2006 Website of the Week Archive

For the Week Beginning December 25, 2006
The Wayback Machine
www.archive.org/web/web.php -- Do you ever need to find old websites? This is a search site that can help. It can be handy in finding pages that may have information you can use in discovery. Very nifty little tool.

For the Week Beginning December 18, 2006
Podcasting Legal Guide: Rules for the Revolution
http://mirrors.creativecommons.org/Podcasting_Legal_Guide.pdf -- Before you podcast, review this guide. It covers copyright and fair use, music and other recordings, publicity rights and trademarks, and licensing. It also provides solid background information on the basics of podcasting and RSS feeds.

This work was supported by the Stanford Law School's Center for Internet and Society and Harvard's Berkman Center.

Web site for the Week Beginning December 11, 2006
Online Calendaring Service for Small Firms
www.deadlines.com -- Deadlines on Demand provides solos and small firm practitioners with CompuLaw's rules based court deadlines on a pay-per-use basis. This research service gives small firms the means to quickly and cheaply calculate critical deadlines without having to install and learn software. This can be an added benefit to the practitioner who practices in more than one jurisdiction nationwide and the court rules are routinely updated. A free tour is available before deciding to register.

For the Week Beginning December 4, 2006
Shop for Holiday Sweets
Running out of gift ideas for this year? Try one of the confectioners listed below (everyone loves a sweet treat!!!).
www.knipschildt.com - Knipschildt Chocolatier's Chocolate Fairy Tales pair a delicately illustrated Hans Christian Anderson story with sixteen chocolates decorated with images from the story. Choose from The Little Mermaid, The Emperor's New Clothes and The Ugly Duckling.
www.dancingdeer.com - Dancing Deer Baking Co. is known for their straight-up, all-natural, fresh-baked from scratch (and kosher) goodies.
www.rosecitychocolates.com - Rose City Chocolatiers' Belgian chocolates and traditional truffles will impress any palette. With luscious flavored ganache, hazelnut praline, fresh cream and fruit fillings, you'll absolutely love them! (They come in vegan, too!!!)

For the Week Beginning November 27, 2006
www.patentlysilly.com -- Patently Silly shares the details of numerous patents issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark office that are... well... silly (and fun).

For the Week Beginning November 20, 2006
ABA Webcast for For Trial Attorneys - Getting the Edge
www.abanet.org/tips/market/webcast.html -- The ABA is offering a 3-Part Series of Live, Interactive Webcasts. Sign up for this interactive webcast series designed to give trial attorneys the edge by teaching you how to create winning trial strategies and graphics. Leave the phone on the hook, this live video and audio webcast will be streamed over the computer while our expert shares his graphics presentation with you in real time. You can e-mail questions in real time and view the power point presentation as you listen to the ABA's best-selling author of Creating Winning Trial Strategies and Graphics, G. Christopher Ritter, from the comfort of your office. A broadband Internet connection is recommended. Sign up today!!!

For the Week Beginning November 13, 2006
http://thomas.loc.gov -- This is one primo website. Keep track of all your Federal Representatives and Senators doings. This site has everything you need to know!

For the Week Beginning October 6, 2006
Podcast Bunker
www.podcastbunker.com -- This is possibly the Web's best source of talk radio for your iPod. Unlike other sites that offer podcasts for downloading, such as www.podcastalley.com and www.ipodder.org (two other good sources in their own right), Podcast Bunker evaluates each feed for audio quality and content and only lists the best stuff. Click the Quick Guide for the full list of recommended programs, plus 30-second previews.

For the Week Beginning October 30, 2006
www.spotrunner.com -- Thinking of doing some television advertising? Check out this Los Angeles-based production company. A 30-second spot can run as low as $1,500 ($499 for the commercial and $1,000 in airtime). All the spots run for 30 seconds and incorporate strong visual imagery. You provide Spot Runner with information about your firm and they provide a custom voiceover to accompany the pre-produced commercial. This type of ad campaign can often cost less than running a single ad in a daily law journal.

(Reference herein to any specific commercial products, process or service by trade name, trademark or otherwise, does not constitute or imply endorsement, recommendation or favoring by the State Bar of Georgia.)

