November, 2011

Published on: November 30, 2011

B is for Briefs: How to Find Oregon Appellate Court Briefs

By Laura Orr

We need to update our “How to Find Oregon Appellate Court Briefs” guide. You can find the “latest” version in our document list (under B for Briefs).

(We’re also updating our NOT Online list so feel free to check that out. (That one is under N for NOT in that same documents list.))

Let us know if you find any errors or omissions – thank you!

Published on: November 30, 2011

Oregon Administrative Rules, OAR Bulletin, and the Oregon Documents Repository

By Laura Orr

Oregon Administrative Rules (OAR):

1) Current Oregon Administrative Rules (OAR) are online and in print at many libraries.

2) Superseded OARs: Some are online from subscription databases. (See also, the NOT ONLINE list of Oregon legal research resources.)

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Published on: November 30, 2011

Oregon Jury Verdicts: Statistics, Reports, Research

By Laura Orr

This is an update to my previous post on Oregon jury verdict statistics, reports, & research.

If you are searching for the jury verdict in a single case and want to know more than “who won?“:

1) You’ll need to see the case file, which is sometimes available via OJIN or you will need to visit the courthouse where the trial took place, or both if the case file is not on OJIN or is too old to still be at the courthouse.

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Published on: November 28, 2011

State Court Budget Cuts and Access to Justice

By Laura Orr

We may have 3 equal branches of government, but the Legislative Branch decides how much money each branch gets – and voters get to decide who the legislators are:

“Critics Say Budget Cuts for Courts Risk Rights,” by Jon Schwartz, NYT, November 26, 2011:

‘…“The justice system’s funding has been decreasing in constant dollars for at least two decades,” said David Boies, co-chairman of a commission formed by the American Bar Association to study court budget issues. “We are now at the point where funding failures are not merely causing inconvenience, annoyances and burdens; the current funding failures are resulting in the failure to deliver basic justice.”….‘ [Link to full article.]

Published on: November 28, 2011

Multnomah Co.Circuit Court: Free CLE: Proposed Supplemental Rules

By Laura Orr

“Free 1 hour CLE (Portland) – Friday Dec. 2, 2011 at noon at Multnomah County Circuit Court.

OWLS and OMLA members – there will be a FREE CLE next Friday to discuss/explain the new Multnomah County Circuit Court Supplementary Rules which go into effect on February 1, 2012. The CLE is on December 2nd at noon in courtroom 208 (presiding court) of the Multnomah County courthouse in downtown Portland.

You can read the DRAFT proposed rules (the new rules are 2.011, 7.011, and 7.015).”

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Published on: November 25, 2011

Careers for Lawyers Inside and Outside the Law

By Laura Orr

Yes, Virginia, lawyers can follow their bliss.

I noticed a reference to the Portland Law Collective and it got me thinking about the law students and lawyers I have worked with over the past 25 years, and my own musings over “what can one do with a law degree?”

The list is endless – and exciting:

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Published on: November 25, 2011

Free “Law School” (via CALI) – or a Cure for Insomnia?

By Laura Orr

Do you have what it takes not only to enjoy law school classes, but not to fall asleep when you hear someone talk about indebitatus assumptsit, a conditional devise, malum in se, expiation, scienter, asportation, or chattel paper?

(It gets worse: You have to read statutes drafted by legislators and decisions written by judges. Torture, indeed, unless of course you are a budding Clarence Darrow or David Boies.)

If you want to learn a little about the law, try some free online seminars, from:

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Published on: November 23, 2011

Oregon Governor Kitzhaber Halts “Voluntary” Execution

By Laura Orr

Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber issued a November 22, 2011, statement, about why he halted the execution of the death row inmate who asked that all his death penalty appeals cease and that the state proceed with his execution.

Oregonian story: “Gov. John Kitzhaber stops executions in Oregon, calls system ‘compromised and inequitable’”

[Link to other Governor Kitzhaber Media Releases.]

Published on: November 22, 2011

Equal Protection: Library Closures Found to be Unlawful (U.K.)

By Laura Orr

This is a decision from a U.K. High Court.

“Court rules library closures unlawful: Campaigners hail victory as councils ordered to revisit plans for library closures in Gloucestershire and Somerset,” Lizzy Davies, the Guardian.co.uk, 16 November 11

Excerpt: “… Campaigners attempting to stop the closure of their local libraries won a surprise victory in the high court on Wednesday when a judge ruled that the decision to axe services in Gloucestershire and Somerset was unlawful and should be quashed.

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Published on: November 21, 2011

Who Owns the Road, the Street, the Highway?

By Laura Orr

We sometimes get this type of question:

Where can I find the laws governing the allowed size (height, weight, length, etc.) of trucks using the roads and streets in the county (or city or state)?

Imagine when there were no roads (how old are you!?), when there were only a few roads, when roads weren’t paved, when the people who owned the road could charge you any toll to allow you to pass – or not allow you to pass at all, remember, imagine …. When either no one had jurisdiction over the roadways (and you lost a lot of wheels and limbs and livestock and horses) or when only private owners did and disputes were resolved in court, by handshake, or by gunfire.We now have laws (as if you didn’t already know that!) about those roads, many of which are public, so:

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