Google and Westlaw had a baby and WestSearch is its name, O!

Beginning this fall, KU Law faculty, staff and students will have access to Westlaw's newest product: WestlawNext.

I am going to try my best to not get into the super-geeky details here. Also, I'm going to avoid quoting West on this product. Instead, I am going to share with you my experience.

Many students who are starting to learn the online legal research process may find it difficult to switch over to using Westlaw. They are used to using search engines such as Google and Bing where they can just type in their question and go. Legal research just does not work that way. For example, to use Westlaw most efficiently, you have to understand three things: Boolean language connectors, West's KeyNumber system and legal analysis. This makes online legal research particularly difficult for first-year students who have little if any exposure to these concepts.

Well, the magical minds at West have solved your problem. They have created a product that allows the user to use Westlaw the way that they use search engines: Just type in your question. You don’t have to pick a database or use exact search terms.

This doesn't take away your need for legal analysis at all. But it does take away your need to understand Boolean logic and West's KeyNumber system (well, not completely).

So here's how it works.

1. Pick a jurisdiction. No database choice is required.
2. Type in your query however you are used to doing it: Boolean, natural language, citation or parties.

WestSearch uses the editorial additions already in place to rank the results and divide them up by type: case law, statutes, secondary sources, etc. You can then narrow your results using a checklist on the left side. Or find related materials on the right which WestSearch has flagged as AWESOME! Also, once you have looked at a document, West puts a neat little pair of glasses next to it so that you don't go repeating yourself.

So who has access to WestlawNext? Currently, only faculty and staff. In a few weeks, all students will have access with the exception of 1Ls. Sorry guys! You still need to learn how to use Westlaw! But full access will be granted to you, too, come spring (maybe earlier if we so decide).

How do you get to WestlawNext? Simple. Sign in to Westlaw as you normally would. Once you do, you will see WestlawNext as an option at the top of the screen. Try it out. Play around. We will offer training as the semester rolls on. Otherwise, feel free to sign up for one of the webinars listed below. These are for FACULTY AND LIBRARIANS ONLY! Sorry students!

• Aug. 11 (11 a.m.): WestlawNext Introduction


• Aug. 18 (2 p.m.): WestSearch (Algorithm)


• Aug. 25 (Noon): Folders & Productivity Tools


• Sept. 1 (1 p.m.): Cost Effective Legal Research


• Sept. 8 (11 a.m.): KeyCite


• Sept. 15 (3 p.m.): Mobile

If you can't make it, don't worry! Westlaw will put these up on its TWEN page!

W. Blake Wilson
Instructional & Research Services Librarian

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Top 8 misconceptions about legal research

I am in charge of the legal research instruction as part of the Lawyering Skills course. Over the past three years, I have heard (and read) several things students have said about legal research. Before we have a new batch of students start up this fall, I would like to go ahead and address these issues.

1. Everything is available online.
   
   Surprisingly, this is not the case. While it's true that the feds are quick to post things online, you can not say the same with regards to state materials. Of course you do have proprietary databases, but even those aren't as comprehensive as people would like to think they are. Not to metion that, honestly, some things just aren't easily accessible online. There's also the issue of the cost of using these databases.


2. My firm will have unlimited access to legal databases.
   
   If you end up at a big firm, this just may be the case. Sort of. Keep in mind that at the end of each year, your law firm will have to renegotiate its contract with its provider of choice. And if you think that these providers aren't keep track of usage, you are dead wrong. And if you think you won't get canned because you caused overhead to jump thousands of dollars, you obviously haven't worked in a law firm.


3. Clients won't pay for research.
   
   It is true that some clients will look at a bill and refuse to pay for anything labeled "research." It's also true that many law firms won't charge clients for "research." So how does research get paid? By increasing the hourly rate on everything else and calling research "overhead." Believe me, in the end, clients pay for research, being that it's likely to be 50 percent of your job.


