International Translation Day

In honor of International Translation Day (an event promoted by the International Federation of Translators) here are a few items about law in translation:

1. Be careful. Law has many subtleties, and a word-for-word translation might give a horribly wrong impression.
   
2. There are established sources with fairly reliable translations of different laws. For instance, Constitutions of the Countries of the World has English translations of constitutions that are prepared by experts. The set often includes copies in the original languages as well.
   
3. A great source for finding laws in translation for most countries is the Foreign Law Guide, a database linked from the library's homepage.
   
4. The EU's website includes a great tool: IATE (InterActive Tool for Europe). You can enter a term in one EU language and ask for the equivalent in another. For example, if I enter "jurisdiction" in English and ask for it in Spanish (abbreviated ES, for Español), I get
   • competencia,
   • competencia judicial, and
   • jurisdicción
   I can click an entry to read more:
   
   
   
5. The UW's Pacific Rim Law and Policy Journal often  articles or primary materials. Recent translations include:
• Divorce and the Best Interest of the Child: Disputes Over Visitation and the Japanese Family Courts, written by Takao Tanase, translated by Matthew J. McCauley, 20 Pac. Rim L. & Pol'y J. 563 (2011),
• Initial Research on the Malfunctions ofthe Criminal Process, written by Chen Ruihua, translated by Timothy Webster, 20 Pac. Rim L. & Pol'y J. 359 (2011), and
• Patent Protection of Medical Methods—Focusing on Ethical Issues, written by Yusuke Sato, translated by Jiameng Kathy Liu, 20 Pac. Rim L. & Pol'y J. 125 (2011)

Curious about why September 30 was chosen to be International Translation Day? It honors St. Jerome, the patron saint of translators (because of his translations of the Bible). For more about Jerome, see these articles in The Interpreter Hall of Fame, the Catholic Encyclopedia, and Catholics Online. He is also listed as the patron saint of students and of librarians, so we all have something in common.

Scientific Evidence for Judges - and Others

DNA identification, economic estimates of damages, psychiatric evidence of competence to stand trial, engineers' testimony about product defects—there's a lot of scientific testimony in today's courtrooms. How can judges—who are not statisticians, geneticists, economists, epidemiologists, engineers, or psychiatrists—intelligently manage this flood of information?



To address this challenge, the Federal Judicial Center and the National Research Council have published the Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence. The first edition was in 1994, the second in 2000, and the third edition was released yesterday.

This book would be useful to anyone wanting an introduction to scientific evidence. Chapters include:

• The Admissibility of Expert Testimony
• How Science Works
• Reference Guide on Forensic Identification Expertise
• Reference Guide on DNA Identification Evidence
• Reference Guide on Statistics
• Reference Guide on Multiple Regression
• Reference Guide on Survey Research
• Reference Guide on Estimation of Economic Damages
• Reference Guide on Exposure Science
• Reference Guide on Epidemiology
• Reference Guide on Toxicology
• Reference Guide on Medical Testimony
• Reference Guide on Neuroscience
• Reference Guide on Mental Health Evidence
• Reference Guide on Engineering

The book is available for free reading online; you can also download a PDF of any chapter or of the whole book. And the library will soon order it in paper.

See Science Manual for Judges Updated, Law Technology News, Sept. 29, 2011.

Supreme Court Watching

Would you like to know what cases are coming up at the Supreme Court?

Supreme Court building

The LII Supreme Court Bulletin (from the Legal Information Institute at Cornell) is an email newsletter that summarizes upcoming cases. This year's first issue, Sept. 16, highlights seven important cases the editors selected. The Sept. 23 issue, for instance, summarizes the six cases that will be argued Oct. 3, 4, and 5.

While the LII Supreme Court Bulletin offers just brief summaries in an unadorned format, SCOTUSblog provides analysis and commentary about pending cases, decided cases, cases that were denied review, advocacy, and more. The blog was founded by a couple of lawyers who frequently have cases before the Court. Now the team includes an experienced journalist and contributing law professors.
For almost 40 years, the American Bar Association has published Preview of United States Supreme Cases as part of its public education mission. Now in addition to the magazine, there's a rich website. You get the articles analyzing selected cases before they are argued. AND you get reporting after they are arguem. But wait, there's more! You also get PDFs of ALL the briefs in ALL the cases before the Court!

And of course you can visit the Supreme Court's own website. The docket will let you track the filings and argument dates for cases. After a case has been argued, you can listen to an audio recording or read a transcript. And after the case is decided, you can read the Court's opinion. You can also find information about the Court, such as biographies of current Justices.

By the way, have you noticed the display about the Supreme Court at the law library's entrance? Take a look next time you come in.


