This new law has important implications in the context of litigation.  When an adversary demands the production of documents and other things, a company must exercise care not to produce such information in a manner that would give rise to potential liability under the law.

I was able to get to my apt at the Anchorage Sat 09/03/05," said one message posted yesterday. "Came in thru Eden Isles off Hwy 11 — the beautiful white anchor at entrance is covered in about 7 ft of debris and there is only a one-lane path to enter/exit until over the little bridge."

Also featured is fellow law blogger Ernest Svenson, also known as Ernie the Attorney, who is from New Orleans and evacuated to Houston, Texas and later to Baton Rouge. Svenson began posting notes via a friend out of town, to whom he would text messages from the city. Information-sharing during a natural disaster is only the tip of the iceberg of what blogs can and are doing. No longer just a place to rant about politics or tell readers what you ate for breakfast, blogs are dynamic marketing tools, news portals and interactive message boards. They’ve been a blessing to people looking for missing loved ones. Bloggers are posting photos and e-mails from readers, trying to reunite families and friends. Since the disaster began, new and existing blogs are helping refugees and other survivors find places to live, work, and regroup after losing everything in the hurricane, an unexpected but valuable function.

Technorati Tags: blogs, law blogs, katrina, ernietheattorney

A company can minimize such risk by taking the few important actions suggested by the authors of "Whistleblowing Claims Under Sarbanes-Oxley":

1. Publish to all employees policies and procedures intended to govern the reporting of alleged wrongdoing.

2. Train employees in these policies and procedures.  (Document the training.)

3. Develop independent "channels" for employees to report alleged wrongdoing.

4. Conduct thorough but discrete investigations of alleged wrongdoing using independent personnel.

5. Counsel personnel on appropriate conduct.

5. Document, document, document.

This September 2, 2005 note updates the information previously posted on the Internet.

1. Attorneys and litigants should not send any filings or documents to New Orleans.

2. The court will remain closed through September 13, 2005. Court employees will continue to be in an Administrative Leave status.

3. All filing deadlines on or after August 24th through September 30th are automatically extended until October 3, 2005, and may be further extended. Before filing, check our Internet site www.ca5.uscourts.gov.

4. True emergency matters, e.g. death penalty cases with execution dates, or deportation matters with imminent and confirmed deportation dates, may be filed by FAX at 713-250-5050, or mailed or delivered to:

Chambers of Chief Judge Carolyn Dineen King

This September 2, 2005 note updates the information previously posted on the Internet.

1. Attorneys and litigants should not send any filings or documents to New Orleans.

2. The court will remain closed through September 13, 2005. Court employees will continue to be in an Administrative Leave status.

3. All filing deadlines on or after August 24th through September 30th are automatically extended until October 3, 2005, and may be further extended. Before filing, check our Internet site www.ca5.uscourts.gov.

4. True emergency matters, e.g. death penalty cases with execution dates, or deportation matters with imminent and confirmed deportation dates, may be filed by FAX at 713-250-5050, or mailed or delivered to:

Chambers of Chief Judge Carolyn Dineen King
Room 11020
515 Rusk Street
Houston, Texas 77002.

5. We presently anticipate opening the clerk’s office for a broader range of matters on or about September 14, 2005, at 515 Rusk Street, Houston, Texas. We will advise you when to begin sending filings and documents and provide you the exact mailing address, and physical office location shortly.

6. Please consult our website frequently for updated information.

Brian Oberkirch, of Weblogs Work, lives in Slidell (he is now in Dallas with his family) and he setup a quick blog to detail hurricane damage in Slidell that can be found here.