Susanna+Leers

Homework week 1 I. Advantages and disadvantages of having a virtual law practice: Moneysavings - all the overhead of an office - cost of transportation to work - cost of grooming and clothing Time savings - commute time Time flexibility - Can still work "fulltime" but hours at your convenience - Allows for part-time work Convenience for clients Affordability for clients
 * Advantages**

Self-discipline required in time management (this would probably be the biggest problem I would have) Reliance on possibly unknown person for website management Record-keeping Bookkeeping and accounting Security of information
 * Disadvantages**

II. Virtual law practice defined: Google search: “virtual law practice” definition site:.co.uk A growing trend among computer-savy sole practitioners is to open a “virtual law practice” or “virtual law office” (VLO), where most communications with clients happen through a secure online server system. The popularity of the VLO developed through the growth of cloud computing and server networks. Rather than maintain brick-and-mortar offices, many solo practice attorneys choose to practice law from home and communicate with clients online. Source: []

Google search: eLawyering definition site:.co.uk 1. Web definitions The term elawyering or e-lawyering (sometimes stylized eLawyering) is a neologism used to refer to the practice of law over the Internet, in a way more expansive than a mere legal related internet advertisement for a service, lawyer, or law firm. Source: [|en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elawyering] 2. What is e-Lawyering? e-Lawyering is a term coined in the United States to describe a law firm business model which exploits web technologies for competitive advantage. The core of this business model is a law firm web site that incorporates web-enabled applications that allow lawyer and client to engage and interact over the Internet. Source: []

Note that many of the results of the search "virtual law practice" were links to Stephanie Kimbro's work.

Homework Week 2 Note: I had the flu this week. Trying to catch up on the work.

Part 1 5 benefits of document automation 5 disadvantages of document automation
 * Save time and therefore money
 * <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">Spare yourself some of the drudgery of lawyering
 * <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">DIY helps save you from hiring or using staff
 * <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">Templates and standardization help Courts deal more efficiently with all the documents that are submitted
 * <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">Creating forms/questions for guidance helps you clarify the important information/facts needed for typical legal problems
 * <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">$ Cost of the software you use
 * <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">By reducing legal problems to fill-in-the-blank forms you may miss the more nuanced aspects of a case
 * <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">Difficulty of trying to choose between different software options
 * <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">May seem impersonal to clients
 * <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">Long-term availability of a particular software isn’t guaranteed

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">Part 2 <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">Testing document automation websites

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">[|Document Driver] || <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">[|Orrick Term Sheet Creater] || <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">There is a basic form on the first page and then simple forms for the 9 different documents. Easy to use and flexible. Advantage in being able to create more documents than the Orrick term creator. || <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">Using this term sheet generator website you can create 3 different kinds of venture-financing and start-up company documents. There is one form to fill out, requiring some more detailed information about the startup. <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">Easy to use and flexible. ||
 * || <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">[|Goodwin Procter]
 * <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">Acceptance of disclaimer and terms required? || <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">[|Yes] || <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">Yes ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">Clear instructions on how to use the site? || <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">Yes || <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">[|Yes] ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">Types of documents that form can generate? || # <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">1. Certificate of Incorporation
 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">2. By-laws
 * 2) <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">3. Consent of Sole Incorporator
 * 3) <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">4. Consent in Lieu of First Meeting of Board of Directors
 * 4) <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">5. Subscription Letter
 * 5) <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">6. Founders Agreement
 * 6) <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">7. Founder Stock Restriction Agreement
 * 7) <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">8. Contribution and Assignment Agreement
 * 8) <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">9. Confidentiality & IP Assignment Agreement || <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">1. Founders Term Sheet
 * 9) <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">10. 2. Bridge Financing Term Sheet
 * 10) <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">11. 3. Preferred Stock Financing Term Sheet ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">Clear description of the documents that can be created? || <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">Yes || <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">Yes ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">“Help” information readily available while completing forms? || <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">Yes || <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">Yes ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">Notes || <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">Using this document automation website you can create 9 different kinds of documents for forming start-up companies as Delaware corporations.

**Homework Week 3**
<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">I. Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">For Pittsburgh, PA this is our local county court. The website is at [] and provides an organizational chart of the courts. []

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">1. No efiling <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">2. No efiling for self-represented <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">3. Dockets and calendars not available online <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">4. Jury forms are provided for those seeking to be excused; I couldn’t find any other forms. Website is poorly organized, has limited content, and is rather confusing when you are looking for specific information.