Photo credit: www.supremecourt.gov

Women on the Federal Bench

Sandra Day O’Connor sworn in, September 25, 1981.

Today is the 30th anniversary of Sandra Day O'Connor being sworn in as a Supreme Court Justice.

The appointment of the first woman to the Supreme Court was very big news back in 1981, when I was a law student. But most of today's law students have always had at least one woman one the Supreme Court. Today's 1Ls are starting law school with three female justices on the Court. (Beloit's Mindset List annually offers reminders of how a younger generation's experience differs from the last's.)

So I thought this might be a good occasion to offer some stats about the representation of women on the federal bench. I'm using a fascinating database from the Federal Judicial Center, The Biographical Directory of Federal Judges.

First, how many women did Justice O'Connor join when she was sworn in?

51 women had been been commissioned before Sept. 25, 1981. Only 23 were still serving. (That is, their commission date was before that date, but their termination date was after it.)

And what were the corresponding numbers for men?

2023 men had been commissioned, and 619 were still serving.

President Reagan made history by appointing the first woman to the Supreme Court. What was his record throughout the federal courts?

court	women	men
U.S. Supreme Court	1	3
courts of appeal	6	77
all federal courts	30	334

An important part of the historical context is that women were a minority in the legal profession. 1972 was the first year when women were over 10% of law school enrollment nationally, so in the 1980s there'd wasn't as large a pool of experienced female lawyer from whom to select judges as there is today.

Speaking of today, what is the makeup of our federal bench now?

All Sitting Federal Judges (including those on senior status)

Race or Ethnicity	women	men
African American	38	81
American Indian	0	1
Asian American	6	10
Hispanic	23	56
White	208	861
Total	278	1015

Photo credit: National Archives Today's Document blog, Sept. 25, 2011.

New Faculty Publication: Professor Penny Hazelton on the Education and Training of Law Librarians

Penny A. Hazelton, The Education and Training of Law Librarians, in THE IALL INTERNATIONAL HANDBOOK OF LEGAL INFORMATION MANAGEMENT 43-64 (Richard A. Danner & Jules Winterton eds., 2011).

As Director of the Law Librarianship Program at the University of Washington Information School since 1985, School of Law Professor and Associate Dean Penny Hazelton shares her extensive knowledge and expertise in an article discussing the history, current state, and future education and training of law librarians worldwide.

The article first considers the competencies for law librarianship, which are the necessary knowledge and skills needed to succeed in the profession. Hazelton then describes the history of law librarianship in the United States, and the continuing evolution of formal and informal education and training programs necessary to meet these competencies.

Also discussed are the issues and opportunities associated with educating and training law librarians to become proficient in foreign, comparative, and international law research. Hazelton explores the global perspective on law librarianship, describing the work of professional organizations such as the International Association of Law Libraries (IALL), and setting forth specific ideas and opportunities to advance the profession of law librarianship worldwide.

This article is a must-read for anyone who is interested in learning more about the education and training of law librarians on a global level.

Hazelton's article appears in Chapter 3 of this book, located in the Classified Stacks at Z675.L2I15.

Hogwarts College of Law??

Prof. Howard Wasserman asks how the different courses at Hogwarts (Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, etc.) would map onto the law school curriculum. Hogwarts College of Law, PrawfsBlawg, Sept. 10, 2011.

One commenter ("KM") writes:

The first year curriculum would have to map up with the required classes, I think. I'd say:

criminal law - defense against the dark arts (fighting the powers of darkness, be that criminals or prosecutors, depending on your perspective).

property - transfiguration (tea kettle-> hamster = squatter -> legitimate owner through adverse possession).

civil procedure - potions (keep your complaint boiling on the burner for ten days before adding shredded service of process!).

con law - history of magic (one arcane, focused version of history is much like another).

torts - charms (a sound grasp of charms is an important client-generation tool for the potential tort lawyer).

Are there other parallels?

One difference: if you're a law student with a Husky Card, the librarian won't get mad if you're discovered doing research after closing. Go for it!

Photo from Harry Potter in Oxford - Pt 3, Liz & Rob Do Europe, Nov. 20, 2010

Washington State Redistricting Proposals

The Washington State Redistricting Commission released the first set of proposed maps yesterday, showing possible configurations for the state’s congressional boundaries. Due to population growth, Washington is gaining a 10th congressional district. Boundaries for the state’s 49 legislative districts will also be redrawn.

The Commission has four voting members: 2 Democrats and 2 Republicans. You can see each commissioner’s presentation, legislative plan, and congressional plan here.

Or you can read the news:

Seattle Times, Panel Unveils Redistricting Map
The Olympian, Redistricting: New Minority Seat?

