Law Libraries

“We combined our funding, our talents and our staff and finally got the project going,” Lee said.
Last month, they announced the availability of the open-access database: NYCRR Digital Archive, which contains pages from the “New York Codes, Rules and Regulations” from 1945 to 2001 in full-text digital format. This free resource allows researchers, librarians and lawyers to more easily research previous versions of New York regulations. Fifty users at one time can access the material.

The Samuelson Clinic is excited to provide a
handbook, “Is it in the Public Domain?,” and accompanying
visuals. These educational tools help users to evaluate the
copyright status of a work created in the United States between
January 1, 1923 and December 31, 1977—those works that were
created before today’s 1976 Copyright Act. Many important
works—from archival materials to family photos and movies—were created during this time, and it can be
difficult to tell whether they are still under copyright.

Note to members of AALL: Polls are now open for the 2013 AALL Executive Board election.

PACER has seen a sharp rise in overall user satisfaction since a comparable survey was conducted in 2009, with 90 percent of users saying they are satisfied or highly satisfied with the internet-based public case information system. That compares with 75 percent satisfaction with the overall user experience in the previous survey.

Full story: http://news.uscourts.gov/pacer-survey-shows-rise-user-satisfaction

Dwight Opperman, a Drake University law graduate who rose to the top job at West Publishing after starting work there as an editor and was a key figure in the company's development of the Westlaw online legal research site in the 1970s, died Thursday at his home in Beverly Hills, Calif. He was 89 years old.

Interview with Scalia on the PBS News Hour about his new book - Reading Law: The Interpretation of Legal Texts

Old-School Prisoner Wants Books, Not Westlaw
Since 1989 a prisoner has been serving time in an Ohio state prison for rape, kidnapping, felonious assault and aggravated assault convictions. Frustrated that the prison library replaced law books with computer access to Westlaw, her has sued the prison, requesting $80,000 in compensatory damages and up to $200,000 in punitive damages for the violation of his constitutional right to a law library.

Controversial online piracy bill shelved until 'consensus' is found
House Oversight Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) said early Saturday morning that Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) promised him the House will not vote on the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) unless there is consensus on the bill.

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