Moritz Legal Information Blog

What do math and basketball have in common? Ohio State point guard Aaron Craft . What do math, basketball, and the law have in common? Courtroom Use and Misuse of Mathematics, Physics and Finance: Cases, Lessons and Materials Legal Issues in Professional Basketball

This in from Slate.com : "What do the following phrases or sayings have in common? first-year experience fast-track MBA be the difference cure violence student life students with diabetes one course at a time touched by a nurse we're conquering cancer working toward a world without cancer imagination beyond measure tomorrow starts here                           The surprising answer (as revealed in an article by Jacob H. Rooksby in The Chronicle of Higher Education ) is that using any of them just might get you sued by a university or college."   Which got me thinking, what trademarks does The Ohio State University own? A quick field search of the USPTO's trademark search engine reveals 70 trademark registrations , only a handful of which are no longer live marks. Alas, two of my favorites fall into this dead mark category: FEAR THE NUT for t-shirts and GOLDPANTS for Computerized online ordering featuring general merchandise and general con

While it might be fun to know what type of candy bar you are, whether you're a Peeta or a Gale, or if you're living in the right state and accurately reflecting the piece of art you are most like, did you ever stop to think what BuzzFeed might be doing with all of that quiz data? NPR recently aired a story on the subject. (The transcript can be found here .) Here's the scoop: SIMON: [W]hen we take these quizzes now, we're being...fattened up for the advertising kill? KAYE: Yeah, I think there's something to that. I think the quizzes are written a certain way because they do want to end up collecting that data and using it. Representing BuzzFeed or worried about privacy or advertising? Check out Advertising Law and Public Relations from the Moritz Law Library collection.

Thinking about including a cover charge for your kegger over Spring Break? Consider the latest judicial decision from California, and do some research to learn the state of the law in Ohio: California high court rules cover charge at parties creates liability : The family of a man killed by an underage drinker who'd consumed alcohol at a house party in 2007 sued the host's family. The court says a cover charge amounts to a sale. Any books we have in the law library related to Ohio law can be found shelved with the prefix KFO. (KF is the prefix for American Law; O is the part that refers you to laws of Ohio, Oregon, and Oklahoma.) Stop by the Reserve room or the State and Federal Collection under the mezzanine for more.

By now you're probably sick of the admonitions to clean up your online life before applying for jobs. The thing is, the stories of poor judgment online just keep coming, and so, the admonitions continue. Here are two tales of legal woe from the halls of Facebook: Father’s “Lifestyle” as Portrayed on Internet Causes Dramatic Increase in Child Support Obligations A dad reported just $21,000 in taxable income in an attempt to modify his child support obligations. Facebook told a different tale as the mother of the child submitted Facebook evidence: The Facebook photographs depicted defendant throwing $100 bills, his speed boat, a 2011 Chevrolet Camaro (plaintiff also maintained defendant owned a Lincoln Navigator), his elaborate tropical wedding, and accompanying diamond engagement and wedding bands. Daughter’s Facebook boast costs former Gulliver Prep headmaster $80,000 discrimination settlement Following litigation concerning her father's dispute over his departure fro

Legal writing is a recursive process, as are many story-telling endeavors, documentary making included. Remember The Armstrong Lie ?  That documentary started as a film about Lance Armstrong's comeback and quickly morphed into an epic exposé. In another filmmaking twist, a documentary about the daily touring lives of the heavy metal band Lamb of God became the saga of the frontman's trial for manslaughter. If you're looking for a study break and something compelling to get you through a bleak winter, stop by the Reserve Room in the library to peruse our documentary collection .

For those of you looking for the latest news and details on new research databases, websites, and legal information resources, look no further than the Moritz Law Library's own digital newsletter, Opinio Juris. The latest issue can be found here ,  and back issues through January 2006 can be found here .