Legal Research

Suffolk County Lawmaker Wants You To Clean The Snow From Your Car

Posted on January 20, 2011
Citing potential road hazards, Suffolk County Legislator Jon Cooper wants to enact a law that would result in fines for those who take to the road without cleaning the snow from their cars after a snowstorm. What do you think?Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Lexis and Westlaw Training for Appellate Advocacy

Posted on January 19, 2011
Appellate Advocacy students:To register for Lexis and Westlaw training sessions, go to lexisnexis.com/lawschool and lawschool.westlaw.com. For Westlaw, go to http://lawschool.westlaw.com, log in, click on ?training,? then ?on-campus trainings,? and then ?in-person at my law school...

Copyright and Twitter

Posted on January 19, 2011
Does posting a picture to Twitter via TwitPic give all other Twitter users an implied license to use your picture, including for commercial gain?You wouldn't think so, and the Southern District of New York did not think so in the recent decision Agence France Presse v...

Pew Report: The Social Side of the Internet

Posted on January 18, 2011
"A new national survey by the Pew Research Center?s Internet & American Life Project has found that 75% of all American adults are active in some kind of voluntary group or organization and internet users are more likely than others to be active: 80% of internet users participate in groups, compared with 56% of non-internet users...

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Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Posted on January 17, 2011
In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, there are no classes but the law library is open from 10 AM to 6 PM. In 2005, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute was created at Stanford University to provide an institutional home for a broad range of activities illuminating the Nobel Peace laureate?s life and the movements he inspired...

Google Scholar Enhancements for Case Law Research

Posted on January 16, 2011
Google Scholar recently added a new enhancement for case law research allowing users to search for court opinions by jurisdiction. The option to search by jurisdiction is available on the advanced search page under ?Collections-Legal Opinions and Journals? located at the bottom of the page...

Detention Watch Network

Posted on January 15, 2011
Those needing resources on immigration law, asylum, and deportation issues this semester should check out the website of Detention Watch Network, an advocacy group that works to educate the public and policymakers as well as to advocate for detention system reforms...

Welcome Back and Looking Ahead - MLK Day

Posted on January 14, 2011
A belated welcome back. I hope you enjoyed as many good naps over the break as I did. These snow storms really reinforce my pleasure in being a virtual cat and not having to deal with that cold wet stuff.Looking ahead, although you will not be attending classes on Monday in honor of Martin Luther King Day, I will be prowling in the Library...

Justice Kagan's First Opinion

Posted on January 13, 2011
Justice Kagan's first opinion as a Supreme Court Justice is on the subject of Chapter 13 bankruptcy deductions. Read more about it here.Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

LLRX: Juror Behavior in the Information Age

Posted on January 11, 2011
Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

LLRX: Juror Behavior in the Information Age

Posted on January 11, 2011
Ken Strutin examines juries using social media and the impact of this behavior on the courtroom. His article collects recent and notable examples of juror online misbehavior and highlights scholarship and practice resources concerning its implications for voir dire, trial management and the administration of justice...

Lawyers & Social Media

Posted on January 10, 2011
The use or misuse of Facebook is something of a hot topic in legal news these days. What most people think of as a personal online presence can inadvertently have professional consequences. This handy little guide from LAWPRO Magazine is a concise rundown of the more common errors...

Federal Government Mobile Apps

Posted on January 09, 2011
The U.S. government offers a number of free phone apps to provide information from the daily UV index to current news from the White House. The apps are designed to be convenient and easily accessible for all users. The apps include TSA travel information, product recalls, government jobs, find your embassy, alternative fuel locator, postal service tools, and more...

New Law Student Survey

Posted on January 08, 2011
Spring Semester classes start for most law students in just a few days, so this might be a good time to take a look at the annual survey that reflects law student satisfaction and engagement with the law school experience. The 2010 Law School Survey of Student Engagement (LSSSE), "Student Engagement in Law School: In Class and Beyond," was recently released...

Law and Superman?

Posted on January 07, 2011
So, are Superman's powers protected under the Second Amendment? What happens to the estate of superheroes who die and come back to life? How would the Rule Against Perpetuities work? Or, is evidence obtained by mind-reading admissible? How does federalism work in Star Trek's Federation? For these and other critical questions regarding Law and Superheroes, check out Law and the Multiverse blog...

