.com has compiled a list of the "20 Wackiest Courthouse Moments" of the past year.”
Source: The Legal Reader, 28 December 2004
More lists, yes, but these are educational!!
Sabrina posts:
· From Business 2.0, Whither Apple, Google, Blogs, and DVRs
· From Red Herring, Top Ten Trends for 2005
· From PC Magazine, Crazy Technology Predictions for 2005
· From eWeek, Place Your 2005 IT Bets
· From WebProNews, 2005: Year Of The Corporate Blog
Source: beSpacific - Accurate, focused law and technology news by Sabrina I. Pacifici
28 December 2004
Copyright ©2002-2004 BeSpacific LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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'Incivility' Bests 'Red States/Blue States,' 'Blogosphere,' and 'Flip Flopping' as Word of the Year for 2004
"YDC released eight different Words of the Year lists featuring the Top Words, Names, Phrases, Numbers, California YouthSpeak, Internet, Sports-related, and Color-related Words, as well as the Top Words in Pop Music and the Most Frequently Spoken Word On The Planet."
Source: The ResourceShelf, 28 December 2004
Law Libraries Mix Online with Hard Copy to Ease Access, Cut Costs: "At the heart of much of the federal Judiciary's work is legal research—the hunt for precedent, consensus, legislative intent, and other decision-making factors. Federal court librarians can ease that often-daunting task amid today's technology explosion."
Source: beSpacific - Accurate, focused law and technology news by Sabrina I. Pacifici
27 December 2004
Copyright ©2002-2004 BeSpacific LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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Posted by Tom Mighell: “Ready to toss that new tech to you got for Christmas? Don't throw it away just yet -- visit this page of helpful tech support pages, and you might just find the answer you need.”
Source: Inter Alia, 29 December 2004
From the e-newsletter: “What were the key legal developments of the past, tumultuous year? Attorney and author Edward Lazarus picks out a number of important headline-making events -- from the Supreme Court's decision to let gerrymandering continue, to the Department of Justice's Office of Legal Counsel memo advising that torture is legal, to the cases addressing the legal rights of detainees at Guantanamo and elsewhere, to the historic Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court decision holding that under the state's constitution, equality means an equal right to marriage for gay persons. Lazarus also notes that New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer's recent campaign against corporate crime and fraud may usher in a new era of state-based regulation.”
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Source: FindLaw's WRIT Legal Commentary
27 December 2004
Copyright (c) 2004 FindLaw, Inc. All rights reserved
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Posted by Tom Mighell: “The Supreme Court Collection at the Legal Information Institute has a cool new feature -- previews of upcoming Supreme Court cases through its liibulletin-cert page. You can see the previews here, or subscribe to free e-mail updates. (Thank to Tara for the pointer)”
Source: Inter Alia, 28 December 2004
Joy London posts: “In a feature article in the Law Gazette, Kala Anandarajah examines why knowledge management is essential for a typical Singaporean small or medium size law firm. In Singapore, a small law firm is defined as no more than five lawyers. A medium size Singaporean law firm has no more than 30 lawyers. Although these numbers are miniscule compared to the AmLaw 100 and the UK Legal 500, Anandarajah, a partner and Head of Knowledge & Risk Management at Rajah & Tann, says she "has seen organisations, small firms included, increase profitability as a direct consequence of implementing knowledge management." The author provides the business case for KM within small law firms and an approach for implementing a KM strategy.
Additional reading: KM and IT in Small Law Firms”
Source: Excited Utterances, December 27, 2004
Carolyn Elefant posts: “Car dealers, advertisers and lawyers. Results of a recent survey present these professions as the most unethical and dishonest as perceived by respondents and reported in this article, No Respect, Asbury Park Press (12/27/04). By contrast, more than 70 percent of Americans gave nurses, grade school teachers, pharmacists and military officers high ethical marks.”
Source: MyShingle, 27 December 2004
In the news: “What's the big legal attraction in Marshall, Texas, a town whose claim to fame is an annual fire ant festival? The judges, say lawyers. Specifically, District Judge T. John Ward, who has helped create a "rocket docket" for patent cases. Patent lawyers have flocked to Marshall for its speedy court process and IP-enthusiastic judges and juries. But Marshall's docket is getting heavier and slower, and it may be just a matter of time before lawyers start searching for another venue.”
