First, The Good News...

The good news is yesterday included one of the recurring annual events I most look forward to in my professional life. This was the annual lunch attended by the Justices of the California Supreme Court, the Justices of the California Court of Appeal, Second District, and the members of the Los Angeles County Bar Appellate Courts Committee. This lunch consistently is a fine blend of professionalism, camaraderie and humor, and yesterday met, if not surpassed, the high bar set in past years. Among the highlights for me: learning that a great many of the esteemed attendees, including the Supreme Court Justice seated to my immediate left, had at least a passing familiarity with weblogs. In fact, the practitioner seated to my immediate right had an eye-popping law-firm-and-weblog story to relate, and is happy to have me share it with you. That I will do, but need to table it briefly until my schedule lets up.

The bad news is much as I am utterly dying to go to the Intel v. Hamidi oral argument today and blog the heck out of it, some things came up yesterday that are going to render this impossible. I'm disappointed, and maybe you are too, but it's unavoidable. I suspect a crack journalist or two who publish in linkable form will give us the flavor of the proceedings while I am off lawyering. If so, you can be sure I'll post the links here, or Howard will on How Appealing. So sorry if you were anxiously awaiting the blow-by-blow; next time!

Fact Checking My Hiney

That'll teach me to blindly believe what I read in the legal press! Rick Klau comments that the Richmond Journal Of Law And Technology claims the title of "first exclusively online law review," launching a week shy of eight years ago (see this letter from the editor regarding the premier issue), and University of Miami Law School Professor A. Michael Froomkin (of ICANNWatch) emails that the Journal of Online Law (William & Mary Marshall-Wythe School of Law) began shortly thereafter, in June 1995. Thanks! Keep 'em coming, and I'll dig up the name of the Daily Journal writer and forward the blogosphere's wisdom.

New Frontiers

Breaking news: Rick Klau has the scoop on Movable Bloggerland.

First Online-Only Law Journal Debuts

Click on over to the Santa Clara Journal of International Law, a journal of the Santa Clara University School of Law. Available only online, and only for free. First issue published last Friday, March 28:

A unique feature of the Santa Clara Journal of International Law is its purely electronic format. The Journal Editors hope that the online format will facilitate broad range accessibility in a way that print media cannot. The web-based format will allow the Journal to stay current continuously by publishing articles that are timely rather than having to wait to publish periodic volumes. The editors also feel that the online format offers easier access and direct reference to other relevant online materials. The Journal will publish reviews and comments from a diverse representation of international scholars and hope that this format will reach readers across all borders.

[via the Daily Journal]

Rare Chance To Hear Same Day Broadcast Of Supreme Court Arguments

I'll be checking in tomorrow with How Appealing and the SCOTUSBlog for updates and commentary on the arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court in the University of Michigan racial preference cases. (Some of my colleagues at the firm authored one of the many amicus briefs in support of the University of Michigan; more, and a link to the brief, in this previous post.) As the AP recently reported, "Typically, tapes of oral arguments are not released until the end of the court term. Then they go to the National Archives, which makes them available to the public." ("Supreme Court Vows Quick Release of U-M Admissions Tape," at IMDiversity.) As was true of the Bush v. Gore case argued in December 2000, tomorrow the Court will alter its usual practice and release the tape immediately. C-SPAN Radio plans to broadcast and webcast (in Real and Windows Media formats) the proceedings commencing at approximately 12:15 p.m. ET.