San Diego County Public Law Library E-Newsletter

Library Closed In Celebration Of July 4th In celebration of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, all locations of the Law Library will be closed on Wednesday, July 4th. Normal hours of operation will resume on Thursday, July 5th at all locations. For more information on the history and signers of the Declaration of Independence go to: http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/

New Library Service: E-mail Notices For Overdue Items As many of you have noticed, recently the Circulation Department started sending out overdue notices right to your email account. This enhancement will allow Library members to conveniently view overdue items from the comfort of their home PC. Information included in the notice is very thorough, it includes the title of checked out items, author's name, due date, as well as day and time checked out. For item renewal or questions, please call 619-531-3900. Our Circulation staff will be more than happy to help you with any questions you may have regarding your account. These notices are just one of the many enhancements Public Services staff are currently working on to provide better service to our members.

"The Challenges & Rewards of Practicing Employment Law" Special Guest Speaker David A. Miller, Esq. will be speaking on "The Challenges & Rewards of Practicing Employment Law" on Wednesday, August 1st from 12 - 1pm at the Main Library. One hour of MCLE credit is available for this lecture. Topics will include: Case and Client Selection, Selecting Causes of Action and Filing the Complaint, What to Do and What to Expect in Discovery, How to Avoid Losing on Summary Judgment and Trying the Case. David A. Miller is a solo practitioner with over 18 years experience litigating employment cases. He represents plaintiffs and has been a member of the California Employment Lawyers Association (CELA) for most of his career. He is one of San Diego's leading employment attorneys. He has represented clients in diverse occupations such as dolphin training, military, corporate executive, law enforcement, human resource management, adult entertainment, science, and TV and radio. Members of the public may sign up for this special lecture by calling (619) 531-3900. The lecture is free to Law Library members and is $5 for non-members. Pre-registration is required, as seating is limited.

Free South Bay Legal Clinic The Legal Aid Society together with the law firm of Baker & McKenzie are having a free legal clinic on Thursday, July 19 in the South Bay branch of the San Diego County Public Law Library, 500 Third Avenue, Chula Vista. Attorneys from Baker & McKenzie will be holding clinics on the following topics: 9:00 AM to 10:30AM: General tax advice 10:30 AM to 12:00 noon: Approaching the legal system through the small claims process 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM: General employment law advice including harassment and discrimination 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM: Advice on debt management/financial restructuring For more information, call Eric, the South Bay Branch Librarian, at (619) 691-4929.

Free Child Support Payment Calculator Now Online! The California Department of Child Support Services (DSS) now has a California guideline child support calculator on their website. This great new tool can be found at: www.childsup.ca.gov/calculator California law requires courts to adhere to statewide uniform guidelines (Family Code section 4051 et seq.) in setting child support orders. The new payment estimator on the DSS website applies the statewide uniform guidelines calculations based on the information that you enter. Also, there is a very helpful and detailed user guide on each step of the calculation process. It is important to remember that this calculator only provides an estimate. The Court Commissioner or Family Law Judge has the final authority to determine the amount of a child support order.

Proposed Changes To Local Court Rules There are numerous proposed changes to the San Diego Superior Court local rules, with an effective date of January 1, 2008. The proposed rules can be found at www.sdcourt.ca.gov- click on Rules of Court and then Proposed Changes. The proposed rules have been approved by the Court in principle and are now submitted to the bar for comment. Any comments or concerns regarding these proposed changes should be forwarded to Rules Committee Chair, Judge Ronald L. Styn, c/o Darlene Dornan, Director of Legal Services, P.O. Box 122724, San Diego, CA 92112, prior to August 10, 2007.

Dred Scott Decision - 150th Anniversary Did you know that 2007 is the 150th anniversary of the Dred Scott decision? This landmark ruling by the 1857 U.S. Supreme Court makes for remarkable reading in the present day. In a nutshell, Dred Scott, born a slave, sued for his freedom stating that since his master had moved him to a state in which slavery was outlawed, he had been made a free man. The Court stated this was not possible, as "the enslaved African race were not intended to be included, and formed no part of the people who framed [the country]." This decision led to the declaration that the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional and that slavery could be part of the westward expansion. The Civil War resulted. The decision is a fascinating comment on the balance of powers under our Constitution, and the effects of the exercise of those powers. For more information on the Dread Scott case, go to: http://library.wustl.edu/vlib/dredscott/index.html and http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/facts/democrac/21.htm

July & August Classes Members of the public may sign up for these classes by calling (619) 531-3900. The Classes are free to Law Library members and are $5 for non-members. Participants may bring lunch. Pre-registration is required, as seating is limited. Tuesday, July 3rd, 10-11am Using OnLAW* Wednesday, July 11th, 12-1pm Identity Theft* Special Guest Speaker, FBI Special Agent Lamont Siller Saturday, July 21st, 2-4pm Practical Legal Research Thursday, July 26th, 12:30-1:30pm Using Westlaw* Wednesday, August 1st, 12 - 1pm The Challenges & Rewards Of Practicing Employment Law* Special Guest Speaker, David Miller Saturday, August 11th, 2 - 3pm Law Made Public Friday, August 24th, 12 - 1pm Using Lexis* For a complete description of the classes go to our calendar of events page and click on the month, then class for details. * MCLE credit is available for these classes. The San Diego County Public Law Library is a State Bar of California Approved MCLE provider.

New Books Added To The Collection The following is a selection of books or new editions recently added to our collection. Click on the titles to see the record in our online public access catalog. ADMINISTRATIVE LAW AND PROCESS IN A NUTSHELL By Ernest Gellhorn, Ronald M. Levin. 5th ed., St. Paul, MN : Thomson/West, c2006. KF5402.Z9 G4 2006. At all locations. CALIFORNIA LAW & MOTION AUTHORITIES By Douglas R. Parker, David N. Finley. St. Paul, Minn.: Thomson/West, c2007- KFC1012 .P37. Main Library only. FEDERAL EVIDENCE By Christopher B. Mueller, Laird C. Kirkpatrick. 3rd ed., Eagan, Ill.: Thomson/West, c2007. KF8935 .M84 2007. Main Library only. JUVENILE DELINQUENCY DISPOSITION HEARING Rev. 2007. San Francisco, Calif.: California Center for Judicial Education and Research, c2007. KFC1195 .J883 2007. Available at Main, North County & South Bay. THE LAW OF LETTERS OF CREDIT : COMMERCIAL AND STANDBY CREDITS By John F. Dolan. 4th ed. Austin, TX: A.S. Pratt & Sons, 2007- KF1028 .D65 2007. Main Library only. THE LAWYER'S GUIDE TO THE AMA GUIDES AND CALIFORNIA WORKER'S COMPENSATION By Robert G. Rassp. 2007 ed. Newark NJ : LexisNexis, c2007. KFC592 .L39 2007. Main Library only. PRELIMINARY HEARING COURTROOM HANDBOOK : COVERING PROCEDURAL AND SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES FROM THE ARRAIGNMENT THROUGH THE PRELIMINARY HEARING . . . By Walter Gorelick. 5th ed. Tulare, CA : Tule Legal Press, c2006. KFC1160 .G673 2006. Main Library only. SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE By Paul C. Giannelli, Edward J. Imminkelried. 4th ed. Newark, NJ : LexisNexis, c2007. KF8961 .G37 2007. Main Library only. WRONGFUL DISCHARGE, STAFF REDUCTION AND EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES MANUAL By Richard J. Simmons. 4th ed. Van Nuys, Calif.: Castle Publications, c2007 KFC571 .S55 2007. Available at Main and East County.

Cartoons By Stu Rees Are Back! Stu's Views are "Cartoons About Law and Lawyers." Stu Rees is an entertainment lawyer who represents mostly visual arts creators. This cartoon is based on KSR INT'L CO. v. TELEFLEX INC. 119 Fed. Appx. 282.

We hope you've enjoyed our newsletter! If you are a guest and would like to subscribe, please click here. We're hard at work on the next edition. In the meantime, please see us online at www.sdcpll.org or visit us at one of our four locations. For more information, or to send comments about this newsletter, contact Gina Catalano, Reference Librarian.