Upgraded service for Non-Profit, Educational, and Gov’t Users

Visitors from these domains now have ad-free browsing and other new features as we roll them out.

The 2017 ORS is online

The current edition of the ORS is live on oregonlaws.org, faster and more reliable.

Work has started on the 2017 Oregon Revised Statutes

This is a quick note to inform everyone that I've begun importing the 2017 ORS.

The Power of Permalinks

Q: What do avid bicyclists and handgun owners have in common? A: Two things are a need to know the law, and a desire to discuss it.

USPS: ZIP Codes are “commercially sensitive . . . proprietary” information

The U.S. Postal Service denied our FOIA request for a list of current ZIP Codes, because the information is "proprietary business information" and its release would not be considered a "good business practice".

Oldstyle figures for better statute number legibility

I've been re-evaluating fonts for WebLaws.org, and one issue that caught my eye is the style of the numerals. In running text, these proportional oldstyle numbers (font: Buenard) are perfect: they visually flow with the text. The wide variations in figure height and positioning help the reader unambiguously read the number. But in a vertical navigation bar, … Continue reading Oldstyle figures for better statute number legibility →

Reference text web fonts: ITC vs. URW Baskerville vs. Buenard vs. Caslon

I spent a couple of hours today looking at web fonts for legible reference text. After reading the New York Times experiment finding that Baskerville is "the king of fonts", I thought I'd give it a try, comparing it with a couple of others for legibility. I first researched web fonts that I could test … Continue reading Reference text web fonts: ITC vs. URW Baskerville vs. Buenard vs. Caslon →

Counting to 10 in Californian

This weekend I thought I had found an error in the numbering in the state’s online version, and so I headed to the law library to open a real book and see what’s going on.

If Only California Statutes had Names

I've run into the oddest problem as I add the California Codes to WebLaws.org. The Sections, the actual statutes themselves, are not given any kind of name as they are in other states. Here are the basic burglary statutes of Oregon and California: Oregon: ORS 164.215, Burglary in the Second Degree. California: Penal Code Section … Continue reading If Only California Statutes had Names →

Making the California Laws Easy to Read

I've been doing a lot of work to get the California Codes online, and I now have something to show for it. This is a screenshot of Business & Professions Code Section 22947.4, an anti-spyware statute. (Which is pretty cool; I wonder if Oregon has something similar. Anyone know?) For comparison, here's the original code … Continue reading Making the California Laws Easy to Read →