CURRENT ISSUE CONTENTS

 

Legal Information Alert is “the leading current awareness publication in the world of legal information,” says Ken Svengalis in Legal Information Buyer’s Guide and Reference Manual 2002. See for yourself what Svengalis is talking about. Request a three-month trial subscription. If, after reading your three free issues you agree with Svengalis, pay the bill that comes with the third issue. If not, simply do nothing. Call us today at 866-492-5266. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose.

 

 

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2004

 

                                               

UPDATE XXI: What’s New on Westlaw, LexisNexis, Loislaw and VersusLaw by Stacey L. Gordon  The annual chronicle of new additions and enhancements to the CALR databases is a long-standing tradition in Legal Information Alert. Here in the 21st Update article, Gordon brings together in one place the changes to Westlaw, LexisNexis, Versuslaw, and LoisLaw. 

 

Intellectual Property Update by Alyson Danowski  In the second part of her IP Update column about keeping patents with the payment of maintenance fees and annuities, Danowski tells you about the effective electronic tools for managing the fee payment process. She reviews one such resource (produced by Computer Packages Inc.). She tells you all about this company and its systems to help patent owners manage their patents and protect their inventions.

 

Print and Electronic Reviews

 

Federal Judicial Code Revision Project (American Law Institute)

 

Violence Against Women: Victims, Abusers, Prevention, and Protection – Legal, Medical, and Research Developments. Volume II (Civic Research Institute)

 

Mealey’s Privacy Report (LexisNexis Mealey Publications)

 

Mealey’s Litigation Report: Welding Rods (LexisNexis Mealey Publications)

 

 

OCTOBER 2004

                                               

Football and Internet Research by Stacey L. Gordon  “Football CLE” courses are a tradition at the University of Montana School of Law and legal research is often included in the series. Departing from the usual Westlaw and LexisNexis workshops, this class was designed to address the five most common and difficult Internet research problems. In her article, Gordon tells you what she taught the Montana lawyers about compiling legislative history research, finding briefs, searching public records, locating law review articles, and conducting non-law research – all using the Internet. 

 

For Your Information by Donna Tuke Heroy  In her column this month, Heroy tells you about a visit to the European Commission and what she learned observing this body politic firsthand. She also alerts you to the New York Times’ Guide to Essential Information and tells you what it covers under “Law.” She concludes her column with mini-reviews of two recent books that lawyers and librarians might find interesting.

 

Intellectual Property Update by Alyson Danowski  In this IP Update, Danowski begins a two-part series about keeping patents with the payment of  maintenance fees and annuities. Here, in part 1, she tells you about the major print resource for determining what these fees and annuities are and the dates by which they are to be paid. She gives you a thorough review of The Manual for the Handling of Applications for Patents, Designs and Trade Marks Throughout the World, known as “The Brown Books.” This looseleaf set is published by Kluwer Law International, and distributed in the Americas by Aspen Publishers, Inc. 

 

Print and Electronic Reviews

 

Mealey’s Litigation Report: Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) (LexisNexis/Mealey Publications)

 

Patent Infringement Remedies (BNA Books)

 

European Environmental Law (Ashgate Publishing Company)

 

The Law of Electronic Signatures and Records (Glasser LegalWorks)

 

Mealey’s Personal Injury Report (LexisNexis/Mealey Publications)

 

 

SEPTEMBER 2004

                                   

Ten-Up: 20 Innovations and Services We Didn’t Know About Ten Years Ago by Donna Tuke Heroy  Ten years may seem like a long time, but in today’s world of technology, it is only a nanosecond. With the numerous developments in information retrieval over the last ten years, Heroy reviews the publishing history of Legal Information Alert as she gives you an alphabet soup of innovations and services including blogs, law-lib, LLRX, portals, Google, and more. 

 

Database Report by Steven P. Anderson  In this column Anderson “hypertexts” his way through legal research as he reviews the new Practitioner’s Toolbox from LexisNexis. He tells you all about this cleanly executed and easy-to-navigate technology. The Toolbox, along with West Groups Results Plus and Statutes Plus, offer searchers features still somewhat new and imperfect, but ones that show promise. Anderson then goes on to describe how Gen X-ers (and the upcoming even younger generations of researchers) conduct research. He shows you how these breakthrough technologies fit into their reading habits and research patterns.

 

Print and Electronic Reviews

 

Executive Compensation (CCH, Inc.)

 

Tortious Interference in the Employment Context: A State-by-State Survey

(Bureau of National Affairs / American Bar Association)

 

Patents and Trademarks Plain & Simple (Career Press)

 

Guide to European Union Commercial Practice (Oceana Publications, Inc.)

 

International Secured Transactions (Oceana Publications, Inc.)

