CRS Reports on BNA

The Bureau of National Affairs (BNA), a commercial database to which the Gallagher Law Library subscribes, is now another source for finding Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports.

Some recent CRS reports available on BNA are the following:

• Tax Reform: An Overview of Proposals in the 112th Congress (April 20, 2011)
• Overview of Health Care Changes in the FY2012 Budget Proposal Offered by House Budget Committee Chairman Ryan (April 13, 2011)
• Appropriations and Fund Transfers in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) (March 31, 2011)
• The Proposed U.S.-Panama Free Trade Agreement (March 29, 2011)
• Should the United States Levy a Value-Added Tax for Deficit Reduction? (March 22, 2011)
• Advertising by the Federal Government: An Overview (March 10, 2011)
• Religious Exemptions for Mandatory Health Care Programs: A Legal Analysis (Feb. 23, 2011)
• Intellectual Property Rights and International Trade (Feb. 17, 2011)

To locate CRS reports, click on the Search My BNA logo located on the navigation bar of a BNA publication site. Then enter "CRS report" in the search box. You may limit your search to a specific topic area at this point. Some of the results will be summaries of the reports, but others will provide the entire contents of the reports themselves. Still others will provide a link to the PDF of the CRS report. (These links are usually located at the very bottom of an article page.)

Remember to sign in to the proxy server if you're accessing BNA from off-campus.

See the Library's CRS research guide to locating CRS Reports via other sources.

Upcoming CLE: the Japanese Legal Profession after Recent Crises

An upcoming CLE, "The Japanese Legal Profession after the 2008 Financial Crisis and the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake Symposium," will be held on Monday, May 9, 2011 from 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. in downtown Seattle.

A distinguished group of legal practitioners from the leading Japanese and foreign law firms in Tokyo will engage in a panel discussion to examine the current state of the legal profession in Japan following the 2008 financial crisis and the 2011 Tohoku earthquake.

To register for this free seminar (offering 2.0 CLE credits), see the UW School of Law's Continuing Legal Education site. See the brochure for information about the speakers. Pre-registration by May 3, 2011 is required.

The Expanding Bluebook

Josh Blackman, a blogger and "aspiring academic" has charted the Bluebook's growth from its appearance in 1926 (28 pages) to its 19th edition in 2010 (511 pages).  (His chart also links to PDFs of the 1st through 15th editions, which are available on the Bluebook's website.
Extreme as this growth appears, it would be even greater if one took into account the increased page size. The 12th edition (1976), which was current when I began law school, was just 6 inches high and slipped easily into a coat pocket.   The 13th edition (1981) was 8 3/8 inches high.  And the 19th edition (2010) is a smidgen taller, at 8 1/2 inches. 

The growth isn't all bad.  The newer editions are easier to use -- better indexing, more examples, thumb tabs, etc. -- and that 12th edition would never lay flat because of the way it was bound.

Blackman suggests that law reviews experiment with having one Bluebook-free issue per year and see how much time it saves.

Resource for Transactional Practitioners: Practical Law Company

Practical Law Company (PLC) is an online database providing resources for transactional lawyers. PLC is now available--free--to law school faculty, staff and students. Graduates may even continue their access up to six months after graduation.

What's available?

• Model documents with legal, drafting and negotiating tips
• Step-by-step checklists, time lines and flowcharts
• Handy overviews of transactional practice areas
• Updates on the latest legal and market developments
• Resources on doing cross-border deals and conducting business internationally
• Access to Practical Law The Journal

Content for Law Schools is divided into two categories: Corporate & Securities and Finance.

Also available is a Summer Associate Survival Guide offering over 50 step-by-step corporate, securities and finance resources designed to help you complete assignments you may be given. You'll need to sign up for your free account to access this material.

Lexis ASPIRE Program for Public Interest Work

The Lexis ASPIRE program provides free Lexis access to rising 2Ls and 3Ls who pursue verifiable public interest work. All December 2010 and spring 2011 graduates pursuing public interest work are also eligible. (This includes deferred fall associates and graduates searching for permanent employment who undertake public interest work in the interim.) What Lexis content is available, exactly?

