Author Archives: Michael Froomkin

Research Assistants Wanted

Apologies, blog readers, but this announcement is for UM Law 1L & 2L students only:

I would like to hire two part-time summer research assistants. The hours are negotiable, but likely would be in the 10-30 hours per week range. It would be best if you could start very soon after exams finish.

Job one involves helping me with my research. It requires someone who can write clearly, is well-organized, and who is really good at finding things in libraries and on the Internet. If you happen to have some web or programming skills (some or all of HTML, MySQL, Perl, Debian), that would be a very big plus but it is not in any way a requirement.

Job two involves helping me manage and edit JOTWELL (see jotwell.com). It requires excellent organizational skill plus some editing skills. Some interest in designing a PR campaign might also be of value. Jotwell uses WordPress to publish, but it is easy to learn, so no experience needed.

In both cases the hourly pay of $ 13 is set by the university, and is not as high as you deserve, but the work is sometimes interesting.

If you are interested, please send me an e-mail with the words RESEARCH ASSISTANT (in all caps) followed by your name in the subject line. In the email tell me:

– which job you are applying for (“both” is a perfectly acceptable answer)
– how many hours you’d ideally like to work per week and what other jobs/courses you have planned for the summer (if any),
– when you are free to start, and whether you have vacation plans (no problem if you are planning to take a week or two off during the summer)
– your phone number and email address.
– whether it is OK for me to share your application with other interested faculty members who might also want a summer research assistant.

Please attach the following to your email:

1. A copy of your resume (c.v.),

2. A short writing sample (non-legal is preferred — in any case, please don’t send your LCOMM memo),

3. A transcript (need not be an official copy).

(You might also mention that you saw the ad here. Can’t hurt.)

Posted in Law School | Comments Off on Research Assistants Wanted

Coming Soon to an Internet Near You

ratemyprofessorsandhotels.com. Only a matter of time.

Via Unqualified Offerings, Sites that need to be created.

Posted in Completely Different | Comments Off on Coming Soon to an Internet Near You

A Very Cute Respose to Employer Demands for Facebook Passwords

I hereby (fictionally) resign is a great, if alas so far fictional, account of blowback from an employer’s demand for Facebook passwords.

Spotted via Emergent Chaos, Chaos Emerges from Demanding Facebook Passwords.

Posted in Law: Everything Else, Law: Internet Law | Comments Off on A Very Cute Respose to Employer Demands for Facebook Passwords

I Wish They Had Sought Recusal

Text of DOJ Letter to 5th Circuit Panel in Phvsician Hospitals of America v. Sebelius.

This letter is a temperate reply to the intemperate request by Judge Jerry E. Smith. I think Judge Smith’s impartiality could reasonably be questioned after his outburst. Cf. 28 USC § 144.

Update: Kevin Drum exposes the contempt of court hidden in plain sight in the DOJ letter. [link fixed, sorry]

Posted in Law: Constitutional Law | 1 Comment

We Robot News 4/4/12

We’ve now got the first batch of papers online:

More soon.

Today’s robopromo is Amir Rahmani on, “Micro Aerial Vehicles: Opportunity or Liability”. It begins:

Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) pose a number of legal and regulatory issues when operating in national airspace. As a result, Congress tasked the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) with safely integrating UASs into our national airspace by 2014. However, Micro Aerial Vehicles (MAVs), which are small to medium-sized UASs, present additional concerns because they do not qualify for the 2014 FAA integration.

I think this sounds bad for the taco copter?

Posted in Robots | Comments Off on We Robot News 4/4/12

We Robot News 4/3/12

The big news today is that the papers have started coming in, and as they are received I’m linking to them not only from the relevant robopromos but also from the We Robot Program page. I hope to have them all Real Soon Now.

Today’s robopromo: Sinziana Gutiu on “Sex Robots and Roboticization of Consent”. And yes, there’s a paper linked to from there.

Posted in Robots | Comments Off on We Robot News 4/3/12