ACBA Articles on Netbooks / Law Firm Websites

The December 18, 2009 edition of the Lawyer's Journal, a weekly publication of the Allegheny County Bar Association, had two interesting articles on legal technology:

- Netbooks Offer a Lightweight and Wireless Computer Option (page 5)

- Law Firm Website Basics: From Design to Content (page 6)

Read both articles here:

http://www.acba.org/ACBA/Publications/Lawyers-Journal.asp

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The North Face Sues The South Butt for Trademark Infringement

Article originally published on ABA Journal Online:

The North Face Apparel Co. has filed a trademark infringement suit against a teen who started a company called The South Butt to help pay for college.

The North Face’s tag line is “Never Stop Exploring'' while The South Butt sells products with the tag line “Never Stop Relaxing,” according to the Associated Press. The South Butt’s founder, Jimmy Winkelmann, has said the fleece jackets and other clothing sold by his company are intended to mock people who wear brand-name clothing sold by outfitters like The North Face, the Missourian reports.

Read the entire article:

http://www.abajournal.com/weekly/article/the_north_face_sues_the_south_butt_for_trademark_infringement

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REMINDER: December Inns of Court

The December Inns of court meeting is set for this Thursday December 10th at
5 pm.

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DUI Holiday Crackdown

"Police nationwide will begin a crackdown on drunken driving Dec. 16, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced today.

A $7.5 million advertising campaign will try to discourage drinking and driving during the holiday season. In Pennsylvania, the Operation Safe Holiday program is in effect this month, with state police and 600 municipal forces participating in an effort to curb drunken driving, speeding and aggressive driving.

The organization Drive Safe Pa. pointed out that a DUI citation costs more than $1,000 plus court costs.

Last year, 11,773 people died nationally in crashes involving a driver whose blood alcohol level was 0.08 or higher. That represented a 9.7 percent decrease compared with 2007.

DUI deaths also declined in Pennsylvania, from 504 in 2007 to 496 last year. Those deaths made up 34 percent of crash fatalities in the state.

The nationwide crackdown continues through Jan. 3."

Read more: http://www.pittsburghpostgazette.com/pg/09341/1019082-100.stm#ixzz0Z1gZZgO7

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Supreme Court Debates Beach Ownership/Access

Florida property owners asked the U.S. Supreme Court to decide if that state's efforts to restore eroded beaches was a challenge to their property rights. The case has widespread implications for coastal communities nationwide that confront beach erosion.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/23/AR2009112303930.html


Listen to the story:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121030772

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ABA Journal Reviews Google Scholar

By Debra Cassens Weiss

Users can go to the Google Scholar online search engine and type in case names, topics or key words to find the relevant cases. “We think this addition to Google Scholar will empower the average citizen by helping everyone learn more about the laws that govern us all,” Google says in an announcement posted at TaxProf Blog.

http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/google_offers_legal_research_for_the_average_citizenand_lawyers_too

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December Happenings at the WBA...

Holiday Dinner Dance - Just TWO Weeks Away When: Saturday December 5th, 6 pm Where: Westmoreland Country Club Join us as we recognize two of our judges: Judge Ackerman and Judge Ober, who will retire from the bench of the Court of Common Pleas of Westmoreland County at the end of the year. The Westmoreland Bar Association, Ned J. Nakles American Inn of Court, and Westmoreland Academy of Trial Lawyers will honor Judge Ackerman and Judge Ober with a brief program, to be followed by the music of Lavelles. R.S.V.P. by November 25, 2009. More information and registration information. Dinner with Santa Date: Wednesday December 9th Time: 5:30 pm - 7 pm Place: WBA headquarters Bring your favorite little ones to celebrate the season and to have a Kids friendly dinner with a real-live "WBA" Santa. This event is a hit with our members and their families because the setting is cozy and inviting with no crowds and lots of opportunities to take photos. All children get plenty of time to sit with Santa and tell him their Christmas wish list. Crafts, food, drink and the big jolly guy! Who could ask for more? Oh yeah, and it is FREE! Don't forget to let us know if you are coming and who you are bringing. Santa may read minds but we can't.

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Google Scholar: The Next Westlaw/Lexis Nexis?

Looking for that hard to find court decision or administrative ruling? Maybe it is outside your subscription? Google Scholar may be your answer. Even better...it is free.

http://scholar.google.com/

Simply type in the case and/or citation you are looking for and hit the "Search" button and a list of potential websites with that citation or case will soon appear. Although the service is not perfect, and may not have a lot of specialized holdings, it is a promising tool.

Read more about the service here.

Thanks to WBA Member Christopher Watson for sending this concept to the WBA Blog!

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The Jefferson Bottles: Fraud in the High Priced Wine World

This articles was written by Patrick Radden Keefe and originally published in the New Yorker.

The most expensive bottle of wine ever sold at auction was offered at Christie’s in London, on December 5, 1985. The bottle was handblown dark-green glass and capped with a nubby seal of thick black wax. It had no label, but etched into the glass in a spindly hand was the year 1787, the word “Lafitte,” and the letters “Th.J.”

The bottle came from a collection of wine that had reportedly been discovered behind a bricked-up cellar wall in an old building in Paris. The wines bore the names of top vineyards—along with Lafitte (which is now spelled “Lafite”), there were bottles from Châteaux d’Yquem, Mouton, and Margaux—and those initials, “Th.J.” According to the catalogue, evidence suggested that the wine had belonged to Thomas Jefferson, and that the bottle at auction could “rightly be considered one of the world’s greatest rarities.” The level of the wine was “exceptionally high” for such an old bottle—just half an inch below the cork—and the color “remarkably deep for its age.” The wine’s value was listed as “inestimable.”

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/09/03/070903fa_fact_keefe

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What Have You Done About Employee Use of Facebook and Twitter?

The following was posted on the Legal Intelligencer Blog by Eric B. Meyer

"A few months ago, I had a blog post about social media policies. I had already developed a few of these policies for clients, as well as our firm’s social media policy. Confident that I knew my stuff, my blog post focused on the rules and restrictions that form the backbone of a great social media policy."


http://thelegalintelligencer.typepad.com/tli/2009/11/what-have-you-done-about-employee-use-of-facebook-and-twitter.html

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Law Practice Management - Discussing Healthcare Options

Let's Discuss Your Healthcare Options...

Panera Morning westmoreland bar association DATE: Wednesday November 4th TIME: 8:00 - 9:00 am (or so) LOCATION: Panera Bread, Route 30, Hempfield Plaza I know you wanted to join us last month for coffee because you really are struggling with all of those nasty issues: bookkeeping, staff, time management, insurance and taxes, but you thought that 7:30am was a little early. OK, here's your second chance. We are going to get together at 8:00 am, this Wednesday, November 4th at Panera Bread in the Greengate Plaza. One of the issues we talked about is health insurance so we will have Bob Swann, a health insurance broker available to answer questions. We'll talk about the other stuff too and exchange ideas about good resources. Mark your calendar, or phone, or PDA and join us. Come on in.... it is still raining. Becky Brammell, Co-chair, Law Practice Mngmt Committee ---------------------------------------------------------