There’s a benefit to longevity under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976. As Paul McCartney is now taking steps to accomplish, the author of a song can recapture publishing rights after 56 years, if it was written before 1978, Billboard reports. Publishing rights can be recaptured after 35 years for a song written in 1978 […]

The Environmental Law Program at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law will conduct the legal and policy analysis for a new, $10 million dollar U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) effort focused on an increasingly important Issue: how to develop and promote the use of sustainable water in U.S. agriculture. The Maryland […]

The UN Human Rights Council’s vetting committee has shortlisted a UK professor for a 6-year term as the world body’s investigator of « Israel’s violations, » even though she campaigns for the boycott of what she calls « apartheid Israel » and a « criminal government, » revealed UN Watch in a new report published today, which was submitted to the […]

The Library of Congress has acquired 95 original courtroom drawings by Aggie Kenny, Bill Robles and Elizabeth Williams that show high-profile trials from the past four decades. The drawings represent the genre of reportage-style courtroom illustrations popularized in California by Howard Brodie, who supported and encouraged the first generation of artists who created artwork for […]

We commonly see two mistakes in lawyer bios on firm websites, one related to ease of contact and the other regarding creating immediate credibility for a lawyer. These are important to address because the most often visited pages on your site in sum, even more than total opens of your Home page, are lawyer bio […]

The American Law Foundation is proud to announce the launch of affordable resources and practical tools for law students, at every stage of their legal education. With a focus on making sure tools are modern, of high quality, and resonate with today’s diverse learners, The American Law Foundation’s goal is to create assets that allow […]

According to the New York Times, pardon attorney Deborah Leff, an Obama appointee, abruptly resigned on January 15, 2016, leaving more than 10,000 clemency applications pending review. The Times reported that the pardon office is caught in an « incurable institutional conflict » because federal prosecutors have little interest in supporting the clemency process. A former pardon […]

Apple is opposing a Los Angeles federal judge’s order requiring it to help the FBI unlock the cellphone of San Bernardino shooter Syed Rizwan Farook. Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym on Tuesday ordered (PDF) Apple to provide “reasonable technical assistance,” including disabling an auto-erase function that kicks in after 10 failed attempts to enter a password, […]

The layoffs of 45 lawyers at Reed Smith last week highlight a problem faced by many law firms: They can’t keep their lawyers busy with work. Several consultants who spoke with the Am Law Daily (sub. req.) said law firms are dealing with overcapacity. Consultants said the Reed Smith layoffs got noticed because so many […]

In general, people spend way too much time worrying about which computer to buy. You can run a law practice just fine on a $400 Dell desktop. (Not that you should.) Obsessively comparing specs is a waste of time and brainpower. Just something from Microsoft or Apple and it will do the job. (Lenovo and […]