Thursday, November 19, 2009
The Madoff Social Network Map

To pull off a $20 billion ponzi scheme, you need a broad web of social and business connections. In the case of Bernard Madoff, the network of feeder funds and sub-feeder funds that funneled investors' money his way was particularly complex. For a striking visual depiction of this complex network of funds, check out this interactive network map: Bernard L. Madoff Money Flows & Feeder Funds.

The map was created by Orgnet.com, a company that provides social network analysis software and services. Orgnet founder Valdis Krebs provides more information about his Madoff map at his blog, The Network Thinker.

posted by Robert Ambrogi @ 11:07 AM, , links to this post


Twitter's New 'Retweet' Feature

Twitter has now rolled out its beta retweet feature to most users. Not all of them are happy about it. You will know if you have it when you go to your Twitter home page, where you will find a notice describing the new feature.

Formerly, you could pass along a tweet of interest by adding "RT" to it. It would go out under your name and you could add your own comments to the retweet.

Under the new feature, a new "Retweet" button is added to the existing "Reply" button under each tweet that appears in your timeline. When you click this Retweet button, it forwards the original tweet to your followers, but under the name of the original tweeter. You are not able to add your own comments -- it is forwarded just as it was posted. The retweeted post bears a new icon showing a set of circular arrows, which is how you identify it as a retweet. At the bottom of the retweet is the name of the person who forwarded it.

The plus side of this is that it is easy to use and has the effect of exposing tweeters to an audience beyond their followers. The negative side is the inability to comment on the retweet, which I often like to do.

That said, you can still retweet the old way -- by adding RT to a post.

posted by Robert Ambrogi @ 10:33 AM, , links to this post

Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Google Gets into Legal Research

In a post earlier today at Legal Blog Watch, The Google Gorilla Enters the Research Game, I wrote about Google's announcement yesterday that Google Scholar now allows users to search full-text legal opinions from U.S. federal and state appellate and trial courts. I wrote there about the implications of the announcement, but wanted to post here to add my initial thoughts about the search itself.

So far, I like what I see. As it is throughout Google's various offerings, the search interface is seamless and simple. Search for a case in the same way you'd search for anything on Google -- by name, words or a phrase. You can also search by citation, but be careful to put the citation in quotes. If you search 794 F.2d 915, the results will include cases that have "794," "F.2d" and "915." But if you search "794 F.2d 915" you get the cited case plus any others that cite it.

As you view a case, a tab on the top of your screen lets you switch to a second screen showing how it was cited. This shows a list of cases and articles that cite your case. It also includes a separate list of cites showing a quote extracted from the case at the point of the citation -- in other words, the proposition for which your case is cited. Click on any of those quotes and jump right to that point in the citing case.

I could not find within Google Scholar a description of the scope of the case law database. According to Tim Stanley of Justia, it includes U.S. Supreme Court opinions since 1 US 1 (pre - 1776), federal circuit opinions since 1 F 2d 1 (1924+), and many federal district court opinions. Opinions from all 50 state supreme courts are included since 1950. I was able to determine that intermediate appellate courts are included for some states, but I could not tell whether they are included to the same extent as state supreme courts.

The Advanced Scholar Search lets you choose to search just federal cases or just a single state's cases. You can search multiple states only by checking boxes for each state, so if you want to search all 50 states but not federal, you'll have a lot of checking to do.

There remain lots of questions about Google Scholar's case law search. Google offers no documentation so answers are hard to come by. Besides not knowing the precise parameters of the database, we also do not know how often new cases are added -- a key piece of missing information. We also do not know what kind of quality control Google has in place to ensure the cases are checked and error free.

Still, putting the power of Google search behind a comprehensive database of federal and state cases is more than just a good start. Google's engineers clearly put a lot of thought and effort into this and I expect there will be further refinements and enhancements to come.

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posted by Robert Ambrogi @ 9:23 PM, , links to this post


ABA Journal Features 'LawSites' as Blawg of Week

We are honored to be the featured blog this week on the ABA Journal's Blawg Directory.


posted by Robert Ambrogi @ 8:18 AM, , links to this post


Lawyer2Lawyer: The Impact of Civil Gideon

The Supreme Court's 1963 decision, Gideon v. Wainwright, guaranteed that criminal defendants unable to afford their own lawyer would have one appointed at the public's expense. Should there be a corollary right in certain types of civil cases that involve basic human needs, such as when a person faces eviction from a home or the loss of parental rights? California recently made history by enacting a pilot program to appoint lawyers in certain civil cases and other pilot programs are underway elsewhere in the country.

This week on the legal-affairs podcast Lawyer2Lawyer, we look at the Civil Gideon movement. Joining us as guests to discuss this topic are two lawyers who have been deeply involved in promoting Civil Gideon: Robert L. Rothman, partner of the Atlanta firm Arnall Golden Gregory and former chair of the Section of Litigation of the American Bar Association, and James J. Brosnahan, senior partner with Morrison & Foerster and member of the California Commission on Access to Justice.

Listen to or download the program from the Legal Talk Network.

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posted by Robert Ambrogi @ 8:05 AM, , links to this post

Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Sponsor the Bar Foundation's 45th Anniversary

The Massachusetts Bar Foundation is celebrating its 45th anniversary this year. I am honored to serve as a trustee of this important charitable organization, which is dedicated to ensuring equal access to justice and to enhancing the administration of justice and understanding of the law.

