Legal Research

So you came to law school?

Posted on November 14, 2010
But did you see the now “viral” video entitled “So You Want to go to Law School” by Virginia lawyer David Kazzie?  If not, you can watch it and then read some of its backstory over at Above the Law.  The time you spend might just be enough to rejuvenate you as you’re working on [...

New Books at the Library

Posted on November 12, 2010
The Law Library’s collection of books grows every month and this month is no exception.  Here are a few of our newest titles.  The law of green buildings : regulatory and legal issues in design, construction, operations, and financing / J. Cullen Howe and Michael B...

What Judges Think of Lawyers ? From Judge Posner

Posted on November 09, 2010
You may find this recent post from the blog An Associate’s Mind eye-opening.

Intellectual Property Law for Startups

Posted on November 08, 2010
Are you an entrepreneur looking for a quick resource guide for addressing IP issues for your new business? Do you need answers regarding patent or trademark or trade secret issues. Are you considering starting a legal practice that will include business startups? This might be a good resource as well as model for your firm...

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Video Games and the Supreme Court

Posted on November 07, 2010
For those of you who game (or have strong feelings about video games one way or another), you may want to check out this article by Cornell Law Professor Michael C. Dorf regarding Schwarzenegger v. Entertainment Merchants Association.  The case, regarding a challenge to a California law preventing the sale of violent video games to minors, began [...

Legal Research Resource of the Week

Posted on November 05, 2010
Audiovisual Library of the United Nations. Looking for an overview of an international law topic?  What if you could listen instead of read the overview? This site has an online lecture series on international law topics. 

?We approve this message?

Posted on November 03, 2010
With the midterm election over, you might be feeling unnerved by the eerie silence that has replaced the barrage of political ads. Never fear! Check out CNN’s article on the year’s ten most memorable political ads or watch The Today Show’s analysis of the best and worst political ads of 2010...

Twitter & Treat Winner

Posted on November 01, 2010
William Gaona won an autographed copy of The Arizona Bar Exam: Pass it Now written by our very own Prof. Chad Noreuil.  Thank you to all who participated in our Twitter & Treat contest. More contests and prizes are coming so be sure to follow the Law Library on Twitter...

Congratulations to all the Jenckes Finalists!

Posted on October 29, 2010
Our competitors and finalists this year were outstanding. The top four students, who will receive BarBri scholarships, are: Bradley Burns Timothy Koch William Knight Chaz Ball Brad and Tim will be representing ASU on November 12 as they compete against U of A to win the coveted Jenckes Cup...

Much Ado Over?A Treehouse

Posted on October 27, 2010
This lawsuit (and fabulous treehouse!) caught our eye today: Backyard Treehouse Survives Manhattan Legal Fight Having neighbor issues of your own? Be sure to check out the Law Library’s resources on neighbor and home ownership law, as well as our research guide for residental landlord and tenant laws.

Arizona Ballot Propositions Explained

Posted on October 25, 2010
Not sure about the ballot propositions on the ballot November 2? Looking for a nonpartisan take on what they mean? The ASU Morrison Institute for Public Policy lists the 10 key ballot propositions and provides explanations on all! Kristin Borns, a senior policy analyst with the Morrison Institute, summarizes the ballot initiative, then provides an [...

We?re all a-Twitter about Tweet Treats!

Posted on October 20, 2010
Halloween is just around the corner and we have a treat for you to make the Bar Exam less scary.  Sign up for Tweets from the Ross-Blakley Law Library and you will be entered into a contest to win a copy of The Arizona Bar Exam: Pass it Now.  It is written by our very [...

MetaLib: GPO?s New Federated Search Tool

Posted on October 18, 2010
The U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) released MetaLib a federated search tool for retrieving U.S. Government Publications (reports, articles, and citations) by simultaneously searching across approximately 53 Federal Government databases. Basic, Advanced, and Expert searching is available including the ability to restrict by very broad topic areas...

Spam, Malware, Identity Theft and Other Internet-Crime Related Laws

Posted on October 17, 2010
Have you ever wondered what sorts of laws are out there regarding malware, spam, identity theft, viruses, network security, phishing, and more?  You could take a class on Cyberspace Law, or, if your curiosity can’t wait until next semester, you can check out SpamLaws...

Are you Addicted to the Internet?

Posted on October 15, 2010
Coffee sure, but an internet addicition?  It’s a real thing according to Dr. Kimberly Young of the Center for Online Addiction.  She developed a survey to measure addicition levels in internet users.  If you think you might have an internet addicition you can take the test to find out.