4. I won't need to do research.
   
   This is simply not true. Think about it. A client comes to you with a problem and is seeking a legal solution. Even if you think you know the answer to his or her problem, laws change. You can be found guilty of malpractice for citing bad law. Even if you are relying on a form, you better make sure that the form you are using still conforms to the standards spelled out in the statutes or regulations.


5. My paralegal/legal secretary will do all of my research.
   
   True. The moment you become partner in a law firm, you can pass your research on to your secretary, paralegal or a lower associate. But if you are a first-year associate at any firm, you don't get to pass things on. Sorry, but that paralegal is higher up on the food chain, my friend.


6. Employers don't care about my research skills.
   
   The No. 1 complaint we get from law firms is that summer associates can't do research. That they have to be gingerly walked through the entire process. If this is you and you are up against a summer associate who walked in with mad research skills, guess who's getting asked back? You, because you play a great game of softball? Think again.


7. The research assignments are just busy work!
   
   Actually, the research assignments are created to actually get your face into the books and do some practical work. You can't learn how to do research by reading a book. It's like flying a plane. Would you trust a pilot who'd only just read "Flying for Dummies"? Or a surgeon who had never cut into a cadaver?


8. I already know how to research.
   
   Legal research is unlike any other type of research. Granted, there are some parallels in that you have key words and indexes and tables of context. But with legal research, there is a required level of analysis that is pervasive. Sure it might be hard to see your first year. But that's because, at this point, the only legal analysis you can do is what you've brought with you. And unless you already have a degree based in law, that ain't much.

W. Blake Wilson
Instructional & Research Services Librarian

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Bureau of Justice Statistics website makes crime stats freely available

In need of crime statistics and don't know where to look? Try the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics!

The Bureau of Justice Statistics (B.J.S.) was first established on Dec. 27, 1979, under the Justice Systems Improvement Act of 1979. Their goal is to

collect, analyze, publish, and disseminate information on crime, criminal offenders, victims of crime, and the operation of justice systems at all levels of government. These data are critical to federal, state, and local policymakers in combating crime and ensuring that justice is both efficient and evenhanded.

Using data collected by the U.S. Bureau of the Census, along with other Department of Justice statistical programs and data from other federal agencies, the B.J.S. makes this data freely available to anyone with a computer.

Data is published annually on:

• Criminal victimization
• Populations under correctional supervision
• Federal criminal offenders and case processing

Periodic data series include:

• Administration of law enforcement agencies and correctional facilities
• Prosecutorial practices and policies
• State court case processing
• Felony convictions
• Characteristics of correctional populations
• Criminal justice expenditure and employment
• Civil case processing in State courts
• Special studies on other criminal justice topics

Need some old data? Well luckily B.J.S. archives data files, documents them, and makes them available through the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data.

So hope on and take a look around! You just might be surprised at the various types of statistics you can find!

W. Blake Wilson
Instructional & Research Services Librarian

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Law.gov would be bold experiment in one-stop shopping for legal research

Have you heard about Law.gov? No? Well then, let me tell you!

Law.gov is a proposed repository for legal materials, open-sourced and open to the public. Included would be all primary materials of the United States and international governmental bodies. Law.gov would be a portal for authoritative local, state, national, foreign and international legal and legislative information. Basically, we are talking one-stop shopping.

Primary legal materials include all materials that have the force of law and are part of the law-making process, including briefs and opinions from the judiciary; reports, hearings and laws from the legislative branch; and regulations, audits, grants and other materials from the executive branch.

This sounds like a link dump, doesn't it? It's not. It is much more dynamic than that. Think of it as a MySpace or Facebook for governmental entities. Just as social media sites give you web-based software systems to build your own site, Law.gov would create its system from open-source software building blocks. This would allow states and municipalities to make their materials available as well without having to hire a full-time web master.

