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This Week in the Law Library …

Posted on July 17, 2023 by susanb

This week in the Law Library we’re welcoming our newest librarian, asking rising 2 and 3Ls to fill out our legal research survey, covering more bar exam resources, providing additional summer legal research tips, and celebrating Disability Pride Month.

Welcome Ashley Russell!

We are excited to welcome the newest addition to our library! Ashley Russell comes to us from the University of Dayton School of Law where she served as the Assistant Law Library Director of Public Services and Director of Student Life. Ashley is no stranger to the College of Law, however. Many know Ashley through her previous work as our most excellent former Lexis Representative.

Fill Out Our Legal Research Survey

We’re asking rising 2Ls and 3Ls to fill out our Legal Research Survey so that we can better plan future research instruction.

Bar Exam Study Resources

Congratulations! You have made it through law school but now the bar exam looms. Don’t worry, the Law Library’s got your back. We have resources that can help. Check out our Bar Exam Research Guide.

The July 2023 bar examination will be administered at the Roberts Centre, 123 Gano Road, Wilmington, Ohio July 25-26, 2023. Ohio Bar Exam FAQs

5 More Bar Exam Resources

The Bar Exam is not a sprint, it’s a marathon so pace yourself! You can see the previous week’s featured bar exam resources on our July 10th, July 3rd, June 26th, June 20th, June 12th, May 30, and May 22th posts. Check out this week’s Bar Exam Resource highlights below on what to do this last week before the bar exam.

Zoila Sanchez, Strategies for Bar Exam Week, Bar Exam Toolbox (July 13, 2022)

What to Do the Week Before the Bar Exam (And What NOT to do…), JD Advising

The Bar Exam is a Week Away – Now What?, Pass the Bar

The Week Before the Bar Exam: Top Tips, Kaplan Test Prep (June 24, 2023)

Passing the Bar: A Last Minute Guide for the UBE, @the Bar, Feb. 16, 2023

Summer Legal Research Tips

Previously, we looked at initial steps to take when you get a summer research project, researching secondary sources, the structure and organization of statutory codes and where to find them, statutory finding tools, using citators to validate statutes, researching historical codes, and statutory surveys. This week we will begin covering how to find cases.

Finding Cases by Headnote

Headnotes are summaries of the issues in a case. They are not actually part of the opinion. Each headnote is numbered. You can click on the headnote number and be taken to the place within the opinion where the issue of the headnote is discussed. Headnotes are tools that can be used for research but they are not part of the actual case itself. You should never cite to a headnote and always read the opinion and do not rely on the headnote.

Headnotes in Westlaw

Using Westlaw Topic and Key Numbers Assigned to Headnotes to Find Cases

Each headnote in a case published in Westlaw is assigned a topic and key number. These topic and key numbers can be used to find more cases on the same subject. For example, if we had a headnote that was assigned the topic of Damages and the key number of 57.21 and we want to find more cases that talk about what is needed to prove a claim of Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress, we can use the topic of Damages and the key number of 57.21 and look online to find more cases that discuss this same thing. If you want to see the topic and key numbers in Westlaw headnotes, you may have to click the grid view link at the top of where the headnotes begin. The key number assigned to a particular headnote is always the last and narrowest key number assigned. Click on the link for the topic and key number and Westlaw will run a search and bring up all cases in their system that have been classified under that topic and key number. Note that you may need to change your jurisdiction for the search because the system keeps the last jurisdiction chosen.

Using Cases that Cite This Headnote

To find other cases that cite a particular headnote, click on the “Cases that cite this headnote” link located below the headnote summary of the point of law. Cases that cite a headnote consist of the citing references that specifically address that particular point of law in the case. Because cases may address many different issues, this can be a quick way to find the most relevant cases citing your case for the particular issue covered by that headnote.

Headnotes in Lexis

Using Lexis Topics Assigned to Headnotes to Find Cases

Lexis headnotes are still organized by broad topics and then progressively subdivided by narrower subjects, but Lexis headnote subjects tend to be broader concepts than the Westlaw key numbers. Also, Lexis headnotes do not editorialize, they actually lift language straight from the text of the case. We can find more cases on a topic by clicking on the topic links assigned to the headnote. In Lexis, the topic links are above the headnote. If we want a broader search, we can use the topic intermediate levels, for example, we could search Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress rather than the specific Elements beneath that. A search on any intermediate level will bring up results for all the more specific levels below it.

Using More Like this Headnote to Find Cases

More Like This Headnote appears at the end of a headnote, and gives you the ability to find cases that have headnotes that closely match the language or meaning of a headnote in your case.

Using Shepardize – Narrow by this Headnote to Find Cases

To find more cases that discuss the same point of law, click “Shepardize – Narrow by this Headnote.” This will show you all cases that cite to this case that reference the same issue as that headnote.

