Caroline Joan S. Picart (3L, joint J.D. and M.A. in Women’s Studies Candidate; Tybel Spivack Teaching Fellow) has a contracted and forthcoming book: Critical Race Theory and copyright in American Dance (Palgrave-Macmillan, forthcoming, 2013). She has also contracted three forthcoming law journal articles, two in an international London-based journal:

• Caroline Joan S. Picart and Marlowe Fox, “Beyond Unbridled Optimism and Fear: Indigenous Peoples, Intellectual Property, Human Rights and the Globalization of Traditional Knowledge and Expressions of Folklore” (Part I), 15 International Community Law Review 3, (2013), pages forthcoming.
• Caroline Joan S. Picart and Marlowe Fox, “Beyond Unbridled Optimism and Fear: Indigenous Peoples, Intellectual Property, Human Rights and the Globalization of Traditional Knowledge and Expressions of Folklore” (Part II), 16 International Community Law Review 2 (2014), pages forthcoming. 
• Caroline Joan S. Picart, “Cross Cultural Negotiations and International Intellectual Property Law: Attempts to Work Across Cultural Clashes Between Indigenous Peoples and Majoritarian Cultures,” 22 Southern California Interdisciplinary Law Journal, pages forthcoming.

Her conference paper, “Monstrosity, Serial Killing, the criminal blackman and the Lesbian Female Serial Killer: Fact and Fiction in Depictions of Wayne Williams and Aileen Wuornos,”  was accepted and presented March 21 at the Association for the Study of Law, Culture and the Humanities, University of London, England.

LIC Notes: Congressional Rules: CRS Primers

Do you ever teach your students or write about the functions of Congress? Several recent Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports discuss the workings of Congress and some changes to procedures that are being implemented. You will occasionally find useful diagrams in the CRS reports, such as those found in .

• The Amending Process in the Senate, March 15, 2013, http://hobnobblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/98-853_2013_03_15_40p.pdf
• Commonly Used Motions and Requests in the House of Representatives, March 15, 2013, http://hobnobblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/RL32207_2013_03_15_21p.pdf
• Changes to Senate Procedures in the 113th Congress Affecting the Operation of Cloture, March 13, 2013, http://hobnobblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/R42996_2013_03_13_32p.pdf
• House Committee Funding: Description of Process and Analysis of Disbursements, March 13, 2013, http://hobnobblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/R42778_2013_03_13_15p.pdf
• “Sense of” Resolutions and Provisions, March 11, 2013, http://hobnobblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/98-825_2013_03_11_5p1.pdf
• Lobbying Registration and Disclosure: Clerk of the House and the Secretary of the Senate, March 7, 2013, http://hobnobblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/RL34377_2013_03_07_15p.pdf

• Senate Select Committee on Ethics: A Brief History of Its Evolution and Jurisdiction, March 7, 2013, http://hobnobblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/RL30650_2013_03_07_29p.pdf

If you are interested in other functions not discussed above, the Law Librarian’s Society of Washington D.C. maintains a list of “Selected Congressional Research Service Reports on Congress and Its Procedures” at http://www.llsdc.org/crs-congress/.

Important registration information from Student Affairs

The course schedules for the upcoming academic year (summer 2013, fall 2013, and spring 2014) have been released and are posted on the Student Affairs website: http://www.law.ufl.edu/student-affairs/current-students/course-schedules. You should be aware of information concerning distance education courses prior to registering for classes. Based upon ABA Standard 306(d), governing distance education in U.S. Law Schools, no student may obtain more than four credit hours of distance education(online/asynchronous) courses in the same term, and no student may receive more than a total of 12 credit hours of academic credit for distance education(online/asynchronous) courses to count toward the J.D. degree. Furthermore, since students are permitted, with prior approval, to complete up to six credit hours of graduate level courses to count toward law school graduation requirements, and since some students complete distance education courses through the Graduate School, the four credit hours and 12 credit hours limitations apply to these courses, as well. Thus, if a student is registered for an online graduate level course, this reduces the number of hours permitted for other distance education(online/asynchronous) courses either through the Graduate School and/or through the law school.

This information is particularly important for the Summer 2013 term, as there are currently 6 asynchronous (distance education) courses on the law school’s summer schedule of courses. Out of these six courses, one is a one credit hour course and the other courses are two credit hours. Therefore, you will only be able to register for up to two of these asynchronous courses during the summer term. Please review the schedule of courses carefully and plan your schedules accordingly. As you register for classes, you will be reminded of this requirement in ISIS when/if you register for any law distance education(asynchronous/online) course. If you attempt to register for a distance education(asynchronous/online) course, the following message will pop up to remind you of this rule:

“Per ABA Standard 306D, a law student may not register for more than four credits of asynchronous online courses in one term.”

If it is determined that you have registered for more than four credits of asynchronous (distance education/online) courses in any term (e.g., this summer), you will be notified to drop a course or courses. If this is not done, you will then be administratively dropped from the course or courses until you are in compliance with the ABA Standard 306(d).

If there should be any questions or concerns about any of this information, please feel free to contact Assistant Dean of Students Kari Mattox at mattoxk@law.ufl.edu, or stop by the Office of Student Affairs.

2013 Class Gift Legacy

The University of Florida Levin College of Law would not be what it is today without support from alumni. As you prepare to join the distinguished Gator Nation alumni network, now is your chance to make a difference and leave a legacy for future generations of students. Consider making a gift, at any amount, in support of your college. UF Law appreciates your support, as the 2013 Class Gift campaign aims to achieve 100 percent participation from all graduating 3Ls.