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Source: Law.Com's Daily Legal Newswire, 28 December 2004
Copyright 2004 ALM Properties, Inc. All rights reserved.
Sabrina posts: “The Christian Science Monitor reports on growing concerns about privacy issues related to vehicle event data recorders (EDRs) or "black boxes" (although they are apparently grey in color). Vehicle manufacturers are currently not subject to uniform standards regarding the data this equipment gathers. However, information collected from the EDRs often plays a prominent role in post crash analysis, including evaluating vehicle speed, deployment of airbags, force of braking, and the use of seatbelts.”
· Related reference: Data Collection from Auto Black Boxes Raises Privacy Issues
Source: beSpacific - Accurate, focused law and technology news by Sabrina I. Pacifici
27 December 2004
Copyright ©2002-2004 BeSpacific LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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Gary posts: "Many new and improved features. Most notable? From the news release, "The new version of Opera also features voice technology. Opera is the first browser to prepare for a future of Web sites offering interactive, voice-enabled shopping and booking systems. You can also browse the Web using spoken commands, such as "Opera next link", "Opera back", or "Opera speak". The latter command will make Opera read Web page content and e-mail messages to you aloud, adding usability as either a screen reader or advanced dictionary. Fit-to-Window-Width will adapt Web page content to fit the width of your window, which means you can have multiple windows open with no horizontal scrolling. In combination with Opera's Zoom feature, you can dramatically magnify Web pages and still view them without having to scroll sideways -- a compelling accessibility tool for visually impaired users. This technology may also be applied to printing Web pages with Fit-to-Page-Width."
Download ||| Changelog ||| More On Voice Browsing
Source: The ResoruceShelf, 23 December 2004
From the e-newsletter: "Goebel Group, Inc. a leading integrator of search technology products and services...released the first comprehensive matrix detailing and comparing the status of technologies and other features of the industry's current and future Desktop Search applications... The matrix includes versions and searchable document types of the industries leading Desktop Search Applications..." (including AOL, Autonomy, Ask Jeeves, Blinkx, Copernic, DT Search, Google Desktop, ISYS:desktop, MSN Toolbar Suite and Yahoo Desktop).”
Source: beSpacific - Accurate, focused law and technology news by Sabrina I. Pacifici
27 December 2004
Copyright ©2002-2004 BeSpacific LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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Posted by Tom Mighell: “The folks at MSN Search want to hear about what you think about its new search engine, as well as its upcoming desktop search product. That's why they have set up the MSN Search Feedback Wiki, designed to let users make suggestions, ask questions, notify others about bugs, and other useful things.”
Source: Inter Alia, 28 December 2004
GRINCH BRIEF
John posts: “If you haven't seen this brief filed Monday in Dallas, you must go read it now. (via How Appealing. In case the link above gets broken, you can also read it here.)”
Source: The Legal Reader, 22 December 2004
From the e-newsletter: "The Legal Information Institute at Cornell University Law School is now offering free previews of high-provile Supreme Court cases before the are argued and ruled on. The previews are available without cost at http://supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/cert/ and by fahree e-mail subscription."
Source: ResearchBuzz #315
21 December 2004
Reproduced with permission of ResearchBuzz (http:// www.researchbuzz.com).
Copyright 2004 Tara Calishain. All rights reserved.
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In the news: “Lawyers wondering whether to videotape experts as a precaution should consider what just happened in Morris County, N.J. A plaintiff who claimed he lost $400,000 because an expert failed to show up and testify put his attorneys and the expert on trial for negligence. Though the professionals won, many of the judge's legal rulings in the case reinforce the principle that nonappearance can be negligence under the right circumstances.”
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Source: Law.Com's Daily Legal Newswire, 23 December 2004
Copyright 2004 ALM Properties, Inc. All rights reserved.
Posted by Jerry Lawson: “Dennis Kennedy reproduces Jeff Carr's comments from a Law Practice Today article about the "latent market for legal services":
I think quite frankly legal services have gotten too expensive in this country. Look at the rise of things like Nolo Press and Willmaker, software packages, that essentially permit people to do a lot of what would have been done by a lawyer on their own. Let’s face it, most legal work, about eighty percent of it, in any context, whether it’s your personal stuff, or whether it’s in a corporate world, is commodity type of practice. It’s really that only twenty percent are high value, high risk, bet the company, go to jail, lose your house matters. Those are the things that you really need the specialized service for. I think, in general, legal services have been priced out of the market for the general consumer.”