 

The Winning Brief: 100 Tips for Persuasive Briefing in Trial and Appellate Courts (Oxford University Press)

 

Arbitration 2003: Arbitral Decision-Making: Confronting Current and Recurrent Issues (BNA Books)

 

 

JULY/AUGUST 2004

                                               

Librarian in a Flak Jacket: Meet Kimberli Morris by Nina Wendt  The Spirit of Law Librarianship Award Committee selected Kimberli Morris as the 2004 recipient of the Spirit of Law Librarianship Award for her work with three law schools in Iraq in rebuilding their library and educational technology systems. In this article, Nina Wendt gives you a profile of Morris as program manager for the Iraqi Legal Education Reform Project, a project the International Human Rights Law Institute at Chicago’s DePaul University College of Law. Morris is working with three law schools in Iraq (University of Baghdad, University of Basra, and Sulaimaniya University), to assist them with rebuilding their library and educational technology systems.

 

Database Report by Sandra Placzek & Stefanie Pearlman  Guest columnists Placzek and Pearlman offer their impressions of the AALL Exhibit Hall in Boston. Their rankings are “open book” for a positive review and “closed book” for a negative review. They cover it all from the feng shui of the exhibit hall to the most interesting product promotion. They even take you on their “prize patrol.”  

 

Print and Electronic Reviews

 

Environmental Reporting and Recordkeeping: Forms and Checklists for Compliance (Government Institutes)

 

Inheritance Law and the Evolving Family (Temple University Press)

 

Intellectual Property and Computer Crimes (Law Journal Press)

 

The Lawyer’s Guide to Marketing Your Practice (American Bar Association, Law Practice Management Section)

 

Mediation Representation: Advocating in a Problem-Solving Process

(National Institute for Trial Advocacy)

 

A Practical Guide to Mortgages & Liens

(ALI-ABA Committee on Continuing Professional Education)

 

The Lease Negotiation Handbook (ALI-ABA)

 

The Lockerbie Trial: A Documentary History (Oceana Publications, Inc.)

 

JUNE 2004

 

Electronic Updating: Is Your Citation Still Safe? by Joanne Kiley and Laura Ikens. Updating caselaw, statutes, and regulations is a vital component of legal research. Determining whether your case, statute, or regulation is still “good law” can make the difference in a pleading or case. The advent of electronic services such as Shepard’s and Keycite has made the process of updating much simpler. In this article, Kiley and Ikens examine the major electronic services along with other online sources for staying current.

 

Database Report by Richard A. Leiter. The University of Nebraska’s Schmid Law Library made the decision to subscribe to the BNA-ALL package of online newsletters, due in part to BNA’s new pricing structure. Leiter and his staff were excited to provide, for the faculty and staff, electronic access to these valuable daily and weekly newsletters. Finding it easier said than done, Leiter describes how they developed a plan to efficiently distribute the over 100 electronic newsletters.

 

Print and Electronic Reviews

 

Construction Damages and Remedies (ABA)

 

Mealey’s Litigation Report: Construction Defects Insurance (LexisNexis

Mealey Publications)

 

Legal Market Info (American Lawyer Media)

 

Creating the Digital Law Library (Primary Research Group, Inc.)

 

171 Ways to Improve Your Discovery Techniques: A Treasury of Ideas from Leaders in the Section of Labor and Employment Law

(ABA-CLE and the Section of Labor and Employment Law)

 

Electronic Discovery: Law and Practice (Aspen Publishers)

 

Mealey’s Mass Tort Pleadings (LexisNexis/Mealey Publications & Conferences Group)

 

The Power Trial Method (PTM) (National Institute for Trial Advocacy, Inc.)

 

 

MAY 2004

 

SARBANES-OXLEY REVISITED: EDGAR Reporting Requirements and Commercial Solutions by Jeffrey R. Stickle Over the past year, we have published several articles about the changes that the Sarbanes-Oxley Act mandates in the area of corporate governance. In this article, Stickle reviews those changes and describes a suite of software products and services from CT Corporation that are used to prepare data for reporting to the SEC. Although librarians are not the users of the CT products, we felt it was important for you to know the significance of the changes and how they affect filing corporate documents with the SEC. In a sidebar, you will find a list of EDGAR web sites, both fee-based and free.

 

Database Report by Steven Anderson  LexisNexis’ Total Search is in the midst of its initial implementation period. Several law firms have selected it for their knowledge management (KM) ventures. Anderson first told you about Total Search in his September 2003 column. Here, he gives you a closer look at what processes its implementation entails at the law firm level. Anderson plans to give you a complete review of TotalSearch when the product is being more widely used.

 

Print and Electronic Reviews

 

Homeland Security Law Handbook (Government Institutes)

 

ERISA Litigation (BNA Books)

International Environmental Law (Ashgate)

 

Copyright & the Internet: Myth and Reality (FreePint Limited)

 

Online Service Providers: International Law and Regulation  

(Oceana Publications, Inc.)