Now if you've ever had me in class, you have heard me say that if you are going to rely on the language of a case or statute, you must use the printed material. Errors are more likely to exist online. To alleviate these errors, Law.gov has a very interesting proposal:

TECH TALK: A Note On Authenticity. With the law, close just isn't good enough. Primary legal materials need to be authentic and digitally signed. As the American Association of Law Librarians said in their ground-breaking report at the AALL National Summit on Authentic Legal Information in the Digital Age, “it is time to save the legal information system.” We propose to enlist the law students of America as auditors during the startup phase of Law.gov, asking students to systematically compare online to printed materials. The students would gain reputation points in the registry, which they could use to demonstrate their public service when applying for jobs or clerkships. Would such a system work? When we tour the law schools, we intend to dig in and ask that very question.

This appears to be a very bold move, but one worth looking into.

Check out Carl Malamud's address to the Gov 2.0 Summit on Sept. 10, 2009, in Washington, D.C., for more information.

W. Blake Wilson
Instructional & Research Services Librarian

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Happy Geek Pride Day from a Wheat Law librarian and self-proclaimed geek

My name is Blake, and I'm a geek. It's true. For those of you who know me, this comes as no surprise. But for those who don't, it's not a difficult conclusion to draw. I am a law librarian. Trading in the courtroom for the library is tantamount to trading in Atticus Finch for Rupert Giles.

I let it slip, didn't I? The real reason I'm a geek? It's not because I'm a law librarian, although that does give me some geek street cred. What makes me a geek is that I get the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" reference. And I know that "Star Wars" premiered on this day in 1977. And, according to "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," today is Towel Day. And Terry Pratchett's "Discworld" celebrates the Glorious 25th of May.

Well, today is something else. Today is Geek Pride Day! It's a day which claims that every person can claim the right to be a geek! There is even a manifesto:

Rights:

1. The right to be even geekier.
2. The right to not leave your house.
3. The right to not like football or any other sport.
4. The right to associate with other nerds.
5. The right to have few friends (or none at all).
6. The right to have as many geeky friends as you want.
7. The right to be out of style.
8. The right to be overweight and near-sighted.
9. The right to show off your geekiness.
10. The right to take over the world.

Responsibilities:

1. Be a geek, no matter what.
2. Try to be nerdier than anyone else.
3. If there is a discussion about something geeky, you must give your opinion.
4. To save and protect all geeky material.
5. Do everything you can to show off geeky stuff as a "museum of geekiness."
6. Don't be a generalized geek. You must specialize in something.
7. Attend every nerdy movie on opening night and buy every geeky book before anyone else.
8. Wait in line on every opening night. If you can go in costume or at least with a related T-shirt, all the better.
9. Never throw away anything related to geekdom.
10. Try to take over the world!

So in celebration of this most joyous of days, I say to you:

• May the Force be with you.
• Live long and prosper.
• Inconceivable!
• Kneel before Zod!
• Excuse me, I believe you have my stapler…
• This is my Boomstick!
• NEE!
• Excelsior!
• The Dude abides.
• One ring to rule them all
• With great power there must also come — great responsibility.

Can you guess these films? Do you have other quotes? Feel free to add by leaving a comment!

W. Blake Wilson
Instrucational & Research Services Librarian - and Geek

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Law librarians share words of wisdom with graduating class

I have worked here at the University of Kansas Wheat Law Library for just over three years. Technically, I too am a 3L. The first class I taught was the 2007 summer starters, but really that was a bit of a dry run. My true connection was with the fall starters, what was to be the Class of 2010. You are my first class of students who I actually get to witness walking across that stage. I have come to know so many of you as not only a librarian and teacher but also a mentor. I will miss each and every one of you.

I asked the librarians if they have anything to say to the graduates of 2010, be it words of wisdom or quotes they have found meaningful. Here is what they sent me:

"How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these." - George Washington Carver

Clean out your carrels, return your library books, CELEBRATE, then right back to the library to study for the bar. Good luck, and we’ll miss you! Seriously!

My only advice is don’t forget to thank your friends and family for their support these past three years!