Source: eLawyer Blog, 26 December 2004
In the news: “Seems like 1999 all over again when you read today's Sarbanes-Oxley §404 stories. Public companies are now required to assess their internal controls and have the reports certified by their auditors -- and many may miss their deadlines. Is SOX 404 another Y2K? The realities of Sarbanes-Oxley implementation are just beginning to become apparent. Pay attention. This will affect investors, management and the average American.”
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Source: Law.Com's Daily Legal Newswire, 23 December 2004
Copyright 2004 ALM Properties, Inc. All rights reserved.
In the news: “There is no magic to finding mentors. Sometimes luck plays a part in developing mentoring relationships. Finding the right mentor can also take work and some initiative on your part. There's a rule for this article: Open your eyes and notice the mentors around you. And don't expect one person to give you all the answers.”
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Source: Law.Com's Daily Legal Newswire, 27 December 2004
Copyright 2004 ALM Properties, Inc. All rights reserved.
Posted by Tom Mighell: “Get an iPod for Christmas? It seems like a whole lotta people did. Check out The Incredible Edible iPod (Free Registration Required) for some ideas on what to do with your new toy.”
Source: Inter Alia, 27 December 2004
From the e-newsletter: “During the last few days of each year and the first few days of the new, when the normal press of events usually slows down a bit, those of us who use our PCs every day have a wonderful opportunity: We can use the slack time to perform a little simple PC maintenance in order to avoid some preventable PC headaches later on.
For example, hard drives have gotten so reliable that we tend to take their health for granted. But that can be dangerous, because we may miss the early warning signs of trouble. Instead, take a few minutes to check on your drive:
Open "My Computer." Right click on the C: drive, and select Properties/Tools, and then click "Check Now" in the "Error-checking status" dialog area.
In 2K/XP, a "Check Disk" dialog will open. In that dialog box, select "Automatically fix file system errors." Also select "Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors" if you have or can make the time for this more lengthy test; otherwise leave that box unchecked. Click the dialog box's own Start button to launch the disk check tests: You usually will then get a warning dialog telling you that Windows can't complete the tests until you reboot; and asking if you want to postpone the test until that time. Select "Yes." Repeat this process for any other disks or partitions you have in your PC; and when all have been scheduled for a disk check at reboot, manually restart your PC. One by one, Windows will then check each disk or partition to whatever level of thoroughness you selected, and will repair any correctable errors it finds.
In Win98/ME, when offered a choice of the type of test to run, select the "Thorough" test if you have or can make the time; otherwise select the "Standard" test. In either case, check the "Automatically fix errors" box. Windows will usually be able to complete the tests without a reboot. Repeat this process for any other disks or partitions you have in your PC. If necessary, you also can run the same tests from DOS in Win98: Restart your PC, hit F8 after the system beep, and select "Command Prompt Only." When the command line is available, type "scandisk /all /autofix/surface" (without the quotes) to thoroughly check and repair all drives in the system. Omit the "/surface" for a faster but less thorough check.
Newer drives also are equipped with "Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology," a.k.a. SMART reporting. There are many tools, some free, that let you access your drive's SMART data and see exactly how the drives are faring. More info, and software download links: "S.M.A.R.T"; "Free Drive Tester"; "Another S.M.A.R.T. Monitor, And More"
There's also plenty of general info on Google. The above is just for your hard drive, of course: There's lots more to your PC. To help guide you, I produced a list of the year-end maintenance steps I take on my PC, boiled it down, and presented it as a (free) InformationWeek.Com article. My list can serve as a general guide to get you pointed in the right direction; a jumping-off point you can use to get your PCs ready for safe, trouble-free computing in the coming year.
The full list, with links to tons of additional information (so you can explore any topic of interest in as much detail as you wish) is posted now (free!) at
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=55800698. Come check it out!”
Source: The LangaList Standard Edition
23 December 2004
Copyright (c) 2004 Fred Langa / Langa Consulting LLC. All worldwide rights reserved.