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">II. PA Supreme Court <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">The PA Courts have a website at []

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">1. No efiling <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">2. No efiling for self-represented <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">3. Both online docket sheets and calendar accessed by clunky search form. <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">4. Yes, a variety of forms are available in pdf or Word format at []

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">III. Federal District Court: Western District of PA <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">Located in Pittsburgh, the website for the court is []. <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">1. efiling via the CM/ECF Document Filing System / PACER. Electronic filing is mandatory in this district effective 1/1/12. Filing is at [] <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">2. Yes, self-represented efiling. Must get an account and certify that the user has had some training in the ECF system. <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">3. Calendar available at [] <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">Dockets are on PACER <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">4. An array of forms is available at []; the forms page was updated Sept. 2010.

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">extra credit: Mr. McMillan referred to the book Retrospective of Courthouse Design, 2001-2010. Go to the website for the National Center for State Courts to see a ppt presentation about Thirty Years of Courthouse Design with images from the book [] <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">. Can you find any courthouses designed by Andrea Leers of Leers Weinzapfel Associates?

**<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">HOMEWORK WEEK 4 Unbundling legal services **
<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">1. //Two discrete tasks that could be unbundled://

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;"> Preparing a Will – this is one of the most common queries that come to our law library from public patrons.

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;"> Landlord Tenant disputes – this is also one of the most common queries that we get from public patrons.

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">2. //A task that lends itself to being converted into a digital application://

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">Court coaching: explaining how to prepare for court to pro se patrons

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">3. //Risks involved in unbundling legal services://


 * <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">The client must be advised on related issues even if they don’t ask
 * <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">Limitiations of using the unbundled services must be reasonable and clearly defined for clients
 * <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">Any changes in the scope of the services must be documented carefully
 * <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">Client may turn to other attorneys for other legal questions

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">4. //Think of a “digital application” that could automate a legal task, AND bundled with legal advice to be sold for a fixed fee? (re-bundling concept). Describe it in your homework.//

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">An “Are you the victim of employment discrimination” application could walk users through an online questionnaire to figure out if they have been discriminated against in the workplace based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion and age. The questionnaire would also help decide whether they have reason to proceed with an employment discrimination lawsuit.


 * <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">HOMEWORK WEEK 5 Free Legal Research **

My state is Pennsylvania

Cases:

The Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania

[]

Statutes:

Unofficial Purdon’s Pennsylvania Statutes from West

[]

also see the explanation for PA’s screwy codification at []

Regulations:

The Pennsylvania Code (not to be confused with our statutory codification)

[]

Questions 1, 2 and 3 for two different sites: I am looking at Photoshop.com and Cooks.com

1. Photoshop.com (a free site by Adobe where you can upload and share digital photos); the EULA is [|here].

Relevant cause concerning user-submitted content:

**<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">“9. Use of Your Content. **

<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; vertical-align: baseline;">This section hereby replaces Section 8(a) (“Use of Your Content”) of the General Terms.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">(a) __<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">By Adobe __

<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; vertical-align: baseline;">Adobe does not claim ownership of Your Content. However, we do need certain rights from you, with respect to Your Content, in order to operate the Service and in order to enable you to do all the things this Service affords you the ability to do. Therefore, with respect to Your Content, you grant Adobe a worldwide (because the internet is global), royalty-free (meaning we do not owe you any money), nonexclusive (meaning you are free to license Your Content to others) fully sublicensable (so that we can permit our affiliates, subcontractors and agents to deliver the Service on our behalf) license to use, reproduce and modify Your Content solely for the purposes of operating the Service and enabling your use of the Service. With respect to Your Shared Content, you additionally grant Adobe the rights to distribute, publicly perform and publicly display Your Shared Content (in whole or in part) for the sole purposes of operating the Service and enabling your use of the Service and to sublicense Your Shared Content to Other Users subject to the limitations of Section 10 below. Operating the Service includes featuring and promoting those portions of Your Shared Content that you make publicly available solely within the Service. For example, Adobe is permitted to feature the “most viewed,” “most popular” or “highest rated” Albums or Galleries solely within the Service. These limited licenses do not grant Adobe the right to sell or otherwise license Your Content or Your Shared Content on a stand alone basis. Further, you may terminate Adobe’s right to distribute, publicly perform and publicly display Your Shared Content by making it no longer shared. You may terminate the remainder of Adobe’s rights by removing Your Content from the Service. (Detailed instructions on how to do these things can be found at @http://www.adobe.com/go/pscom_support .) Upon removal of Your Content from the Service or upon making Your Shared Content no longer shared, Adobe shall have a reasonable time to cease use, distribution and/or display of Your Content. However, you acknowledge and agree that Adobe shall have the right to keep archived copies of Your Content.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">(b) __<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">By Other Users __

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">You hereby grant Other Users a worldwide (because the internet is global), royalty-free (meaning that Other Users do not owe you any money), nonexclusive (meaning you are free to license Your Content to others) license to view, download, print, distribute, publicly perform and publicly display Your Shared Content subject to the limitations in Section 10. If you invite Other Users to join a Group Album that you created, or if you decide to participate in a Group Album to which you have been invited, then in addition to the rights granted above, you also grant Other Users of such Group Album the rights to: add to, modify and adapt the contents of the shared album including the content you place in the album. Additionally, you grant the creator of such Group Album the right to remove photos you post from the Group Album. **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">If you do not wish to grant these rights in Your Shared Content then do not share Your Content with Other Users. **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"> While you have the ability to remove Your Content from the service and/or the public areas within the Service and thus prevent future licenses from being granted, you acknowledge and agree that once Your Shared Content has been shared, Adobe can neither monitor nor control what Other Users do with it. Detailed instructions on how to remove Your Content from the Service and/or the public areas within the Service can be found at @http://www.adobe.com/go/pscom_support .”

