I had just posted about free legal information on legal publisher websites when this hit the fan. Actually, it hit the fan yesterday, but the wind will keep blowing for a while.
It’s too soon to tell where Google’s offerings will fit into the vast world of legal research information and databases … nothing but good times ahead:
Here are a handful of blog posts that fellow law librarians compiled on the subject (thank you!):
While looking at some social security practice materials at the James Publishing website I was reminded how many print and online legal publishers offer free legal information at their websites. These can be forms, blogs, musings on the law, case and legal topic analysis, and much more.
There aren’t as many independent legal publishers as there were 15 years ago before all the consolidation (and title divestment), but there are still quite a few:
A list of most legal publishers can be found at the AALL Legal Publishers List.
State law school law reviews often ignore their own state’s laws and it drives me crazy. I can’t count the number of times an attorney has asked for an article on an interesting Oregon legal issue that is worthy of some attention, but alas.
Try searching Oregon law reviews and what do you find? Not much, at least not in the past 30 years. But on occasion, an Oregon law review does include an article about Oregon law, either in the making or after the fact, and I’m pleased to blog about it.
(You can also look for other Oregonians who do write about their state’s history: Oregon Authors and don’t miss their Readers and Writers Groups link):
Good news: Our copy of the Oregon State Bar’s new release, Interpreting Oregon Law (edited by Hon. Jack Landau) has arrived – hurrah!
Bad news: We now have to read it – yikes! (Wouldn’t you really rather read this potboiler?)
But it looks interesting, at least to the bookish amongst us. And it is current enough to include commentary on the recent Gaines case from the Oregon Supreme Court.
The 2009 Oregon legislative session compilations are showing up in libraries and online (but don’t expect the 2009 ORS for a 2-3 months yet. Codification is a long, painstaking process):
1) The Oregon State Bar 2009 Legislative Highlights. (To purchase: Public Affairs: (503) 431-6376, toll-free in Oregon (800) 452-8260, ext. 376 or send an email to pubaff@osbar.org.)
2) The Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) has posted their 2009 Legislative Summary at their website (thank you AOC for making this accessible online, free!). (It’s in PDF format and runs 127 pages, 4.8 MB, so allow for that if your computers are a bit sluggish.)
The Oregon State Bar (OSB) has posted their Emergency Legislation Shortlist at their website:
“Bills Passed by the 2009 Oregon State Legislature With Effective Dates Earlier Than 1/1/10
Add these to thoughts (and blog posts) on the theory and reality of Free:
1) Larry Lessig: A Call for Copyright Rebellion, November 6, 2009 (Inside Higher Ed)
2) William Patry, Moral Panics and the Copyright Wars (author blog)
The Oregon State Bar has released their Interpreting Oregon Law, 2009 edition, a welcome addition to any Oregon lawyer or law library collection.
You can find an order form and sample table of contents at their new releases webpage or link to it from their main OSB Legal Pubs website.
Who has your student loans? Can they be consolidated? What if I can’t pay them?
Liz Pulliam Weston’s column (which I read in the 10/18/09, Oregonian), and is also on her website, answered an interesting and tricky question about student loans. You may learn as much as I did about how to follow the trail of your student loans:
1) Student loans in collections? Here’s where to find help, by Liz Weston
What do you do when you find something of value, e.g. jewelry, an electronic device, etc.? Can you keep it?
You can always call the Oregon State Bar Information and Referral Service, or your local police or sheriff’s department, but if it’s “after-hours“:
Some interesting (and maybe even useful) sections of the Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) to read are under these Index headings:
Oregon Legal Research Blog