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Sabrina posts: “What’s Next for Google, by Charles H. Ferguson:
· "Google seeks to become the gatekeeper for not only the public Web but also the "dark" or hidden Web of private databases, dynamically generated pages, controlled-access sites, and Web servers within organizations (estimated to be tens or even hundreds of times larger than the public Web); the data on personal computer hard drives; and the data on consumer devices ranging from PDAs to cell phones to iPods to digital cameras to TiVo players."
Source: beSpacific - Accurate, focused law and technology news by Sabrina I. Pacifici
January 27, 2004
Copyright ©2002-2004 BeSpacific LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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From the e-newsletter: "The Official Kwanzaa Web Site" focuses on the philosophy of Dr. Maulana Karenga, the African-American professor who created the holiday in 1966. It describes in detail the African roots of the holiday, the seven principles, and the seven basic symbols. Includes a comprehensive guide for those celebrating Kwanzaa for the first time.”
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Source: LII Librarians' Index to the Internet
NEW THIS WEEK for 23 December 2004
Copyright 2004 by Librarians' Index to the Internet, LII.
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Genie posts: “This article from federal court newsletter, The Third Branch, explains how courts create lists of jurors. "Federal law requires new lists at least every four years, and nearly half of the 94 district courts have adopted the practice after each presidential election. About half the district courts refill their master jury wheels every two years, and a few update the lists every year."
I thought voter registration records supplied the list. As it turns out, courts select names from other sources as well. Moreover, there are systematic, as well as random, approaches to selecting names.”
Source: TVC Alert, The Virtual Chase
22 December 2004
(c) Copyright 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP. All rights reserved.
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From Dennis Kennedy: "What do you get when you bring together a select group of innovative, big-thinking people from the worlds of law, business, technology, marketing, and consulting for a full day and ask them to design the perfect professional service firm? We call it LexThink! Chicago.
Innovate. On April 3, 2005, we will turn the Catalyst Ranch space in downtown Chicago into laboratory space for a group of innovators and thought leaders. We'll create and test ideas for transforming the delivery of professional services, to better match the needs of professionals and their clients alike. With a full day of targeted presentations, small group discussions, collaborative brainstorming and other exercises, we will will mix innovative business practices with proven client service strategies and promising technology applications to create the formula for the perfect professional services firm. The focus of every conversation will be on turning talk into action, and bold ideas into realities.
Motivate. Attendees will take away dozens of practice-changing ideas while making many new friends. LexThink! Chicago will be a chance to meet in person bloggers, authors and speakers that have motivated and challenged us over the years. Spending a day with this group will generate renewed energy and enthusiasm and give you a new action list for making the changes you want in your practice, your business and your life.
Activate. In too many cases, the surge of enthusiasm from an inspirational conference drains away steadily as you return to the real world. LexThink! Chicago is designed to create extended relationships, with opportunities for structured feedback and continuing discussions, social support, and ongoing motivation to transform your practice. The collaborative experience will continue with ongoing discussion groups, monthly conference calls and other ways to connect with LexThink! alumni.
LexThink! Chicago is the brainchild of well-known lawyer bloggers Matthew Homann, Dennis Kennedy and Scheherazade Fowler, who have been thinking (and blogging) about ways to make meaningful changes in their professional practices. LexThink! Chicago grew out of one of their brainstorming sessions and their own “what if” questions.
To permit meaningful participation, to generate the best conversations, and to work within the limitations of the creative space we've reserved, participation in the first LexThink! Chicago will be by invitation-only. We’re limiting it to a select group of professional service providers—lawyers, accountants, consultants, strategists, coaches, technologists, marketers and entrepreneurs.
If you are interested -- or know someone who might be -- get in touch with us soon by e-mailing Matt Homann at homann@gmail.com. We will send out the invitations before the end of December, so make sure you let us know about your interest as soon as you can. We are seeking sponsors for LexThink! Chicago and expect to set the registration fee at less than $200 per attendee.
Many people always ask “Why?” There are also some who ask “Why not?” We’re the second kind. How about you?"
Source: DennisKennedy.com, 21 December 2004
Tom Mighell posts: “I have always argued that clicking on the "unsubscribe" link in an e-mail is helpful only with reputable vendors; that spammers who send out e-mails for watches and male enhancement aids have no interest in honoring an unsubscribe request, and in fact may sell your e-mail address to other spammers. A reporter for Salon decided to get the scoop himself -- and the results are very interesting. Check out Remove Me! -- if you're not a Salon subscriber, take the time to view the ad for the free daypass -- it's worth the read.”