To make a gift today visit http://www.law.ufl.edu/alumni/giving/class-gifts.

The federal government collects a large amount of information that is never widely released. This information, however, can still be of great use and is still available to those who know how to access it. In 1966, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) was passed, which allows people to obtain federal agency records, with a few specific exceptions. FOIA requests can be cumbersome and confusing, but a few agencies are trying to alleviate this problem with FOIAOnline.

FOIAOnline provides one location to submit and track your own FOIA requests and search other users’ requests. The following agencies are participating in the program:

• Environmental Protection Agency
• Department of Commerce (except the US Patent and Trademark Office)
• Office of General Counsel of the National Archives and Records Administration
• Merit System Protection Board
• Federal Labor Relations Authority

Interested in submitting a FOIA request to an agency that is not listed above? See How to Make a FOIA Request on FOIA.gov for tips on writing a request.

Dean Robert Jerry will once again be performing at this year’s Gator Growl on Friday at 7 p.m. where his band, in crisis, will kick out the jams, playing rock hits from the ’50s through the ’80s. Jerry plays the electric piano and synthesizer in the group, which is also comprised of College of Design, Construction and Planning Dean Chris Silver, School of Architecture Director Martin Gold, School of Architecture Assistant Director John Maze, Architecture Adjunct Professor Mick Richmond and Computer Programmer-Analyst Andy Shivers. In crisis will be the opening act for comedians Josh Turner and Tracy Morgan. Last year, the band opened for the Goo Goo Dolls. Other homecoming weekend activities will include UF’s Homecoming and Alumni Barbecue, which will begin at 10 a.m. on Nov. 10, and last until kickoff. The barbecue features games, contests and more. Ticket information for the both events can be found at http://gatorgrowl.org/buy-tickets/.

JMBA hosts Town Hall meeting Nov. 13

JMBA will host a Town Hall meeting Tuesday, Nov. 13, from noon to 1 p.m. in the Chesterfield Smith Ceremonial Classroom (HOL 180). Students can submit questions to jmba.townhall@gmail.com or at the JMBA table. (Note: This is not the Town Hall meeting hosted by the administration, which has been postponed to the spring semester).

Antitrust expert from Georgetown to speak at Heath Lecture

On Nov. 16 at 10 a.m. Georgetown Law Professor Howard Shelanski will present “Information, Innovation, and Competition Policy for the Internet” as this year’s Bayard Wickliffe Heath Memorial Lecture Series in the Martin H. Levin Advocacy Center courtroom. Shelanski has been on leave from Georgetown to serve as director of the Bureau of Economics at the Federal Trade Commission since July 2012. Read more about him here.

The Heath Memorial Lecture Series is made possible by a gift from Inez Heath, Ph.D., widow of Bayard “Wick” Heath. Before his death in 2008, Heath was the senior competition consultant with Info Tech, a Gainesville firm specializing in statistical and econometric consulting, expert witness testimony and antitrust law.

Annual Professor Auction goes live Wednesday

The annual Law Association for Women Professor Auction started Nov. 1 and will go live at 3 p.m. on Wednesday in the courtyard. Silent bids are binding if not outbid during the live auction. Dozens of items have been donated, including lunch, dinner and desserts around Gainesville and activities such as mini-golf, yoga, biking, bowling and a beach weekend. Kaplan and BARBRI have also offered discounted Bar prep courses. All proceeds benefit PACE Center for girls, a Florida-based, nationally recognized nonprofit organization that provides non-residential, prevention, intervention, and diversion services for at-risk girls and young women ages 12 to 17. Representatives from the organization will be in attendance. Bring cash or check to the live auction.

Ninth Annual Minority Law Student Picnic set for Saturday

The Ninth Annual Minority Law Student Picnic will be held Saturday in Hialeah, Fla. In the past, UF Law alumnus and U.S. District Judge Paul Huck (JD 65) has assisted with connecting Florida Law students with a mentor. If you are interested in having a mentor, complete the student application. Each year many UF law students attend this picnic by traveling themselves or on the bus provided by the law school. The trip to Hialeah will take approximately five hours, and the bus will depart from Gainesville at approximately 7 a.m. The bus will begin the return trip around 4:15 p.m.

LIC Notes: Welfare drug testing case heard before the 11th Circuit

Last year, Florida passed a controversial law (Laws of Florida 2011-81 (codified at Fla. Stat. § 414.0652)) providing for universal drug testing for applicants for Temporary Cash Assistance under Florida’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. On Nov. 1, 2012, oral arguments before the United States 11^th Circuit Court of Appeals in the case of Lebron v. Secretary, Florida Department of Children and Families, No. 11-15258, challenged the constitutionality of TANF’s universal drug testing requirement. To track this case or read the pleadings, Bloomberg Law provides free access to federal filings for UF Law faculty, staff and students. If you would like access, contact Jennifer Wondracek at wondracekj@law.ufl.edu. All others may use the PACER system to track the docket.

For those unfamiliar with the technology, today’s smartphones and tablets run programs, referred to as apps (shortened for applications), which can be downloaded off the Internet.  With over 700,000 apps in Apple’s App Store and 650,000 Android apps in the Google Play store, app selection can be very confusing. The apps that are recommended in both guides created by the LIC have been tested and received positive reviews by UF law librarians, IT staff and law professors.