INTERNET LEGAL RESEARCH WEEKLY
March 2, 2003
Tom MighellWelcome to Issue #103 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 visit Inter Alia and fill out the subscription form -- it's free!
And away we go…..
News Update
A non-fat, decaf latte and DSL connection, please
SearchDay discusses Cybercafe search engines, for when you really, really need Internet access while on vacation.The Overture power play, Part II
Last week I mentioned web advertising giant Overture's purchase of search engine AltaVista. Apparently one search engine was not enough. This week, Overture is purchasing search services from FAST Search, which runs the terrific AllTheWeb search engine. Overture now owns two of the better search resources on the Internet -- big news indeed. SearchDay also has more on the acquisition.Only 44 days left!
Still procrastinating on filing your taxes? Maybe an online tax preparation service can help. PC World reviews such sites as TurboTax for the Web, H&R Block's Online Tax Preparation, and TaxAct Online.Find streaming audio and video
SearchDay introduces us to SingingFish, a search engine that finds streaming audio and video on the Internet. The site already indexes about 30 million audio and video clips, with over 100,000 added weekly.Blawgs of the Week
Robert Vonada of the Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers' Compensation has been writing the Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Blawg since December, providing an online journal of developments and web links related to...you guessed it, Pennsylvania workers' compensation practice and procedure. Issue specific sites like this are the way weblogs ought to be going -- this site should be a great resource to workers' comp lawyers in that state.Another single-issue blawg is FourthAmendment.com, from criminal defense lawyer John Wesley Hall. Franchise and Biz Op Information is offered by the Toronto law firm of Webster Bhathal, LLP. There are actually three blogs here -- Business Opportunity News, Franchise News, and The Psychology of Fraud. Two-day-old blogger Unlearned Hand is a 1L at UVA Law School, with a nice mix of politics, military, and law prom news. And the Workplace Fairness blog is part of a larger site providing information, education and assistance to individual workers and their advocates nationwide and promotes public policies that advance employee rights. Some good employment law information here.
ABA Techshow is coming -- are you going?
ABA TECHSHOW, the only technology conference developed by and for lawyers and legal professionals, is just around the corner. The conference will take place in Chicago April 3 through April 5, and the offerings are tremendous. I am fortunate to be speaking there, where I'll be giving two presentations on April 3. The first is "E-Mail Triage: Taking Back Your Inbox," which I'll be presenting with Guy Alvarez of the Business Development Institute. Later in the day, Sabrina Pacifici and I will present "Online Communities: From Bulletin Boards to Blogs." If you're planning on attending, let me know -- I'd love to meet you!
Medblogs
I talk a lot about law-related weblogs, or blawgs, in this newsletter. I also talk a lot about medical websites, because medical information is often important to the legal researcher. One potentially overlooked resource for medical information is the medicine or science-related weblog. There are far fewer of these than those kept by lawyers -- maybe doctors are busier than lawyers. This week I'll take a look at some of them -- most of them, actually -- to see if they can serve a useful purpose for your medico-legal research.
First, some brief reminders; a weblog is similar to an online journal, with daily or other periodic entries on subjects of interest to the person keeping the weblog, or "blogger." Because the weblogs are frequently updated, you're likely to find recent news or information on these sites. Also, although these websites are all maintained by individuals with advanced degrees, always exercise caution when using health-related information you find on the Internet.
Let's start with probably the most well-known of these weblogs, Lagniappe. Derek Lowe is a medicinal chemist who writes on "science, business, and culture." His recent posts have included a number of comments on Vaxgen, the HIV drug, but he also discusses RNA, Baycol, Novartis, microwaves, and others. Derek also has useful links to other weblogs, as well as a listing of interesting books on medical and scientific subjects. CharlesMurtaugh also writes on scientific issues, as well as the Iraq conflict.
Many of the medical weblogs are maintained by practicing physicians. The medpundit provides commentary on medical issues; one item of recent interest concerns AquaPharm, which claims to have found an antibiotic that works on super-resistant bacteria. At DB's MedRants, an academic general internist comments on medical issues and the current state of medicine -- he writes (and rants) a lot about the pharmaceutical industry, fitness and weight loss, and medical advances.
Although the blog name Kill as Few Patients As Possible may not be very comforting, Dr. Bradley offers some interesting posts. Like many bloggers, he also posts a lot of personal information, but also some good medical news and opinions. For those interested in medical policy, check out the Bloviator. And Family Medicine Notes offers "occasional notes from a family physician." Finally, RangelMD is maintained by a physician practicing as a hospitalist in Texas writing about internal medicine, politics, general topics of interest, and "his hatred of trial lawyers." Well, we can learn something from everyone, even if he DOES hate some of us.
One last site, and then I'm done. MedJournal is not strictly a weblog, but it does post daily links to new medical journal articles. Parts of the site are designed for discussion on various issues; it doesn't look like there are any comments yet, however. Of all the sites mentioned, MedJournal probably has the most substantive information.
Are you aware of any medical or science weblogs worth mentioning? Drop me a line and I'll check them out!
Help Desk
Last week we took a look at the *minimum* requirements you'll need to build a computer for basic productivity. What if you're interested in watching or making movies and music on your PC? Here's the type of system you'll need -- remember, you're always free to upgrade if the price is right:
- Midrange processor such as 2-GHz Pentium 4/1.8-GHz Athlon XP 2200+
- At least 80GB hard drive for massive files
- 15 or 17-inch LCD monitor
- Midrange graphics card, such as an NVidia GEForce4 MX 420
- Sound card that supports surround sound
- Dolby 5.1 surround-sound speakers and subwoofer
- At least 40X/12X/40X CD-RW drive
- At least 12X DVD-ROM drive
Do you have a question about searching the Internet or your computer in general? Drop me an e-mail– 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 Internet
Labor Contracts Database
Berkeley's Institute of Industrial Relations provides a contracts database, which aims to serve as a "one-stop public online clearinghouse for catalogued and digitized complete text of union contracts." You can browse the contracts by state, union name, or industry represented. The rest of the IIR site is pretty cool, too.Directory of States
Massachusetts lawyer Frank Kautz provides this helpful set of links to state information. On this page you'll find links to each state's homepage, state court homepage, state statutes, state bar association, state consumer protection, and a list of communities within each state. A handy page if you need to research other states.Website for Legal Advisors on Sex Discrimination and Equal Pay
I don't review enough sites for my British readers, so here's one. This site is produced by the Equal Opportunities Commission, and covers only employment-related sex discrimination. You can select from several sub-topics, including sexual harassment, equal pay, recruitment and selection, maternity and parental rights, and family friendly hours. There are also links to legislation, case summaries, forms, a glossary, and more.globalEDGE
A product of Michigan State University, globalEDGE promotes itself as "a global business knowledge web-portal that connects international business professionals worldwide to a wealth of information, insights, and learning resources on global business activities." The Resource Desk provides "country insights" on more than 190 countries, with information on each country's statistics, history, economy, and government, as well as "Global Resources" with research, news and periodicals, reference, academic papers, and a lot more. There's a community forum where people can discuss international business issues, and the Knowledge Room offers new articles and reports.Big Class Action
This site appears to be a clearinghouse for class action plaintiffs; just click on one of the topics to determine whether you have a claim. If you do, you'll be given instructions on how to get in touch with the attorneys handling the particular case. Choose from such categories as Automotive, Civil Rights, Consumer Goods, Fraud, Genetic Engineering, Human Rights, Pharmaceutical, and many more. If you don't see a class action lawsuit that fits your "injustice," you can send a message to the site, and they'll forward it to lawyers who might be interested in your claim. You can even register to be notified of new class action lawsuits by e-mail. The site also includes historical information on class actions that have been settled. I assume this site passes muster for ethics violations -- it demonstrates how the Internet makes it possible to put claimants and attorneys together in such a convenient way.
Now some fun and useful links for you this week:
Doing his part for homeland security-- a Lubbock, Texas judge quieted a criminal defendant by ordering his mouth sealed shut with duct tape. How many lawyers out there have wanted to do that? Talk about gag orders....
I'm intrigued by 20 Questions. Just think up any item (no proper names, places, or products, please) -- after 20 questions the site guesses what you're thinking. I've tried it twice, and I was amazed how it got to the right answers. Give it a try.
Watch "A Work in Progress," a cool short film from the folks at Industrial Light
and Magic. You'll need the Quicktime player to view it.Headed out of the country? Make sure you check this page from the Centers for Disease Control on Traveler's Health Issues. Choose the region where you'll be traveling and you'll get a complete list of the vaccines you'll need, the diseases you might encounter, and helpful tips for your trip.
Well, that’s it for Issue #103 – 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
Subscription Information: If you want to keep on receiving issues of the Internet Legal Research Weekly, send me an e-mail, or visit Inter Alia and sign up there! If you no longer want to receive the newsletter, just click on the link at the bottom of this newsletter. Or, send me an e-mail and I'll remove you from the list.
Archives: Miss an issue? You can read previous issues of the Internet Legal Research Weekly in the Archives.
Questions? New websites? Just want to talk? Send me an e-mail.