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The process of creating and implementing new business models, for businesses, for nonprofits, for libraries, and for the legal profession, begins with discussing and examining new ideas.

The new biz model might be a Virtual Law Office or it might be a new idea, or germ of an idea, on providing legal services to people who can’t afford to hire lawyers:

Here’s a suggestion about the latter, and to paraphrase John Gear, if you don’t think that there is great demand for people who need but can’t afford lawyers, hang around a legal aid office (or ask a public law librarian):

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A former Umatilla County Law Librarian said during a discussion about the importance of public law libraries:

“The folks who cannot pay for a private attorney and cannot get a legal aid attorney are already disadvantaged in being forced to be self represented. With the law library, they have a slim chance at self representation, but it is at least a chance. Without a public law library, they have no hope of achieving any sort of justice at all…. What is the point of operating court facilities if the system doesn’t work for everyone? ”

From a report on access to justice in Oregon:

“There is significant unmet need for outreach, community education and access to easily used, high quality self-help materials…. Lower income people obtain legal assistance for their problems less than 20% of the time.” (From, The State of Access to Justice in Oregon, by D. Michael Dale, published in 2000, sponsored by the Oregon State Bar, the Oregon Judicial Department, and former Governor John Kitzhaber.)

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Bob Ambrogi’s Law Sites blog post of 1/9/11, brings us an update on Xemplar, where you can read about exemplary lawyers.

Exemplar’s January 2011 featured lawyer, Stephanie Kimbro, has created a Virtual Law Office (VLO) that sounds quite intriguing and is surely just the front end of a wave of VLO lawyers.

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A colleague passed this along, from the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) Law Blog (and you can read other WSJ blogs, too):

“Survey Says! Paralegaling is a Better Job than Lawyering,” WSJ Law Blog, 1/6/11

The WSJ Law Blog seems to have a slightly higher caliber of Comments than some other news websites and blogs. See, e.g. their Oregon Supreme Court decision blog post (re Barger (SC S058345) and Ritchie (SC S057701 (Control), S057705):

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There are a number of public affairs forums across the state, dozens, maybe hundreds, if you include all the “speaker” series offered by local nonprofits, libraries, political, and educational and religious organizations. Check your local news and events sources to find out what is happening in your community. There are sometimes multiple ways to listen to these, so check out their websites.

Here are three well known ones in Washington, Marion, and Multnomah Counties:

Washington County Public Affairs Forum:

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This January 2011 MBA article by Mark Fucile on the “Hot Potato” Rule is either less or more interesting than you might imagine. It is less, if you think it’s an article about lawyers who stand-up their friends and dates when a “better offer” comes along, though, come to think of it, it’s not really much different from that sort of situation.

It is more [interesting], when you actually read it!

Ethics Focus, by Mark Fucile: The “Hot Potato” Rule

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1) Stay tuned for the 2011 Oregon Legislative Session. And don’t forget that we will now have annual sessions, which will be even more exciting for law librarians who already have to explain the difference between session laws and codes. (You can also read about codification and my other attempt to explain session law vs. codification/codes.)

2) Visit the Oregon Legislature’s website for links to current and previous bills and laws.

3) About those Annual Sessions: See Ballotpedia’s entry and links for the 2010 Measure 71 that was approved by voters in November 2010. It amends the Oregon Constitution: “Amends Constitution: Requires legislature to meet annually; limits length of legislative sessions; provides exceptions.” (Measure 71)

4) Legislative Hearing Minutes: don’t forget that you now have to listen to the hearings in full to find out who said what. Visit the Oregon Legislature’s website for audio/video links. (Read more about legislative intent and legislative drafting and interpretation.)

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Law and the Multiverse: Superheroes, supervillains, and the law is a fun, new blog dealing with theoretical legal issues in relation to superheroes and comic books. The authors, licensed attorneys, apply existent laws to fantastic situations. For example, recent posts include “Supers and Social Secutiry,” “Costumes and the Confrontation Clause,” and “Supers and the Eighth Amendment.”

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While playing around with our newly installed OSB BarBooks database and came across this mysterious Boolean search: variable: 4 and weights:7

While waiting for the answer to reveal itself, I went off to catch up with my law library blogs and ran across this excellent research tip post at the KCCLL (King County Law Library) Klues blog:

“Cheat sheet” comparing Lexis and Westlaw search syntax Research Tips

It links to:

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It’s time to update my 2008 post on Researching Oregon Paternity Law

Depending on your specific question (and they do run the gamut!), here are some updated resources and links.

1) Oregon DOJ Child Support Program: Determining Paternity and more

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