 

 

APRIL 2004

 

Marketing and the Information Resource Center by Linda Will  Beginning by chronicling the “hot” trends of the past 30 years, Will asserts that the current trend today is “Intelligent Terrain,” that is, competitive intelligence. The IT department in a firm is not information technology, but rather the marketing department. In this article, she tells you how the Information Resource Center (IRC) can partner with marketing departments to help law firms with business development. She shows you how each department uses different skills and talents to meet different needs.  She provides plenty of examples to help you establish your own partnership with the marketing department at your firm.

 

Database Report  Asking “what will they think of next?” Richard Leiter covers a new service from West Group that is designed primarily for use in libraries that serve the general public. He describes "WestPack 2004 Patron Access," and tells you how it allows libraries to make a limited version of Westlaw available at no cost to this group of patrons. Leiter tells you about the costs, describes how it will work, and outlines the drawbacks of the service. He plans a follow-up column after the service has been installed and used. 

     

Print and Electronic Reviews

 

Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003:  Law and Explanation (CCH, Inc.)

 

Intellectual Property Taxation: Transaction and Litigation Issues (BNA Books)

 

Trademark Law Guide (CCH Inc.)

 

Keeping the Keepers II: Mobility and Management of Associates: Entry Level and Lateral Hiring and Attrition 1998-2003 (NALP Foundation)

 

The Lawyer’s Guide to Fact Finding on the Internet (American Bar Association Law Practice Management Section)

 

Andrews’ Disability Litigation Reporter (West/Thomson)

 

Andrews’ Expert & Scientific Evidence Litigation Reporter (Thomson/West)

 

Mealey's Litigation Report: Discovery (LexisNexis Mealey’s Publications &

Conferences Group)

 

The Trial Lawyer: What It Takes To Win (ABA Section of Litigation)

 

 

MARCH 2004

 

                                               

ResultsPlus: The Perfect Marriage Between Technology and Tradition by Thomas R. Keefe  In a previous article (Navigating the Law: Case-finding Tools Beyond Lexis and Westlaw, June 2003), Keefe advocated the benefits of case-finding strategies where researchers complement database searches with annotations and digests. He found it difficult to promote such a system because print sources are disappearing from law libraries. With the introduction of ResultsPlus, Keefe found the online research product that offers the combination research strategy he was looking for, while diminishing the need to retain print sources. In this article, he reviews ResultsPlus and tells you why he believes it represents the future of legal research.

     

For Your Information by Donna Tuke Heroy  In her column this month, Heroy makes a case for organizing e-mail messages so that recipients can scan their messages quickly and elect to read only those that interest them. Heroy asserts that this will ensure that the e-mail phenomenon, which we can’t do without) will continue to serve the library profession as it is intended to do. She also tells you about several recent articles that have appeared in Business Information Alert.

 

Print and Electronic Reviews

 

Trade Marks, Trade Names and Unfair Competition: World Law and Practice (Thomson/Sweet & Maxwell)

 

Collecting Your Fee: Getting Paid from Intake to Invoice

(ABA Law Practice Management Section)

 

Preparing Witnesses for Testimony Inside and Outside the Courtroom

(ABA Section of Litigation & Center for Continuing Legal Education)

 

Taking and Defending Depositions  (ALI-ABA)

 

Amicus Humoriae: An Anthology of Legal Humor (Carolina Academic Press)

 

Paralegals, Profitability, and the Future of Your Law Practice

(ABA Law Practice Management Section)

 

Mealey’s Tort Reform Update (LexisNexis Mealey’s Publications)

 

JANUARY 2004

 

From Librarian to I‑brarian: The New InfoPro Looks at 2004 by K. Matthew Dames  In this article, author Danes looks at the premise that librarians are an outdated commodity. He suggests that to ensure job security that librarians embrace new technologies and in so doing, turn themselves into I-brarians. He then examines three trends in content and information gathering that librarians should be aware of in order to accomplish this shift. The three trends are wi-fi, handheld devices, and social networking. All can be used by I-brarians to expand library services. 

 

For Your Information by Donna Tuke Heroy  Roy M. Mersky convened a conference of academic librarians at the University of Texas Tarlton Law Library in November. Heroy attended this “summit” and gives you her report on the meeting.  She tells you about the issues and concerns that were discussed. Many distinguished law librarians from the nation’s largest and best known law schools were in attendance, and Heroy found it enlightening to hear what they had to say about the future of law librarianship. Richard Leiter contributes to Heroy’s column with his coverage of the presentation of the Spirit of Law Librarianship Award to 2003 recipient, Joan Howland. 