Lexis Legal Issue Trail

Another way to use one case in Lexis to find more cases on an issue, is to Activate Passages within the Legal Issue Trail. You will find the Legal Issue Trail and the Activate Passages link off to the right of the case under the “Info” tab. Note that you may have to expand out your document window to see the Legal Issue Trail option. Once you do see it, slide the toggle on the Activate Passages button to begin. The passages in the document contain references to specific legal issues will be outlined with dotted lines and each discrete passage will have an asterisk in front of it. You would search for the passage containing the language you are interested in finding in other cases. Clicking within the purple dotted lines will get cases that our case has cited for this language, as well as cases that have cited our case for that language.

Where to Find More Information on Researching Cases

Don’t forget that you can always find out more about researching cases in our Researching Cases Guide or watch our videos on finding cases.

July Is Disability Pride Month!

Disability Pride Flag. A black flag with a lightning bolt of blue, yellow, white, red, and green. Source: Ann Magill/Public Domain

About Disability Pride Month

Disability Pride Month is an annual worldwide observance holiday during the month of July. It promotes awareness of disability as an identity, a community, a culture & the positive pride felt by disabled people. It directly challenges systematic ableism and discrimination.

5 More Resources on Accessibility & Disability Issues

ADA.gov

Disability rights are civil rights. From voting to parking, the ADA is a law that protects people with disabilities in many areas of public life. From answers to common questions to official legal documents, ADA.gov has everything you need to understand your rights and responsibilities under the ADA.

Library of Congress, Disability Law in the United States: A Beginner’s Guide

This research guide provides an overview of relevant laws and regulations related to disability rights. It provides resources from the federal government and non-profit organizations that work toward advancing the rights of people with disabilities. The guide is by no means exhaustive, however it offers a extensive guidance on resources for performing legal research on this subject, as well as information from leading advocates and government entities with missions to protect those with disabilities from discrimination.

Smithsonian National Museum of American History, EveryBody: An Artifact History of Disability in America

People with disabilities have been present throughout American history, but rarely appear in textbooks or shared public memories. This online exhibition helps us understand the American experience and reveals how complicated history really is.

Smithsonian National Museum of American History, The Disability Rights Movement

This Web site looks at the efforts of people with disabilities, and their families and friends, to secure the civil rights guaranteed to all Americans.

United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Disability Resources

The UN Programme on Disability/Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (SCRPD) falls within the Division for Social Inclusive Social Development (DISD) of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA). This page provides disability resources related to its mission.

NCBE Releases First Sample NextGen Bar Exam Questions

Posted on July 12, 2023 by dixoncla

Are you ready for the NextGen Bar Exam? The NextGen Bar Exam will launch in July 2026. Yesterday NCBE (National Conference of Bat Examiners) released the first sample questions for the new exam. You can test your knowledge at the link below!

NCBE Publishes First Sample Questions for NextGen Bar Exam

This Week in the Law Library …

Posted on July 10, 2023 by susanb

This week in the Law Library we’re asking rising 2 and 3Ls to fill out our legal research survey, covering more bar exam resources, providing additional summer legal research tips, and celebrating Disability Pride Month.

Fill Out Our Legal Research Survey

We’re asking rising 2Ls and 3Ls to fill out our Legal Research Survey so that we can better plan future research instruction.

Bar Exam Study Resources

The July 2023 bar examination will be administered at the Roberts Centre, 123 Gano Road, Wilmington, Ohio July 25-26, 2023. Ohio Bar Exam FAQs

5 More Bar Exam Resources

The Bar Exam is not a sprint, it’s a marathon so pace yourself! You can see the previous week’s featured bar exam resources on our July 3rd, June 26th, June 20th, June 12th, May 30, and May 22th posts. Check out this week’s Bar Exam Resource highlights below.

Bar Exam Tips, UC Davis Law School (June 2023)

Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast , 223: Quick Tips – Balancing Passive and Active Studying for the Bar Exam (June 27, 2023)

In this episode, the Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast talks about the difference between passive learning (such as reading notes or listening to a lecture) and active learning (such as memorization and deep understanding).

Jessica Pieri & Jarrad Wood, Give Us 30 Minutes and We’ll Give You 30 Ways to Prep for the Bar Exam, ABA Law Student Division (Dec. 19, 2018)

Studying for the bar exam is a marathon, not a sprint. To get you into condition to achieve your best performance, new lawyers who successfully prepared for and passed their bar exams will share tips in this 30 Tips in 30 Minutes webinar on bar prep.

Krista Bordatto, How to Mentally & Physically Prepare for the Bar Exam, ABA Law Student Division (Apr. 18, 2023)

Preparing for the bar is very different than preparing for law school exams. It’s not a sprint; it’s a marathon that requires a different approach to preparation. This video will provide tips on learning how to mentally and physically prepare yourself to study and pass the bar exam the first time!

Heather Buck, Virtual Office Hours: 8 Essential Tips for First-Time Bar Takers, ABA Law Student Division (Apr. 20, 2023)

Taking the bar exam soon? These tips are easy to implement and will make sure you are on the right track to pass the bar exam the first time!

