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Daily Archives: January 15, 2017

The incoming US Congress’s powers to overturn regulations of the previous administration

Document via the European Parliament – The incoming US Congress’s powers to overturn regulations of the previous administration, 13-01-2017
“During the election campaign, President-elect Donald Trump stated his intention to repeal or amend regulations issued by the Obama administration. Following the 2016 elections in the USA, as well as the White House the Republicans will hold the majority in both chambers of the 115th Congress. It is thus likely that the legislative branch will work closely with the executive to achieve common objectives. Congress can always introduce and pass legislation that modifies regulations made by agencies. However, passing new legislation can be a cumbersome process, and there are tactics for the opposition to delay action, such as making points of order and tabling certain motions. As an alternative, under certain circumstances and within a specific timeframe, Congress could use an expedited procedure, laid down in the Congressional Review Act (CRA) of 1996, to overturn federal regulations passed in the closing months of the outgoing administration.”

A New Focus on Law Firm Cybersecurity

A New Focus on Law Firm Cybersecurity – Daniel Garrie January 11, 2017. “Law firms have long held a hallowed position in the corporate world, as the preeminent keeper of confidences. But the frequency with which law firms are falling victim to data breaches and hacks should leave clients questioning their firm’s data security. Due… Continue Reading

Law School Case Study: UC-Hastings’ Startup Legal Garage

“In Thomson Reuters’ examination of methods that modern law schools can use to help enable their students to become more “practice ready,” we identified four law schools already integrating practice-ready skills into their curriculums. In the following series of case studies, we explore how those schools are shaping law students and law firms.” Continue Reading

2017 Report on the State of the Legal Market: Stagnation, Innovation & What Lies Ahead

The “2017 Report on the State of the Legal Market”: Stagnation, Innovation & What Lies Ahead January 12, 2017. “Law firms must find ways to effectively adapt to evolving competitive conditions — including the effective demise of the billable hour — or risk further erosion of their market positions. At the same time, the changing… Continue Reading

Six Ways Law Schools Can Make Students More Practice Ready

Thomson Reuters Legal Executive Institute – “Current law school curriculum provides students with the theoretical base they need to pass the Bar, however, today’s law schools can make the most of the significant changes roiling the legal industry — a tighter job market, emerging technologies and the increasing use of legal process outsourcers — by… Continue Reading

DOJ Announces Findings of Investigation into Chicago Police Department

Justice Department Finds a Pattern of Civil Rights Violations by the Chicago Police Department “The Justice Department announced…that it has found reasonable cause to believe that the Chicago Police Department (CPD) engages in a pattern or practice of using force, including deadly force, in violation of the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution.  The department found… Continue Reading

Human Rights Watch World Report 2017

“In the 687-page World Report, its 27th edition, Human Rights Watch reviews human rights practices in more than 90 countries. In his introductory essay, Executive Director Kenneth Roth writes that a new generation of authoritarian populists seeks to overturn the concept of human rights protections, treating rights not as an essential check on official power… Continue Reading

Modern Slavery Statistics: Victims Significantly Outweigh Convictions

Modern Slavery Statistics: What We Know and What We Don’t By Meggie Weiler “Last year the Washington Post Fact Checker series investigated several widely used statistics that anti-trafficking advocates often cite, including UNICEF’s estimated numbers of child soldiers. It found that UNICEF and other organizations were using heavily estimated and outdated figures. Human trafficking is… Continue Reading

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“The King Library and Archives in Atlanta is the largest repository of primary source materials on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the American Civil Rights Movement in the world. The collection consists of the papers of Dr. King and those of the organization he co-founded, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, as well as the… Continue Reading

Commentary – Why Public Libraries Matter

Why Public Libraries Matter – It’s time for America to stop starving its libraries of funding. By Katrina vanden Heuvel “There are more public libraries in America—some 9,000 central buildings and 7,500 branch locations—than McDonald’s restaurants, making them one of the most ubiquitous institutions in the nation. Far from serving as obsolescent repositories for dead… Continue Reading

New design and features for loc.gov

(The following is a post by Gayle Osterberg, director of communications for the Library of Congress) “The Library of Congress launched its first website in 1994. Since that time we have digitized and made available millions of items from our collections and added new features to help you take advantage of all that the Library… Continue Reading

GAO – National Park Service reported $11.9 billion in deferred maintenance

National Park Service: Process Exists for Prioritizing Asset Maintenance Decisions, but Evaluation Could Improve Efforts, GAO-17-136: Published: Dec 13, 2016. Publicly Released: Jan 12, 2017. At the end of fiscal year 2015, the National Park Service reported $11.9 billion in deferred maintenance—that is, the estimated costs of asset maintenance or repairs that the agency has… Continue Reading