2. Cooks.com – a website for sharing recipes and discussing food in forums (TalkFood).

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">a. EULA for sharing recipes:

<span style="color: #434343; font-family: Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">“This recipe will be made available on this website for others to use free of charge from this website. By submitting your recipe, you are representing to Cooks.com that the instructional content is free from copyright to the best of your knowledge. Recipes may be edited. ”

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">b. EULA for forums:

<span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">“All authors are responsible for and will be held liable for their own content.

<span style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">INDEMNIFICATION: By using this forum, you hereby agree to indemnify and hold harmless TalkFood, The FOURnet Information Network and Cooks.com from all liability or damage, whether direct or indirect consequential damage incurred as a result of your authorship of content or usage of this forum.

<span style="color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Further, you agree that you will not post works for which a valid Copyright is in effect for which you are not the legitimate and bona fide Copyright holder under the tenets of the Berne Convention. ”

Question 4

I like both of these EULAs yet they are very different from one another, and I think that is because of their origins. Adobe’s Photoshop.com is a photosharing site and the EULA has the sort of language one might expect from professional photographers, very carefully spelling out the terms, but doing so in “plain English” so the people using the site – many of whom are amateur photographers – can understand.

The Cooks.com site is for recipe sharing. I find recipe-sharing to be a fascinating area of IP law, because it has been developed – let’s face it- almost entirely by women. I grew up in a culture where women always shared recipes, and adapted each other’s recipes. Women who wouldn’t share recipes were considered mean or stingy. So I think it is fitting that the EULA for this site is very simple and direct. And you don’t need to register to share recipes. The EULA for the discussion forum is a little stricter, and you need to register to post to the discussion forum. Interestingly, The copyright clause mentions the Berne Convention, presumably this is a world-wide recipe and food sharing site.

Question 5.

I don’t want to use a standard clause for these EULAs. I really like them the way they are, unstandardized. J


 * <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">Homework 7 **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">ONLINE LEGAL FORMS IN LEGAL AID **

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">This interactive form “Petition to Expunge or Seal Criminal Record–Chicago only for Illinois” is comfortingly user-friendly and seems designed for use by law library public patrons who come to the library for assistance and for help using a computer.

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">To have a similar interactive iterative process without Flash you might be able to simply design a decision-tree schematic for the same set of decisions that the user is walking through on this website.

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">For smartphones: You are designing for a more specialized demographic, presumably users have basic skills if they are looking for an app. Would a decision tree work on a smart phone? Will the script for the decisions need to be shortened?

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">I haven’t designed any apps, and I am not sure I use any a

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">Here are a few thoughts on app design:

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">1. Usaura lets you test your interface and get user data []

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">2. Pull Down for Navigation is a simple idea and might be of some help [] you can see it work if you open the tutorial in your iPhone []

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">3. My nephew Ashley Streb works at Brightcove and is developing Brightcove’s app cloud for making it easier to develop a variety of apps for different platforms. He talks about it here [] ; more info here []. I know you all don’t plan to hire this out but it may help with ideas.


 * <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">Homework 8 **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">UNAUTHORIZED PRACTICE OF LAW **

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">Pennsylvania:

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">The definition of unauthorized practice of law in Pennsylvania can be found in Rule 5.5 of the Pennsylvania Code, available online at [].

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">West Virginia:

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">See West Virginia Code,

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;"> Chapter 30 (Professions and occupations) Article 2 (Attorneys at law)

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">[|http://www.legis.state.wv.us/WVCODE/Code.cfm?chap=30&art=2#02]


 * Stories of UPL**

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">1. LegalZoom and Unauthorized Practice of Law

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">[] by DONNA SEYLE on AUGUST 17, 2011

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">2. Wilson Daily Times, The (NC)

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">February 27, 2012

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">State Bar eyes Darden

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">The N.C. State Bar is looking into whether William Darden was acting in the capacity of an attorney when he represented a former Salvation Army employee seeking unemployment benefits. []

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">3. 2 charges against attorney with lapsed license

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">Omaha.com (World Herald) March 31, 2012

<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic',sans-serif;">[]