USA

Megan's Law by State

An online directory containing status information and links to legislation providing for sex offender registration and community notification in each of the US states, known as "Megan's Law" legislation. A map indicates the level of Internet access to records provided by the state authorities, ranging from state sponsored access to no community notification. Directory entries include information about the state contact, administrating agency, duration of requirement, penalties for non-compliance and confidentiality provisions with links to relevant websites and online documents.

Native American Rights Fund: National Indian Law Library

Website of the National Indian Law Library established as a department of the Native American Right Fund in Boulder, Colorado, USA to serve the research needs of the Fund and the wider public. The site gives information about library services and unique collections of Native American legal resources with access to the NILL online catalogue. Materials held by the library include Tribal self-governance documents, treaty texts and Federal administrative documents and selected pleadings from important cases, reporters and manuals.

Entertainment Law Resources for Film, TV and Multimedia Producers

This site is compiled by Mark Litwak, a lawyer based in California and specialising in entertainment law. It was originally established in 1995. It includes a series of articles and advice written by Mark Litwak on various aspects of film making and multimedia. There is a blog with regular topical posts. And links to information about books and software, FAQs, and a directory of film festivals.

American Bar Association Commission on Domestic Violence

The American Bar Association Commission on Domestic Violence is based in Washington, D.C., USA. The Commission provides support to attorneys representing victims of domestic violence. The site includes information about Commission members, an online newsletter and a selection of resources to download. These include a tool for attorneys on screening for domestic violence and a report onincorporating domestic violence into the law school curriculum.

Schnapf Environmental Law Center

The Schnapf Environmental Law Center was founded in 1998 by US lawyer Lawrence P. Schnapf. The Center's site publishes extracts from selected environmental reports covering significant US state and federal decisions on environmental issues. Brief introductions are given to topics such as brownfield sites, pollution, hazardous waste, due diligence and disclosure of environmental liabilities. A newsletter is available on subscription and there are links to a variety of federal environmental resources.

Drafting Legal Documents

A guide to legal writing, from the Office of the Federal Register, US National Archives and Records Administration. The guide is a sequence of linked topics on the basics of writing regulatory documents which include arrangement, headings, definitions, ambiguity, principles of clear writing and grammar. In addition, the site presents some links to plain language resources and a PDF copy of the Federal Register Document Drafting Handbook 1998 with amendments.

Sentencing Project:

The Sentencing Project is an independent US organisation founded in 1986 to promote "reforms in sentencing law and practice, and alternatives to incarceration".The site has sections focusing on sentencing policy, incarceration, racial disparity, offender disenfranchisement, drug policies and women in the justice system. Each section provides access to full text reports, briefing sheets, educational materials and news items. There is a collection of advocacy materials and statistics arranged by state.

Task Force on Life and the Law

Web pages of the New York State Task Force on Life and the Law, on the website of the State's Department of Health. The Task Force was formed in 1985, and convenes to consider important public policy issues to do with advances in medicine. A fact sheet on the website outlines the Task Force's mandate, and how its recommendations have had an impact on US legislation and court decisions.

Congressional Research Service Reports

A collection of full-text Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports on the US Department of State website. The Congressional Research Service provides information about current public policy issues and the legislative process to members of the US Congress. Topics covered in this set of CRS reports include: the structure and administration of the House of Representatives, procedure on the floor of the House, committees, budget procedure, relations with the Senate and relations with the President.

DocLaw Web

DocLaw is a gateway to US Federal government resources and other governmental materials on the internet, provided by the School of Law at Washburn University in Kansas. Documents and links are arranged on the site primarily by subject, federal agency or government department. Additional pages of links are available via the "Choose Destination" drop-down menu: legislative materials, primary law, reference sites and research guides.

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