Making Connections in the Neighborhood
By Marcus Hochstetler
There can be no gainsaying of the fact that a great revolution is taking place in the world today . . . that is, a technological revolution, with the impact of automation and cybernation. . . . Through our scientific and technological genius, we have made of this world a neighborhood and yet we have not had the ethical commitment to make of it a brotherhood. But somehow, and in some way, we have got to do this.
Martin Luther King, March 31, 1968
The near ubiquitous access to everything digital might lead us to believe that progress is inevitable in the ways we interact with each other. While remaining in touch, we can be out of touch as well if we are not careful in the use of the new communication media.
Don Horowitz shared these timely words of Dr. King at a recent function of the Puget Sound Alliance for Community Technology. Horowitz spoke of the principle that “like information, justice must be distributed throughout society.” He also spoke of the critical work being performed by many members of the legal community as they carry out the mission of the Access to Justice Technology Principles adopted by the Washington Supreme Court in 2004.
To help strengthen this neighborhood in which we live, we are excited about opportunities that are on our horizon for working with the King County Bar Association to bring a weekly Housing Justice Clinic and Neighborhood Legal Clinic to our downtown Seattle library in early 2006. Volunteer attorneys give of their time to help those who are struggling to access the justice system within their financial constraints.
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please contact Cathie Caldwell at 206-267-7029 for the Neighborhood Legal Clinics or Merf Ehman at 206-267-7019 for the Housing Justice Project. We are grateful to be able to host such an important part of the King County Bar Association activities.
New fax service: You can now send or receive a fax at the library. The fee will be $1 per page for subscribers for both receiving and sending faxes with a $5 charge for long-distance.
Subscriber Program Infor-mation: 2006 Renewal notices were sent out in early December. The fee for enrollment in this program remains $55 per attorney in 2006. The fee must be paid for each King County attorney employee of the business. There will be no charge for enrolling law library staff, summer associates and other non-attorney staff. If you would like more information about the benefits of becoming a member of the Subscriber Program, contact Rick Stroup at 206-296-0940.
Recent Acquisitions, King County Law Library: Constitutional Law: Constitutional Law in a Nutshell; Contracts: Recovery of Damages for Lost Profits; Criminal Justice: Document Examiner Textbook; Labor Law: Covenants Not to Compete; ADA Compliance Manual for Employers; Securities Law: Understanding the New Securities Offering Reform Rules; Taxation: Federal Taxation of Income, Estates and Gifts; Trade Regulation: American Law of Medical Malpractice. n
Marcus Hochstetler is the King County Law Librarian. Please direct comments or questions to him at 206-296-0940 or marcus.hochstetler@metrokc.gov.
Collections Note
By Rita Dermody, Collection Access Services Librarian
This month we offer a potpourri of resources that touch on the various issues related to diversity.
The first is from the Washington State Bar Association continuing legal education program held in October 2004 titled, The Advantages of Anti-Bias Awareness, Cultural Competency, and Respecting Diversity. This CLE includes the WSBA “Report from Committee for Diversity: Accomplishments and Goals.” It also includes excerpts from the Washington State Minority and Justice Task Force Final Report, Final Report of 2001 Self-Audit for Gender and Racial Equity: A Survey of Washington Law Firms, and Judges’ Bench Guide on Sexual Orientation and the Law.
Of interest in our family law section is Family Law Fall Conference: Protecting the Rights of Relationships -- Advising the Unmarried or Gay/Lesbian Couple, Washington State Bar Association, 2004, and A Legal Guide for Lesbian and Gay Couples, 10th ed., Nolo, 1999.
In the area of estate planning we have Estate Planning for Same-Sex Couples, by Joan M. Burda from the American Bar Association, 2004, and Inheritance Law and the Evolving Family, by Ralph C. Brasheier, 2004.
Other books of note: Sexual Orientation and Legal Rights, by Alba Conte, Aspen Publishers, 1998; Religion in the Workplace: A Comprehensive Guide to Legal Rights and Responsibilities, by Michael Wolf, American Bar Association, 1998; Sexual Harassment in the Public Workplace, by Benjamin E. Griffith, editor, American Bar Association, 2001; Sex Discrimination and Sexual Harassment in the Work Place, by Lawrence Solotoff, Law Journal Press, 1994. n