I urge companies, law firms, lawyers and other members of the legal community to support this 45th anniversary. Here are four ways you can do that:
  1. Become an anniversary sponsor. Anniversary activities will culminate with a celebration dinner and fundraiser on Jan. 14, 2010, at the Colonnade Hotel, Boston. Sponsors will be featured at the dinner and in publicity and other materials throughout the year. CLICK HERE to download a PDF of the MBF's sponsorship opportunity guide.
  2. Donate items to the online silent auction. As part of the anniversary initiatives, the MBF will host an online silent auction of fun and unique items. This is an ideal opportunity for vendors to donate a product. CLICK HERE to donate an item for the silent auction.
  3. Purchase an ad in the dinner program. The sponsorship guide includes information on program ads.
  4. Attend the dinner. Tickets are not yet on sale, but save the date of Jan. 14. I will post a notice when ticket sales open.
I believe deeply in the importance of this organization and the charitable work it supports throughout Massachusetts. I hope you will join me in adding your support.

posted by Robert Ambrogi @ 9:57 AM, , links to this post

Monday, November 09, 2009
YouLaw Video Review: Traffic Ticket Lawyer

I am on the "back bench" for this Technolawyer review of a law firm marketing video by traffic-ticket lawyer Jason Diamond: YouLaw: Compelling Screenplay Deserves a Reshoot. My comments along with those of other back benchers are at the end of the review.

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posted by Robert Ambrogi @ 9:01 PM, , links to this post

Thursday, November 05, 2009
Shepardize? There's an App for That

It's true. LexisNexis today announced the release of its application for the iPhone. It is called "Get Cases and Shepardize" and it lets you, well, get cases and Shepardize them simply by entering a citation.

The good news is that the app is free to download from Apple's iTunes store. The bad news is that you will need a LexisNexis subscription to use the app.

posted by Robert Ambrogi @ 8:34 PM, , links to this post


Lawyer2Lawyer: E-mail and the 4th Amendment

Does the Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable searches and seizures extend to e-mail and data stored in "the cloud"? Surprisingly, the question remains unsettled in the courts. On this week's legal-affairs podcast Lawyer2Lawyer, we discuss the extent to which e-mail and other online data are protected in both the criminal and civil contexts. Joining us are two experts on the topic:
Listen to or download the half-hour program from the Legal Talk Network.

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posted by Robert Ambrogi @ 1:50 PM, , links to this post

Thursday, October 29, 2009
Avvo Readies Roll Out of Enhanced 'Avvo Pro'

Lawyer-rating site Avvo will introduce a premium version next week that will enhance lawyers ability to customize their profiles, enhance their visibility in other Avvo sections, and provide them with more detailed analytics. Called Avvo Pro, it will be available starting Nov. 6 for a monthly subscription of $49.95. (An initial promotion will offer the first month free.)

Avvo Pro will feature three components:

1. Enhanced profiles. Subscribers to Avvo Pro will be able to add a custom field at the top of their profiles that lets them add a tag line or a brief description of their practices. Also near the top of their profile, they will be able to feature two client testimonials that they select from among those that have been submitted.

Enhanced profiles will feature a prominent "sticky" contact box that remains visible on the page even as a reader scrolls down. The subscriber will be able to customize the contact information provided here and tie it into the analytics that Avvo will be offering in order to track responses.

Other enhancements of the profile will include integration of the lawyer's blog and Twitter feeds and a Google map showing the lawyer's primary office location.

2. Enhanced presence. Wherever an Avvo Pro subscriber shows up on the site, the lawyer will be identified by a "Pro" badge and other graphics that help the lawyer stand out. Thus, if a Pro subscriber answers a question or contributes to a legal guide, the lawyer will be highlighted. In search results, the lawyer's ranking will not change but the lawyer's appearance in the listings will include the Pro badge and also will include the lawyer's contact information.

3. Detailed analytics. Avvo will be adding basic analytics available to all lawyers who have "claimed" their profiles. Pro users will get more detailed analytics than other users. These will show how many people saw you, where they say you (e.g., your profile, an answer you posted, etc.), and other information.

Pro users will also get reports on visitor conversions. The analytics will show how many people who saw a lawyer's profile then visited the lawyer's Web site or contacted the lawyer by e-mail or by phone. Lawyers will have to opt to enable call tracking, which will give them a phone number to use that will dial directly into their offices but allow collection of the analytics data.

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posted by Robert Ambrogi @ 3:42 PM, , links to this post

Wednesday, October 28, 2009
MassINC Publishes Lawmakers Financial Records

Many government documents are designated "public" but are not easily available to the public. MassINC, publisher of CommonWealth magazine, has launched an initiative, Full Disclosure, to publish on its Web site a variety of state and local government records in order to make it easier for the public to see them.

The first set of documents it is publishing are the statements of financial interest filed by various state and county officials. These are forms by which officials are required to disclose outside financial interests such as outside income, business ownership, property ownership and investments.

MassINC has posted more than 250 of these for members of the state legislature, constitutional officers, cabinet members, Supreme Judicial Court justices, county sheriffs, district attorneys, registers of deeds, various appointed officials, and members of the Governor's Council.

For now, the only way to access these is to download this spreadsheet and click on the link for the name of each official, which opens a PDF of the financial statement. MassINC says it will be launching a searchable database for these documents in the coming months and also adding many more documents.

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posted by Robert Ambrogi @ 10:22 AM, , links to this post