For the Week Beginning October 23, 2006
www.abanet.org/cpr/ -- The ABA Center for Professional Responsibility homepage provides free ethics and professionalism resources for lawyers. You can find an online version of the Model Rules of Professional Conduct, links to many ethics and professionalism resources and various reports and studies. ABA Formal Ethics Opinions are available and access to the opinions is free for the first year after their issuance for ABA members. You can also purchase individual opinions for $7.50 each, become a member of the Center for complementary copies of all ethics opinions or take advantage of their ethics opinions subscription service to have them delivered to you as they are issued. For a modest fee when you need the help is their ETHICSearch Research Service where staff lawyers do the research for you.

For the Week Beginning October 16, 2006
www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/- This version of the U.S. Code is generated from the most recent official version made available by the US House of Representatives.

For the Week Beginning October 9, 2006
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/ - Compiled from various public sources, the Washington Post's U.S. Congress Votes Database permits you to see how your Senators and Representatives have voted in roll call votes since the 102d Congress (1991).

View votes by:

  • Congress and session
  • Senator and Representative (including members who miss the most votes);
  • Bills and resolutions (including most voted on bills and resolutions)
  • Late-night votes
  • Vote margins (narrow and wide)
  • Votes on impeachments, nominations, Speaker elections, treaties, and
  • Vice-Presidential tie-breakers

By RSS feed, you can elect to monitor the votes of specific members of Congress and/or the most votes in Congress.

For the Week Beginning October 2, 2006
http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/pardons.htm -- JURIST: The Legal Education Network at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law presents this guide as a non-partisan educational resource on the law of Presidential pardons. Quite interesting.

For the Week Beginning September 25, 2006
www.craigball.com/Five%20on%20EDD-August%202006.pdf -- Craig Ball: Five Articles on Electronic Discovery. In two months, there will be changes to the Federal Rules. If your firm is scrambling to get up to speed on electronic discovery issues.  Noted expert in the field, Craig Ball, has compiled five of his articles on electronic data discovery into one file, which you can download for free. Please note that this is a direct link to a 104 page PDF file that exceeds 1 MB in size.

For the Week Beginning September 18, 2006
www.howtomakeitrain.com/ezine/ezine09.html If you're interested in rainmaking (and who isn't), sign up for this free e-zine directed toward solo practitioners. It's good.

For the Week Beginning September 11, 2006
http://accoona.com -- This engine uses artificial intelligence to "understand" the meaning of the keywords in your query in an effort to deliver more relevant results. Drop-down menus allow you to set some search parameters, such as business type and location; run a News search for recent articles, Business search for facts and figures, or a Web search for relevant links. www.pubsub.com is also useful; it lets you "subscribe" to a particular search, after which the engine will continue to retrieve new information related to your search as it appears on blogs, in newsgroup discussions or in SEC filings, automatically refreshing your search results so they are ready (one click away from the home page) when you want them.

Web site for the Week of September 5, 2006
Casemaker Training
www.gabar.org -- If you or your staff need Casemaker training, sign up soon. There are only 10 seats in each class and they fill up quickly. Remember when sending staff that parking is gratis only to lawyers. Hope to see you!

Web site for the Week of August 28, 2006
United States Patent and Trademark Office
www.uspto.gov/web/menu/search.html Lawyers specializing in Intellectual Property know about this site, which provides access to free patent and trademark searching. If you have new staff, make sure they are aware of this info source. For patent searching, the PTO's web site boasts a new-and-improved Full-Text Database for searching (all the way back to 1790!). In addition, for trademark searching, the PTO has a modified Trademark Electronic Search System ("TESS") with access to the PTO's trademark database. The PTO web site also features a variety of other resources relating to trademark and patent law, including general information about trademarks and patents and various forms required for PTO filings, along with PTO press releases and access to other useful information and materials.

Web site for the Week of August 21, 2006
The Virtues of a Second Screen
www.nytimes.com -- This is an article from the New York Times Technology Section. This might not be something you're currently thinking of doing, but having it in the back of your mind wouldn't be a bad thing.

Web site for the Week of August 14, 2006
Interested in All Things Golf?
www.golf.about.com -- It wasn't easy to choose a cool golf site, as there are several great ones. For an overall abundance of information, though, About Golf beat them all. There is so much information about golf on this site, you might not know where to start. The main section, called "In the Spotlight," features current golf news, but that's just the beginning. You'll want to look at the "Subjects" section to find out more about college golf, equipment, fantasy golf, handicaps and other golf-related topics too numerous to list. There are also message boards, chat, photos and lots more. Whatever your level of golf skill, you'll find something here!

