Tax Filing Day is next week

I hate to mention this on a Friday, but just in case you need that last minute tax form, remember you can find most of them on the web. For Federal Forms and Publications, go to the IRS web site. You will find just about any form you need and the publications are good sources of explanation for how to fill out those forms.

For state filing, go to State Tax Forms and click on the state you need.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Sunshine in Government Initiative

According to its Web site, the Sunshine in Government Initiative is “a coalition of media groups committed to promoting policies that ensure the government is accessible, accountable and open”. In addition to a brief history of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the site offers FOIA statistics, a study on FOIA litigation from 1999 to 2004, and FOIA-related Congressional testimony.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

National Poetry Month

April is National Poetry month and Poets.org (from the Academy of American Poets) is celebrating by offering a Poem-A-Day . For the month of April, Poets.org will send a new poem into your e-mail inbox. Or, you can take a break from your studies and read the poems in the Poem a Day archive.

Throughout the year, Poets.org can help you find poems for every occasion. Why not take a look at poems for graduation.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Criminal Law Resources: Fingerprint Evidence Challenges

Fingerprint analysis has been around since the 19th Century and we assume that if the police can get fingerprints, they are good identification. Actually the science is not is not as accurate as assumed and professionals have been debating the reliability and admissibility of fingerprint evidence for a number of years. This guide - Criminal Law Resources: Fingerprint Evidence Challenges - gives a good overview of the discussion. It also provides links to the government agencies and study groups that developed standards for fingerprint collection and analysis. These groups have also reviewed issues concerning its reliability.


Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Evening Research Skills Workshop

As requested and promised, tonight we will repeat the Top 10 Research Skills workshop, “Strategic Searching”. This was rescheduled from last week and will be held in Room 206 at 5:10-6pm.

In this workshop you will learn tips for mapping out a research strategy. A few minutes advanced planning can save you hours of research. Find out some of the questions you should be thinking about before you sit down to research.




Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Legal Blogger Sued for Defamation

For any other bloggers and those thinking about blogging, this story about the Patent Troll Tracker blog (currently off-line) may be instructive. This particular blogger is an in-house lawyer with Cisco, which is often a party in patent cases. He blogged anonymously about patent law, and in one post he seemed to allege an instance of improper conduct by two attorneys and some judicial clerks in a case which involved Cisco. The blogger's identity was subsequently revealed and he and Cisco are now being sued for defamation. This is a reminder that online anonymity cannot be counted on, so bloggers should write accordingly.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat