Legal Research

Predicting Sucess at Big Law

Posted on October 21, 2008
While GPA and school rank are important, a recent study concludes they are not the best predictors of success at large law firms. The study conducted by consultants from Kerma Partners and Redwood reviewed 1,300 associates at a top 25 law firm in order to identify attributes of the "outstanding" performers...

Arts and Letters Daily

Posted on October 20, 2008
I've always been an erudite feline and I do like to read up on literature, history, art and philosophy. But, as you can imagine, the life of a law library virtual cat can get hectic! That is why I read Arts and Letters Daily. Created by the Chronicle of Higher Education, Arts and Letters Daily finds and links to interesting articles, book reviews and essays on the internet...

CiteGenie

Posted on October 19, 2008
CiteGenie is a Firefox add-on that creates real Bluebook pinpoint citations from material you highlight in Westlaw. Normally, these kinds of features and applications aren't reliable, but CiteGenie received a good review here, so it may actually be worth trying...

Adoption History Project

Posted on October 18, 2008
For those studying or researching family law issues, the Adoption History Project web site, created by University of Oregon history professor Ellen Herman, is a unique window into American adoption history and a wide range of issues and controversies that have defined the field...

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Tax plan calculator

Posted on October 17, 2008
Joe the plumber may want to check Newsday's Tax Calculator which calculates for different income levels what the change in taxes would be under the competing tax plans of Senators Obama and McCain. According to Newsday's reports on Joe's income, he might be surprised...

Fact-Checking The Third Presidential Debate

Posted on October 16, 2008
Like the first two presidential debates, the third debate generated controversial and factually debatable claims from both candidates. Here are a couple of examples.Barack Obama claimed that all of John McCain's campaign advertisements have been negative:"And 100 percent, John, of your ads ? 100 percent of them have been negative...

Kluwer Law Journal Library

Posted on October 15, 2008
Kluwer Law Journal Library is now available on HeinOnline. The Library provides access to:· Business Law Review· Common Market Law Review· European Business Law Review· European Foreign Affairs Review· European Public Law· European Review of Private Law· International Journal of Comparative...

International Legal Research: Getting Started

Posted on October 14, 2008
Where to start? How to start? International legal research is vast - it's a big world - and can be confusing. Come discover some basic resources, strategies and tips to guide you on your international research adventure.When: Monday, October 20th, 5:10 PM to 6 PMWhere: Lower Level Computer LabEveryone is welcome and no sign up is necessary...

Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Posted on October 13, 2008
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Take the time to increase your own awareness of domestic violence and its effect on millions of victims. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence provides resources and information about what you can do to help...

New Supreme Court Term

Posted on October 12, 2008
The Supreme Court began its new term last Monday. This term it will hear cases on a number of issues, including FCC fines for "fleeting expletives," the question of whether patients can sue drug companies over drugs that are regulated by the FDA, and, in Iqbal v...

Pew Research Center's Election ' 08

Posted on October 11, 2008
Sometimes in an intense political season it's good to step back from the daily tracking polls and breaking news. For a broader perspective on what the American public is thinking, check out Election '08: Pew Research Center's Coverage of This Year's Campaign...

Hot off the Virtual Press-Conn. on same sex marriage

Posted on October 10, 2008
The Connecticut Supreme Court released its opinion overturning the ban on same sex marriage in Connecticut. To view the opinion of the court and the 3 dissenting opinions, go to the Supreme Court's opinions page .Have a great weekend.Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Online Social Networking: Etiquette Tips

Posted on October 09, 2008
Looking for guidance as to how to comport yourself when using such social networking sites as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter? This article from CIO comes to the rescue with etiquette tips for users of social networking sites. Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

The Second Presidential Debate

Posted on October 08, 2008
The second Presidential debate between Obama and McCain was held last night at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. This debate differed from the first in that it used a town hall format in front of 80 selected voters. What didn't differ were claims that the opposing candidate made untrue statements...

What do large law firms attorneys want?

Posted on October 07, 2008
A recent survey concludes that it is not more money. Nearly tied for 2 aspects of their careers that attorneys would change are that they would like less stress (31%) and fewer hours / more personal time (30%). Job related stress and difficulty maintaining a work/life balance can lead to increased job dissatisfaction...