• federal and state cases, codes, & regulations;


• law reviews;


• Shepard's citation service;


• Matthew Bender treatises

Students and graduates must work directly for a non-profit or charitable organization. For more information and a list of exclusions, log in to Lexis for Law Schools and click on the "Career Help" tab. You may also click here.

Where Do Your Federal Taxes Go?

Due to a holiday in Washington, D.C. this past Friday, April 15, the deadline for filing federal income tax returns is midnight today, April 18. But where does your money go? The Whitehouse has a new website, Taxpayer Receipt, an information source President Obama promised the public in his State of the Union Address. According to the website:

In his State of the Union Address, President Obama promised that this year, for the first time ever, American taxpayers would be able to go online and see exactly how their federal tax dollars are spent. Just enter a few pieces of information about your taxes, and the taxpayer receipt will give you a breakdown of how your tax dollars are spent on priorities like education, veterans benefits, or health care.

You are asked to enter your 2010 payments of social security, Medicare, and income taxes. You then click on the "calculate receipt" button to see the breakdown of the total you paid. Even without entering any information, however, you can see at least the percentage distribution of your income taxes. For instance, over 26% of one's income taxes is used in the broad category of national defense. Most of that 26% is spent on military salaries and benefits, operations and equipment, and research and development. Over 24% is spent on health care and over 7% of your income taxes goes to pay interest.

National Archives Discovery of Walt Whitman Writings

In keeping with April being National Poetry Month, the National Archives recently announced the identification of nearly 3,000 writings produced by Walt Whitman while he worked as a federal government employee from 1863-1873. During that decade, Whitman worked in the Army Paymaster's office, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Attorney General's office. According to the National Archives, the identification of these papers "sheds light on the legendary poet's post-war thinking, as well as Whitman's published reflections on the state of the nation that soon followed." You can read more about this discovery in the National Archives press release.

Updated Legal Research Guide on Law of the Sea

The Gallagher guide on the International Law of the Sea has been updated. The guide includes sections on:

• foreign law compilations


• periodicals


• treaties


• the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea


• the United Nations and other organizations

IRS.gov's "The Truth About Frivolous Tax Arguments"

IRS.gov has posted information detailing "some of the more common frivolous 'legal' arguments made by individuals and groups who oppose compliance with the federal tax laws." Called "The Truth About Frivolous Tax Arguments," the information is compiled in three sections:

I. Frivolous Tax Arguments in General

II. Frivolous Tax Arguments in Collection Due Process Cases

III. Penalties for Pursuing Frivolous Tax Arguments

One example, "Contention: The IRS must prepare federal tax returns for a person who fails to file" provides the reader with the law as well as supporting case law. In other words, this contention is shown to be false.

The information is also available in PDF printable format.

Mount Vernon's New Library

Mount Vernon broke ground today (4/14/11) on the new 45,000 square foot Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington. Slated to open in 2013, the library will "provide a secure and environmentally-friendly home to Mount Vernon’s vast and growing collection of books, manuscripts, and other archival materials."

More information about the project, the collection, the Scholars' Residence and to take a virtual tour, see the Mount Vernon site.

Upcoming symposium: Viva La Causa!

Viva La Causa! Organizing Farm Workers in the Pacific Northwest During the 60's is an upcoming symposium being held to celebrate the life and work of the late labor leader and civil rights activist César Chávez.

A panel of prominent organizers and activists that worked in the state of Washington, who also collaborated and were inspired by Chávez, will discuss Chávez’s enduring influence in our state.

When: 2 - 5 p.m., April 20, 2011

Where: Walker Ames Room, Kane Hall

For more information about the three-month-long series of events celebrating Chávez's life and work, "Viva La Causa: César Chávez and the Pacific Northwest," see the American Ethnic Studies site.