 

Database Report by Richard A. Leiter  In “PURLs of Knowledge,” Leiter addresses the issue of disappearing URLs. He begins by describing briefly the vagaries of the Internet. Then he cites three articles published in the last two years in which the authors discuss the serious problem of relying on the Internet as a source for scholarly and client-related research. These articles are based on URL research conducted by the three librarians. Leiter advocated that all librarians read these research findings and begin to think about the impact this phenomenon will have on our reliance on the Web long-term. He ends by questioning whether the great disappearing act that is happening on free web sites can also happen with commercial services.

 

Print and Electronic Reviews

 

LexisNexis Corporate Governance Report (LexisNexis/Mealey Publications)

 

The Energy Handbook (LexisNexis/ Matthew Bender)

 

Flexible Trusts and Estates for Uncertain Times (ALI-ABA)

 

Piercing the Veil of Secrecy: Litigation Against U.S. Intelligence

(Carolina Academic Press)

 

The Evolution of Legal Business Forms in Europe and the United States: Venture Capital, Joint Venture and Partnership Structures  

(Aspen Publishers /Kluwer Law International)

 

The Rule of Law in Japan: A Comparative Analysis

(Aspen Publishers/Kluwer Law International)

 

Electronic Discovery and Evidence (Law Partner Publishing)

 

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2003

 

UPDATE XX: What’s New on Westlaw, LexisNexis, VersusLaw, and Loislaw by Stacey L. Gordon  Our CALR update is an annual feature, and we cover Westlaw, LexisNexis, VersusLaw, and LoisLaw. This edition is (number 20) is extra long. Gordon found that there were many changes that needed to be included. Internet versions of each publisher’s CALR database are also covered. In addition to chronicling the additions and enhancements of each service, Gordon offers comments and search tips. She also incorporates comments and tips she receives during the year from readers into her update. 

 

Print and Electronic Reviews

 

Environmental Law Handbook (Government Institutes)

 

World Online Business Law (Oceana Publications, Inc.)

 

Trademark Law Handbook 2003: Annual Review of Developments in Trademark Law & Practice (International Trademark Association)

 

Guide to Homeland Security, 2003 Edition (Thomson/West)

 

OCTOBER 2003           

 

Service Is Survival: A Public Law Librarian=s Perspective on The Service Ethic by Donna Bausch  In this essay, Donna Bausch talks about service and how it can be viewed from many perspectives. Bausch is the librarian at the Norfolk County (Virginia) Law Library and she shows you how public law library success depends on the good will and support of the local legal community. To garner that good will and support, Bausch and her colleagues in other public law libraries across the country reach out to their communities in many ways. She describes the services that these librarians offer and tells you about their successes. This essay is from the forthcoming book, The Spirit of Law Librarianship 2d edited Roy M. Mersky and Richard A. Leiter.  

 

For Your Information by Donna Tuke Heroy  In her column this month, Heroy tells you about two law librarians who recently received recognition for their service. She also tells you about a September visit to LexisNexis headquarters for a Media Days gathering. She describes the sessions she attended and the people she met. This is a chance for you to learn about how the company gets information about its products out to the media. 

 

Print and Electronic Reviews

 

The Sarbanes-Oxley Deskbook (Practising Law Institute)

 

Emergency Preparedness for Facilities: A Guide to Safety Planning and Business Continuity (Government Institutes)

 

Homeland Security Statutes, 2003 Edition (Government Institutes)

 

Advance Health Care Directives: A Handbook for Professionals.

(American Bar Association Senior Law Division)

 

The Lawyer’s Guide to Extranets: Breaking Down Walls, Building Client Connections (American Bar Association, Law Practice Management Section)

 

Collective Security Law (Ashgate Publishing Ltd.)

 

New Editions and Supplements

 

Supreme Court Practice, 8th ed. (BNA Books)

 

Cox & Hazen on Corporations, 2d. ed. (Aspen Publishers)

 

Criminal Procedure in Practice, 2d. ed. (NITA)

 

Pre-Mortem Estate Planning Checklist, 2d. ed. (ALI-ABA)

 

Patent, Trademark, and Copyright Laws, 2003 ed. (BNA Books)

 

Patent, Trademark, and Copyright Regulations, with February 2003 Supplement (BNA Books)

 

BooksandPeriodicals.com (Library Technology Alliance, Ltd.)

 

Public Records Online, 4th ed. (Facts on Demand Press)

 

Restatements of the Law Third, Trusts (American Law Institute)

 

JULY/AUGUST 2003           

 

And The Mountain Came To Us…West km by Linda Will  Knowledge Management is everywhere these days. In this month’s feature article, Linda Will tells you what it is and why are law firms embracing it. She also gives you her user’s perspective as she takes you through the implementation of West km at her law firm.  You will find out who was involved in the technical details, how a law firm’s culture affects its use, and how the library staff participated in the process. She also tells you what to watch out for if you are considering West km for your organization.