Voting Location

Posted on October 07, 2008
Not sure of your voting location? The Smartvoter site by the League of Women voters can help. Use the Find My Ballot function to find voting locations and ballot information. The site also contains candidate information and links to other political information sites...

Press for Public.Resource.org

Posted on October 05, 2008
There was a good article in the Times last week about Carl Malamud's effort to makes laws and regulations, including things like building codes, available for free online. It's worth checking out for anyone interested in how copyright law relates to government information...

New Launch of Global Legal Monitor

Posted on October 04, 2008
The Law Library of Congress recently announced big changes to its Global Legal Monitor, which covers news and legal developments worldwide. Formerly a monthly PDF publication, Global Legal Monitor is now a continuously updated web site that is browseable by topic and jurisdiction and fully searchable...

VP Debate - getting their facts straight

Posted on October 03, 2008
Watch Sarah Palin face off with Joe Biden last night? I lost count how many times each of them claimed that what the other said was not true. So, I have turned to my trusty fact checking sites for the VP debate - FactCheck.org and - PolitiFact.com - a cooperative effort of Congressional Quarterly and the St...

Opening Westlaw PDF Documents in Internet Explorer 7

Posted on October 02, 2008
Those who are having difficulty opening Westlaw documents in PDF using the Internet Explorer 7 Web browser may wish to try re-setting their browsers per these instructions. (Thanks to the Paul L. Boley Law Library of Lewis & Clark Law School for providing this information)...

Getting to Know HeinOnline

Posted on October 01, 2008
HeinOnline's legal database provides access to full-text legal resources including treaties, law review articles and cases from the U.S. Supreme Court. In addition, the HeinOnline Wiki includes frequently asked questions, instructional videos and training guides...

New Look for UN Treaty Collection site

Posted on September 30, 2008
The United Nations Treaty Collection has a new refined look. The front page is much easier to view and the contents clearly identified. Searching for a treaty is streamlined and there are some advance search features including: Popular Name, Participant search and Title search...

Obscenity Laws and The First Amendment

Posted on September 29, 2008
If you are interested in obscenity laws and the First Amendment, you might want to check out Obscene. Obscene is a documentary about Barney Rosset, the founder of Grove Press and the publisher who fought obscenity laws in order to bring classics such Lady Chatterly's Lover and Henry Miller's Tropic of Cancer to the United States...

Law Library Staircase Repairs

Posted on September 29, 2008
The Library staircase closest to room 102A is closed for repair today. Please use the staircase next to room 104 to access (or exit) the lower level of the library. Apologies for the late notice!Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Fact-Checking Friday's Debate

Posted on September 29, 2008
Here are a few of the claims made by Senators McCain and Obama in Friday's presidential debate, and resources for checking their accuracy.Factcheck.org and the Washington Post's Fact Checker blog each have their fact-checking for the whole debate on a single page, so those two links are only provided here...

Ernster's Blogroll

Posted on September 27, 2008
You may have noticed our newest feature--our blogroll. We've selected outstanding law and legal news blogs; blogs for which Hofstra Law professors are editors and contributors; a few law library and librarian blogs with research guides and tips; and blogs that feature legal technology news and news about the legal profession...

Paper Writing Research Workshop - repeated

Posted on September 26, 2008
At your request, the Library is repeating the 21st Century Workshop on research for paper writing. We received great feedback from some of you and the most popular day and time suggested was Thursday at 4:10pm.So, we will repeat the workshop on Thursday, October 2nd at 4:10pm in Room 038N in the Library...

Speechology

Posted on September 25, 2008
Speechology archives video of political debates, speeches, and campaign advertisements. Moreover, for each video, users may contribute comments to confirm or refute claims made by politicians by offering their own independent research to the contrary...

Human Rights Watch Report

Posted on September 24, 2008
If you are interested in human rights issues, look at the Human Rights Watch website. Their site provides access to information concerning current human rights issues and includes Human Rights Watch Reports in full text.Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

President Signs New Attorney-Client Privelege Rule

Posted on September 23, 2008
The President signed into law a new evidence rule (FRE 502) that limits the waiver on attorney-client privilege and work product. It is intended to provide an consistent standard for the privilege for the application of the attorney-client privilege and the work product doctrine...

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