Web site for the Week of August 7, 2006
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Everything
www.referencedesk.org -- This site has it all. If you're looking for earthquake information or constitutions, statutes and codes or articles on dynamic living -- this is the place!

Web site for the Week of July 31, 2006
Security and Privacy Compliance
www.authernative.com -- With the growing body of regulation dealing with the retention, privacy, and security of information, it is a good idea for a lawyer to look at his or her corporate client list to see if there are some compliance issues that can be dealt with. To get a feel for the amount of regulation, enacted and pending, check out the list created by authernative.com.

Web site for the Week of July 24, 2006
www.tinyurl.com -- Ever get those super-long URLs in an e-mail and attempt to copy and paste them into your browser? You can now eliminate that old "copy and paste; copy the remainder and paste" routine at this site. You can load in the long URL and the site converts it to a short URL that will work every time you need to get back to that site. You can even send the little guy back to the person who tagged you with the long URL in the first place.

Web site for the Week of July 17, 2006
www.point.com - Need a new cell phone? Don't know what current service plans cost? Want to know if your phone has coverage in that part of the state? This site is a good starting place for shopping for a new cell phone or new service. Enter your zip code to find out what phone vendors service your area and what phones and coverage areas are included in certain plans. You can compare plans and phones too. Talk it UP!!!

For the Week Beginning July 10, 2006
www.GeorgiaAdvocates.org -- is Georgia's online resource for lawyers advising low-income or disadvantaged clients. Join the Georgia Online Justice Community to gain access to hundreds of Georgia civil pro bono resources:

  • Law Library
  • New Volunteer Opportunities
  • Group Listservs
  • Calendar of Events
  • News Forum
  • Attorney Roster

Links are provided to national practice areas relating to Asylum Law, Death Penalty, Human Rights, and Prisoners' Rights.

GeorgiaAdvocates is a project of Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Georgia Legal Services Program, and the Pro Bono Project of the State Bar of Georgia.

For the Week Beginning July 3, 2006
www.practicepro.ca/information/LawproMagArchive.asp -- Law-related TV dramas and movies based on the lives of lawyers are never a "real" representation. To mention the long hours spent reading opinions and transcripts would kill the entertainment value. When you work too much, the rest of life suffers. The Summer edition of LawPro Magazine has been released on the web and its

For the Week Beginning June 26, 2006
www.gethuman.com-- You've probably heard about it. These are the guys who have cracked the code on how to get a human when calling a company for customer service. They also have info on a myriad of industries (credit card, finance, insurance, cell phone providers and more).

For the Week Beginning June 19, 2006
http://mail.abanet.org/archives/solosez.html -- We originally featured this website waaayyyy back when (May 17, 2004) and believe it's time to refresh your memory (or if you're seeing this for the first time - open up a world of information). Solosez is a Listserv that generates hundreds of e-mails a day.; Some of the wonderful nuggets of information you need can easily be buried in that 135th message, but now the group has a Web site that helps getting into the meaningful stuff a little easier. The ABA's Standing Committee on Solo and Small Firm Practitioners developed and maintains this site of resources for solos and small firms. Learn about upcoming CLE events, find a consultant or vendor, access links for small business and a lot more.

For the Week Beginning June 12, 2006
Redaction and PDF Files
www.appligent.com -- For those who may not be familiar, redaction is the removal or obscuring of certain text before releasing a document to the public. With paper documents, it is pretty simple. Use a black marker to block out the text; then make a photocopy of it. Redacting PDF documents requires special care. Some feel that placing black boxes over the stuff you want to obscure is good enough; however, it is fairly easy to get behind the black boxes and read the "hidden" information.

There are some really effective PDF redaction tools available from the above website. The products are not cheap, but if you need to distribute a redacted PDF document, you'll want to do it right.

For the Week Beginning June 5, 2006
www.eisil.org -- This website, sponsored by the American Society of International Law, is an open database of authenticated primary and other materials across the breadth of international law. It brings together resources scattered across the web. Resources are clustered into basic sources and sub-topics.This site is among the best starting places for international legal research on the web.