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." - Dr. Seuss

"You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
You're on your own.
And you know what you know.
You are the guy who'll decide where to go."
- Dr. Seuss

"Do or do not. There is no try." - Yoda

I sincerely hope that all of the new grads will take some time to relish their accomplishments, to celebrate their graduation from law school. Getting into and getting through law school was not an easy task, so I hope they will all take a moment to reflect, relax and release!

I do hope that you will remember that we at the Wheat Law Library are here for you whenever you need us. Keep us in your phone and call whenever you get stumped with a research problem or when you need a book. Or if you just need to talk to someone who has been through what you are going through.

W. Blake Wilson
Instructional & Research Services Librarian

Thanks to Chris Steadham, Su Johnson, Tammy Steinle McLain and Joyce McCray Pearson for their contributions.

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National Library Workers Day

Today, thousands of communities will celebrate National Library Workers Day (NLWD), a time when library staff, patrons, administrators and Friends groups will recognize the valuable contributions made by all library workers. You are invited to name a “Star” library employee for the NLWD Web site at ala-apa.org, where everyone can see what makes this person an exceptional library employee. Anyone working in or for a library can be nominated, and self-nominations are welcome.

The day’s theme -- "Libraries Work Because We Do!" -- focuses on how library services depend on the important work done by every library employee. Library employees help Americans deal with tough economic times. Patrons are visiting libraries in record numbers, seeking guidance from library employees in using computers and the Internet, accessing financial literacy resources and searching for jobs.

Ways you can celebrate:

• Download and color this "Thank You Librarian" Coloring Page from Crayola.


• Print out the "Let Everyone Know" poster from ALA-APA and hang it up for everyone to see.


• Stop by your favorite librarian's office and just let him or her know that you appreciate his or her work.


• Chai lattes are always good.

Can you think of any other ways to celebrate? If so, let me know!

W. Blake Wilson
Instructional & Research Services Librarian

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Wheat Law Library celebrates National Library Week

National Library Week is observed this year from April 10 through April 16 with the theme "Create your own story @ your library." The first sponsored National Library Week was in 1958, and the American Library Association has continued this yearly celebration in April ever since. It's a great time to recognize the contributions our libraries have made to our communities. And, of course, the Wheat Law Library will be celebrating in style!

Tuesday, April 12
Today is National Library Workers Day. "Libraries Work Because We Do!"

Wednesday, April 13
Annual Hazel Anderson Book Sale, 8 a.m. - noon, Informal Commons

Thursday, April 14
10th Annual Friends of the Wheat Law Library Lecture & Luncheon
Judge Steve Leben, L'82, Kansas Court of Appeals, will deliver the luncheon lecture, "Some Thoughts on the Increasingly Interdisciplinary Nature of the Law."

Friday, April 15
Amnesty Day: Bring back overdue law library materials today, and the fines will be waived.

Weeklong Activities

• Library Trivia Quizzes: a new one available each day, Monday through Friday, with winners drawn from correct entries.
• VIP Circulation Staff: law school administrators, staff and faculty will be working at the library circulation desk at various times during the week.

Blake Wilson, Head of Instruction and Research Services

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National Library Week at the Wheat Law Library

National Library Week is observed this year from April 11 through April 17 with the theme "Communities thrive @ your library." The first sponsored National Library Week was in 1958, and the American Library Association (ALA) has continued this yearly celebration in April ever since. It's a great time to recognize the contributions our libraries have made to our communities. And, of course, the Wheat Law Library will be celebrating in style!

• Thursday, April 8, 12:30-1:30 pm
  Ninth Annual Paul E. Wilson Friends of the Wheat Law Library Lecture & Luncheon
  This year's keynote speaker is none other than Green Hall's Rick Levy. His lecture is titled “Libraries and the Future of Campaign Finance Regulation,” and he will discuss the recent Supreme Court decisions, particularly Citizen’s United v. Federal Election Commission (overruling Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce), which held that limitations on corporate spending in political campaigns violate the First Amendment. Although it's a little late to sign up, you can find more information online. And who knows? Maybe we can squeeze you in?


