Cleveland Law Library Weblog

ABA and Other Bar Associations Issue Statement

The American Bar Association, along with 58 other bar associations, including the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, have united to “defend the rule of law and reject efforts to undermine the courts and the legal profession.” They issued a statement rejecting government actions that punish lawyers, law firms, or judges for their legal decisions, and emphasized the importance of protecting the independence of the legal system. They call upon all members of the profession, from private practice to elected officials, to speak out against such intimidations.

AI Guidance from an ABA Working Group Just Issued

An ABA Working Group on AI has just published Guidelines for responsible use of AI in federal and state courts. The Guidelines are entitled Guidelines for U.S. Judicial Officers Regarding the Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence and are available to read in an upcoming law review article by clicking here. The Introduction to the Guidelines states that:

"These Guidelines are intended to provide general, non-technical advice about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) by judicial officers and those with whom they work in state and federal courts in the United States. As used here, AI describes computer systems that perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, often using machine-learning techniques for classification or prediction. GenAI is a subset of AI that, in response to a prompt (i.e., query),
generates new content, which can include text, images, sound, or video. While the primary impetus and focus of these Guidelines is GenAI, many of the use cases that are described below may involve either AI or GenAI, or both. These Guidelines are neither intended to be exhaustive nor the final word on this subject."

If you want to read a great summary of the Guidelines, click here to read a blog post by legal tech guru Bob Ambrogi.

Jury Duty Explained In Videos Provided By The Ohio Supreme Court

The Ohio Supreme Court has provided the courts of Ohio with educational videos that can be utilized to inform people who have been summoned for jury duty of their role in the judicial system. One video describes the jury process for criminal and civil trials (petit juries), while the other video describes the jury process for a grand jury. Both videos begin and conclude with remarks by Chief Justice Sharon L. Kennedy of the Ohio Supreme Court.

The video for petit juries provides a description of the Ohio court system and the jury selection process. Jurors will learn about the different stages they will experience, common terms used in a courtroom, courtroom rules, and expected behavior. Jurors will also gain insight into the structure of Ohio courts such as the roles of each court staff member. Jurors will gain a better understanding of court procedures and their overall role as a juror.

The video for grand juries provides an explanation on the responsibilities of a grand jury. The video repeatedly advises jurors that they will not find someone guilty or innocent; instead, they will be determining if there’s enough evidence to charge the accused. Those watching the video will gain better knowledge of the history of the grand jury, including their oath of secrecy. This video also provides jurors with common terms and phrases that may be used in court. 

Each video was produced by the Ohio Judicial Conference, the Ohio State Bar Association, the Supreme Court of Ohio and Ohio Government Telecommunications. The videos can be found on the Ohio Channel’s website. Their overall goals for each video are to provide an educational resource for the judges and courtrooms in Ohio and to better inform the public on the importance of jurors in the judicial system.

Cleveland Law Library Board Members and Director Record Podcast for Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association

In honor of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association's (CMBA) 150th Anniversary, Cleveland Law Library Association (CLLA) Board members and staff recorded a Podcast for the CMBA's My BarStory Series. Please join CLLA Board President Carla Tricarichi, Esq., Past President Joseph N. Gross, Esq., and Director/Board Secretary Kathleen M. Dugan, Esq., MLS in discussing the relationships between the CMBA and the CLLA over the years, including shared leadership and values. Click here to listen to this episode, which is numbered S02E05. Enjoy!

Cleveland Law Library Celebrates Virtual Law Day

Today, is the American Bar Association’s Annual Law Day, and this year’s theme is “Your Vote, Your Voice, Our Democracy: The 19th Amendment at 100.” It is a day to celebrate the right of all people to vote, but especially women, who were unable to vote until the 19^th Amendment was passed 100 years ago. This year’s theme was put to a considerable test in Ohio in early Spring when the Coronavirus pandemic jeopardized the rights of people who had planned to vote in person in the primary election on March 17^th before or after celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. It also tested the separation of powers doctrine when a Franklin County, Ohio Judge denied an order to delay the election, the Ohio Department of Health closed the polls due to public safety concerns, and the Ohio Supreme Court denied a candidate’s challenge to keep the polls open. Thankfully, Ohio decisions to keep poll workers and voters safe also preserved voting rights and Democracy through extended absentee voting.