For the Week Beginning May 29, 2006
www.leiterrankings.com/faculty/2005faculty_impact_cites.shtml  - Check and see how your Alma Mater ranks these days. This site can also help law school applicants decide where they want to apply.

For the Week Beginning May 22, 2006
www.lookstoogoodtobetrue.com -- This website, launched in the last quarter of 2005, is a new effort to help consumers spot Internet fraud. Real-life scam tales, new warnings, and quizzes designed to educate consumers are part of the mix. The website is a cooperative effort of the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, the postal inspection service, and several private firms, including Monster.com and Target Corporation.

For the Week Beginning May 15, 2006
www.thephonemonocle.com/store/index.html -- Magnifics, Inc. makes a nifty device called "The Phone Monocle." The standard Phone Monocle magnifies your cell phone display by 2X. There's a fit for just about every phone out there. There are additional products at reasonable prices. Shipped completely assembled.

For the Week Beginning May 8, 2006
History of Federal Judgeships
www.uscourts.gov/history/contents.html -- The History of Federal Judgeships documents the process for soliciting and evaluating requests for additional appellate and district court judgeships, as well as for forwarding recommendations for these judgeships to Congress. Information on this site focuses on appellate and district court judgeships, but also includes historic information on authorized judgeships for all courts and judgeship appointments by presidents since 1933.

The site is organized into three sections:

  • Courts of Appeals
  • District Courts
  • Judgeships and Appointments

The first two sections include materials on additional authorized judgeships and chronological histories. The last section includes authorized judgeships and judgeships appointed by President, from Roosevelt to George W. Bush.

For the Week Beginning May 1, 2006
The Institute for Women's Policy Research
www.iwpr.org -- The Institute conducts rigorous research and disseminates it's findings to address the needs of women, promote public dialogue and strengthen families, communities and societies.

For the Week Beginning April 24, 2006
National Tribal Justice Resource Center
www.tribalresourcecenter.org -- Self-described as the "largest and most comprehensive site dedicated to tribal justice systems, personnel and tribal law," the Center is indeed a top site for researchers interested in Native American law. The National American Indian Court Judges Association is its sponsor.

The site includes:

  • searchable directories of tribal constitutions, codes, and bylaws
  • a searchable directory of tribal courts
  • a searchable collection of nearly 2000 tribal court opinions
  • an exhaustive list of publications

 

For the Week Beginning April 17, 2006
www.law.yale.edu/outside/html/Career_Development/cdo-billable.htm -- The Yale Law School Career Development Office "maths" out what you actually have to work to rack up 1,800 or 2,200 annual billable hours. Very interesting.

For the Week Beginning April 10, 2006
'Hide' Your E-mail Address in a Picture
http://services.nexodyne.com/email/index.php -- Why would you want to use a picture of your e-mail address? Because spammers use automated programs to scour the Web for e-mail addresses and their software can't read image files. But, regular people who want to contact you will be able to read it. If you post in blogs or forums, this can be helpful in cutting down on roving spammers.

For the Week Beginning April 3, 2006
http://mobileoffice.about.com/od/usingyourphone/a/cellmodem.htm -- We hear so much about the wide availability of WiFi, free or otherwise, but in reality there currently isn't enough to count on in a pinch. If you have to be mobile and be connected, it would be wise for you to either spend the money for a cellular broadband card for your PC or learn how to use your cell phone as a cellular modem. Depending on your type of phone and the capabilities of your PC, you may need a cable to connect to your PC or you may connect via Bluetooth. It will not be as fast as WiFi but you will get a signal where no WiFi is available. Visit the above Web site for more information.

For the Week Beginning March 27, 2006
www.gabar.org/news/casemaker_training_offered_at_bar_center -- Learn how to effectively navigate and use the Georgia Casemaker library.

Two training classes are being offered at the Bar Center April 18 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. or from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Each session is limited to 10 attendees, on a first-come, first-served basis.

Download the registration form, fill it in and fax it to Kim Henry at 404-287-8394 by 12 p.m. April 17. If you have additional questions, please e-mail Jodi at jodi@gabar.org or call (404) 527-8618.