 

For Your Information by Donna Tuke Heroy  In her annual report on the AALL Annual Meeting, Heroy gives you an overview of the exhibits and programs. You will also find the quiz that BNA used at its exhibit. You can test your knowledge of BNA and its products and services. While you won’t win a prize (as at AALL), you will get an idea about what BNA offers for lawyers and librarians. 

 

IP Update by Allyson B. Danowski  In her column, Danowski tells you about several legal e-mail alert services that she finds helpful in finding current news in the Intellectual Property (IP) field. While not devoted strictly to intellectual property, these do contain enough IP current news to help you with research in this arena.  Danowski also pays tribute to librarians and their role as disseminators of information, and to the librarian who was her mentor in library school. 

 

Print and Electronic Reviews

 

Executive Compensation (BNA Books)

 

Legal Research: How to Find and Understand the Law, 10th ed. (Nolo Press)

 

Leadership Roles for Librarians (William S. Hein & Co., Inc.)

 

PowerPoint® 2002 for Litigators (National Institute for Trial Advocacy)

 

Journal of Tax Practice Management (CCH, Inc.)

 

Falls and Related Injuries: Slips, Trips, Missteps, and Their Consequences

(Lawyers and Judges Publishing Company, Inc.)

 

JUNE 2003           

 

Navigating the Law: Case-finding Tools Beyond Westlaw and Lexis by Thomas R. Keefe  Having noted the declining use of traditional print case-finding tools such as digests, annotations, and legal indexes, Keefe sets out to demonstrate how the marriage of technology and tradition can provide researchers with opportunities to take advantage of the best electronic and print sources. He shows you how traditional case-finding tools complement electronic case database searching.

 

For Your Information  by Donna Tuke Heroy  In her report on the SLA Annual Meeting, Heroy gives you an overview of the exhibits and programs. She also tells you about the activities held in celebration of the Legal Division’s 10th anniversary.

 

Database Report by Jill Allyn  Guest columnist Allyn provides an update to her two previous feature articles on docket research services. In this column she tells you about the latest enhancements to CourtEXPRESS, CourtLink, PACER, and WestDockets.

 

Print and Electronic Reviews

 

California Secured Transactions Under Revised Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code  (Data Trace Publishing Company)

 

Limited Liability Companies: A Planning and Drafting Guide (ALI-ABA)

 

Google Hacks: 100 Industrial-Strength Tips and Tools (O’Reilly & Associates)

 

International Law and Indigenous Peoples (Ashgate Publishing Company)

 

The Internet and Dispute Resolution: Untangling the Web (Law Journal Press)

 

Preparing the Lay Witness for a Deposition (National Institute for Trial Advocacy)

 

 

MAY 2003           

 

Sarbanes-Oxley and Corporate Financial Responsibility by Jeffrey R. Stickle  In a companion article to our March article, “Tracking Resources Under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002,” Jeffrey Stickle gives you an overview of the legal climate of the Act. He covers how the law will be implemented, the end of self-regulation for the accounting industry, and the establishment of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. He tells you what you need to know about boards of director’s accountability, employer-employee relations, and the responsibilities of senior management. Stickle also covers the Act’s provision on buying and selling stock and investor relationships. He concludes by pointing you to some helpful resources for research information on Sarbanes-Oxley.

 

Database Report by Richard A. Leiter  This month, Leiter takes you on a flight of fancy—or, is it real? Asking if the “matrix is here now,” he chronicles how organizing and accomplishing your work on your computer is similar to what you do in the “real world.” Then, he shows you how it looks as if you are doing nothing, while you are “virtually” working your — off.  It’s hard to describe – you just have to read it!

 

Print and Electronic Reviews

 

Mealey’s Litigation Report:  Employer Liability Insurance  

(LexisNexis/Mealey Publications)

 

Internet Law & Strategy (Law Journal Newsletters)

 

Winning The War On Terror: Legal and Policy Lessons from the Past

(Lawyers & Judges Publishing Company, Inc.)

 

The Redbook: A Manual on Legal Style (West Group)

 

Legal Aspects of Gene Technology (Sweet & Maxwell/Thomson)

 

Pharmaceutical Law & Industry Report (The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc.)

 

Supreme Court and Appellate Advocacy: Mastering Oral Argument (Thomson/West)

 

Mealey’s Litigation Report: Silica (Mealey Publications, Inc.)

 

 

APRIL 2003           

 

The Most-Cited Law Reviews: Another New Tool For Law Library Collection Development by Fred R. Shapiro  Are you building a new law library collection? Do you want to assess the serials you get at an established library? Firm, court, government, or academic librarians need to know what law reviews are heavily used so these can be included in their collections. Fred Shapiro’s compilation of most-cited law reviews represents the most authoritative assessment of influential and widely used legal periodicals. He presents this information in chart form, so it is easy to use. 