Source: Inter Alia, 22 December 2004
From the e-newsletter: “Statistics gathered by anti-spam service Postini show that only 12% of e-mail messages sent during November were legitimate. "Viruses accounted for 1.3 percent of all e-mail.... Postini also saw an increase in directory harvest attacks (DHAs), an attempt by spammers to hijack and steal an enterprises entire e-mail directory and use it to send out junk e-mail attacking corporate e-mail servers."
RELATED, Spam in the Wild, The Sequel
Network World Fusion, 20 December 2004
(Reviews about 30 anti-spam products. Bottom line: "[I]f all you want is outstanding [software-based] spam control, the uncluttered approach of Cloudmark might be your best bet. On the appliance side, BorderWare was a pretty clear favorite.... If you are looking for a service, Postini gets top billing for the second year in a row.")
Source: TVC Alert, The Virtual Chase
22 December 2004
(c) Copyright 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP. All rights reserved.
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In the news: “When you buy your next business-class computer, you may be pleasantly surprised to find that you have options that don't involve running Microsoft Windows. Sure, alternatives have been around for a long time. What's momentous here is that our commentator, who's been hooked on PCs since 1981, is willing to admit that Apple hardware and the Linux operating system aren't just viable -- they may be preferable.”
Read full text
Source: Law.Com's Daily Legal Newswire, 22 December 2004
Copyright 2004 ALM Properties, Inc. All rights reserved.
Tom Mighell posts: “Well, that was quick. Yesterday morning the Internet was all abuzz about a flaw found in Google Desktop Search, that would apparently allow malicious sites to access a user's personal computer files. By the afternoon, that hole was fixed.
I think it's great that Google is so responsive to these issues. Still, this illustrates my reservation about the Google product in general, and perhaps even the MSN and Ask Jeeves products -- when you conduct a search, you receive a blend of results, both from the Internet and your computer. If there's a security hole in the search program (or in Internet Explorer, if you're using it), you run the risk of exposing your personal computer files to someone on the Internet.
With the Copernic and X1 searches, this isn't a problem -- they only search the contents of your computer. Of course, you're losing the functionality of being able to search the Internet at the same time. But that's a loss I'm willing to face, I think.”
Source: Inter Alia, 21 December 2004
Sabrina posted a good site for your firm's website: "Just in time for what is already a cold winter in many parts of the country, the Department of Energy launched a new website, Energy Saving Tips that includes information on: where to shop for energy efficient appliances and low-priced gas in your area, vehicle fuel efficiency data, as well on rebates and tax incentives for energy conservation. In addition, take a look at this associated webpage, EnergyHog.org, whose graphics alone make a visit worthwhile."
Source: beSpacific - Accurate, focused law and technology news by Sabrina I. Pacifici
21 December 2004
Copyright ©2002-2004 BeSpacific LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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In the news: “This year's holiday office festivities will soon be a fading memory -- unless they live on in the form of lawsuits over sexual harassment, post-event drunken driving or other unfortunate incidents. Mindful of the potential legal downside to such occasions, labor and employment attorneys often double as party planners, advising clients on how to have liability-free celebrations. A little foresight can keep that office daiquiri from turning into the stuff of depositions.”
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Source: Law.Com's Daily Legal Newswire, 21 December 2004
Copyright 2004 ALM Properties, Inc. All rights reserved.
Be a more informed holiday shopper
Tom Mighell posts: “The Google shopping site Froogle has added a cool new feature just in time for the holiday -- some of the products listed also have product reviews from other websites, like Bizrate.com, Circuit City, and CNet. Now you can learn more about the products before you take the plunge.”
Source: Inter Alia, 20 December 2004
Koz blogs: “Thanks to some colleagues at the Ohio Legal Research Blog, a new resource, the Ohio Legal Gateway, was reviewed. The review was not exactly positive, and I agree with their assessment of the site. I tried to access various Ohio resources and was unsuccessful most of the time. The contact information for the site was simply an e-mail form sent to an address with no identifying information associated with it. I think the reason behind this site is advertising and client development, but that might just be an assumption on my part without any information as to the identity or identities of the creator(s) of the site. Stay tuned for further information on the Ohio Legal Gateway as it becomes available.”