For the Week Beginning March 20, 2006
www.refdesk.com -- You won't find a site that has more easily located links to factual information (not necessarily of a legal vein). This site offers up newspaper Web sites in a particular state or country, an 800 number directory or your favorite columnist. Although this site has been on the WWW for over ten years, you still won't find another site that has more easily located links to factual information. Whether you need to find a list of all the newspaper web sites in a particular state or country, an 800 number directory, world ZIP finder, a list of online encyclopedias or dictionaries or any other collection of factual information you might need.

For the Week Beginning March 13, 2006
www.napaba.org -- Since its inception in 1988, The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) has served as the national association of Asian Pacific American (APA) attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students, providing a national network for its members and affiliates. APA represents the interests of over 40,000 attorneys and 47 local APA bar associations, with practice settings ranging from solo practices to large firms, corporations, legal services organizations, non-profit organizations, law schools, and governmental agencies.

If you'd like to know more or join, visit the Web site!

For the Week Beginning March 6, 2006
Time To Start Thinking About Your VACATION
www.notesfromtheroad.com -- Travel Web sites can feel like a dime a dozen.  But this one is a little different. Filled with hand-drawn watercolor maps, large format photographs and rambling text, author and traveler Erik Gauger takes you on a journey into history, science, society and the people he meets along the way. Sometimes, he'll make you laugh, and other times, wonder.

Everyone needs a vacation! Start making your plans NOW.

For the Week Beginning February 27, 2006
www.hg.org -- Hieros Gamos is one of the longest-standing and most comprehensive legal portals, boasting more than 2 million links. It is organized under a detailed index of topics and sources. This site has long been a top destination for anyone seeking legal information on the Web.

For the Week Beginning February 20, 2006
www.sciencemag.org/sciext/125th -- Science Magazine is celebrating its 125th Anniversary. Check it out and learn what the top 25 big questions facing science over the next quarter-century. There are many articles that make interesting reading and some of the subjects are probably courtroom bound.

For the Week Beginning February 13, 2006
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=61798 -- Somebody's Gonna Want a Bite of Your Apple. Now that Apple is well into its phased transition to Intel chips, MAC users need to brace for the inevitable barrage of viruses, worms, Trojans, dialers and other monsters that have plagued Windows users. Apple believes its operating system, OS X, is inherently more secure than Windows. Maybe. However, Apple has released many, many security fixes. A larger reason may be due to Apple's smaller market share and be a valid reason why MAC users have been spared. Criminals are looking to make money. Apple has a tiny slice of the computer market. Windows has over 90 percent, which makes a much juicier target. You must take the time to protect yourself. If you do not, you could easily lose your identity. Or your bank or stock market account could be raided. Fortunately, the threats are generally well understood and protecting yourself is not difficult. If you use an Apple, make sure your protection is up to date by visiting the Web site above.

For the Week Beginning February 6, 2006
www.microsoft.com/windows/support/endofsupport.mspx -- June 30, 2006 will bring a close to Extended Support for Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, and Windows Me as part of the Microsoft Lifecycle Policy. Microsoft will retire public and technical support, including security updates, by this date. Visit the web site to read more on this subject.

For the Week Beginning January 30, 2006
www.YouSendIt.com -- Have you had undeliverable e-mail because your attachment was too large? Most e-mail services seem to have an attachment limit of 5 MB (or less).  You upload the file to this service and the person to whom the file is directed receives an e-mail from you including the link to download the file. File size limit is 1 GB, is available for a few days and has a limited number of downloads. Wooo hooooo, this service is totally free.

For the Week Beginning January 23, 2006
www.macinstein.com -- A wealth of information for Mac users. It's got Mac Horror Stories, Mac events, consultants and classifieds. All Mac... all the time!

For the Week Beginning January 16, 2006
www.myrateplan.com/cellphones -- Which phone? Which service? What coverage? Nothing is easy when it comes to cell phones. Trying to sort out the myriad of choices from each vendor could drive you crazy. Visit this website to sort out the information and make an informed decision.

For the Week Beginning January 9, 2006
http://iworkwithfools.com -- Having a bad day at the office? Visit this website, take a look at the postings and reinforce that you and your people do NOT qualify!!! A nice way to take a break from the flurry of client demands.

For the Week Beginning January 2, 2006
www.clusty.com -- This search engine clusters search results so you can see just how many hits result from a particular search string. This lets you decide which results are most relevant for your needs.