 

For Your Information by Donna Tuke Heroy  This month, Heroy announces Alert Publications, Inc.’s first book publishing venture – The Sprit of Law Librarianship 2nd edition by Roy Mersky and Richard Leiter. She also takes you to Legal Tech Chicago where she gives you an update on the exhibits and the programs. 

 

Database Report by Steven Anderson  In “Due Diligence: A Look at LexisNexis Company Analyzer,” Anderson takes a look at this new offering. He tells you about the advantages and search features of this service. He also tells you what is included and what is not included. If you are thinking about adding Company Analyzer to your arsenal for locating company information, you will want to read his column.

 

Print and Electronic Reviews

 

Bruner & O’Connor on Construction Law (West Group)

 

Transferring Interests in the Closely Held Family Business (ALI-ABA)

 

LexisNexis Florida Annotated Statutes (LexisNexis)

 

Legal Protection of Digital Information (BNA Books)

 

International Economic Regulation (Ashgate Publishing Company)

 

Law Library Benchmarks: 2003 Edition (Primary Research Group)

 

Winning Alternatives to the Billable Hour: Strategies that Work

(American Bar Association, Law Practice Management Section)

 

March 2003           

 

Tracking Resources for the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 by Robyn Rebollo  The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 was enacted due to the notorious downfalls of such companies as Enron, World Com, and Global Crossing, which all had numerous accounting problems. The act is designed to “protect investors by improving the accuracy and reliability of corporate disclosures made pursuant to the securities laws, and for other purposes.” In her article, Robyn Rebollo offers a guide to the reports, analyses, and SEC rules and regulations that have appeared as a result of this law and the problems it is intended to address. If you need to find information about Sarbanes-Oxley, you will find help here. 

 

Intellectual Property Update by Allyson B. Danowski. In this feature, which appears quarterly, Danowski provides the latest information on current intellectual property issues. Here she tells you how to locate the owners of domain names and web sites. She covers free and fee-based services to enable you to find out who is behind the web addresses. As usual, she offers search strategy tips and techniques along the way. 

 

Librarian At Large by Phill Johnson  Johnson tells you how the advent of West Group’s National Reporter System Online in PDF format is changing the face of online cite checking by lawyers, paralegals, and law review editors. He asserts that the tendency in the past has been that only the original print version of a case is accurate for cite checking. However, since the image with the PDF version looks exactly the same as the print copy, cite checking online can live up to its reputation of being accurate as well as fast. You’ll learn all about this new feature on Westlaw and what other CALR providers have to offer for electronic cite checking. 

 

 

Print and Electronic Reviews

 

Enron and Beyond: Technical Analysis of Accounting, Corporate Governance, and Securities Issues. (CCH Incorporated)

 

Enron: A Professional’s Guide to the Events, Ethical Issues, and Proposed Reforms (CCH Incorporated)

 

Organizing, Financing, Growing, and Selling Businesses: Forms and Advice for Lawyers (ALI-ABA)

 

Practical Education Law for the Twenty-First Century (Carolina Academic Press)

 

ALI-ABA’s Practice Checklist Manual on Insurance: Checklists, Forms, and Drafting Advice from The Practical Lawyer, The Practical Litigator, and The Practical Real Estate Lawyer (ALI-ABA)

 

Drafting Print and Online Publishing Agreements (Aspen Law & Business)

 

E-Copyright Law Handbook (Aspen Law & Business)

 

Handbook on Mental Disability Law 

(ABA Commission on Mental & Physical Disability Law)

 

Decision by Trial: A Collection of Articles on Juries, Juror Research, and Juror Attitudes (DecisionQuest)

 

 

FEBRUARY 2003            

 

Managing Technological Change by Leveraging Your Human Resources  by Robert E.  Riger.  Few articles focusing on the impact of the human resources necessary to make significant technological changes can be found in professional journals. Yet, the people responsible for the actual work can ultimately determine the success or failure of any major automation project. In his article, Riger provides an overview, designed to help library managers plan or implement change. He shows you how to identify opportunities for leveraging human resources by examining various stages in the automation process.                                     

 

For Your Information by Donna Tuke Heroy.   Heroy visited with law librarians in Boston and tells you what issues concern this group of information professionals.  She also attended LegalTech Chicago and gives you a report on what’s new and what’s hot. Her report from Online Information 2002 in London also appears in this issue.  

 

Database Report by Richard A. Leiter.   In this report, Leiter declares that permanent public access to electronic information is the challenge of the day for librarians. The question, as he says here, is not will we have access to electronic materials in the future, but what will we actually have access to. He shows you that this is not as clear as it should be and foresees an “information Armageddon” if information professionals are not diligent about trying to avoid the issue known as Permanent Public Access.

