MAILBAG #070108

Overflowin' inbox:

* Michael Arkfeld (a member of the LTN edit board) checks in with the latest edition of his Arkfeld's Electronic Discovery & Evidence Alert, which answers the question, "Do the FRCP EDD amendments apply to pending cases?" Plus, he announces that his presentations have now been professionally videotaped and will be available on DVD on February 1. The first two are The New Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (90 minutes) and E-Discovery and Evidence Best Practices (4 hours).

*David Bowerman, also of our LTN board, advises that the Preston Gates & Ellis/Kirkpatrick & Lockhart merger is complete, and the EDD website has been redesigned. The firm's now Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Preston Gates & Ellis LLP -- and will brand itself as K&L Gates. PG&E's EDD blog already reflects the change!

* Author Paul Levine (Solomon v. Lord, et al.) enjoyed the high seas and a writeup in The New York Times on a recent "literary authors" cruise that sounds like it was big fun. (I'm also jealous because one of my favorite authors, Elinor Lipman, was also participating.) One of the days I'll get over my fear of cruises and give them a try. (I know, I know, but I get soooooooooooooo seasick.)

Levine also suggests checking out Law Forum here.

* Blawg Review's Editor 'n' Chef takes the mic:

Have you heard about the campaign to get Blawg Review voted the "best-kept secret weblog" in the 2007 Bloggies? Of course not. That's why we're probably sure to win a Bloggie in this category, if everyone who loves Blawg Review would please take a minute to nominate us.

(Of course, Mon wouldn't object to a few votes for The Common Scold (writing? design?) ... somehow I don't think I'll win in Sports, even if my heart is there.  :)

* Change your contact info for Rick Rifkin: He's left Hummingbird and now is is with Contact Networks as veep of sales, based in Boston. Email here.

* Kenneth Lopez says Animators at Law has released the results of a three-year study on the differences between how lawyers and the general public communicate.

They polled 387 attorneys and 1657 non-attorneys over a three year period to see how they fit into one of three learning/communication styles: visual (seeing/showing), auditory (hearing/speaking) or kinesthetic (feeling). They found "a marked difference" between how attorneys and non-attorneys prefer to communicate. For example, only 18% of non-attorneys learn best by hearing information, as compared to 29% of attorneys. Further, 61% of civilians prefer to learn from visual information, while less than half of attorneys prefer to communicate with visual information.