Legal Research

And the winner is??

Posted on September 18, 2009
Patrick Tucker has won a carrel by having his entry picked at random from the group of 10 entries with all the correct answers to the Constitution Day quiz.  Congratulations to Patrick and thanks to everyone who participated. The answers to the quiz are: THE QUIZ: 1)      Article III of the U...

Constitutions From Around the World

Posted on September 18, 2009
After thinking about our own Constitution and legal system on Constitution Day yesterday, you may be wondering about other countries? systems of government. A good place to start is the Gallagher Law Library?s research guide to Legal & Judicial Systems in Countries Around the World...

Happy Constitution Day & Citizenship Day

Posted on September 17, 2009
To read more, check out the webpage provided by the Law Library of Congress. For those of you who plan to enter our Constitution Day Contest, the Library of Congress maintains an informative webpage on the U.S. Constitution. (Post-TC)

Constitution Day Resources

Posted on September 17, 2009
Happy Constitution Day! The Law Library offers a veritable cornucopia of resources on the constitutions of the United States and South Carolina. The US Constitution is contained in the first volume of the official United States Code and in the constitution volumes of the United States Code Service and the United States Code [...

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Fourth Circuit to hear arguments at USC

Posted on September 16, 2009
In support of the upcoming Fourth Circuit arguments, the library has created a TWEN web site that contains relevant documents for all three cases being argued here at the law school on October 15, 2009.  We have put together a collection for each case with the record, appellate briefs, district court documents, and other materials [...

Constitution Day contest

Posted on September 16, 2009
Tomorrow, September 17, is Constitution Day.  To celebrate, the Law Library is sponsoring a contest.  The winner will receive a study carrel for the 09-10 academic year.  Contestants have until the end of the day tomorrow (17th) to answer ten questions about the Constitution...

Open Source Congressional Resource

Posted on September 16, 2009
OpenCongress – http://www.opencongress.org/wiki/Wiki_Home  Tom Miguell, writes  inter alia where he tracks blogs. He recommends this new one. It looks good to me. The OpenCongress Wiki describes itself as “an editable guide to Congress for the people, by the people...

Fighting flu with soap & hand sanitizers

Posted on September 15, 2009
It actually works, the New York Times reports here. [PRM]

Congratulations to the Cocky Law Blawg Winners!

Posted on September 14, 2009
Thanks to everyone who entered the contest! We have two winners Amanda Pittman and James Martin. Both of these people got all of the questions right and claimed the prize. We really appreciate your participation in this contest. We will try to keep current announcements, useful information, good websites, and legal tips for your use [...

Tax Court declines to ?just Google it.?

Posted on September 08, 2009
In a recent decision, Cunningham v. Commissioner, the U.S. Tax Court has ruled against a taxpayer who exhorted the court to Google the name of his financial adviser to find proof that the adviser was a “charlatan.”  In declining to Google, the court declared that it could not consider information not included in the record [...

New WestLaw Database Available

Posted on September 03, 2009
From the West Librarian’s Relations Newsletter 9/2/2009 Words and Phrases, New Westlaw Database Words and Phrases is a West publication that contains judicial definitions of words and phrases from both state and federal courts. This information was previously available on Westlaw, but only via searches in caselaw and statutes databases using the ?WP? field...

Showdown at the Copyright Royalty Board

Posted on September 03, 2009
Live 365, an Internet radio site, has filed a constitutional challenge to the Copyright Royalty Board, which determines the rates for statutory copyright licenses. The complaint alleges violation of the US Constitution’s appointments clause, because the members of the CRB’s panel are selected by the Librarian of Congress rather than by the President...

Blog Talk Radio: The Law Librarian

Posted on September 03, 2009
Tune in at 3 p.m. today on Blog Talk Radio: The Law Librarian, to listen to academic law librarians Richard Leiter and Marcia Dority Baker, Schmid Law Library, University of Nebraska College of Law interview law librarians from several different sized law firms about the research skills law schools should be teaching students to prepare [...

Today in Legal History

Posted on September 01, 2009
September 1, 1807 Aaron Burr Acquitted Of Treason Jurors quickly acquit Aaron Burr after Chief Justice John Marshall instructs them that the U.S. Constitution requires the testimony of at least two witnesses for a treason conviction (Article III, Section 3)...

Library Blawg Contest ? Find the Answers

Posted on August 31, 2009
The Library has a blawg contest with prizes. (See The box at the circulation desk.) Procedure: - Get a Card at the Reference desk in the Law Library. ?Include: ?Your Name, email,  and Class ( 1L – 2L or 3L.) ?All of the answers (1-4) to the questions from the Cocky Law Blawg...

The South Carolina State House: Are You Connected?

