The collection of materials in the Oregon State Bar (OSB) BarBooks database is impressive – see the list below. Our lawyers and self-represented litigants still like the print for certain types of research, but the database is an excellent addition to our collection (and to the database collections of many Oregon county law libraries around the state).
For you self-represented (aka pro se) litigants: This online collection does not necessarily mean you will find easy answers to your legal questions and problems; there is generally no such thing. You will still need to update the case law and statutes, determine what procedural steps to follow, and not to put too fine a point on it … figure out what to do with the information you find.
The other useful thing about having these online is that updates can be made easily and quickly. This list is up to date as of a few days ago:
Also from the excellent Gallagher Blog:
“What Judges Think of the Quality of Legal Representation”
Excerpt: “How well do lawyers represent their clients? It’s a hard question to answer. One approach would be to ask the judges who observe the lawyers at work, and that’s just what Judge Richard A. Posner and Professor Albert H. Yoon have done: What Judges Think of the Quality of Legal Representation, 63 Stan. L. Rev. 317 (2010)…” (Link to full blog post.)
Gallagher Blog links us to this article:
“Counsel Over Cocktails? What to do when friends and family ask for legal advice,” by Trent M. Latta
(You will also find this article at the WSBA website: “Foreign Concept: Explore working abroad before giving up on a legal career,” by Arundel Pritchett)
People have, for centuries, followed jobs (and money) in order to feed families and pursue dreams:
From the WSBA website: “Foreign Concept: Explore working abroad before giving up on a legal career,” by Arundel Pritchett
As one of the many professional law librarians who negotiate contracts for legal database services and who show attorneys how to use them efficiently (to save time and their clients’ money!), when I read stories like this, I think almost as much about the “high costs of the ongoing investigation” and the ethics violations as I do about those high legal bills, i.e. has someone audited those legal bills?
One assumes so, but one (especially cranky law librarians) do have to ask the question (and heaven knows some of our tax-paying law library patrons ask).
I also know as well as the next law librarian that good legal counsel costs good money ….
One possible future of law?
MyShingle had this excellent, and startling, post where you need to follow the links, and not just the money … but it really is all about the money:
This was hilarious (thus, good for a Friday late afternoon), but also instructive – or it should be instructive to any of us who think we know anything about websites. (Most of us admit to being amateurs – but even the pros make mistakes.)
“Law school Web sites judged; some found wanting,” by Karen Sloan, The National Law Journal, January 26, 2011:
‘There are a lot of law students happily lounging under trees out there — if law school Web sites are to be believed.
A recent empirical study and ranking of the home pages for all 200 American Bar Association-accredited law schools found that 65 included photos of students in or around trees, a phenomenon the authors dubbed “Girls Under Trees.”….’ (Link to full article.)
Oregon Legal Research Blog