LAW LIFE: Web resources for Supreme Court analysis and more

By Cyndi A. Trembley The Daily Record Newswire The 2011 U.S. Supreme Court term is well under way with cases scheduled for argument through the end of the year and a number of cases recently granted review by the court but not yet scheduled for argument. Still other cases will be added to next year's calendar as petitions for review are considered during the court's many conferences. What follows is a brief summary of a few of the cases to be heard by the court as well as a review of some of the blogs, websites and other resources available for Supreme Court analysis. The court is set to hear arguments in cases involving the use of warrantless GPS tracking (United States v. Antoine Jones, No. 10-1259), preemption of state law tort lawsuits (Kurns v. Railroad Friction Products Corp., No. 10-879), and whether emotional and mental distress claims fall under the definition of "actual damages" under the Privacy Act (FAA v. Cooper, No. 10-1024). A couple of as yet unscheduled cases that may be of interest are U.S. v. Alvarez, No. 11-210 and FCC v. Fox Television Stations, Inc., No. 10-1293. In Alvarez the court is asked to determine the constitutionality on free speech grounds of the Stolen Valor Act. The act targets people who falsely claim to have received military medals. In Fox, a case originally reversed and remanded by the court in 2009, involves the FCC's enforcement proceedings regarding fleeting expletives. This time around, the court will only determine whether the agency's indecency enforcement policies violate the First or Fifth Amendments. Finally, Supreme Court observers, states and many of the general populace await the court's ruling on whether to accept for argument the constitutionality of President Obama's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The following sites are meant to guide and inform as you follow the progress of the health care overhaul bill and other cases before the court. The court's official site (www.supremecourtus.gov) includes information on procedure, dockets, justices' biographies, links to select speeches and much more. Same-day transcripts and audio recordings of arguments (posted on Fridays at the end of an argument week) are provided by the court. The court's journal, which includes caseload statistics, is available from 1993 forward. Although the court does not directly provide access to briefs, the site does provide information on where to locate them. Skype connections for many of the attorneys representing parties before the court are accessible via each case's docket entry. The Project Oyez (www.oyez.org) site traces its beginning to Wrigley Field, home of the beleaguered Chicago Cubs. It was there during the late 1980s that the original creators first imagined a "multi-media-based Supreme Court." The site provides links to the text of almost every case from 1793 and its developers are actively working on supplying media files for all cases dating back to 1955 when the court first installed recording devices. Other features of the site include information on past and current justices, RSS feeds to track cases and podcasts of select cases. This site can also be accessed via Twitter and Facebook. The site has developed two apps (OyezToday and PocketJustice) for iPhones and Androids. SCOTUSblog (www.scotusblog.com) is an interactive forum, sponsored by Bloomberg Law, that provides up to the minute commentary and analysis of cases as well as a behind-the-scenes look at the workings of the court. Beginning with the 2007 term, this site includes in-depth analysis with links to merit briefs and newsworthy articles about cases before the court. The site's Petitions to Watch, This Week at the Court, Argument Recap and Friday Roundup are just a few of the regular postings that make this blog a current and reliable resource for Supreme Court activity. The site now features a community forum section where participants can discuss current cases and related issues. You can also follow this blog via Twitter, Facebook and a RSS feed Many leading newspapers have sections on their websites devoted to analysis and review of cases as well as the potential political affect behind the cases and the workings of the court. The Washington Post's "Courts and the Law" (www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts-law) section features articles by Robert Barnes who has reported on the court since 2006 and can be followed on Twitter (@scotusreporter.) His recent columns include a story on retired Justice Stevens, and "If Everyone is Unhappy with the Supreme Court, Has it Found the Right Spot Between Sides?" The New York Times' section (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/s/supreme_court/index.html) features articles by journalists with deep knowledge of the court including a lawyer and 2009 Pulitzer Prize finalist Adam Liptak. A sampling of his recent articles include "College Diversity Nears Its Last Stand," "Supreme Court Puzzles Over Religious Groups and Bias," and "Jimi Hendrix is Cited During Supreme Court Arguments." The paper also has a page devoted to each justice that includes biographical data as well as featured articles and, where available, information on their nominations. A couple of other sites worth looking at include Findlaw's Supreme Court Center (http://supreme.lp.findlaw.com/ ) that includes biographies, briefs, history and guides as well as articles authored by leading academics, and Preview (www.americanbar.org/publications/preview_home.html), from the American Bar Association, which has many useful and informative features including merit briefs from 2003 forward. ---------- Cyndi Trembley has been with the Rochester, N.Y., firm of Harris Beach PLLC since 1997, most recently in the position of manager of research services. Prior to Harris Beach, she served as a reference librarian for 18 years at a Syracuse law firm. Her professional activities include service as past president of the Association of Law Libraries of Upstate New York. For almost two decades she has given presentations on Internet issues and resources for library groups, attorneys and law students. Published: Wed, Oct 26, 2011