You have to love law librarians and others who go where others fear to tread (e.g. the journalist who forced open some MP (Member of Parliament) records about their taxpayer funded expenditures).
Mary Whisner, at the Gallagher Law Library, University of Washington, has posted a link to her article about the Law Behind the Mattress Tags (101 Law Libr. J. 235 (2009)).
(The Law Library Journal archives can also be found at the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) website.)
Have you seen the Portland Upside newspaper yet? It’s not just “good” news; it’s interesting, fun, and inspiring news (and it’s online for those who can’t find a print copy). The cover story of the first issue is about a group of unemployed people who are doing productive work to keep themselves in the loop, sane, happy, and strong, physically and mentally. No “too big to fail” taxpayer bailouts for them!
Lots of other stories for those who wonder why The News can’t be more upbeat.
Have a great weekend!
We meet a lot of people who want to start a business but don’t know where to begin.
Entrepreneurs with great ideas don’t always have good business sense, but they can acquire it – or find business partners who have it. And even if you have good business sense, you still need to know the law.
Before you start looking for a store front (or shingle), a business name, or investing in anything (especially if it eats), read Starting a Business guides from the Oregon Corporation Division.
This question came from a reader who came upon the Oregon Legal Research blog while doing some research.
About Oregon small claims court and damages: Judges and mediators in Oregon small claims courts have a fair amount of discretion when working with plaintiffs and defendants on resolving their disuptes. This discretion includes working with the parties to decide on what damage claims should be honored In the Interest of Justice.
Some things to keep in mind:
I went to the Amazing World of Claymation exhibit at the Oregon Historical Society and, of course, saw the legal research angle! Wouldn’t any law librarian?
So, you may ask, what does legal research have to do with claymation?
Quite a lot, if you want to make a business (or any money) out of the art and craft of claymation. And without business or money, most of us would never have heard of claymation, which would be very sad.
WisLaw blog reports on BillFinder, a free service from StateScape. Whether you’re reading, drafting, tracking, or merely surfing new legislation, it’s a powerful little tool, for no cost. Amazing.
Try it out: BillFinder
Are there free, online, downloadable, official forms you can use to write a legally enforceable Oregon will?
Sorry, but the answer is no, at least not if you want your will to do what you intend and be legally enforceable. Oregon wills, and other estate planning documents, are not Wash & Wear, Click & Go, One-Size-Fits-All, or Eat and Run.
Will-drafting cannot be done on the fly, on Twitter (though I’m sure it has been tried – and may one day soon be tried in court), or with anything other than serious thought, study, and drafting skill. This is not to say one can’t draft a will oneself, or write one quickly in an emergency.
This is not a rhetorical or even a political question. It is a school assignment! Hurrah for teachers, especially those who try out their own assignments before handing them over to their students (and their students’ parents).
Librarians get to help answer students’ reference and research questions, public librarians more than law librarians, but we (Oregon law librarians, that is) also often have the opportunity and honor to pitch in to help students answer their law-related questions, especially when the question comes through L-net, the Oregon statewide online reference service. (Many states have one of these online reference services, in addition to email/IM reference services offered through individual libraries or library systems.)
So, how about that Abuse of Power and Constitutions assignment? It had a follow-up exercise too: “Give an example of a nation that is not a constitutional government.”
The Oregon Judicial Department’s (OJD) 2002 Style Manual specifies the Webster’s Third International New International Dictionary (unabridged ed. 2002) as the court’s “official” (non-legal) dictionary. (Many, possibly all, state appellate courts specify an official dictionary.)
If you do a little research, however, you will find that the 2002 print edition of this dictionary is the same as the 1993 edition, page for page, with the addition of an updated addendum.
You will also find that this dictionary is online, but at a cost – and part of a whole family of the publisher’s dictionaries. If you work for the State of Oregon, you may have access to the online version as part of the state’s subscription plan, which many State employees can use. Your public library may also subscribe to it.
Determining Copyright Status is not unlike the search for the Holy Grail. Here is an updated list of resources:
1) WorldCat’s Copyright Evidence Registry
2) See also, from LLRX: “Can Collaboration Solve Copyright Status Questions? The WorldCat Copyright Evidence Registry,” by Roger V. Skalbeck, May 12, 2009
Oregon Legal Research Blog