At Perkins Observatory, we get requests from lawyers a few times a year.
They usually want detailed information about phase and location of the Moon
or something similar in order to prove that someone is lying about the
cause of an accident.  We give it to them, but I doubt any of it has ever
been useful.  :/

We are semi-public.  i.e. Perkins is owned by a private university (Ohio
Wesleyan University), but we see ourselves as having a public-service,
educational mission.  We try to answer all requests for info, even from the
occasional wierdo.  Since you are a private entity, whatever you want to do
should be legal and ethical (within the limits of common sense).

I'd say as long as you are not breaking any laws or institutional policys
about giving out information, there isn't anything wrong with it.

I WOULD charge them some sort of fee for access to the collection.  After
all, lawyers make quite a lot of money, and helping them out costs you time
and effort that could be spent doing something else.  We just ask for a
"donation," and leave it up to them how much to give us.  I think it
averages out to about $100 or so per request.  Or you might bill them by
the hour.  :)

>I work for a private non-profit museum, which has in its collections
>numerous photographs of chemical and other industrial sites in the area.  As
>a result, we have had requests for collection access from lawyers, et. al.
>in search of litigation material.  Is there any established precident in the
>handling of requests of this sort?  Any information is most appreciated.
>You can reply to the list or off-list to [log in to unmask]

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Bob Martino                           "I look up to the heavens
Assistant Director                     but night has clouded over
Perkins Observatory                    no spark of constellation
                                       no Vela no Orion."
http://www.perkins-observatory.org                     -Enya

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