 

Print and Electronic Reviews

 

E-Commerce and Communications: Transactions in Digital Information

(Matthew Bender & Company, Inc.)

 

Mealey’s California Section 17200 Report (Mealey Publications, Inc.)

 

Native American Natural Resources Law: Cases and Materials

(Carolina Academic Press)

 

Mealey’s Litigation Report: Thimerosal & Vaccines (Mealey Publications, Inc.)

 

Copyright Law: Protection of Original Expression (Carolina Academic Press)

 

Trademark Dilution: Federal, State, and International Law (BNA Books)

 

Florida Legal Research Sources, Process and Analysis  (Carolina Academic Press)

 

Cardinal Rules of Advocacy: Understanding and Mastering Fundamental Principles of Persuasion   (National Institute for Trial Advocacy)

 

January  2003

 

Using Technology to Market Library Services by Susan Catterall  Is your firm planning to switch from an intranet to a portal? Then you will want to read Catterall’s story of how Minneapolis-based Leonard Street and Deinard made the change. She gives you a step-by-step guide that shows you how the librarians use the portal technology to enhance library services. She also covers marketing these services to lawyers and support staff. She describes the teamwork between the Information Technology and Research Services (library) departments, and you will see how this cooperation used the strengths of both IT staff and librarians to ensure its success. 

 

Database Report  by Steven P. Anderson  If you were at AALL last summer, you probably witnessed the roll-out of West km, West Group’s knowledge management system for law firms. In his column this month, Anderson gives you an up-close look at this new offering. He tells you what it is, how it works, and what it will do for your firm. Anderson also predicts that new professional opportunities for law librarians will arise in firms that use West km. He shows you how this knowledge management product is a perfect fit with law librarians’ traditional roles. 

 

Print and Electronic Reviews

 

Fiduciary Accounting and Trust Administration Guide (ALI/ABA) Reviewer:  Mike Robins, Director of Knowledge Management, Levenfeld Pearlstein, Chicago

 

Mealey's Litigation Report: ERISA (Mealey Publications)  Reviewer: Shaun Esposito, Head of Public Services, University of Arizona, Tucson

 

Violence Against Women: Law, Prevention, Protection, Enforcement, Treatment, Health (Civic Research Institute)  Reviewer: Therese A. Clarke, Reference/Instructional Services Librarian, Northern Illinois University College of Law, DeKalb

 

CCH Guide to Anti-Money Laundering and Bank Secrecy:  Compliance and the USA Patriot Act (CCH Incorporated)  Reviewer:  Susan Boland, Research & Instructional Services Librarian, Northern Illinois University College of Law, DeKalb

English Private Law (Oxford University Press)  Reviewer: Mary Rumsey, Foreign, Comparative & International Law Librarian, University of Minnesota Law School, Minneapolis

 

Legal Writing: Form & Function (National Institute for Trial Advocacy)  Reviewer; Stephanie Pierson, Legal Information Resources Manager, LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae,  Newark NJ

 

The Oxford Companion to American Law (Oxford University Press)  Reviewer: Joel Fishman, Asst. Director for Lawyer Services, Allegheny County Law Library, Pittsburgh

 

Commercial Real Estate Forms: Forms, Checklists, and Drafting Advice from ALI-ABA’s The Practical Real Estate Lawyer (ALI-ABA)  Reviewer:  Mike Robins, Director of Knowledge Management, Levenfeld Pearlstein, Chicago, IL

 

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2002

                                               

 

UPDATE XIX: What’s New on Westlaw, LexisNexis, VersusLaw, and Loislaw  by Stacey L. Gordon  Our CALR update is an annual feature, and this edition is number19.  We continue to include VersusLaw and LoisLaw in addition to Westlaw and LexisNexis.  Internet versions of each publisher’s CALR database are also covered.  In addition to chronicling the additions and enhancements of each service, Gordon offers comments and search tips. 

 

Database Report  by Richard A. Leiter  In this issue, Leiter asks the question: is virtual reference service an idea whose time has come? Or is it a concept that is easier said than done?  In answering these questions, Leiter reviews the benefits and challenges to offering this non-traditional form of taking reference requests. He also tells you how the service works at a university’s main library. 