• Monday, April 12, 10:10 am
  We will be serving Cake in the Commons (first floor). I'm not sure if it will be a library-themed cake, but really, does it matter? It's cake!


• Tuesday, April 13
  National Library Workers Day
  This is pretty much the day when the librarians get pampered. So hug your favorite librarian! Odds are we'll squirm a little.


• Wednesday, April 14, 8 am-noon
  26th Annual Hazel A. Anderson Memorial Book Sale (first-floor commons)
  This is a wonderful opportunity for you to beef up your book collection while giving to the Wheat Law Library. We invite students to work the book sale and ask any faculty members to bring by books that might be cluttering up your office!


• Thursday, April 15, 12:30 pm (Room 104)
  I will be giving a lecture on "Smart Phones and Legal Research." It's a brown bag, so you'll have to bring your own food.


• Friday, April 16
  Library Fines Amnesty Day
  I probably don't need to go into details on this!

We hope to see you at our events! And Happy National Library Week!

W. Blake Wilson, Instructional & Research Services Librarian

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Wheat Law Library New Book List for March 2011

We had quite a few new books come out in March at the Wheat Law Library! I would love to list all of them but that would take up too much space. So I went through and picked out the titles I think look interesting.

If you would like to see the entire list or check out any of these books (provided they are circulating), contact Circulation Department Manager Su Johnson.

Marshall, John
The Writings of Chief Justice Marshall on the Federal Constitution
Rockville, MD: Legal Classics Library, c 2010
No call number 2 Volumes, Rice Room

Stone, Geoffrey R.
Perilous Times: Free Speech in Wartime from the Sedition Act of 1798 to the War on Terrorism
New York: W.W. Norton & Co., c 2005
JC 591 .S76 2005x

Tuori, Kaarlo
Ratio and Voluntas: the Tension between Reason and Will in Law
Farnham, Surrey, England; Burlington, VT: Ashgate, c 2011
K 230 .T86 A37 2011

Marmor, Andrei
Philosophy of Law
Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, c 2011
K 231 .M375 2011

Law without Nations
Ed. Austin Sarat, Lawrence Douglas, Martha Merrill Umphrey
Stanford, Calif.: Stanford Law Books, c 2011
K 302 .L39 2011

Davis, Richard
Justices and Journalists: the U.S. Supreme Court and the Media
New York: Cambridge University Press, c 2011
K 487 .M43 D38 2011

Information Technology and Traditional Legal Concepts
Ed. Richard Jones, Roksana Moore
London: Routledge, c 2010
K 487 .T4 I54 2011

Copyright and Cultural Heritage: Preservation and Access to Works in a Digital World
Ed. Estelle Derclaye
Cheltenham, UK; Northampton, MA, USA: Edward Elgar, c 2010
K 1420.5 .C66 2010

Leib, Linda Hajjar
Human Rights and the Environment: Philosophical, Theoretical, and Legal Perspectives
Leiden; Boston: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, c 2011
K 3585 .L445 2011

Frasch, Pamela D.
Animal Law in a Nutshell
St. Paul, MN: West, c 2011
KF 390.5 .A5 F73 2010 Reserve

Data Breach and Encryption Handbook
Ed. Lucy L. Thomson
Chicago: American Bar Association, c 2011
KF 1263 .C65 D37 2011

Pottage, Alain
Figures of Invention: a History of Modern Patent Law
Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, c 2010
KF 3114 .P685 2010

Nolon, John R.
Climate Change and Sustainable Development Law in a Nutshell
St. Paul, MN: West, c 2011
KF 3783 .N65 2011 Reserve

Goldstone, Lawrence
Inherently Unequal: the Betrayal of Equal Rights by the Supreme Court, 1865–1903
New York: Walker & Company, c 2011
KF 4757 .G655 2011

Collins, Ronald K. L.
We Must Not Be Afraid to Be Free: Stories of Free Expression in America
New York: Oxford University Press, c 2011
KF 4772 .C65 2011