Posted on August 29, 2009
Did you know there is a South Carolina State House Student Connection Website? Hey, you?re never too old to learn. The FAQs are pretty cool (Find them under cool stuff)! What does the SC Legislature do? The Student Connection website gives it to you in a nutshell...

Labor Day weekend hours

Posted on August 27, 2009
The Law Library will be open the following hours over the Labor Day weekend: Friday, Sept.4       7:00am-9:00pm Saturday, Sept.5  10:00am-6:00pm Sunday, Sept.6      1:00pm-9:00pm Monday, Sept.7    1:00pm-9:00pm Regular hours will resume on Tuesday, Sept...

The HAPPY Law Journal Article

Posted on August 26, 2009
When was the last time you read a law journal article that lifted your spirits? Maybe brought a tear to your eye (from laughter that is)? If it has been awhile (or never) take a moment and read this brief submission in the recent Journal of Legal Education: ?I do not like the U...

Questions for 1L Blawg Contest!

Posted on August 26, 2009
Here are the questions for the 1L Blawg contest. Answers are due by September 1st at 5:00 PM. 1.  What is the definition of ?American Digest System? given in Southern Illinois University School of Law Library?s Glossary of Legal Research Terms posted by Terrye Conroy? 2...

An easy way to improve law school grades

Posted on August 26, 2009
Advice from The Volokh Conspiracy, a blog written by law professors.  If they don’t know how to get good grades, who does? (1) Take at least one class with a paper requirement/option. (2) Get to work on the paper right away. (3) Ask the professor in advance if he will give you comments on your paper [...

EarthTrends ? environmental information from the World Resources Institute

Posted on August 26, 2009
This web site http://earthtrends.wri.org/ compiles environmental informaiton from various government sources.  This “comprehensive online database, maintained by the World Resources Institute, that focuses on the environmental, social, and economic trends that shape our world”  was recently rated as one of the 25 best reference sources on the Web by the New York Public Library...

Geneva Conventions ? 60th Anniversary

Posted on August 26, 2009
Wed, August 12th, 2009 was the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Geneva Conventions. A landmark in international humanitarian law, these series of treaties, have been the basis for the law of armed conflict in the 20th (post-WW II) and 21st centuries...

Not Exactly Like Vegas

Posted on August 26, 2009
What happens on your social networking site does not always stay there (exclusively).  A recent case from the Eastern District of Virginia points up the fact that one?s virtual life and one?s literal life don?t always mix well. The plaintiff was a law student at a private law school in Virginia...

Mandatory WEXIS Training for 1L Students

Posted on August 24, 2009
This year there is a mandatory training requirement for all 1L students. Here is the schedule: Groups 1 – 4  Westlaw Training:        Friday, August 28th        (12:40 to 1:40 in Room 344) Lexis Training:              Wednesday, August 26th   (12:40 to 1:40 in Room 345)   Legal Writing Professors:  Virzi ? Baker       Legal Research Professors:  Maxwell ? Conroy  Groups 5 – 8  Westlaw Training:  [...

Fall 2009 Library Hours are Now in Effect

Posted on August 24, 2009
The library hours are as follows: Monday – Wednesday: 7 AM to 11:00 PM Thursday: 7 AM to 10:00 PM Friday: 7 AM to 9:00 PM Saturday: 9 AM to 9:00 PM Sunday: 1 PM to 11:00 PM NOTE: Reference Assistance will be available Monday through Friday till 5:00 PM...

Welcome 1L?s: Three Useful Intro Tools

Posted on August 21, 2009
If  you?re new to the terminology and citation format for legal materials, check out the following online resources: Law.com?s Legal Dictionary Southern Illinois University School of Law Library?s Glossary of Legal Research Terms Cornell?s Introduction to Basic Legal Citation (Post-TC)

Today ? August 18 ? in legal history

Posted on August 18, 2009
August 18, 1948 – Congress Establishes the Bureau of Immigration On this day in 1948, Congress established the Bureau of Immigration. Today, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a division of the Department of Homeland Security, is responsible for the administration of immigration and citizenship issues in the U...

Carrel Lottery

Posted on August 17, 2009
The Law Library is pleased to announce that additional study carrels will be available in the carrel lottery this year. We encourage students to enter the lottery as your odds of being drawn for a carrel have improved! Sign- up for the lottery will be Thursday, August 20th through Thursday, August 27th at the Circulation Desk [...

Entries Updated in HeinOnline

Posted on August 17, 2009
Taken from the HeinOnline Weblog (8/12/2009) More than 200 Entries Updated in the Subject Compilations of State Laws Database Entries Updated to Reflect NCSL’s Major Website Revisions The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) is a major producer of free 50-state law surveys...

The Public Library of Law

Posted on August 14, 2009
The PLoL by Fastcase claims to be the largest free law library in the world. I love the concept, particularly given the fact that we the public pay to run the three branches of state and federal governments that create the laws. You must register, but it?s free to do so...

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