Communicating the Science of Climate Change

"Communicating the Science of Climate Change" is the topic of an upcoming seminar hosted by the Forum on Science Ethics and Policy. The seminar will be led by Michael McPhaden, affiliate professor in the UW School of Oceanography and president of the American Geophysical Union. He is also a senior scientist at the NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory and a Fellow at the UW Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean.

When: 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., Thursday, April 21, 2011
Where: Room A-114 Physics-Astronomy

The Forum on Science Ethics and Policy is a multidisciplinary organization of graduate students and post-doctoral fellows. The forum's goal is to promote "dialogue among scholars, policy experts, and the public about the role of science in society." See the forum's site for more information.

Using the Library Without Realizing It

"I never use the library: I do all my research online."

Some students might think that they never use the library, but these days you can use the library without being in it or touching its books.

Every time you sign on to LexisNexis or Westlaw, you're using the library. Although law school subscribers don't pay as much as commercial subscribers–they want students to learn their systems–law schools do still have to pay for these services, and the subscriptions are paid and managed by the library.

And of course, you're using the library whenever you use other licensed databases we subscribe to–for instance, LegalTrac, HeinOnline, BNA, RIA Checkpoint, CCH Intelliconnect, ProQuest Congressional (formerly LexisNexis Congressional).

Even if you stick to free government websites, you might be using the library to get to those sites. If you aren't, you should consider using the great set of links to Free Law Online that the library maintains–it can save you a lot of time!

We're always happy to see you in person in the Reference Office, but remember that you can also send us questions using the "Ask Us!" link on our website.

Even if you aren't using the physical library space, you can ask for help, as well as using our website and licensed databases. 

Librarians: Masters of the Universe

That headline is almost the headline from an article by CNN librarian Kerith Page McFadden in honor of National Library Week. It is chock full of fascinating tidbits about librarians. For instance, both Casanova and Mao Zedong were librarians. That led me to wonder - what is the true core of a librarian - passionate lover or ruthless dictator?

According to the article, the American Library Association reports that the nation's public and academic librarians answered almost 5.7 million questions each week in 2010. So, remember that we here in the Gallagher Law Library welcome your questions: stop by the reference office, call at 543-6794, or email us for help. With your help, those statistics could reach 6 million questions per week in 2011!

Law in Peepular Culture

Ah, April! That magical month when the ABA Journal sponsors the Peeps in Law diorama contest. In this third annual contest, the Journal received 40 submissions, which have now been winnowed down to the top eight. Readers (you are included) are asked to vote for their favorite by noon on April 19. The top two diorama artists win $150 and $100, respectively, in Peeps memorabilia from Just Born, the maker of Peeps.

If you would like to view all forty dioramas, go to the Peeps Gallery. There you will find such legal depictions as a skydiver's Peepsumption of the risk, Matthew McConaughPeep in the Lincoln Lawyer, a day in the life of a Peeplic Defender, and a case involving zombie Peeps.

The Peeps in Law contest typically starts in early March. Contestants submit a photograph of their diorama, including its title and a short (no more than 150 words) description. Refer to this ABA Journal article for information about the 2011 contest.

This year the ABA Journal visited the Peeps team during its tour of cities in the Northeast, Midwest, and Mid-Atlantic. The Journal article describes the Peepster, a bright yellow VW topped with a yellow Peep and the crowds that greeted it. For pictures from the tour, visit the Random Acts of Sweetness website.

Need a New Apartment?

Are you working in a different city this summer? Moving after graduation? Want to investigate other apartments here in Seattle? MyApartmentMap.com is a great free resource for starting your search online. Here is a description from the website:

MyApartmentMap is an apartment search engine that allows users to find apartment listings all over the United States. Searchers can view pictures, maps, rental data, find deals, post rentals and contact property owners. MyApartmentMap also has specific search features for college students, pet owners, and military families.

You can search (by city and state or zip code) or you can browse (there are lists of states and "popular cities"). If you click on a state link, you are taken to a webpage that groups that state's cities by size. Click on a city link, and you can also limit to specific zipcodes or, depending on the city's size, to specific neighborhoods. Other cities that are close by are linked as well.