Mathewson, Joe
The Supreme Court and the Press: the Indispensable Conflict
Evanston, Ill.: Northwestern University Press, c 2010
KF 4772 .M38 2010

Horwitz, Paul
The Agnostic Age: Law, Religion, and the Constitution
New York: Oxford University Press, c 2011
KF 4783 .H67 2011

Sagafi-nejad, Nancy Black
Friends at the Bar: Quaker View of Law, Conflict Resolution, and Legal Reform
Albany: State University of New York Press, c 2011
KF 4869 .Q83 S24 2011

Smith, Kaighn
Labor and Employment Law in Indian Country
Portland, Me.: Drummond Woodsum Macmahon, c 2011
KF 8220 .S65 2011

W. Blake Wilson, Head of Instruction and Research Services

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Kansas Legislature website updated

If you have visited the Kansas Legislature's website lately, you probably noticed some big changes have occurred. First of all, the website is now called KLISS. No, it's not an awkward dating move. It stands for Kansas Legislative Information Systems and Services. From the website:

KLISS integrates the information from many functions within the Legislature and presents in a hyperlinked "no wrong door" model.

In other words, one-stop shopping! Or a gateway. Or a portal.

On the home page, you will not only find the Welcome but also "Pertinent Information." Currently it states:

This year the Kansas Legislature changed the way it manually produced bills using a "cut and paste" computer mainframe process for making law. The old process was labor intensive and difficult to support and staff because the mainframe portion of the system was over 40 years old.

It is unclear what they mean by "copy and paste" computer mainframe. Perhaps someone who is a bit more tech savvy than me would know. It sounds like they discovered CTRL+c and CTRL+v, but surely it's a bit more complex than that.

One of the really big differences one will notice has to do with the statute search function. KLISS has handed this over to Google. I have mixed feelings about this move. On the one hand, it's cheap. On the other hand, the ways the results are displayed are not the most useful. Google usually applies an algorithm that determines a relevancy based upon the URL, the main headings in the webpage, the keywords and how many other websites link to the page. When using Google to search statutes, the results almost appear random. Also, Google will not search using synonyms which means if you search "alcohol," you'll most likely miss the sections on "intoxicating liquors."

That being said, anyone who has had me in class should know that I am actually not a huge fan of jumping onto a computer when starting a research project. The "alcohol vs. intoxicating liquors" in the Kansas Statutes is just one example of why I think it's a bad idea. I prefer using an index. And the index is where KLISS gets it right. At the top of the statute web page is the index. Select a letter, and it takes you to what looks like the index as it appears in the paper statutes. Only with hyperlinks! If I could have one wish ... well ... it would be to be able to teleport. But if I had a second wish, it would be that all online statutes did this.

As far as bill tracking is concerned, the interface is more streamlined but basically the same. There doesn't appear to be a search function available aside from a simple filter using the bill number, type, origination and sponsor.

So go check out the new Kansas Legislature website! Let me know what you think of the changes.

W. Blake Wilson, Instructional & Research Services Librarian

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KU Libraries offer access to variety of e-book resources

A good friend of mine, John Pappas, with the Rapid City Library, sent me the link to the eReader Guide he's been working on. In it, he goes over six different electronic book readers: iPad, Sony Reader, Kobo Reader, Nook, Kindle and Cruz Reader. It's a wonderful evaluation of these readers, and I highly recommend checking it out.

Reading through this page, it started me wondering what kind of electronic books we have access to here at KU. So I did a little digging and found a wonderful LibGuide by Judith Emde which highlights the e-book resources available through the KU Libraries. I would like to share some of these tips with you.

