Articles Posted in Commentary and Opinion

In a recent e-mail Robert Richards, a Law Librarian and Legal Information Consultant from Philadelphia, mentions a recent Associatiion of Research Libraries (ARL) preservation report, “Safeguarding Collections at the Dawn of the 21st Century: Describing Roles & Measuring Contemporary Preservation Activities in ARL Libraries,” http://www.arl.org/bm~doc/safeguarding-collections.pdf .. More details are at http://www.arl.org/news/pr/preservation-14may09.shtml The report is organized around three main sections: Preservation Functions; Networked Digital Environment; and Collaboration. Within each section, background and analysis are provided and recommendations offered for consideration by ARL

Meghan McCain, John McCain’s daughter, writing in the Daily Beast discusses her love of guns. Here are some excerpts from her posting.

According to Meghan: “…I find it empowering, especially as a woman, to fire off a few rounds….Lets get something straight: Individual responsibility and personal liberty are inherent Republican philosophies. And nothing could be more essential in protecting those ideals than the Bill of Rights. Its no accident the second of the first 10 amendments protects the right to bear armsand has done so for more than 200 years. Obviously, I realize the Second Amendment has been heavily scrutinized. Its simplicity is sometimes mistaken for ambiguity. But it stands as a fundamental right, ensures the conditions for a ‘free state,’ and rewards responsible, trained citizens with the freedom to protect themselves. Thats what the NRA is truly about: providing Americans who choose to take advantage of their Second Amendment rights the appreciation for the serious responsibilities and safety precautions necessary to ensure gun owners safety and the safety of others.”

Although some of us don’t especially love guns or agree with her interpretation of the Second Amendment, Meghan does have a right to express her opinion. See her entire posting at http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-05-14/trigger-happy/ and don’t forget to read the comments.

Top Ten Stories of the Week ending May 8, 2009:

Law Practice Management Downturn’s Losers: BigLaw, ‘Entitled’ Associates, Top Schools May 7, 2009, 10:12 am CDT

Law Schools Blog Questions ‘Rankings Malpractice’ by Law Schools

A Report of the New York State Inspector General, Joseph Fisch, released on May 13, 2009 concluded that Herbert Titelbaum Executive Director of the New York State Council on Public Integrity and a close friend exchanged at least 165 phone calls and held regular dinners over a five month period in 2007, during which Mr. Titelbaum disclosed the progress and details of the inquiry conducted by the panel, the Commission on Public Integrity, into the handling by former governor Spitzer’s administration of the travel records of longtime Senate majority leader Joseph L. Bruno. Since the Report was released there have been calls for the resignation of Mr. Titelbaum

Below are links to two news articles which discuss the Report and its implications, followed by links to the Executive Summary and Findings of the Report, ending with a link to the complete Report itself:

New York Times Article May 13, 2009 “Paterson Asks Ethics Panel to Quit by Danny Hakim.

In its preliminary statistics released on May 11, 2009 the FBI reports that 41 of our nation’s law enforcement officers were feloniously killed in the line of duty in 2008. All but five were killed with firearms. The number of officers feloniously killed was 17 fewer than in 2007. A more detailed explanation of these numbers is provided in the Press Release announcing the release of these statistics:

FBI Press Release May 11, 2007

This enertaining article, Champagne Corks, Mickey Mantle & Muskets, is a May 10, 2009 posting by Adrian M. Baron on the Nutmeg Lawer blawg which is described as a blawg “…developed to share tips on law firm marketing, legal practice, office management and anything else that might pique your interest about the trials and tribulations of law practice.” Adrian Barron’s posting did certainly “pique” our interest and we thought you would enjoy it also.

Pursuant to Section 42, paragraph 4, of the Judiciary Law of the State of New York the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct respectfully submits the Annual Report 2009 of its activities covering the period from January 1 through December 31, 2008.

The New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct is the state agency responsible for investigating complaints of misconduct against judges of the state unified court system and, where appropriate, determining to admonish, censure or remove from office those judges found to have engaged in unethical behavior. All determinations are subject to review in the Court of Appeals, New York State’s highest court.

New York State. Commissdion on Judicial Conduct, Annual Report 2009

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