Practice Technology

Capital Murder Trial Chronicled Via Twitter

Updated: Trial junkies following the high-profile prosecution of a Wichita man accused in the contract killing of a pregnant 14-year-old girl can get continual, brief updates at Twitter.com from a reporter covering the trial. Reporter Ron Sylvester is covering the trial of defendant Theodore Burnett for the Wichita Eagle, but…

May 15, 2008 5:49 PM CDT

The Webby People’s Voice Award Goes to ... ABA Journal

The ABA Journal won the 2008 People’s Voice Webby Award in the Law category, it was announced today. Described by the New York Times as the “the Internet’s highest honor,” the Webby Awards are administered by the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences, and received almost 10,000 entries this…

May 6, 2008 4:02 PM CDT

Mac Mavens Speak Up

I read with interest “Mac v. PC,” March, and I would like to weigh in. My only interest here is to make life easier for my colleagues, which should in turn help make the benefits of Macs more available for all of us.

May 1, 2008 9:59 PM CDT

Advocacy Groups Among Contributors to New Legal Docs Database

About 200 lawyers and legal organizations have contributed legal documents to a website that launched at the end of February. Contributors to the site, JDSupra.com, include the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Cato Institute, the New York Times reports. The site allows lawyers to share pleadings, research memoranda and other…

Apr 28, 2008 4:52 PM CDT

Does the S.C. Need to Open Up More?

Veteran Supreme Court reporter Tony Mauro sure thinks the country’s highest arbiter could stand a little more sunshine. And Mauro would like to see some demystifying by justices who aren’t just trying to sell a book. “Thank goodness U.S. Supreme Court justices write books. Otherwise, the public would almost never…

Apr 23, 2008 4:47 PM CDT

R.I. Court to Webcast Key Lead Paint Arguments

In a first for Rhode Island, the state’s highest court will webcast hearings on the closely watched lead-paint case against three major manufacturers. While the state’s high court doesn’t typically televise its hearings, the court plans to place two cameras in the court so that anyone with Internet access can…

Apr 22, 2008 10:50 AM CDT

New Website Plays Matchmaker For Would-Be Plaintiffs

A new website that has been described as a “reverse Martindale Hubbell” directory is getting some attention as it tries to match would-be plaintiffs to trial lawyers. Prospective plaintiffs looking for a lawyer can visit SueEasy.com, select a category of lawsuit and create a profile. The idea is that lawyers…

Apr 21, 2008 4:48 PM CDT

Looking For Employee Perks to Offer? Facebook Access May be Enough

Employers who take a more liberal view toward allowing workers access to social networking sites may have a better shot at recruiting young talent, according to a survey by the Australia-based law firm Deacons. Of those surveyed, nearly half reported that “if given a choice between two jobs equal in…

Apr 16, 2008 8:28 PM CDT

Lawyer Suspended for Failing to E-File

A Topeka, Kan., lawyer has been suspended for three months, partly because he ignored a bankruptcy court’s warning that he needed to file his cases electronically. The Kansas Supreme Court held that the lawyer, Stephen D. Harris, violated his duty to represent his clients with competence, diligence and promptness. The…

Apr 15, 2008 5:28 PM CDT

Beware of E-Mail Bearing O’Melveny Name

Thousands of CEOs have received spyware e-mails bearing the name of O’Melveny & Myers. The e-mails contain attachments purporting to be grand jury subpoenas and are sent from a uscourts.com address, Legal Pad reports. But computer users who open the attachments could install spyware that logs their keystrokes. The U.S.…

Apr 15, 2008 11:23 AM CDT

N.Y. Law Firm Bans BlackBerrys at Major Meetings

A law firm in suburban New York City has banned electronic devices from major meetings to prevent distractions caused by cell phones and BlackBerrys. The six-month-old “no-device policy” at the Long Island law firm of Meltzer, Lippe, Goldstein & Breitstone is intended to prevent even vibrations from incoming calls and…

Apr 7, 2008 3:56 PM CDT

Law Blogging Shifts from Novelty to Community-Builder in Ohio

Lawyer-run blogs haven’t completely taken off in the Columbus, Ohio, legal community, but they’re becoming increasingly common. While corporate America uses blogs to detail product development and further brand identity, the Dayton Business Journal notes that law blogs “are more likely to stick to communicating about a specific practice area…

Apr 4, 2008 5:13 PM CDT

Law Firm Posts Lawyer Cartoons on its Website

A New York law firm trying to stand out from the crowd is posting lawyer cartoons from the New Yorker to its website. The cartoons are part of a new “branding approach” by the Mineola law firm, Meltzer, Lippe, Goldstein & Breitstone, Newsday reports. The firm posts five new cartoons…

Apr 3, 2008 2:44 PM CDT

In an About Face, New Jersey Provides Lawyer Records to Website

The state of New Jersey has complied with a request for records of thousands of lawyers in the state by lawyer-ranking website Avvo. Avvo had petitioned the New Jersey Supreme Court for access to names, year of admission and current bar status of the state’s lawyers after the clerk of…

Apr 2, 2008 1:38 PM CDT

A Quarter of the Nation’s Top Law Firms Have Blogs

More than 25 percent of the top 200 law firms have blogs, and the numbers are increasing. A study reported by Kevin O’Keefe’s Real Lawyers Have Blogs says 53 of the top firms have blogs, and 10 percent have more than one blog. In all, the top firms publish 110…

Apr 1, 2008 4:04 PM CDT