OSBA Launches Ohio Notary Services, LLC. for Notary Education and Testing

If you had not already heard, notary laws in the State of Ohio are changing in less than a week. These changes were enacted with the passage of SB 263, the Notary Public Modernization Act, which will centralize all Ohio notary applications in the Ohio Secretary of State. Just in time, the OSBA has launched Ohio Notary Services, LLC, a brand new "partnership between the OSBA and five metropolitan bar associations, including Akron, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dayton and Toledo" which will "provide statewide notary education and testing services for current and future Ohio notaries public, as well as for those who wish to add the new designation of online notary public." Click here to read the OSBA's Press Release.

ABA Issues Formal Opinion 480 on Lawyer Blogging and Confidentiality

On Friday, the American Bar Association (ABA) issued Formal Opinion 480 regarding lawyer blogging and confidentiality. Citing Rule 1.6 of the ABA's Model Rules of Professional Conduct, the  opinion states that:

"Lawyers who blog or engage in other public commentary may not reveal information relating to
a representation, including information contained in a public record, unless authorized by a
provision of the Model Rules."

OSBA Access to Justice Final Report Suggests Role for Law Libraries

The OSBA held an Access to Justice Summit in April 2015 to discuss 4 major topics:

• Access to Justice with or without a Lawyer
• Innovations in Pro Bono Legal Services
• The Crisis in Legal Aid Funding
• Effective Tools for Assisting Pro Se Parties: Forms and Beyond

The Final Report has been issued, and it contains many recommendations for reform. In particular, several comments describe the role which law libraries can play:

"Participants also raised that law libraries and public libraries could also play a significant role in providing access to legal services. Libraries could hold “legal hours” where legal aid/pro bono attorneys are available to assist with filling out forms or even just talking through problems so people know that the legal system might have help for them.,,,Open up law libraries for public access on specific days and times during the week....Self-help centers are good and SHOULD utilize LAW LIBRARIES...Law libraries are a great resource and the Ohio Association of Law Libraries is an eager and willing partner • They can expand their functions to help provide information; access; and support...Better information at law libraries."

ABA Partnering with Rocket Lawyer to Help Small Businesses Find Legal Services

The October issue of Law Technology News contains an interesting article on the ABA's new partnership with Rocket Lawyer. According to the article, these organizations are "teaming up to explore innovative solutions to a vexing legal paradox-the difficulty small businesses face finding affordable legal services at a time when many lawyers would welcome expanding professional opportunities." This means that they are collectively going to look for solutions to help laywers serving individuals and small businesses get more business while also helping consumers better afford routine legal services such as wills, medical directives, incorporations.Key to this new initiative will apparently be exploring ways to deliver online legal services. A pilot program will also be developed to link lawyers with potential clients using Rocket Lawyer's cloud-based platform.

Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association Has Enhanced its Lawyer Referral Service

The Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association has improved its Lawyer Referral Service by providing an enhanced online Request Form and Referral Directory. According to a news release we received, the new directory will provide 24/7 access for members of the public who need a lawyer referral. As soon as an individual completes the online form, he or she will have access to a list of lawyers who practice in the subject matter they need.

 

Big News From the Ohio State Bar Association-Members Can Now Use Casecheck+ for Free as Part of Casemaker

According to a press release from the Ohio State Bar Association, the OSBA is now offering members free access to Casecheck+ (a negative citation service) as part of Casemaker. This service was previously offered as a premium service with an additional cost for members. If you are not aware, Casemaker is the OSBA's online product that offers members 24x7 access to cases, statutes, jury instructions and other legal materials. OSBA President Jonathan Hollingsworth has issued a video message about the launch which is worth watching. By this initiative, the OSBA is definitely giving Lexis, which provides Shepard's, and Westlaw, which provides KeyCite, some food for thought.