Source: Ohio Law, 20 December 2004
From the blog: “Robert J. Ambrogi highlights 13 websites, launched this past year, that merit your review, including an online legal bookstore, an e-discovery resource, a new meta-search engine, and a collection of historical documents on the civil rights movement.”
Source: beSpacific - Accurate, focused law and technology news by Sabrina I. Pacifici
20 December 2004
Copyright ©2002-2004 BeSpacific LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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In the news: “At the recent trial of double murderer Scott Peterson, a savvy TV news reporter used the courthouse wireless network to bend, but not break, the media rules set by the presiding judge. The reporter caused a stir by supplying a live text account of the proceedings. The court's executive officer said the incident illustrated just how much court administrators don't understand of the dangers associated with the wireless networks they're embracing.”
Read full text
Source: Law.Com's Daily Legal Newswire, 21 2004
Copyright 2004 ALM Properties, Inc. All rights reserved.
RSS: Mealey Publications
Genie posts: “LexisNexis Mealey Publications offers top stories via XML-based news feed. I'm not sure how long the service has been available because the date on the announcement is automatically generated. The feed reproduces the same content available for free from the publisher -- headline and summary text with a link to the referenced full-text materials available to paid subscribers.”
Source:TVC Alert, The Virtual Chase
21 December 2004
(c) Copyright 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP. All rights reserved.
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RSS for Law
From the e-newsletter: RSS in Government: “Librarian Ray Matthews manages this Weblog devoted to informing about develops in government use of XML-based news feed. In addition to noting new feeds, Matthews provides numerous subject categories for monitoring additions to the Weblog. He also highlights certain state, federal and Canadian, as well as feeds by various foreign governments. (et)”
Source: TVC Alert, 20 December 2004
Feeding a News Junkie's Habit
Genie posts: “Lawyer X talks about XML-based news feeds. He explains what they are and how to display them. He also suggests sources for finding feeds and creating keyword-based feeds. This article first appeared in the August/September 2004 issue of Law Office Computing. It has been updated to reflect changes since the original publication.”
Source: TVC Alert, 20 December 2004
Tom Mighell posts: “Well, not really. But the 2004 List of Banished Words is fun to read. I agree that words like "metrosexual," "bling," and "punked" are woefully overused, but "companion animals?" It sure doesn't get used that much around here.”
Source: Inter Alia, 21 December 2004
Thank you to David A. Giacalone of haikuEsq for the lovely haiku dedication:
"for Nancy Stinson at StarkCountyLawLib
paying no mind
to the year's last day...
a floating bird, asleep
Kobayashi Issa, translated by David G. Lanoue"
P.S. Have we met? You really selected an apt poem for me!!
Langa Letter: Year-End PC Tasks
"A little simple maintenance now can help prevent many headaches next year, Fred Langa says."
Source: The LangaList Standard Edition
20 December 2004
Copyright (c) 2004 Fred Langa / Langa Consulting LLC. All worldwide rights reserved.
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"What Is Conservatism?"
From the e-newsletter: “Former counsel to the president John Dean asks this provocative question: What, if anything, do all the varieties of conservatism -- from economic, to religious, to social, to libertarian, to neo-, to traditional, to paleo- -- have in common? Dean contends that it is hard to find the core of conservativism -- except insofar as it consists of antipathy to liberalism.”
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Source: FindLaw's WRIT Legal Commentary
17 December 2004
Copyright (c) 2004 FindLaw, Inc. All rights reserved
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Jeff Beard posts: "PC World has a great article for those of us considering going VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), "Is an Internet Phone Right for You?" Many folks are looking at their monthly broadband, landline, and cell phone bills, and searching for ways to pare them down without losing functionality.
VoIP is an option, but there are some notable differences and trade-offs to address. VoIP may or may not be a good choice depending on your overall data and voice needs, and ability to do disaster planning. For example, landlines still work when the electrical power is out. If you need a backup Internet connection when your cable goes out, dial-up will still work.
However, as the article points out, you can still have VoIP functionality if you purchase an UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply, and not Universal Power Supply per the article) to power the broadband modem, VoIP telephone adapter, and I'll add, your network router. Note that sooner or later, the UPS battery supply will run down. Same problem with using a cell phone. (I'm not willing to drain my laptop's battery to charge the cell during a power outage, nor do I want to run my car to charge it either.) But over the long run, VoIP can provide some interesting cost savings, and so I remain intrigued by it.