Spain?s Criminal Code Worries General Counsel

Posted on January 06, 2011
Spain?s new criminal code, which for the first time imposes potential criminal liability upon entities that do business there, is raising concerns for companies? general counsel. To learn more, click here.Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

LLRX: Juror Behavior in the Information Age

Posted on January 04, 2011
In a recent LLRX article, Ken Strutin "collects recent and notable examples of juror online misbehavior and highlights scholarship and practice resources concerning its implications for voir dire, trial management and the administration of justice...

Until 2011

Posted on December 22, 2010
Phew, after a long tough slog through exams, I needed a couple of days to snooze and recover. I am waking up only briefly from my well-deserved nap to wish everyone a wonderful, relaxing and also well-deserved break. I still need a great deal more napping (I am a cat, after all) if I am to be ready for the ardors of the New Year...

Congress Repeals Ban Against Gays in the Military

Posted on December 19, 2010
Congress on Saturday, December 18, 2010, by a vote of 65 to 31 struck down the ban on gay men and lesbians serving openly in the military. The current "don't ask, don't tell" policy had been passed under the Clinton Administration, which allowed gay men and women to serve in the military as long as they kept their sexual orientation a secret...

Lady Justice: Story of an Icon

Posted on December 18, 2010
Two Yale Law School professors have just published a long-awaited book tracing Lady Justice (with and without blindfold) as both art and symbol throughout the ages and as a presence in courtrooms worldwide. In Representing Justice: Invention, Controversy, and Rights in City-States and Democratic Courtrooms, reviewed earlier this week in a New York Times feature article by Randy Kennedy, professors Judith Resnik and Dennis E...

?Steep Learning Curve? For New U.S. Supreme Court Justice

Posted on December 16, 2010
The latest U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Elena Kagan, speaks about her new job. Read excerpts from her C-Span interview (her first interview since joining the Court) here.Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Cats on Westlaw

Posted on December 15, 2010
This video, made by an Arizona Law student, makes for a good study break.It is a cautionary tale about avoiding extra charges on Westlaw and Lexis. No word from PETA yet.Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

THOMAS Enhancements

Posted on December 14, 2010
The Library of Congress started enhancing the THOMAS site in January. Well, THOMAS has undergone its fourth major enhancement of 2010. Click here to read about the enhancements.Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Geminid meteor shower this evening

Posted on December 13, 2010
The Geminid meteor shower peaks this evening and tomorrow morning. Jupiter and the moon are also putting on a show this evening. Take a short break from your studies and sky watch. Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Issues of Internet Privacy in 2010

Posted on December 12, 2010
Internet privacy is an ongoing hot button issue this year and will continue its reign with the growing popularity of Facebook, Twitter, various Google features and more. Recently, the ReadWriteWeb blog published an article discussing the major privacy stories 0f 2010 that surrounded Facebook, Google, eReaders, WikiLeaks and more...

"Do Not Track" for the Internet?

Posted on December 11, 2010
Whatever your opinion on the importance of Internet privacy, you should know that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released a report last week that will be an essential tool in charting the future of American consumer privacy policy. The report, "Protecting Consumer Privacy in an Era of Rapid Change: A Proposed Framework for Businesses and Policymakers," includes a proposal to develop a national "Do Not Track" tool for Internet users...

Study Break

Posted on December 10, 2010
In my prowls of the Library, I see a lot of hard studying students. My research shows that every now and again your brain needs a break. So, in the interests of science, and helping you out on exams, here are a couple of suggestions for a quick study break...

Blawg 100 Voting

Posted on December 09, 2010
Voting is open in ABA Journal's Blawg 100. ABA Journal has named the best legal blogs of 2010, the voting is to decide which of those are the best.Students, yes, people really do read blogs about practicing law. Lots of them. In addition to being a good forum for academic communication, blogs are also a good way for attorneys to keep abreast of developments in a particular area of law, or just a good way for attorneys to commiserate...

Texas Judge To Hold Hearing On Constitutionality Of Death Penalty

Posted on December 09, 2010
In an unusual hearing, a judge from a state that is among the nation?s leaders in executing Death Row inmates is holding a hearing on the constitutionality of the state?s death penalty statute. Read more about it here.Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Library of Congress: Legal Blawg Archive

Posted on December 07, 2010
Legal blogs, or blawgs, "have increasingly become vehicles for legal scholars, practitioners, and observers from across the globe to share information on developments in various areas of law, as well as opinions as to how good or bad those developments are...

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