CALI's Topics in Digital Law Practice Course Starts Today

CALI (Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction) is offering a free 9-week course titled "Topics in Digital Law Practice." Areas covered include:

The Virtual Law Office
Document Automation
Technology in the Courts
Unbundling Legal Service Delivery
Free Legal Research Tools
Contract Standardization
Online Legal Forms in Legal Aid
Unauthorized Practice of Law in the 21st Century
Social Media for Lawyers

See CALI for more details including registration. The first session (30-min. lecture, Q & A, interactive assignment) begins at 2:00 pm today. New CALI users must create an account using the OSU code.

Justice Sotomayor on Sesame Street

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor made a recent appearance on Sesame Street.  Justice Sotomayor explained that Justices "solve arguments," and proceeded to solve an argument between Goldilocks and Baby Bear, regarding a broken chair.

ABA Journal

The Volokh Conspiracy

The Huffington Post

California Same-Sex Marriage Ruling; Trial Video

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals released its opinion yesterday finding California's ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional. See the Los Angeles Times' thorough coverage as well as commentary from SCOTUSblog, the Volokh Conspiracy, and Concurring Opinions.

In a related ruling earlier in the week, the Ninth Circuit reversed the decision of the district court unsealing the video recording of the same-sex marriage trial proceedings. The Ninth Circuit based its decision on an "unequivocal" statement by the trial judge indicating that the recordings would not be publicly broadcast.

Proposed Ohio Bill Would Ban Smoking in Cars with Children

Senate Bill 27 was introduced last week: it would institute a $500 fine for smoking in a car in which a child under the age of six is a passenger.

S.B. 27

Analysis of S.B. 27 

News:

Columbus Dispatch

The Marietta Times

Ohio's Black Laws

As February marks Black History Month, the Supreme Court of Ohio has developed an exhibit "documenting the history of Ohio's black laws," laws that prohibited African Americans from serving on juries or in the state militia, for example.

For a historical analysis of these laws, see the law library's copy of Stephen Middleton's The Black Laws: Race and the Legal Process in Early Ohio.

Love Story

Above the Law takes us into the weekend with a heartwarming law school love story (preview: it's a law professor-3L romance).

Indiana Legal News

Two pieces of news from our neighbors to the west:

This week, Indiana became the 23rd "Right to Work" state.  Gov. Mitch Daniels signed the legislation yesterday.

Indianapolis Star

As well, a bill to teach creationism in public schools has passed the Senate by a vote of 28-22.  Opponents of the bill reference the 1987 Supreme Court decision Edwards v. Aguillard, holding that teaching creationism in Louisiana public schools was unconstitutional.

Indianapolis Star

Edwards v. Aguillard

Edwards v. Aguillard oral argument

Ohio Bill Would Prohibit Left Lane Lingering

State Representative Ron Maag, R-Lebanon, has introduced HB 395, which proposes to increase the speed limit on Ohio interstate highways from 65 to 70 mph, and also make it illegal for drivers on interstate highways to stay in the left lane if not passing slower vehicles or exiting. See a brief article in the Columbus Dispatch as well as the bill analysis from the Ohio Legislative Service Commission. A 2010 article in the trucking industry publication, Land Line, notes that at least 20 states have similar left lane restrictions, citing the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Stolen Valor Act in 9th and 10th Circuits and Supreme Court

Last week, the 10th Circuit held that the Stolen Valor Act, 18 U.S.C. 704(b), did not violate the First Amendment. 

United States v. Strandlof

The Supreme Court will also decide a case regarding the Stolen Valor Act this term.  You can read the briefs and the opinion of the 9th Circuit here.  Oral argument is scheduled for February 22.

News and commentary:

The Denver Post

The Volokh Conspiracy

L.A. Times

Huffington Post

Ohio GPS Case

As we wrote last week, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision on the police's GPS tracking of a suspect's vehicle (United States v. Jones). A similar case is pending in the Ohio Supreme Court. While Jones involved the 28-day warrantless tracking of a vehicle registered to a suspect's wife, the Ohio case involves the warrantless tracking of a suspect's rental car for a 6-day period. In light of Jones, it appears that the Ohio Supreme Court must find that the GPS tracking was a "search" within the meaning of the Fourth Amendment. However, at least one commentator believes that the court might also consider whether the search required a warrant or was reasonable without one. The court in Jones did not consider this issue because the government had not raised the argument below. See the briefs of the appellant and the state in the Ohio case, as well as video of the oral argument before the Ohio Supreme Court.

Super Wi-Fi

Barco 2.0 provides an interesting post on "Super Wi-Fi," which takes advantage of unused spectrum between TV stations called "white spaces." Apparently this allows wi-fi service to pass through trees and thick foliage. See explanatory articles in the Wilmington (NC) Star-News, Gizmodo.com, and ars technica.

Ohio Anti-Bullying Bill to Governor

The "Jessica Logan Act," regarding public schools' rules against bullying and cyber-bullying, went to the House, which approved changes made by the Senate.  It now requires the governor's signature.

H.B. 116


Zanesville Times Recorder

The News-Herald

Sandusky Register

Oldest Federal Judge Dies at 104

The Washington Post reports that the oldest federal judge in the U.S. has passed away at the age of 104. In 1962, President Kennedy appointed Wesley Brown to serve on the U.S. District Court, District of Kansas. Brown, who was on senior status, continued working until about a month before his death. An April 2011 AP article attributed the following quote to him: "As a federal judge, I was appointed for life or good behavior, whichever I lose first[.]"

SCOTUS Decision on GPS Case

We have previously discussed the case of the GPS tracking of a suspected drug dealer's car here and here.

Yesterday, the Supreme Court issued its ruling in United States v. Jones.  At SCOTUSblog, Tom Goldstein explains the ruling this way:

I think that the correct way to understand the case is to read it as having two separate majority opinions. 
...
Here is the upshot.  Five Justices join the holding of the “majority” opinion (per Scalia) that by attaching and monitoring a GPS device the police conduct a “search”; four Justices (those in the Alito concurrence) reject that view.  Five Justices join or express their agreement with the portion of the “Alito” opinion concluding that the long-term monitoring of a GPS device violates a reasonable expectation of privacy; four Justices (those in the majority, minus Sotomayor) leave that question open.

More news and commentary:

Los Angeles Times

Above the Law

The Atlantic

ABA Journal

Supreme Court Rejects Court-Drawn Texas Legislative Maps

Earlier this month, we wrote about the oral argument at the U.S. Supreme Court concerning the boundaries of Texas legislative districts. Today the Court issued its ruling, rejecting the maps drawn by a three-judge District Court panel and remanding the case for consideration under a different standard. See analysis from SCOTUSblog and the 11-page, unsigned opinion (with separate concurrence by Justice Thomas).