Apartment lists include a thumbnail picture of each apartment building. Some listings have a link to a 360-degree streetview (however, the address is only "approximate"). A more useful option may be to click on the "map" link. That shows the location of the apartment, and you can add to the map nearby grocery stores, restaurants, schools, and other points of interest.

Each apartment listing shows prices for the different sizes of apartments. There is even a tab for that city's "deals and specials." If you just want some general information about prices, rental data is available for states and cities. So, even if you do not find the perfect apartment at MyApartmentMap.com, this website is a good place to start your research!

Poem a Day

Is law school too prosaic for you? Do you yearn for a daily dose of poetry? Sign up for Poem-a-Day from the Academy of American Poets.

Remember: April is National Poetry Month.

Legal Haiku

Speaking of haiku, here are several articles with legal haiku:

• Louis Wolcher, Annotated Contracts Haiku, 42 J. Legal Educ. 141-42 (1992), HeinOnline (UW Restricted)


• Douglass G. Boshkoff, Constructive Haiku and the Law of Contracts: Raintree County Memorial Library Occasional Paper No. 3, Ariz. St. L.J. 135-43 (2007), HeinOnline (UW Restricted)


• Federal Jurisdiction Haiku, 32 Stan. L. Rev. 229-32 (1979), HeinOnline (UW Restricted)(highlights of Prof. Kenneth Karst’s 1978 and 1979 Federal Jurisdiction Haiku Festivals)


• Gil Grantmore, Constitutional Law Haiku, 18 Const. Comment. 481-83 (2001), HeinOnline (UW Restricted)


• Nancy B. Rappaport, Decanal Haiku, 37 U. Tol. L. Rev. 131-33 (2005), HeinOnline (UW Restricted)(series of verses on the life of a law school dean).


• Louis J. Sirico, Jr., Supreme Court Haiku, 61 N.Y.U. L. Rev. 1224-30 (1986), HeinOnline (UW Restricted)

Enjoy National Poetry Month!

Tweet a Haiku About Libraries

As part of National Library Week (April 10-16), the American Library Association is holding a "twaiku" contest. What's twaiku? It's haiku on Twitter.

Share your love of libraries with the world by composing a library themed twaiku for National Library Week! You might win a $50 gift certificate to Amazon.

What’s a twaiku, you ask? Simply put, a twaiku is haiku sent via Twitter. Twaiku use the same basic structure of 3 lines with 5-7-5 syllables respectively. Unlike a true haiku, a twaiku can only be 140 characters, or 130 with our #nlwtwaiku tag.

The National Library Week twaiku contest kicks off at the beginning of School Library Month (April), and continues through Wednesday of National Library Week (April 13). All submissions must be tagged #nlwtwaiku.

The staff of atyourlibrary.org will post a selection of the best twaiku here on atyourlibrary.org, where everyone will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite through the end of National Library Week (Saturday, April 16).

The most highly rated twaiku will receive an Amazon gift certificate!

National Library Week meets National Poetry Month meets Web 2.0!

Reading Picks from UW Law Faculty and Staff

To celebrate National Library Week (April 10-16), we asked law school faculty and staff to recommend reading—not just law books, and not just books, for that matter. People could—and did—recommend anything from a cartoon blog to a classic law review article by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

Take a look at the Reading Recommendations: you'll learn a little more about the professors and staff you see every day. And whether you want thought-provoking works related to law, literary fiction, or something light to give you a break from your studies, you'll find something to pique your interest.

Spanish-English & French-English Law Dictionaries

Two specialized legal dictionaries are now available online on LexisNexis Academic: Dahl's French-English Law Dictionary and Dahl's Spanish-English Law Dictionary.

To access these dictionaries, go to LexisNexis Academic, click on Sources, and then click on Browse Sources. You can then search the Dictionaries folder where you'll also find other useful, but slightly dated, resources:

• Ballentine's Law Dictionary, 3rd ed.
• Bieber's Dictionary of Legal Abbreviations, 5th ed.
• Good Quotes for Speakers, 3,500
• Modern Dictionary for the Legal Profession

Dahl's Law Dictionary: French to English/English to French is also found in the Reference Area at K52.F7 D34 1995. The Reference Area is also home to Butterworth's Spanish/English Legal Dictionary as well as The ABA Spanish Legal Phrasebook.