Searching the Catalog
If you would like to see all of the electronic books we have available through the catalog, simply type in "electronic books" (including the quotes) and search by keyword. You'll notice we have quite a few options available to us. I'm going to guess that you might be more interested in just the legal books. To narrow down your search, type in "electronic books" AND law and search by AND, OR, NOT (Keyword Boolean). It should be noted that the Boolean functions should be all caps (a good practice to get into since this requirement is prolific). If you are looking for newer material, you will definitely want to set your search limits to a reasonable range, like maybe 1990 to 2011. Othewise, many of the titles pulled up will be more historical.

Ebook Library
The University of Kansas subscribes to a service called the Ebook Library (EBL). The titles it provides are available through the catalog, so you don't have to worry about having to search more than one database. The main reason I want to point out EBL is that its interface is very intuitive and user-friendly. When you search or browse for books, an image of the cover is provided, as is the table of contents. Any books you find you can add to your personal collection, building your own electronic library!

World Library
World Library is a subscription service which loans out electronic books for only $8.95 per year, which, in my opinion, is totally worth it to have access to over 750,000 books. Beyond that, what makes World Library are the individual collections. For example, the Environmental Awareness Library Collection gathers together some 15,722 PDF eBooks on the topic. These titles range from government publications to academic journals.

Google Books
Of course we cannot forget about Google Books. Google Books is a great way to gain access to electronic books that are in the public domain. Many are available for download to your eReader. This is where I have gotten most of the free material I have on my iPhone.

So who out there uses an e-book reader? I'd be curious to find out!

W. Blake Wilson, Instructional and Research Services Librarian

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Law librarian, comic book fan sees superhero personalities in lawyers

For those who don't know, I have been a fan of comic books pretty much my entire life. And much like anybody who is a fan of any type of fiction, be it Harry Potter, Twilight or D.C.'s line of comics, you begin to pick up on the character archetypes and see them appear in your world. So it's not at all surprising that I would see different types of superheroes everywhere I go. So here's my take on the lawyers I have met and which superheroes they reflect.

• Green Lanterns
  The rules are there, they just need to be enforced! Work within the system; deal with the criminals directly. Green Lanterns are, literally, cops. But in the lawyer's world, they are prosecutors. Green Lanterns are driven by sheer will power to uphold the law. And the law is the law, fair or unfair. "Believe in the system" is the Green Lantern's mantra.


• Green Arrow and Black Canary
  Direct action, advocating social change. Social justice isn't created by following the laws that are on the books but by changing those laws to reflect what is right. Both Green Arrow and Black Canary practice public law. They might be public defenders or they might work in-house for nonprofit organizations like the ACLU, PETA or the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.


• Superman and Supergirl
  Supes is a big deal. Justice is of utmost importance. S/he is a shining example of how a superhero should behave. Meet strength with strength, meet gentle with gentle. The bad guys are born bad guys, and they should be locked away. Forever. But supes does not work with or for the police. Oh no! Supes is a shark who normally works defense but has been known to represent plaintiffs.


• Batman and Batgirl
  The Bats want you scared straight. Bats work with the police but are not trusted. The Bats are district attorneys who believe that being a criminal, for most, is a choice. Batsie wants to help you make the right choice and will even cut you a break if you seem scared enough. However, there are a few out there who are sick and cannot make the right choice. So they get put into a hospital where doctors work to cure their illness.


• Wonder Woman and Wonder Man
  The Wonders are that indeed! Physically and mentally powerful individuals who are willing to fight to the death. They are passionate about what they do. But their first line of attack? Alternative dispute resolution: mediation, negotiation and arbitration. They want to come to an agreement and understanding first. Words before weapons. They are expert negotiators and will do what they can to make sure everyone gets what they need before dragging cases through a lengthy courtroom battle, which they are fully capable of.

So what kind of superhero lawyer are you or do you think you would be? Do you have any to add? Leave a comment or e-mail me! I'd sure like to know!

W. Blake Wilson, Instructional & Research Services Librarian

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Law librarian ranks top 10 iPhone apps for law students

I realize that I am a latecomer to this craze. Like most Apple products, I was content to admire from afar. However, this past July, I decided to join the ranks of the uber-cool and purchase myself the geek's most powerful tool in the arsenal of geekdom: the iPhone.