Here's a tip of my own: If you go VoIP, make sure your network router (wired or wireless) has a QoS or Quality of Service feature. Multiple transmissions can occur on your network (e.g., downloading a multimedia stream on your PC while someone else is using the VoIP phone). When that happens, QoS automatically enables your router to grant higher bandwidth priority to the VoIP phone, so it doesn't stutter or cut out. Some routers, like Linksys, have recently added QoS features to their new and existing routers via a simple firmware upgrade. So if your router doesn't support QoS, visit the manufacturer's web site to see if it's been added since you bought it.
Having more choices is a good thing, as long as you know what you're getting yourself into. In this regard, PC World has done a great job of answering many of these questions in nearly plain English, and they list nine major VoIP service providers to save you some Googling. I haven't let go of my home landline yet, but I've been tempted greatly this year. It's a heck of a wake-up call for the traditional phone companies (pardon the pun).
[Thanks to Sabrina for the link.]”
Source: LawTech Guru by Jeff Beard, 17 December 2004
Posted by Jerry Lawson: “J. Craig Williams' excellent December 2004 Law Technology News article How To Build A Blog is reprinted at his blog, May It Please the Court.”
Source: NETLAW BLOG: Internet Tools for Lawyers, 18 December 2004
In the news: “The explosive growth of blogs in 2004 overshadowed the arrival of certain other law-related Web sites -- including some stellar resources. Robert J. Ambrogi, author of the revised and expanded second edition of "The Essential Guide to the Best (and Worst) Legal Sites on the Web," takes you on a tour.”
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Source: Source: Law.Com's Daily Legal Newswire, 20 December 2004
Copyright 2004 ALM Properties, Inc. All rights reserved.
Legal Database on Child Abduction Cases
From the e-newsletter: “This site is part of the Hague Conference on Private International Law, and it deals with the thousands of children who are the victims of international parental abduction each year. Registration is required to use the database, but it's free. That's basically all you'll find here -- a database of reported decisions, with lots of fields to choose from when searching for information.
Learn the Internet!
Okay, maybe this isn't a legal research site, but it's the holidays, so we're going a bit off-track here. This site from AARP is a good place for anyone who gets a new computer for the holidays and wants to learn more about surfing the Internet -- especially senior citizens. The tutorials are very basic and easy to understand. There's even an e-mail newsletter available with helpful hints and tips on using the Internet.”
Source: INTERNET LEGAL RESEARCH WEEKLY
Volume 5, Issue 36, December 19, 2004
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Carolyn Elefant posts: “If you're dreaming of a solo practice, get busy making it happen! That's the crux of my latest Small Firm Business column entitled Make 2005 the Year You Start Your Firm. (by the way, my last two pieces have been heavily edited. Not sure whether I like the changes or not - so let me know what you think)”
Source: MyShingle, 19 December 2004
Genie posts: “The Federal Trade Commission and Justice Department oppose a proposal by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court to redefine the "practice of law." According to the agencies, the proposal could prevent professionals, such as real estate agents or self-help legal publishers, from providing services in competition with lawyers. Real estate agents, for example, would not be able to explain smoke detector or lead paint laws, and self-help legal publishers would not be able to sell software to help consumers prepare wills.”
Source: TVC Alert, The Virtual Chase
17 December 2004
(c) Copyright 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP. All rights reserved.
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In the news: “Formerly tethered to firms' PCs and networks, attorneys are everywhere now, on and off network, working away and wondering why their computer is slowing down, refusing to open programs or shutting off by itself -- all symptoms of malware infection of one sort or another. Lawyers, use our primer to learn how to keep your computer -- and your firm's network -- safe from online threats.”
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Source: Law.Com's Daily Legal Newswire, 17 December 2004
Copyright 2004 ALM Properties, Inc. All rights reserved.
From the e-newsletter: “You have to love a law firm that uses a glowering watchdog with a spike collar for its logo and invites new clients to call them at 800-PIT-BULL. There's none of that mincing pinstripe delicacy to the Fort Lauderdale personal injury firm of Pape & Chandler. This is bare-knuckles legal representation. The firm, which specializes in injuries to motorcycle riders, claims to protect its clients' interests with "tenacity, determination, and aggressiveness." Like a pit bull guarding its owner. That's a good thing, right?”