Legal Research News and Information with an Emphasis on Wisconsin
Wow – this one just made my jaw drop. From Law.com: It may sound like a Hollywood pitch for a summer movie aimed at teens, but it’s taken directly from the pages of a federal lawsuit filed in Philadelphia that spins a tale of high school teachers secretly installing cameras in hundreds of students’ homes …
From The Third Branch by the Wisconsin Court System: Judge John DiMotto, who has served on the Milwaukee County Circuit Court for 20 years, started a blog on Dec. 3, 2009. It’s called “Bench and Bar Experiences/A blog to record and convey the daily experiences of a Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge.” The blog can …
From The Third Branch by the Wisconsin Court System: To help judges address electronic communication during trials, the Wisconsin Criminal Jury Instructions Committee recently developed a jury instruction that was disseminated to judges at the Judicial Conference and is also available on CCAP (the Consolidated Court Automation Programs). Professor David Schultz, chief staff member of …
From beSpacific: Ley.mx is another terrific addition to the family of legal sources developed and hosted by Justia. With content available in both PDF and HTML, this straight forward, well designed site hosts a database providing quick access to primary law, including the Mexican constitution, state and federal laws, codes, and regulations. The site also …
Need to brush up on your computer skills? If you live in the Milwaukee area, then you’re in luck because the Milwaukee Public Library has recently acquired the LearningExpress Library Computer Skills Learning Center. From Now @ MPL: The database features interactive video, animations, quizzes and sound, and the tutorials include: Access 2003 & 2007 …
Governor Jim Doyle addressed CCAP access last week at the Wisconsin Newspaper Association’s annual convention. From the Wisconsin Law Journal: Judges should decide whether to erase innocent people’s cases from online court records, Gov. Jim Doyle said….[adding that] easily accessible electronic records make life a nightmare for people who are charged but later exonerated. The …
The UW Law School Global Legal Studies Center, the UW-Madison Center for World Affairs and the Global Economy, and the International Practice Section of the State Bar are co-sponsoring three workshops on Current Issues in International Law: Implications for Wisconsin The workshops are free for attorneys, policy makers, state agency personnel, civil society groups, students …
Fastcase recently released an app for the iPhone. And not only is the app free, but so access to the case law and statutes that it contains — even if you don’t practice in a state like Wisconsin where the desktop computer version of Fastcase is free through the State Bar. So far the reviews …
From USCourts.gov: At its December 2009 meeting, the Judicial Conference Committee on Court Administration and Case Management (CACM) endorsed a set of suggested jury instructions that district judges should consider using to help deter jurors from using electronic technologies to research or communicate about cases on which they serve.
Last month, the Wisconsin Assembly introduced another bill which would affect access to CCAP. Tony Chan, chair of Government Relations for the Law Librarians Association of Wisconsin had this report: On January 22, 2010, 2009 ASSEMBLY BILL 663 was introduced by Representatives Marlin D. Schneider, Kelda Helen Roys and Annette Polly Williams, and Frederick Kessler. …