The process is governed by the Redistricting Act, RCW 44.05.

Federal Rules Go Mobile!

Wouldn't it be great to have the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the Federal Rules of Evidence, or the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure with you without toting the bound books? Now you can: CALI and the Legal Information Institute have released Federal Rules Ebooks, with the rules and official comments, in a format compatible with iPhone, iPad, and Nook. (Kindle support is coming soon.)

The books are free, but you are encouraged to donate to the Legal Information Institute, a nonprofit based at Cornell that puts a lot of resources into making law accessible.

How Japan's Constitution Got a Women's Rights Clause

The Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality at Seattle University School of Law presents Beate Sirota Gordon, author of the women’s rights clause in Japan’s Constitution, Thur., Sept. 22, 2011. Ms. Gordon will give a public lecture at 5:00; a reception will follow at 6:00.

Ms. Gordon was a member of the 25-member Constitutional Assembly created in Japan in 1946 by General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander in post-World War II Occupied Japan. At the age of 22, Gordon attended a secret meeting between American and Japanese officials about the women’s rights clause she wrote for Japan’s new Constitution, which guarantees women equal rights with men and remains unamended today. Japan’s Constitution also guarantees Japan’s peaceful roles in world affairs and democracy.

The Japanese prime minister's website includes the constitution in English.

Which Federal Agencies Regulate What Payment Systems?

That is a puzzling question to many.

Now the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago has developed a colorful graphic to help you visualize the regulatory lines of authority in this area.


Makes everything perfectly clear, yes?

White House Infographic on Judicial Nominees

The White House as posted an "infographic" on President Obama's Judicial Nominees: Historic Successes + Historic Delays.
Also called Building a Supreme Court for the 21st Century, the graphic features images of Justices Sonio Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, with quotations from the President. It also displays pie charts showing percentages of women, African American, Hispanic, and Asian American judges nominated by the last three Presidents.
Other parts of the graphic deal with:

• the confirmation process
• delays in the Senate
• consequences of judicial vacancies

Library Hours Changes

UW School of Law summer exams end this week, signaling a change in the Law Library's hours of operation. Beginning Saturday, Aug. 27, the Library will be on the interim schedule:

Monday - Friday: 8am - 5pm
Reference: 9am - 12noon and 1 - 5pm

The Law Library will be closed:

• Friday, Sept. 2
• Monday, Sept. 5 (Labor Day)

Regular academic hours resume when School of Law classes begin on Monday, Sept. 26.

FBI Site on Mortgage Fraud

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has created a website focusing on Mortgage Fraud.

It provides general information on frequent types of scams, news stories, and ways that homeowners can protect themselves.

In Washington State, the Department of Financial Institutions offers a Homeownership Information page with additional, state-specific information on foreclosures and common scams. It includes a link to the Seattle-King County Asset Building Coalition's Washington Foreclosure Prevention Resource Guide.

Cross-Cultural Legal Transactions Can Easily Get Lost in Translation

Cross-Cultural Legal Transactions Can Easily Get Lost in Translation, says a speaker at the ABA's Litigation Section meeting. Read some anecdotes and tips in this short article.

Budget Control Act of 2011

After reading all the news stories, if you still want to read the actual 28-page bill as passed by the House and Senate, see S.365, Budget Control Act of 2011.

11:00 am PST update: the Act as been assigned as Pub. L. No. 112-25, 140 Stat. 240.

Interested in Labor and Industries Law in WA state?

If you are interested in labor law in Washington state and want to keep abreast of latest developments in this area, be sure to check out: Washington Workers' Compensation Law Blog. This blog is maintained by Sharpe Law Firm, a Seattle based firm which has been representing clients in this area of law for 30 years.

Hat tip to Inter Alia - Tom Mighell's legal technology blog.

International Legal Research Tips

This animated video offers some research tips for international law, coming from a law student who is bummed about her task but manages to remember some of the things the librarian told her. (One bit of advice: talk to a librarian, but not the crabby one.) Caution: some rude language.
IMC research
by: mxr, Sept. 20, 2010

Reading Recs from Lawyers



The ABA Journal asked thirty lawyers "to pick a book they’d recommend to other lawyers—a book they might not have already read or may have overlooked or might not know."

The resulting article is here.

To make it easier to find these books in libraries, I've created a WorldCat list here.

If you haven't already, take a look at UW Law's Suggested Reading List for Prospective & Current Law Students. It includes a wide variety of books.

Adios, Facebook and Twitter ... Hello, Google+

Attorney Larry Bodine explains why he's keen on Google's new social networking service, Google+: Adios, Facebook and Twitter ... Hello, Google+, Law Technology News, July 29, 2011. Is Google+ the next big thing?

