Is Your Firm Insured for Data Loss - Data Theft? What are the issues?

Have you ever thought about what would happen if you lost the data in your law firm, or if it was even stolen - cybertheft?  Are you insured? 

Here is a good article on insuring your data:  Is Your Organization Insured Against Data Loss? 

One of the issues this article discusses is whether or not traditional insurance coverage is sufficient.  Also, find out what the courts say about data loss.  Is data loss considered property loss by the courts?  Where do you stand if you are "cloud computing" and your data is housed by a vendor?  Is the vendor's policy covering your data?  Where will you get your guidance in determining what kind of policy for data loss you should have? 

Good and informative article. 

Video Game Bar Association Established

Video Game Bar Association launched recently.  This is a relatively new area of the law that is being practiced and it is international.  The new group allows for networking and sharing of ideas for attorneys who take on suits specific to copyright issues and video games, and will work with video game developers world wide. 

Libya's Constitution Issues: An article

http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/conlaw/2011/02/libyas-constitution.html

Riding the Waves of Change - What is Singularity?

Have you ever heard the term "early adapter?"  It means someone who has the ability to see change happening and adapt to it quickly, to utilize what the change has to offer significantly sooner than most others would be able to make that change. 

Emerging technologies and rapidly changing technologies have placed all of us in a position where if we don't change or grasp on to what is new in technology, we will be left out of the loop.  

Ray Kurzweil is a futurist and inventor, paying close attention to what where technology is taking us. In fact, some of his inventions are taking us into the future faster than we know.  His book on technological singularity and super-intelligence is just plain scary. What is singularity?

What does this have to do with the law and the law office?  Check out Singularity, Computers, and the Law if for no other reason than to see the videos Singularity and e-discovery Did You Know?

What does a Polygraph look like?

Polygraph Measures

How accurate is a polygraph?

http://www.truthorlie.com/accurate.html

Physiological Arousal to an applied stimulus:

Heat Rate/ Blood Volume
Sweat Gland Activity
Respiration or Breathing


How to detect lies:

http://www.wikihow.com/Detect-Lies
Can drugs effect a polygraph test?

http://effectofdrugsonpolygraph.blogspot.com/

Polygraph FAQ's

http://www.polygraphks.com/faq.htm

http://www.polygraphis.com/WebsiteFAQ.htm

http://www.omegapolygraph.com/polygraph-faq.htm

http://www.imbordinopolygraph.com/faq_examiners.htm

Difference Between Confession and Admission

Must give people a chance a reason to explain why they are sitting there to take the test.  

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/197308/evidence/28378/Confessions-and-admissions

Are polygraph tests admissible in court in Kansas?

Kipp Low - Topeka Police Department: On Polygraph

Kipp Low with Janice and Donna
http://www.topekapolygraph.com/polygraph.htm


Polygraph Today

• Exciting technology and techniques

• The use of polygraph in treatment has brought polygraph back into court

• More private examiners than at any previous time since around 1988

http://www.polygraphplace.com/docs/information.shtml

• Still the most valid from for testing of truthfulness  

Utility v Accuracy Rates:

• Why do we conduct polygraphs?  

• The utility value of polygraph

          Confessions  admissions
          Exclusion of suspects
          Development of evidence/dues
          Monitoring of behavior
          Treatment

Where are Mistakes Made?
There is no Universal Lie Response
There are numerous emotions which produce physiological responses

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygraphy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice_stress_analysis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biometrics

Only one Polygraph Issue
 Process is from the time the person comes in the office through the test and after

Pretest interview - No difference between a small lie and a big lie - if one thing is being hidden there will be a trip-up in the test

http://www.policetest.info/police_polygraph_exam.htm

If the exam is mixed issue and the person has a significant reaction-
Administrator has a specific issue test to resolve the reaction
Interview the subject after the mixed issue
Must "weed" through the issues in the pretest exam

The Innocence Project

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be accused of a crime that you didn't commit, and then, to even be convicted of that crime?  This does happen to people, people who are currently serving time for something they did not do. 

Here is a project that assists and even helps to exonerate these people:  The Innocence Project

On this website you will meet some of the people who have been imprisoned for years and have been exonerated because of this project.  You will learn the cases, the legal reasons and flaws in the justice system as to why the mistake was made, and how the system could be "fixed" to prevent this from happening to other innocent people and wrongful convictions. 

You can even read the amicus briefs filed by the project on behalf of individuals being wrongfully accused, find legal resources and links on the issue, and access the database of those who have been released from prison as a result of the project. 

Since the project's inception and as of February 17, 2011, 266 innocent people have been freed. 

WPA Meeting Notice - February 16, 2011

Don't forget!

The WPA February meeting will take place on Wednesday, February 16, 2011,  at 12:30 p.m. in the Lincoln Room of the Washburn Memorial Student Union.

This is a "working" meeting, and those attending this meeting will stuff the "goodie" bags for those participating in the KPA/WPA Mini-Seminar to be held on Friday, February 18.

Plan to attend!  Come and help!  Valentine candies for those who attend and help!

Valentine Candy Drawing - You might win!

Mini-Seminar Registration Form Available NOW!

Don't forget to register for the WPA/KPA Mini-Seminar on February 18 - Friday Afternoon!

http://www.scribd.com/doc/48482151/Mini-Seminar-Brochure-2011

This brochure tells you everything you need to know about the Mini-Seminar - speakers, date, time, place!  It is a seminar you won't want to miss. 

Independent Film - Hot Coffee - The real facts about the McDonald's suit

Featured recently at the Sundance Film Festival, you won't want to miss this movie!  It is the real story about the Liebeck v. McDonald's Restaurants suit. 

Do you believe that corporations can spend millions of dollars to alter tort reform?  

http://hotcoffeethemovie.com/

Catch a snippet of the movie and an interview with Stella Liebeck's family here:   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2ktM-lIfeQ

Have you thought about how to revitalize your life?

http://www.digitalparalegalservices.com/2011/02/04/changing-perspective/

The best section was on changing your attitude.

Request for Articles for KPA - The Journal

A member of the Kansas Bar Association paralegal committee has requested assistance from the KPA membership in having some paralegals write articles for The Journal.  If anyone would be interested in writing an article, please let me know as soon as possible.  For the April issue they need the article by March 1 and need to reserve the space by Feb. 18.  The article should be paralegal related. 
I would strongly encourage anyone who is interested to participate in this opportunity.  Please let me know if you have any questions, or need further information.  Thank you!

Andrea Duncan, KPA President

785-228-5736

aduncan@parkerhaylaw.com

Yellow Pages Hard Copy - OPT OUT - And how will your firm be found instead?

This article tells you how to opt out of the Yellow Pages:

http://lawyermarketing.attorneysync.com/blog/blog/need-more-proof-the-yellow-pages-are-dying

It also tells you how your law firm can be found on Google, if you do opt out.

Great Reference Resource Site on Statutes

They make it so easy to look up! 

 http://www.law.cornell.edu/statutes.html