INTERNET LEGAL RESEARCH WEEKLY
September 22, 2002
Tom
Mighell
Welcome to Issue #83 of the Internet Legal Research Weekly, a newsletter that delivers relevant and timely legal research information, and other fun stuff, to your inbox every Sunday. If you like what you read, please forward this newsletter to anyone you think might be interested, and encourage him or her to do the same! To subscribe, all you have to do is send an e-mail to ilrw-subscribe@topica.com. It’s free!
Have you visited Inter Alia yet? If you haven’t, drop by – I try to update it every day with new and interesting information on the Internet, legal research, and other things. Plus, there are some items on the website that won’t make it into the newsletter each week. The HTML version of this newsletter is also available there.
No article this week – just a big ole grab bag o’fun for you. And I will be in Colorado next weekend at the Solo and Small Firm Conference, speaking on “Eight Highly Effective Habits of Internet Legal Research.” You can learn more about the conference at the Colorado Bar Association. I’ll post on Inter Alia when I can – see you October 6!
And away we go…..
News Update
The Eternal Fight Continues
With use of the Internet at work on the increase, employers are trying to find a way to limit their employees’ surfing activities during the day. At the same time, software companies are devising new ways for workers to hide their surf habits from their bosses.Which Way is Left?
This article from Wired Magazine reports on an issue that has always bothered me – how MapQuest frequently gets its directions completely wrong.
Deep Linking to Your Ancestors? Forget It
Another interesting twist in the never-ending deep linking controversy. Now EllisIsland.org is prohibiting people searching for long-lost relatives from using a program to search its database.Meta-Search, Anyone?
Chris Sherman, author of the excellent SearchDay, provides a 4-part series this week on meta-search tools. Go to the SearchDay Archives and look at issues for September 16 through 19.States Make Strides in Providing Online Information
Two stories this week on Internet-based state information. First, Iowa residents can now pay their property taxes online. The second story discusses a new project where lawyers in Texas will soon be able to file court papers electronically.Help Desk
A quick tip this week. Do you know everything that’s on your computer? If you’re like me, you might forget about those odd little programs you download and install just to try out, Belarc Advisor can remind you what’s on your hard drive. Once you download and install it, the Advisor will give you a detailed audit of all the software and hardware you have installed on your computer.
Do you have a question about searching the Internet or your computer in general? Drop me a line at tom(at)inter-alia(dot)net – I’ll post your question (don’t worry, I won’t use your real name) and try to get an answer for you!
Legally Relevant – Sites on the InternetArea-Code Info
Who knew there was so much going on in the Area Code world? Not me. This site is somewhat difficult to figure out, but the content is undeniably useful. You can find just about ANY information you need on area codes and telcos here; this is apparently a new website, because not all of the data has been transferred from an older database. Don’t worry, it’s all accessible. In addition to basic area code information (maps, news, directories, and more), there are links to state, local, and international regulatory agencies, info on future area code planning, and even some fun stuff.Medical and Public Health Law Site
Hosted by Professor Edwin Richards, Director of the Program in Law, Medicine and Bioscience at LSU Law School, this is a very simple site with a ton of great information. The Biotechnology and Public Health Law Projects seem to be the focus of this site, with introductory information, regulations, cases, briefs, and other useful materials. There are also links to legal topics related to biotech and health law, as well as a resource page for health law teachers. New to the site are terrorism and bioterrorism resources, with a number of interesting resources on the topic.IRS News
This page really doesn’t offer “news,” but rather “Information Letters,” which contain answers to tax questions posed by taxpayers or congresspersons. The letters are listed in chronological order, with the most recent first, the last available date in 2000. Just pick a topic and download the PDF file. Another useful place to find tax information.Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society
RAPS describes itself as “the foremost international professional society representing the healthcare Regulatory Affairs profession and individual professionals worldwide. The RA profession is vital in the process of developing and introducing safe and effective health products worldwide including medical devices, pharmaceuticals, biologics and biotechnology, cosmetics, veterinary products and nutritional supplements.” Most of the information here is available only to RAPS members, but areas of the site are available to non-members as well. Check out the News section for recent regulatory affairs headlines, and conduct research (a $70 subscription fee) in the Knowledge Center.Stanford Securities Class Action Clearinghouse