Fall Break Hours

Posted on October 08, 2010
Enjoy your break from classes next week, but don’t forget the Law Library is open regular hours over Fall Break.

Curse of the Billy Goat

Posted on October 06, 2010
Yesterday’s Daily Disclosure email mentioned the College of Law’s upcoming Sports and Entertainment Law conference and that has us Law Library folks itching to research some sports stats. Turns out that today is an important day in sports history...

Court is Now in Session

Posted on October 04, 2010
Today is the first Monday in October and marks the day the U.S. Supreme Court goes back to work.  If you want to keep track of the court, the sources listed below will do the trick. Supreme Court of the United States Cornell University Law School Legal Information Institute The U...

It?s the last day of Banned Books Week

Posted on October 02, 2010
On this, the last day of banned books week, we suggest honoring it in the best way possible–read a banned book!  If you don’t have the time, though, you can always watch a movie based on one.  ASU has a number of them that you can check out, like To Kill A Mockingbird, which is [...

Google or Westlaw?

Posted on October 01, 2010
Check out this article from the October issue of Maricopa Lawyer, “Google Scholar Legal Opinions - An Alternative to Westlaw” page 8. You can read Maricopa Lawyer online for free every month at the Maricopa Bar Association’s website.

CALI - Computer Aided Legal Instruction

Posted on September 30, 2010
As an ASU Law Student you have access to hundreds of CALI lessons and tutorials.  You can pick up your CALI CD in the library, or you can register online at www.cali.org.  Stop by the front desk of the library for your free authorization code.

American Law Reports: a.k.a ALR, a.k.a. ?Already Done Legal Research?

Posted on September 30, 2010
American Law Reports (ALR) is an attorney written, multi-series publication with objective, in-depth analysis of your specific legal issue, together with a complete list of cases ? in every available jurisdiction ? that discusses that issue. Quickly get up to speed in an unfamiliar area of law ? every article delivers an impartial, in-depth analysis of [...

Free Access to Supreme Court Oral Arguments

Posted on September 30, 2010
Beginning with October Term 2010, the audio recordings of all oral arguments heard by the Supreme Court of the United States will be available free to the public on the Court?s Web site, www.supremecourt.gov, at the end of each argument week. The audio recordings will be posted on Fridays...

Oo-ee that smell?

Posted on September 29, 2010
We are aware that the men’s restroom on the first floor is having some ongoing odiferous issues and we are working diligently to solve the problem. We are committed to making the Ross-Blakley Law Library a comfortable and safe environment. So if you notice a leak or a creak, a drip or a rip, a stain or [...

Can Twitter help Banned Books?

Posted on September 28, 2010
A growing number of people are using Twitter to gather support and protest the banning of books from schools and libraries.  Check out Lela Moore’s New York Times blog post about it, Twitter: Banned Books’ New Best Friend.

Quick Reference to Elements of a Court Opinion

Posted on September 27, 2010
Are you still somewhat uncertain about the different elements of a court case? What is the title; what is the syllabus; what is a headnote? How does a printed case in a West reporter differ from the case online? Some quick reference sources:On the Ross-Blakley homepage look under “Resources for First Year Law Students...

Banned Books Week

Posted on September 26, 2010
Banned books week is a celebration not only of all of the books that parents, patrons, school boards, governments and others have banned or attempted to ban from schools, from curriculums, from libraries, from bookstores, or even from owning in personal collections, but of our First Amendment rights...

Research Resource of the Week

Posted on September 24, 2010
This week we are highlighting HeinOnline’s Treaties and Agreements Library. The Treaties and Agreements Library contains ALL of the U.S. treaties, whether currently in force, expired, or not yet officially published. This library is divided into five sections: Official Treaty Publications; Unofficial Treaty Publications; Treaty Guides and Indexes; Treaties, Books and Texts; and Important Treaties and [...

The West Digest System

Posted on September 23, 2010
One of the most often asked questions this time of year is about digests and how to use them. The digest system is designed by West Publishing. West organizes the law into over 400 subjects and assigns those subjects ?topic numbers.? Within those topics are subtopics which West has assigned key numbers...

Help on Reading Cases

Posted on September 20, 2010
The following article is from the Law School Academic Support Blog.  It is an excellent article to take a look at if your reading assignments have left you feeling a bit overwhelmed. Reading cases for more oomph I have been doing a brisk business in appointments with 1L students who are overwhelmed by how long it is taking them to read/brief [...

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