Tax Filing Day is next week

I hate to mention this on a Friday, but just in case you need that last minute tax form, remember you can find most of them on the web. For Federal Forms and Publications, go to the IRS web site. You will find just about any form you need and the publications are good sources of explanation for how to fill out those forms.

For state filing, go to State Tax Forms and click on the state you need.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Sunshine in Government Initiative

According to its Web site, the Sunshine in Government Initiative is “a coalition of media groups committed to promoting policies that ensure the government is accessible, accountable and open”. In addition to a brief history of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the site offers FOIA statistics, a study on FOIA litigation from 1999 to 2004, and FOIA-related Congressional testimony.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

National Poetry Month

April is National Poetry month and Poets.org (from the Academy of American Poets) is celebrating by offering a Poem-A-Day . For the month of April, Poets.org will send a new poem into your e-mail inbox. Or, you can take a break from your studies and read the poems in the Poem a Day archive.

Throughout the year, Poets.org can help you find poems for every occasion. Why not take a look at poems for graduation.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Criminal Law Resources: Fingerprint Evidence Challenges

Fingerprint analysis has been around since the 19th Century and we assume that if the police can get fingerprints, they are good identification. Actually the science is not is not as accurate as assumed and professionals have been debating the reliability and admissibility of fingerprint evidence for a number of years. This guide - Criminal Law Resources: Fingerprint Evidence Challenges - gives a good overview of the discussion. It also provides links to the government agencies and study groups that developed standards for fingerprint collection and analysis. These groups have also reviewed issues concerning its reliability.


Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Evening Research Skills Workshop

As requested and promised, tonight we will repeat the Top 10 Research Skills workshop, “Strategic Searching”. This was rescheduled from last week and will be held in Room 206 at 5:10-6pm.

In this workshop you will learn tips for mapping out a research strategy. A few minutes advanced planning can save you hours of research. Find out some of the questions you should be thinking about before you sit down to research.




Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Legal Blogger Sued for Defamation

For any other bloggers and those thinking about blogging, this story about the Patent Troll Tracker blog (currently off-line) may be instructive. This particular blogger is an in-house lawyer with Cisco, which is often a party in patent cases. He blogged anonymously about patent law, and in one post he seemed to allege an instance of improper conduct by two attorneys and some judicial clerks in a case which involved Cisco. The blogger's identity was subsequently revealed and he and Cisco are now being sued for defamation. This is a reminder that online anonymity cannot be counted on, so bloggers should write accordingly.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Fact about Place

As attorneys, you must apply the law to the facts. At times, you first must uncover those facts. Legal issues frequently arise in a particular place and you frequently need facts about those places. One good resource for facts about places is Dataplace.org .

Dataplace.org provides access to data at geographic scales ranging from the neighborhood to the nation. The site currently contains data from the 1990 and 2000 Censuses (demographic, economic, housing, and social characteristics), Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (home mortgage applications and loans), Section 8 Expiring Use database (neighborhood- and property-level data on federally assisted housing at risk of loss), and Consolidated Plan special tabulations (data on housing needs by household income level).

Dataplace.org also provides mapping tools and area profiles .



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Thursday evening Reference

The Reference librarian scheduled to be at the Reference desk has been called away to care for an ailing parent. Consequently, there will not be a Reference librarian available tonight after 5pm for your questions. The Reference librarians will be back bright and early tomorrow morning.

I am sending a purr to speed the recovery of our librarian's parent. Cats are known to promote better health. See last month's article in U.S. News and World Report -

Cats Help Shield Owners From Heart Attack

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Slashdot

If you are interested in law and technology, take a look at Slashdot.org-- the leading place to find "news for nerds". Although much of Slashdot deals with highly technical and scientific issues, it often features legal news in its Your Rights Online section. Recent "Your Rights Online" posts have reported on the RIAA vs. the University of Maine law clinic, open source and patents, and subpoenas requesting text messages.




Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Strategic Searching: Legal Research as Process

A comment frequently heard from law firm librarians is that young associates just jump onto Lexis or Westlaw and run searches as if they were Google. Hmmm, they are not Google nor are Lexis/Westlaw necessarily the best places to start research. All depends on what one is doing and what one has available. So, what to do? For a start attend:

Strategic Search Process - Monday, April 7, 5:10-6pm in Room 206

Need help mapping out a research strategy? A few minutes advanced planning can save you hours of research. Find out some of the questions you should be thinking about before you sit down to research.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat