Moritz Legal Information Blog

"Whoever knowingly and willfully deposits for conveyance in the mail or for a delivery from any post office or by any letter carrier any letter, paper, writing, print, missive, or document containing any threat to take the life of, to kidnap, or to inflict bodily harm upon the President of the United States, the President-elect, the Vice President or other officer next in the order of succession to the office of President of the United States, or the Vice President-elect, or knowingly and willfully otherwise makes any such threat against the President, President-elect, Vice President or other officer next in the order of succession to the office of President, or Vice President-elect, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both." 18 U.S.C. § 871 . Turns out, tweeting threats constitutes "mak[ing] any such threat" against the President, and a number of hapless individuals are serving time as a result .

The ABA website recently featured an article titled " 50 Simple Ways You can Market Your Practice ." The tips seem particularly handy if you have your own small practice, but it crossed my mind they're also valuable tips for job hunting. The idea is to be front-of-mind to folks, whether they be potential clients, sources of referrals, or future employers. Clients are, after all, employers for solo practitioners. For more employment pointers, check out some of the library's books on legal employment .

Yesterday was Canada Day , so here are some resources on the law of the True North Strong and Free: Guide to the law of Canada at the Library of Congress Canadian Legal Research Blog Links to News Releases, Decisions, and Case Information at the Supreme Court of Canada plus a virtual tour And, some books at the Moritz Law Library: The Practical Guide to Canadian Legal Research Essential Readings in Canadian Constitutional Politics Canadian Green Energy Law and Policy Youth Criminal Justice Policy in Canada: A Critical Introduction The African Canadian Legal Odyssey: Historical Essays Westward Bound: Sex, Violence, the Law, and the Making of a Settler Society

The U.S. Supreme Court has come out with a number of decisions recently, which may have your interest piqued about Supreme Court judicial decision-making.  Here are a few resources with stats and data on the Supreme Court justices and their opinions: Which justice asked the most questions? Is there a new 5-4 alignment? Stats have answers The Supreme Court compendium : data, decisions, and developments The Supreme Court : a C-SPAN book featuring the justices in their own words   

If you're digging for data, libraries (and Google) aren't the only place to go. Check out this fascinating look at New York City's Department of Records: New Yorker . They even have a visitor's center! Here's another extraordinary place for New York legal research: the New York Legislative Service . Rather than combing through legislative history on your own, you can give these folks a call. They have folders filled with contemporaneous news stories, information from the governor, and classic legislative materials on thousands of New York state laws. They get a surprising number of requests from California attorneys because California's code was originally based on New York's. Legislative history that's good for the goose is good for the gander as well.

Queensrÿche  hit it big in the 80s and 90s with a song called Silent Lucidity . The song even made it into MTV's Top 25 Power Ballads list. The band dynamics have recently been volatile, and rather than work their problems out in therapy, a la Metallica , the band members are in court to settle matters. The result: two Queensrÿches. Band disputes are not uncommon, and they can have disasterous personal and financial consequences. John Fogerty of Credence Clearwater Revival sued (with band mates including his brother opposing him) and made it out alive, though not unscathed. For more on how to avoid these results for your own clients, check out one of our several editions of Music Law: How to Run Your Band's Business . For the ethical angle on representing multiple clients or identifying your client (the band as an entity vs. band members as individuals), check out Conflicts for Sports and Entertainment Attorneys: The Good News, the Bad News, and the Ugly .

If the Ohio budget bill passes, you'll be able to buy your Jell-O shots in the grocery store rather than going through the hassle of making them yourself. State Sen. Cliff Hite, R-Findlay, concerned that Ohio is falling behind other states that allow the sale of alcohol-infused products, inserted a provision into the budget. It would revise the “ mixed beverages” definition to include solids and confections “obtained by mixing any type of whiskey, neutral spirits, brandy, gin, or other distilled spirits with water, juice, or other flavorings and that contain between one-half percent and 21 percent of alcohol by volume.” Liquor-treat Legalization Draws Fire