 

Print and Electronic Reviews

 

Privacy Law Watch.  Privacy & Securities Law Reporter (BNA, Inc.) Reviewer: Sarah Holmes, Corporate/Law Librarian, Boston

 

Privacy Regulation Report  (United Communications Group)  Reviewer: Sarah Holmes, Corporate/Law Librarian, Boston

 

The Use of Lethal Force:  What Prosecutors, Defenders and Policy Makers Should  Know  (ALI-ABA Committee on Continuing Professional Education)  Reviewer: Shaun Esposito,  Public Services Librarian, University of Arizona, Tucson

 

Endangered Species Act: Law, Policy and Perspectives (ABA Section of Environment, Energy and Resources)  Reviewer: Donna Bausch, Law Librarian, Norfolk Law Library, Norfolk, VA

 

Taking Sides on Takings Issues: Public & Private Perspectives  (ABA Section of State & Local Government Law)  Reviewer: Laura M. Shoman, Librarian, Hill Gilstrap Perkins & Trotter, Little Rock, AR

 

October 2002

 

Market Your Library with Technology by Catherine Sanders Reach

Law firm librarians know the importance of marketing library services. Like all consumers, attorneys want value, content, personalization, commitment, and the option of self-sufficiency. In your law library, you offer all of these commodities to attorneys, and it is vital to market these services to the firm. In this feature, Reach shows you how to use today’s technology to create "brand," market services, and create new ways to deliver information. Law librarians can also use such business techniques as advertising and surveys to reach their clients and retain loyalty.

 

Intellectual Property Update  In this new column, Alyson Danowski give you details about the resources to help you gain a comprehensive view of copyright law today.  Beginning with the basic sources, Danowski tells you the print and online sources you can use catch up on copyright law.  She then provides details about web sites and portals. With this article, you can improve your research skills in this area. Danowski’s Intellectual Property Update will appear quarterly.

 

Print and Electronic Reviews

 

Public Companies (Law Journal Press)  Reviewer: Lynn Connor Merring, Librarian, Stradling, Yocca, Carlson & Rauth, Newport Beach, CA

 

Shareholder Proposal Handbook (Aspen Law & Business)  Reviewer:  Ramon C. Curva, Corporate Information Specialist, Cravath Swaine & Moore, New York

 

E-Business, Internet and Online Transactions  (Glasser LegalWorks)  Reviewer:  Therese A. Clarke, Reference Librarian, Northern Illinois University College of Law, DeKalb, IL

 

Principles of the Law of Family Dissolution: Analysis and Recommendations. (American Law Institute)  Reviewer: Sara Galligan, Law Library Manager, Dakota County Law Library, Hastings, MN

 

Document Retention in the Electronic Workplace  (Pike & Fischer, Inc.)  Reviewer:  Wynne Browne, Librarian, Downs, Rachlin Martin, St. Johnsbury, VT

 

Computer and Intellectual Property Crime: Federal and State Law  (BNA)  Reviewer: Leah Sandwell-Weiss, Reference Librarian, University of Arizona Law Library, Tucson

 

Mealey’s Litigation Report: Baycol  (Mealey Publications, Inc.)  Reviewer: Kathleen Kelly, Librarian, Lockridge Grindal Nauen, Minneapolis, MN 

 

SEPTEMBER 2002

 

Copyright Year in Review 2001-2002 by Michael B. Reddy  With the technology revolution of the past 15 years, intellectual property has come to the forefront as a practice area specialty for lawyers. Librarians have a special interest in one area of IP, copyright law. Due to the nature of their profession in acquiring, organizing, and providing access to information, they are in constant contact with copyright issues.  This past year has been a particularly eventful for copyright concerns. In this article, Reddy reviews and analyzed the major copyright cases that have been in the courts. He covers a major U. S. Supreme Court decision that was decided at the beginning of the review year (June 2001-July 2002). He also examines a significant copyright dispute for which the Court granted cert in February, to be argued this fall (after this article was published).

 

For Your Information  by Donna Tuke Heroy  Unable to attend AALL this year, Heroy asked librarians Howard Trivers and Nuchine Nobari to give you their impressions of the annual meeting.  Their reports, along with one from an independent publisher of legal information, appear in this column.

 

Print and Electronic Reviews

 

A Practical Guide to Buy-Sell Agreements  Reviewer: Nancy McMurrer, University of Washington, (American Law Institute-American Bar Association)

 

Insurance Law Coverage Bulletin  Reviewer:  Randall J. Thompson, Louisiana State University (Law Journal Press)

 

National Security and the D-Notice System  Reviewer: Christopher A. Vallandingham,  University of Florida (Ashgate Publishing)

 

Domain Name Disputes   Reviewer: Alyson Danowski, Collier Shannon Scott

(Aspen Law & Business)

 

The Elements of Legal Style 2d ed.  Reviewer: Laura M. Shoman, Hill Gilstrap Perkins & Trotter  (Oxford University Press)

 

Takeovers: A Strategic Guide to Mergers and Acquisitions  Reviewer: Kevin Miles, Dallas TX  (Aspen Law & Business)

 

 

JULY/AUGUST 2002

                                               

People-Finder Databases: Which Ones to Use and Why by Howard E. Trivers. In this article, Trivers makes a strong case for developing people-finder skills. He points out that advances in technology have led attorneys and paralegals to do more of what librarians used to do. Enter the new and better people-finder databases, which allow you to become experts to fill this important and con