KCLL Klues: Washington State Legal Research

The Arlington Times reports on a man who was called to jury duty despite the fact that he had been dead since 2005. It seems he did not get stricken from the rolls of those to be called. “Jury duty rolls are drawn from random number polls of voter registration, licensing and state-issued ID cards, and … it is possible for dead people to receive jury duty summonses.”

My spouse believes that you get called to jury duty when you get a library card – as I have been called numerous times and he has never been called. Funny, dear!

In this episode of KCLL’s SideBar we present Part 2 of Seattle attorney George Sjursen’s interview of President Richard Nixon’s youngest brother, Edward Nixon, who has written a book titled, The Nixons: A Family Portrait. Also, our resident movie critic, Craig Burgess, returns with his Reel Verdict review of Robert Greenwald’s biography of Abbie Hoffman, Steal This Movie.

Listen to Episode 32
Links for Episode 32

The King County Law Library just received a new book titled Selling Your House in a Tough Market: 10 Strategies That Work, from Nolo Publishing. Since it is a possibility that I may have to do this in the near future, I decided to see if it contained any helpful information. The book has 10 chapters, the 10 strategies that work, I guess. Each chapter introduces an “advisor” on the topic, from realtors to home stagers to home inspectors. Much of the advice is common sense, but some of the reminders can be useful. You can find the book here in our library or look for it in the Seattle Public Library or the King County Library System.

Here are the call numbers you will need to find it on the shelf.
KCLL’s Call #: HD 259 .B73 2009
SPL’s Call #: 643.12097 B7393S 2009
KCLS’s Call #: 643.120973 BRA

Yesterday I mentioned the legal related podcasts that I like. I was told that I might have missed one,  Nolo Presents the Law in Plain English. Actually, we have included a link to these podcasts in our Self-Help Resource Links for a long time. I simply forgot to include this podcast. I have to admit I do not regularly listen to the podcasts as I have not added them to my iTunes list, so I have to remember to visit the site. But if you want to know about everything from surviving foreclosure to screening tenants, this podcast is very helpful. I won’t forget to mention it next time.

We publish our own podcasts as KCLL’s SideBar and I often get asked what legal related podcasts I listen to myself. Many of the podcasts I listen to are not legal, but there are some good legal ones that I like.

Of course, one that is great is the Legal Talk Network’s Lawyer 2 Lawyer, with Bob Ambrogi and J. Craig Williams. I try to keep up with them, as they are always topical and interesting. Some of the other podcasts on the Legal Talk Network are also worth listening to, such as, The Kennedy-Mighell Report and their brand new The Paralegal Voice.

I listen to the Supreme Court of Washington’s Blog podcast, as it is always pertinent to our state. The ABA has a Litigation Podcast that contains many good tips for practicing attorneys. The Sacramento County Public Law Library is doing a podcast called Everyday Law, which focuses on California, but could be helpful to Washington users, too.

So if you have not checked these podcasts out, you might want to try them. Of course, do not forget to listen to our podcast, KCLL’s SideBar, where not only do you get interesting interviews or information about legal subjects, but we entertain you with movie reviews, skits and more.

The new Washington State virtual reference portal is now ready for use. If you need an answer to a question you can start at Ask-Wa. While the King County Law Library is not a member of the 24/7 portion of this service, you can connect to our Ask A Question service and email us anytime. We chat from 1-4 pm Monday through Friday and the State Law Library covers the 10-1 time frame. We are also listed on the Ask-Wa web site in the libraries link as one of the Partner Libraries. So when you have a question, don’t forget your Washington State libraries!

In this episode of KCLL’s SideBar Seattle attorney and amateur historian George Sjursen interviews President Richard Nixon’s youngest brother, Edward Nixon, who has written a book titled, The Nixons: A Family Portrait.  Then the Seattle University Law School librarians join KCLL in their last session of “At the Reference Desk,“ this time discussing the initiative and referendum process.

Listen to Episode 31
Links for Episode 31

Lately I keep getting this question. My divorce is going to trial and the judge told me I need a trial notebook. What do I put in a trial notebook and why do I want one?

A trial notebook is a three-ring binder which contains tabs to help organize the documents that you will need to refer to during the trial. Put any of the documents you will need in the binder and label the tabs for each section.

Some suggestions for what you may need are as follows:

• pretrial motions and orders 
• copies of all other pleadings and motions by each party (Petitioner and Respondent)
• discovery transcripts and responses
• witness lists
• exhibits you want to use (assets and financial records with subsections for property division, financial spreadsheets, tax returns, debts, bank accounts, pensions, child support, visitation and custody issues, etc.)
• research and law that applies to your case, including trial brief if submitted
• subpoenas

This is not an exhaustive list. Create a table of contents for the documents so you can find them easily within the sections. For more information about what you may wish to include in a trial notebook look at the classic McElhaney’s Trial Notebook or check out Debbie Brooks Advanced Civil Litigation Handbook for King County Superior Court. Both books are available in the King County Law Library.

Today’s post comes from our former staff member, Stina. She sent me a message me about a number of legal applications that lawyers and law students can use via their iPhone. A couple of these are VERY inexpensive, which is always nice. This is what Stina has to say:

First up, there is the application “Legal E,” which provides information on student rights, as well as other education laws. This is a resource for both students and teachers, as it includes both current and historical education laws. The application is constantly updated as changes in education law are made at the Federal level. Not a free app, but only costs $1.99.

Next is the “Copyright Coach.” This app provides the entire text of Title 17 of the United States Code, along with choice Code of Federal Regulation provisions and parts of Title 18 of the United States Code, the sections which deal with criminal copyright infringement. The app is divided into three parts, and includes a Registration Guide as one of the sections. The guide (really cool) breaks down the USC and CFR sections by topic. The code is current and the app costs 99 cents, which is crazy! Think about this app as a portable NOLO guide for copyright questions.

Finally, is “Legal Ease.” This is an application that could be helpful to anyone gearing up to take the bar. It helps in preparing for the Multistate Bar Exam and contains 800 flashcard questions written by attorneys. It includes detailed explanations to help students understand the details. The questions include the major areas of law and a practice exam, and then gives you your results via your phone. The app is pricey at $39.99, but then again, so is taking the bar – twice.

There have been lots of reviews of the Black’s Law Dictionary, so we won’t repeat those here. Check out these apps by visiting the iStore.

Thanks, Stina. Good apps to consider.

Last week I kept hearing about this story. The City of Bozeman, Montana required all potential employees to disclose their Facebook, MySpace, and other internet social networking usernames and passwords. The story was originally broken by a local television station and then spread through blogs, twitter postings and other social networking sites themselves. The city has backed down now due to the public outcry about privacy concerns of this practice.