Changes in the 2010 Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation
The Nineteenth Edition of the "uniform" citation manual is here and available at all Law Library locations! The biggest change and help is the information on citing to internet sources.
Rule 18, on Internet, electronic, and non-print sources, has changed in its entirety. The Rule makes important changes to online citations, making the formats more intuitive and useful (such as requiring a timestamp for citations to blogs and clarifying when to include parallel citations to internet sources or online databases). The most innovative change is that Rule 18 clarifies short-form citations for online resources and Westlaw or Lexis case citations. Any citations to online or electronic sources should consult the new edition for guidance and clarity.
Feel Like a Cat Chasing Its Tail to Find San Francisco Superior Court Case Information?
Jump off the merry-go-round and onto the San Francisco Superior Court Case Information Page. Search the Register of Actions, which lists case filings. Use party name or case number to find: Selected document PDFs, parties, attorneys, calendar, and payments. Click here for a help menu of tips, instructions, and date ranges related to online access of Unlimited Civil, Limited Civil, Probate, Small Claims, and Family Court filings. If you cannot find the information that you seek online, check to see whether it is available in print by contacting Civil Records at (415) 551-3802, and Criminal Records at (415) 551-0679.
Don't Reinvent the Mousetrap...
See if another legal cat has already drafted your argument.Check out the new All Briefs Westlaw database available on the Library's public access computers. Search appellate briefs from California, federal, and other courts. Read the arguments and legal authorities cited by lawyers who have tackled issues similar to yours. If briefs aren't your cat's meow, you may still find the p-u-u-rrrrfect resource to help tackle your issue among dozens of free Westlaw databases at the Library. Rutter Guides, Restatements, Norton Bankruptcy Law & Practice, and Immigration Libraries are just a few. Questions? Ask for a demonstration. Call us at (415) 554-6821.
The Big Decision to Open Your Law Office...
So begins the newest and best book on starting a practice: California Guide to Opening and Managing a Law Office, published by the State Bar in 2008. It provides a focused analysis of preliminary concerns, including financial considerations, choosing a practice area, creating a business plan, finding office space, developing systems and office procedures, and billing and fees. Copies of this very useful and comprehensive book are available at the Main Library in the Civic Center and the Financial District branch. If the book is checked out, call us at 554-6821 and request a hold and we will notify you when it is next returned. The Law Library has many other resources about establishing and maintaining solo or small firm practices in its Law Practice Management Collection located at our Financial District Branch as well.
Searching All of CEB in One Easy Step
If you haven’t tried the CEB OnLaw database at our Library locations, ask a reference librarian for a demonstration! This database contains most CEB practice sets and Action Guides, so it is simple to cross-search all publications at once. As an example, a search for the words, predatory lending, brings up several sections of the California Mortgages, Deeds of Trust & Foreclosure Litigation set, as well asCalifornia Real Property Remedies, several articles in the Real Property Law Reporter, and references to their two Elder Law practice sets. This is especially handy when the issue cuts across several substantive areas, and there is no 
one obvious practice set on the topic. You can open and view any of these texts, view the chapters, index, and actual pages. You can also bring up any of the forms referenced, and sample forms can be saved in Word format on a memory stick, either your own or one available for purchase in the Law Library. The book versions of the CEB collection are available at the Law Library, including a circulating copy at the Main Library location. See the library catalog, or call (415) 554-6821 for more information or for your requests.
