INTERNET FOR LAWYERS - INTERNET LEGAL RESEARCH UPDATE BY CAROLE LEVITT J.D., M.L.S.

MARCH/APRIL 2000

CONTENTS

1. Los Angeles MCLE Internet Legal Research Seminar

2. LATIMES.COM archive update

3. New & Proposed MCLE Requirements & Rules

4. Internet For Lawyers offers online MCLE exam - one hour CA, NY or AZ MCLE credit ONLY $15.00

5. U.S. Patent & Trademark Office Previews Next Generation of Web-based trademark Searching

6. Links to State & Federal Tax Forms

7. More Tips

8. Subscribe/Unsubscribe

9. Advertising

10. Redistribution  

1. Los Angeles MCLE Internet Legal Research Seminar

INTERNET FOR LAWYERS has set its next Los Angeles seminar for Wednesday, April 5, from 5:30-8:00 PM.

The two-hour MCLE presentation, to be held in Century City, will cover a wide range of topics from legal research metasites and Federal, State and Local Government resources, to the "Top 10 Websites No Legal Professional Should be Without."

The $60.00 seminar fee includes a catered deli dinner and a copy of INTERNET FOR LAWYERS' popular "How to Use the Internet for Legal, Business & Investigative Research: A Guide for California Attorneys." (The book alone normally sells for $34.95.)

For more information: http://www.netforlawyers.com/april_angeles_mcle_seminar.htm or e-mail seminars@netforlawyers.com.

INTERNET FOR LAWYERS is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider.

2. LATIMES.COM Archive Update

There's good news and bad news at the Los Angeles Times website's article archives.

THE GOOD NEWS Now you can access full text articles from the last 14 days of the paper for free. Previously, only same day articles were free.

THE BAD NEWS However, the charge for full text stories older than 14 days is now $2.00. Previously, the charge was $1.50 for any story one day or more older.

http://www.latimes.com The second edition of "How to Use the Internet for Legal, Business & Investigative Research: A Guide for California Attorneys," INTERNET FOR LAWYERS' popular guide to conducting effective research on the Internet is now available. Newly revised, this edition contains many new and updated research links. http://www.netforlawyers.com/prod01.htm To view a sample chapter of the book click on http://www.netforlawyers.com/article_company_research.htm. California and Arizona MCLE self-study materials are also available to accompany this guide. http://www.netforlawyers.com/prod02.htm

3. NEW & PROPOSED CA MCLE REQUIREMENTS & RULES

CA State Senate Bill Changing Business & Professions Code Effects State Bar MCLE Requirements -- Proposed New Rules Posted at State Bar Web Site Recently, the California State Senate passed a bill (SB 144) that amends the State Business & Professions Code (Section 6070) lowering the number of hours of MCLE required by California Attorneys from 36 hours every 36 months to only 25 (Paragraph a).

The Bill also instructs the State Bar to "ensure that by July 1, 2000, any member possessing or having access to the internet or specified generally available computer technology shall be capable of satisfying the full self-study portion of his or her MCLE requirement at a cost of fifteen dollars ($15) per hour or less," (Paragraph d).

For the full text of California Business & Professions Code, as amended by SB 144 click on http://www.netforlawyers.com/Cal_SB_144.htm

For a full list of the upcoming California State Bar MCLE deadlines visit http://www.netforlawyers.com/cal_bar_mcle_deadlines.htm.

The LA County Bar Association has put together a handy chart of required hours for those who did and did not keep up with their MCLE hours at http://www.lacba.org/cle/compliance-new.html.

For the text of proposed changes to the California State Bar MCLE requirements (Rule 958), click on http://www.calbar.org/2cer/mclerev.htm.

4. Internet For Lawyers offers its first online MCLE exam

One hour of California, New York & Arizona credit available for only $15.00

In accordance with the newly amended California Business & Professions Code, Section 6070 (see above), Internet For Lawyers has posted its first online MCLE exam. One hour of California, New York and Arizona MCLE credit may be earned for only $15.00 when taking this quiz.*

To qualify for MCLE credit, attorneys answer 10 questions based on the company's article "How Public are public Records?" (http://www.netforlawyers.com/article_public_records.htm). Attorneys who print their answer sheet and send it along with their $15.00 check to Internet For Lawyers will receive their certificates of completion for their files.

The article and exam can be viewed for free. (*For more information regarding Arizona & New York visit Internet For Lawyers at http://www.netforlawyers.com/internet_mcle_01.html)

5. U.S. Patent & Trademark Office Offers New Web-based

Search & Retrieval of Application & Registration Information: The Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS)

The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office is now offering a "pilot" version of its next generation, web-based search and retrieval system. The new system will allow you to find and download trademark application and registration information via your web browser.

The Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS) is meant as a replacement to the current trademark database available at http://www.uspto.gov/tmdb/index.html. THE USPTO will keep both sites running concurrently for the time being, to "provide an easy transition."

TESS provides access to the same text and image database of trademarks as currently provided to examining attorneys at the US Patent and Trademark Office via the X-Search system. TESS is located at http://tess.uspto.gov/bin/gate.exe?f=tess&state=bcc25a.1.1.

The major advantage of TESS is that the USPTO promises that once it is "in production" they will update TESS DAILY (Tuesday through Saturday only). The database will be unavailable from 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM (ET), during these updates, however. "During the pilot phase," the USPTO explains though, "updates to TESS are likely to be approximately weekly."

According to the USPTO, TESS contains more than 2.6 million pending, registered and dead records, as of March 25, 2000.

6. Links to Federal & All 50 State Tax Forms

Links to federal and all 50 state income tax forms are available at

50 States - http://www.taxadmin.org/fta/forms.ssi

Federal - http://www.irs.ustreas.gov/formspubs/index.html

7. More Internet Legal Research Tips

Go to http://www.netforlawyers.com for additional articles, features and tips to conducting more effective legal, business & investigative research on the Internet.

8. How to subscribe/unsubscribe from this newsletter

You have received this newsletter because you have either requested a subscription to it, attended a recent INTERNET FOR LAWYERS MCLE seminar, or a friend has forwarded it to you because they believe this information would be useful to you.

If someone forwarded this e-mail to you, and you wish to subscribe to the INTERNET FOR LAWYERS newsletter, simply email to newsletter@netforlawyers.com with the word "subscribe" in the subject area.

You can also subscribe by clicking here: http://www.netforlawyers.com/email_signup.htm

If you wish to unsubscribe, simply reply to this message with the words "unsubscribe" in the subject line. You will receive a confirmation that you have been removed from the mailing list.

You may rejoin at any time simply by going to www.netforlawyers.com or by sending a message to newsletter@netforlawyers.com with the words "subscribe" in the subject line.

9. Advertising Information

For more information on advertising in the INTERNET FOR LAWYERS Newsletters or web site, contact us at advertising@netforlawyers.com.