TrustLaw Connect

TrustLaw Connect, launched in July 2010, is a feature of the Thomson Reuters TrustLaw site which helps non-government organizations (NGOs) and social entrepreneurs find free legal assistance.

Requests for legal help for individuals or for private litigation matters will not be considered. Instead the service is intended to provide assistance for other projects serving the public good. Among the examples of appropriate pro bono requests are the following:

• research projects on topics such as human rights, environment, equal rights, or land rights issues
• advice on governance structures
• guidance on expanding operations into another country and legal issues arising in a new environment

TrustLaw Connect is currently operating in 140 countries. A list of members is available here.

Global Entry: a trusted traveler program

Global Entry is a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) program that allows pre-approved travelers to speed through arrivals from international destinations by using automated kiosks. Not all U.S. airports have these special kiosks, but the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport does.

All travelers using this program must first apply and receive an interview before the CBP will approve them as trusted, low-risk travelers.

The program is intended for frequent international travelers, but any U.S. citizen, lawful permanent U.S. resident, Dutch citizen or Mexican national is eligible to apply. Other programs, such as the Fast Low Risk Universal Crossing (FLUX) into the Netherlands, are described here.

Volunteer Opportunity - IMPOWR

The ABA Section of International Law has partnered with the Law Library of Congress and Thomson Reuters Foundation’s TrustLaw website to launch a new website called IMPOWR (International Models Project on Women’s Rights). The website will be composed of country pages that cover topics such as: CEDAW status, civic life, healthcare, marriage and family relations, economic and social life, crimes and violence, and access to justice. These topics will be further divided into several subtopics such as current state of the law, law reform efforts and projects, effect of local customs and traditions on implementation and enforcement of law reforms, and the role of local NGOs in obtaining and implementing law reforms.

The project is still in the very early stages and the ABA is seeking volunteers to assist with providing links and other information. Volunteers will be able to choose a jurisdiction or possibly a topic over several jurisdictions, so those with foreign languages skills are especially welcome!

There are several ways to become involved as a volunteer, such as serving as a contributing editor (conducting research for the database) or content reviewer, writing articles for the IMPOWR virtual journal, or helping with outreach.

This would be a great opportunity for law students interested in women's rights and international law to gain research experience and to deepen substantive knowledge of these areas of law while also contributing to a legal research database that will be available for free to the public. To sign up, click here.

Hat tip to Mabel Shaw, Assistant International & Foreign Law Librarian at Georgetown, for bringing this announcement to our attention.

IRS Data Book 2010

Here they are, all the statistics you've wanted to know about the work of the Internal Revenue Service in 2010. Covering the fiscal year October 1, 2009 through September 2010, the Internal Revenue Service Data Book 2010 includes such fascinating information as:

• the total number of tax returns filed (230 million returns, including individual income, corporation income, and employment income tax returns);

• the amount of money collected ($2.3 trillion);

• the activity at the IRS website, IRS.gov (305 million visits); and
  

• the percentage of individual tax returns filed electronically (of the 141 million individual income tax returns processed, almost 70 percent were filed electronically).

There are over 30 tables that provide such details as a breakdown of the returns filed and refunds issued, numbers and types of taxpayer examinations, collections and criminal investigations, and taxpayer assistance.

If you are interested in tax and think you might like to work for the Chief Counsel's office, you will want to check out Tables 26 and 27 on pages 59-60. Here is a description of what Chief Counsel attorneys do, taken from the introduction to those tables:

Attorneys in the Chief Counsel’s Office serve as lawyers for the IRS. They provide guidance to the IRS and to taxpayers on the correct legal interpretation of Federal tax laws, represent the IRS in litigation, and provide all other legal support the IRS needs to carry out its mission.