Check out today’s Google home page. Google has joined the internet blackout (sort of ) to oppose SOPA and PIPA (see yesterday’s post).
Catching this post after today . . . here’s an image of the Jan. 18 Google logo.
Archive for the ‘News’ Category
Google “Blackout”
Wednesday, January 18th, 2012Wikipedia Fades to Black
Tuesday, January 17th, 2012The English edition of Wikipedia will be blacked out tomorrow. According to a press release, the blackout is to protest two bills pending in Congress focused on piracy and copyright violations by websites based offshore: the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) (H.R. 3261) and the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) (S. 968). The Wikipedia community asserts that this ”legislation will harm the free and open Internet and bring about new tools for censorship of international websites inside the United States.”
Several other websites— including BoingBoing and Reddit—are also participating in the blackout. Google, Facebook, and Twitter are not blacking out their sites but have expressed opposition to SOPA and PIPA in a letter to Congress printed in the New York Times.
Human Rights Day Event Will Focus on Women’s Rights and Opportunities
Tuesday, December 6th, 2011The Library of Congress is holding its 2011 International Human Rights Day event. Here are some details from the library’s press release:
A group of distinguished speakers will discuss women’s rights and opportunities at a panel held in honor of the international Human Rights Day at the Library of Congress at 1 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 9. The event will be held in the Mumford Room, located on the sixth floor of the Library’s James Madison Building at 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C. Sponsored by the Law Library of Congress, the presentation is free and open to the public. Tickets are not required.
The speakers include Sharon Hrynkow from the U.S. Department of State, Steven Shapiro from the American Civil Liberties Union and Graciela Rodriguez-Ferrand from the Law Library of the Library of Congress. The panel discussion will be introduced by Law Librarian of Congress Roberta Shaffer.
More information about International Human Rights day is available here.
ABA Journal Names Top 100 Blawgs
Monday, December 5th, 2011The ABA Journal has announced its annual Blawg 100 list. You can vote for your favorites after submitting a brief registration form.
We’ve previously noted some blawgs that may be of interest to GMU students here. Some additional blogs to check out include
Google in the Hot Seat
Wednesday, September 21st, 2011Today the Senate Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, held a hearing titled: “The Power of Google: Serving Consumers or Threatening Competition?” A webcast of the hearing, witness testimony, and member statements are available on the Senate Judicary Website. In advance of the hearing, Google published a Guide to the Senate Judiciary Hearing.
“Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” Repealed
Tuesday, September 20th, 2011Pursuant to the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Repeal Act, Public Law 111-321, DADT, 10 U.S.C. § 654, was repealed effective today. Dr. Clifford L. Stanley, Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, distributed a memorandum stating, in part, that “statements about sexual orientation or lawful acts of homosexual conduct will not be considered a bar to military service . . . . The DOD has also made available a “Quick Reference Guide“ addressing consequences of this repeal.
Learn more about significant issues related to the United States Military on the Department of Defense website. The site includes information about the DOD’s organizational structure and links to other DOD websites.
Guides on Current Legal Topics
Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011The Law Library of Congress offers a series of guides on Current Legal Topics, both domestic and international. These guides include commentary and recommended resources. Most recently, the library has added a guide on the pending charges against former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, available here.
Tragedy in Norway and the Legal Process
Monday, July 25th, 2011The tragedy in Norway occurred just days after I was fortunate to visit Oslo—a normally peaceful city where one of the main attactions for visitors is City Hall, the site of the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony. These horrific events have now brought Oslo and the Norwegian Legal Process into the forefront of international attention.
According to an article in The Telegraph, admitted shooter and bomber Anders Behring will have a detention hearing before a District Court judge (held today, in closed session). He will later be examined by doctors to assess his mental fitness to stand trial. The article cites unamed legal experts who say that a trial is likely to occur in about a year.
Behring has been charged under Norway’s anti-terriorism laws. Currently, Norwegian law provides for a maximum prison term of 21 years and there is no death penalty. However, according to a law professor at the University of Oslo, jail terms are renewable for 5 years if the court determines there is a risk of repeat offenses. The Norwegian Parliament has decided to raise the maximum prison term for terriorism to 30 years, but the law is not yet in effect.
The Norwegian courts have a useful website, available in English, that explains Norway’s judicial system. An unofficial English translation of the Norwegian Penal Code is available here. Additional resources include the Law Library of Congress Norwegian Law research guide and the Foreign Law Guide database available to the GMUSL community.
Spring and Summer Reference Hours
Thursday, May 12th, 2011There will be no Evening Reference Services Monday, May 16- Thursday, May 19. Reference librarians will be available to help you Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM. Regular Evening Reference Hours (Monday-Thursday until 9:00 PM) will resume on Monday, May 23.
There will be no Sunday References Services until classes resume in August.
University of Michigan Law Students Protest Commencement Speaker
Monday, May 9th, 2011University of Michigan Law School students staged a silent protest in response to Ohio Senator Rob Portman’s speech at graduation. Students objected to Senator Portman’s opposition to gay adoption and marriage. According to one report, close to 100 students quietly exited the commencement ceremony when Portman was introduced, and the majority of graduates wore rainbow buttons or ribbons.
Would you like to explore the legal issues related to sexual orientation? In addition to primary legal materials, some resources available to members of the GMUSL community include:
- Westlaw: Sexual orientation and the Law (SEXORIENT)
- Ebsco: LGBT Life with Full Text
- Library Catalog: Search related subject headings such as: Gay Rights, Same-sex marriage, or Gay couples–legal status