News stories:
Oregonlive 4/29/08, story, by Ashbel S. Green, Suit filed to throw out law meant to shield kids:
Excerpt “A group of book stores, health groups and civil liberties advocates has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to overturn an Oregon law aimed at keeping sexually explicit materials from children.
Many changes have been made to Oregon’s paternity laws. For information about these changes, see:
Oregon State Bar (OSB), Family Law Newsletter, April 2008 (vol. 27, #2) (not online, except to members – but available at some public law libraries). “The 2007 Amendments to Oregon Paternity Law,” by Leslie J. Harris, J.D.
The same author of the above has also written this article, which is available online to anyone, abstract and full text:
A couple of posts (on this copyright dispute) worth reading, from Law, Technology and Legal Marketing Blog, Cease, Desist & Resist – Oregon’s Copyright Claim on the Oregon Revised Statutes and from Tim Stanley, Oregon Claims Copyright on Oregon Revised Statutes, at Fairly Used.
(Thank you to Mary at the Library Law blog for the latter link; the former I found through a Justia Blawg Search.)
From the The Times Online, 4/22/08: The new library fad: borrow a person: A new library allows readers to borrow people for a 30-minute chat. Here’s the experience of one man who offered himself as a human book
“The idea, which comes from Scandinavia, is simple: instead of books, readers can come to the library and borrow a person for a 30-minute chat. The human “books” on offer vary from event to event but always include a healthy cross-section of stereotypes. Last weekend, the small but richly diverse list included Police Officer, Vegan, Male Nanny and Lifelong Activist as well as Person with Mental Health Difficulties and Young Person Excluded from School. I was there as Gay Man…” (read full article).
I’m not sure how this “librarian borrowing” is different from asking for a 30-minute appointment with a particular librarian to discuss a particular subject, which is done in acadmic and special libraries all the time, but this adaptation for public libraries sounds like a lot of fun.
We had a request for something called the “Oregon State Bar Survey of Prevailing Hourly Rates.” I drew a blank until finding this gem:
Oregon State Bar 2007 Economic Survey
Here are more OSB Survey and Research reports.
Despite the barrage of radio, TV, and newspaper stories telling you it’s all over, but the cage match, Oregonians still HAVE A RIGHT TO HAVE OUR VOTES COUNTED IN THE PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY, so don’t let anyone take that away from you. But you have to register first:
You have until 5 p.m., Tuesday, April 29th, 2008, to register to vote or switch parties.
Visit the Oregon Elections Division Voter Registration website for details.
If you drive in Portland, you need to know about the Bike Boxes and the Law:
From the Portland Online website:
“The bike box is an intersection safety design to prevent bicycle/car collisions, especially those between drivers turning right and bicyclists going straight. It is a green box on the road with a white bicycle symbol inside. It includes green bicycle lanes approaching and leading from the box…” (link to full page).
Legal News Line, 4/23/2008, story: Blogger turns attorney, defeats trial lawyer’s subpoena, by John O’Brien:
“When blogger and admitted information-hoarder Kathleen Seidel received a subpoena asking for nearly every piece of data associated with her website, she had two choices — get mad or get an attorney.
Trial lawyer Clifford Shoemaker of Virginia requested in March, among other things, “documents pertaining to the setup, financing, running, research and maintaining” of her site, which frequently links to articles and features blogs pertaining to Shoemaker’s main litigation area.
Excerpt from the Oregon Blue Book:
“In 1902, the Oregon electorate overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure that created the initiative and referendum, a system of direct legislation by the people. In 1904, the electorate enacted the direct primary and, in 1908, the State Constitution was amended to include recall of public officials. These victories were the culmination of efforts by the Direct Legislation League, a group of political activists that progressive leader William S. U’Ren founded in 1898.
The initiative and referendum became known nationally as the “Oregon System,” and adoption of these popular legislative tools put Oregon in the vanguard of progressive and enlightened politics, allowing the people to propose new laws or change the State Constitution through a general election ballot measure….” (continue reading Blue Book entry)
Oregon Legal Research Blog