What a terrific website. There’s just so much information here I don’t know where to start. Simply put, the Clearinghouse provides detailed information relating to the prosecution, defense, and settlement of federal class action securities fraud litigation. You can also sign up to receive updates when companies are named as defendants in a securities class action lawsuit. Explore original documents and filing for over 650 cases, news, press releases, settlement information, articles and papers, local rules, and much, much more. If you’re involved in securities law, you probably already know about this site – make it a permanent part of your Favorites folder.LegalWeek
The online presence of a British publication, LegalWeek describes itself as “essential reading for business lawyers.” Get the latest (updated daily, it looks like) news, both UK and International, Opinion, IT headlines, and information on Management, Legal Developments, and Deals of the Week. You can sign up to be alerted by e-mail of breaking news or new issues of LegalWeek. Also offered are Legal IT, Legal Director, Legal Week Global, and Legal Student. I know I have some British subscribers – is this periodical a good resource?Americans for Fair Electronic Commerce Transactions
Talk about a group involved in a narrow area of law. This group (AFFECT, if you didn’t notice) is a broad-based national coalition of consumers, retail and manufacturing businesses, insurers, technology professionals and librarians opposed to the Uniform Computer Information Transaction Act (UCITA). UCITA is a proposed contract law designed to standardize the licensing of software and other types of digital information. Learn what’s wrong with UCITA by visiting the site – there are lots of good resources describing the legislation and why this group opposes it.Trademark Applications and Registrations Retrieval
Speaking of websites with a narrow focus, TARR (lots of acronyms today, huh?) is part of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, its sole function to allow you to check the status of pending or registered trademarks. Just enter the serial number or registration number of the trademark, and voila! You’re in.American Society of Trial Consultants
Every now and then trial lawyers need the services of a trial consultant, to help them with an interesting or complicated case. If you need one, this site is a good place to find one in your area. The main feature of this site is the Consultant Locator, where you can search by name, company name, or location. Since there are over 400 members of the Society, you’re sure to find one in your area. And if you’re in the Dallas area, you’ll be glad to know that even though he now has his own talk show, Dr. Phil (McGraw) is still listed in the ASTC Directory.Chemistry.org
Every now and then I find a website that I can’t even begin to explain – this is one of them, mostly because I hated (and never understood) chemistry in high school. But if you need information about chemicals and the like, there’s no more professional place to go. This site is sponsored by the American Chemical Society, and it’s broken down into areas for Professionals, Members, Educators and Students, Policy Makers, and Enthusiasts. The Enthusiast section is extremely user-friendly, with information on chemistry in the news, “chemistry around you,” and resources to learn more about chemistry. If you’re brave enough to venture into the more advanced areas, have at it. There’s a browseable menu of categories, or you can search the website by keyword.Now that chemistry class is over, let’s have some fun. First, we can drive Paul Mathis crazy – he has hooked up all the lights, stereos, and other electrical appliances in his house to the Internet, and invites you to drive him insane by turning things on or off at will. You can make him listen to whatever music you choose, and I imagine turn the lights on while he’s sleeping. A graph displays just HOW insane he currently is.
….and in war news, President Bush, vowing to "exact justice for the taking of innocent American lives," has deployed more than 14,000 ground troops to the West Nile.
If you feel like playing a game, head on over to Mad Shark and chomp on some fish (and some divers). Warning: not for the faint of heart.
Well, that’s it for Issue #83 – I hope you liked it! If you did, pass this along to anyone you think might be interested, and encourage him or her to subscribe. Also, feel free to drop me an e-mail any time if you have questions, or if you have websites or other topics you want included in a future issue.
Tom Mighell
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