Japan's Grueling Bar Exam

If you're biting your nails about the upcoming Washington State bar exam, you can take some consolation that it's not as daunting as Japan's.

In recent years, Japan has reformed legal education, with the goal of enlarging and diversifying the legal profession. But the bar exam turns out to be harder than some planned: the overall pass rate is just 25%. Enrollment in the new US-style law schools has declined as word has spread that becoming a lawyer is a long shot. A Japanese Legal Exam That Sets the Bar High - NYTimes.com, July 10, 2011.

Networking Tips for Shy People

You've probably heard that networking is important for your professional development, but a lot of people find that it's hard to get out there and do it.  If you're one, see Michael Goodwin, Networking tips for the “shy” lawyer, Minn. Lawyer, July 18, 2011, linking to an ABA Journal podcast, Shy Lawyer's Guide to Becoming a Rainmaker, July 11, 2011 (you can listen to it or read the transcript).
One tip:  "Think of 'networking' as 'research': Often the same lawyers who hate to network love to research." (Goodwin) 

If you love to network, but hate to research, maybe you could try thinking of research as networking . . .

What's Your Student Loan Experience?

My Debt Story is a project to collect the personal stories of college students and graduates about their debt. It is hosted by EARN (a nonprofit provider of financial services for low-income families), with sponsorship by Default: The Student Loan Documentary, Demos, Equal Justice Works, and Broad Cause.

You can submit a video about your own debt story to the site. If you do it by July 31, your video will be entered in a contest. The prize? $5,000 toward paying off your student loans!

Here's a video about the project:

 

FindLaw For the Public

FindLaw, a Thomson Reuters business, has an extensive, free collection of "up to date online legal information about popular legal topics such as will preparation, divorce and child custody" in its "Learn About the Law" section. The site also provides information on dangerous products, employees' rights, immigration law and many other legal topics. The information is also available in Spanish via the FindLaw en Español site.

The Public Bookshelf provides these free, full text titles (in English):

• ABA Family Legal Guide
• ABA Guide to Marriage, Divorce & Families
• ABA Guide to Wills and Estates
• Consumer Action Handbook
• A Guide to Disability Rights Laws
• Don't Get Taken! Protect Yourself Legally Against Common Abuses and Rip-Offs
• Social Security Handbook

Career Paths Not Taken

Photo: Alec Baldwin, from www.alecbaldwin.com

Have you ever wished you were a TV star and frequent host of SNL? Maybe going to law school is better than that (and not just because you weren't discovered as a great actor).

Alec Baldwin recently said he wishes he'd become a lawyer. Addressing law students on the eve of their graduation, he said: “If I had it to do all over again, I would choose differently….I believe that I would trade what I have for what you’ll have tomorrow afternoon." Alec Baldwin: Legal Envy, Harvard Magazine, July-Aug. 2011. He told the graduates, "I want you to leave here and save this country, because this country needs your help." Id.

A few years ago, coming out of a rancorous divorce, his sentiments toward the profession were chillier:

One of his ex-wife’s lawyers, Baldwin wrote, “had a bad case of the intellectual vanity that afflicts most attorneys I had known. Since my own college days, most lawyers had always struck me as men and women who were not smart enough to become doctors or engineers. Therefore, they opted for a career wherein rote recitation of the legal code and a gift for bullshitting people amounted to a profession.”

Id.  A few weeks after this speech, he had apparently forgotten the dream of practicing law in favor of singing in a Broadway show. The One Unfulfilled Wish of My Career, AlecBaldwin.com, June 20, 2011.

Self-study Courses in Homeland Security

The Naval Postgraduate School Center for Homeland Defense and Security offers non-credit, self-study courses online. These courses are developed by the NPS CHDS teaching faculty and are derived from course content (lecture material and course readings) from the Center's homeland security master's degree curriculum.

Who is eligible to access these courses? Only government officials, members of the military, homeland security educators, students in homeland security programs, and other specially qualified individuals. However, anyone may access the lectures on research methods on the CHDS's Educational Resources page.

Six self-study courses are now available:

1. Terrorist Financing and State Response
2. Intelligence for Homeland Security: Organizational and Policy
3. Homeland Security in Israel
4. The Global Jihadi Threat
5. Critical Infrastructure: Vulnerability Analysis and Protection
6. Technology for Homeland Security: Inspection and Detection Technologies

The "Terrorist Financing and State Response" course is the newest, examining "exactly how far we have come in understanding how terrorists raise, store and transfer funds. It also evaluates and challenges the U.S. government and international community in responding to this problem."

See the Center for Homeland Defense and Security site for more information about the courses and to request access.