It did not take me long to discover the amazing functionality of this incredible piece of equipment. When they say, "There's an app for that," they aren't kidding! There are apps for virtually everyone, covering almost every interest! The legal community is definitely no exception.

So, being the blogging librarian that I am, I have decided to share with you 10 of the coolest apps applicable to the lawyer and law student. Some of these might also be available on Blackberry or other devices, whatever they may be.

1. QuickOffice. This app actually allows you to edit Word and Spreadsheet documents. Honestly, I mostly use this app as an easy way to transfer documents to and from my iPhone, and to view them on the iPhone.
   
2. Any of the Cliff Maier reference apps. These apps are designed for legal reference and include the following:
   
   
   • Constitution
   • Federal Rules of Appellate, Bankruptcy, Civil and Criminal Procedure
   • Federal Rules of Evidence
   • Intellectual Property Laws
   • State Evidence Rules for various states (not Kansas).
   
   Price ranges from $0.99 to $7.99. Each app offers the ability to jump to a section or to search. There is cut-and-paste (for iPhone 3GS), as well as linking. The cool thing is when you are done looking at your link, you can go back to the app and it will still be where you left off.
3. Black's Law Dictionary is now available for the iPhone. This is Thomson Reuters' first venture into app-dom, and I hope it's not their last. You find terms in the app by typing into a search bar. Results appear as you begin to type, so you don't even need to finish typing to find what you need. There is an audio button which, when tapped, will pronounce the word for you. Slick! It runs $50, which is a little pricey for an app. It does work really well, though. And it IS cheaper than the hard copy.
   
4. Law in a Flash – iPhone Law School Flashcards. You know the product, right? Little flash cards with humorous scenarios on Criminal Procedure, Torts, Corporations, Criminal Law, Federal Income Tax, Professional Responsibility and Wills & Trusts. This is a great resource for law students on the go needing to study as much as they can for exams and/or the bar exam. The application allows users to take notes within the program, bookmark cards and put cards into shuffle mode for quick study. The cards are modeled after the multi-state bar exam. Each subject is $39.99.
   
5. Law Pod Foundation provides some legal reference apps not unlike Cliff Maier. There's not as much there, but at 99 cents per app, it's well worth a look. Includes Federal Rules of Civil, Criminal, Appellate and Bankruptcy Procedure as well as the Constitution. Each one is searchable. There is also an app called Title 35 that gives you similar access to the patent-relevant parts of the United States Code for $2.99.
   
6. The Legal News Reader app, which costs 99 cents, conveniently aggregates all recent legal news in one place, for those not interested in the time it takes to search for it on their own.
   
7. DocScanner, available for $8.99, is another great app for lawyers. With this app you can scan a document to your iPhone by taking a photo of it. It is then converted to a .pdf file that can either be e-mailed or saved to your phone.
   
8. Amazon Kindle is a great, free app for long, unexpected delays in court. You can download books, some for free, directly to your iPhone and peruse them in an easy-to-read format at your leisure.
   
9. Law School 100 is an iPhone app that ranks 100 law schools in the United States and provides capsule profiles of each school. It's produced by LawTV Inc., the publisher of The Law School 100.
   
10. TimeWerks. Sure, you thought that the iPhone meant you were a free-wheeling, outside-the-box kind of lawyer. But nobody escapes death, taxes and, if you're a law firm attorney, billable hours. While no programs that I'm aware of can seamlessly sync with firm billing apps, it's a step up from filling out paper billable sheets while you're out of the office. TimeWerks, $9.99, will track your projects and time spent in a way that, while not strictly built for lawyers, is user-friendly and versatile, and lets you export a .csv file that may streamline getting the data to your main billing program. A lite version does exist for free if you just want to try things out.
    

As you can imagine, there are tons more out there. Do you know of any? I would love to check them out! Just shoot me an e-mail or leave a comment.

Blake Wilson

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