Summer Legal Research Tips

Previously, we looked at initial steps to take when you get a summer research project, researching secondary sources, the structure and organization of statutory codes and where to find them, statutory finding tools, using citators to validate statutes, and researching historical codes. This week we will cover statutory surveys.

Statutory Surveys

Sometimes a researcher is asked to find statutes from multiple jurisdictions on a particular topic. These can be extremely time consuming to compile AND difficult to compile because different statutes can use different language to describe the same thing and you won’t know what terms each jurisdiction uses. If someone had already done all or part of the work for you, why not take advantage of that? That’s where a statutory survey can come in. Just be aware going in that there is no guarantee that a survey exists on the topic you need and that these surveys are just a starting point to the primary sources—the state laws themselves. Surveys can be very informative guides, but likely will need to be updated and verified before placing final reliance upon them.

Statutory Surveys on Lexis & Westlaw

Lexis and Westlaw both have 50-state surveys. You can search or browse these surveys. The surveys are on selected subjects and you will definitely want to verify statutes you will be using.

The State Law Comparison Tool in Lexis Practice Advisor allows you to efficiently compare laws across multiple states for a variety of practice areas and topics. To produce a comparison document, start by selecting the “Practical Guidance” icon located on the left-hand side of the Lexis+ homepage. Then click the State Law Comparison Tool link on the right. You can then select your practice area, topic, jurisdiction, and question.

Westlaw also has a service called Jurisdictional Surveys. Start with the citation of a statute you know, index terms that describe your topical target, or from a predefined topic page. The result list is a curated list of statutory sections that uses algorithms to account for varying terminology across all jurisdictions.

Subject Compilations of State Laws

Another place you can find a state code survey is in a publication called Subject Compilations of State Laws. This is an annual publication that identifies and describes multistate surveys that have been published since the 1960s in various types of sources, including books, articles, government documents, and websites. The series now includes over 20 volumes, with new volumes being added every year. Unfortunately, the volumes are not cumulative, so you need to consult each one if you want to find surveys on a certain topic from all time periods since the 1960s.

The publication gives you a citation to the survey. It does not give you the full-text of the survey. Still, it is an excellent way to find a treatise or law review where someone has done a survey. It is much more comprehensive subject-wise than the Lexis and Westlaw state surveys.

This publication is now searchable online through HeinOnline.

State Law Charts on Bloomberg Law

Bloomberg Law has a chart builder that you can use to create custom state law surveys. The Chart Builder feature is under the “Practitioner Tools” tab. Bloomberg Law organizes the charts into 9 broad practice areas: Banking & Consumer Finance, Bankruptcy, Blue Sky/Securities, Corporate, Data Security & Privacy, Health Care, Intellectual Property, Labor & Employment, and Tax. Each practice area has multiple subjects within it.

Once you find your desired subject, select the jurisdiction(s) and topic(s) you are interested in and create the chart.

Additionally, some of the Practice Centers on Bloomberg Law also let you build state law charts, reports and track developments.

Smart Charts on VitalLaw

VitalLaw also has smart charts that you can use to create custom state law surveys. Access all of the smart charts through the Practical Content tab.

National Conference of State Legislatures

One organization that compiles high quality surveys on a wide variety of topics is the National Conference of State Legislatures. They are much better on reporting legislation as opposed to codified statutes, but you can still find surveys on a wide variety of topics. Some of their resources are for members only but much of it is available to the public.

Other Organizations & Associations

In addition to these sources, keep in mind that many organizations and associations may conduct code surveys. Just be aware that it is often harder to tell how up to date such a source is and you don’t know who compiled it or how accurate it is.

Don’t forget that you can always find out more about researching statutes in our Researching Statutes Guide or watch our videos on finding and searching within annotated codes.

July Is Disability Pride Month!

Disability Pride Flag. A black flag with a lightning bolt of blue, yellow, white, red, and green. Source: Ann Magill/Public Domain

About Disability Pride Month

5 More Resources on Accessibility & Disability Issues

ABA Wide 21-Day Disability Equity Habit-Building Challenge

The ABA Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council is proud to launch a 21-Day Disability Equity Habit-Building Challenge syllabus in honor of Disability Pride Month. We invite ABA members and non-members, including non-lawyers, to participate in this Disability Equity Habit-Building Challenge©. Its goal is to assist each of us to become more aware and engaged in the quest for disability equity, and specifically to learn more about the members of the disability community, many of whom are from other marginalized communities, as well as barriers, biases, stereotypes, and discrimination they encounter in everyday life.

ABA Commission on Disability Rights, Implicit Biases & People with Disabilities

The American Bar Association’s Commission on Disability Rights has created this resource to increase awareness of implicit biases, both in general and in particular with regard to persons with disabilities, and to offer techniques to help mitigate these biases. We begin with an overview of implicit bias, in particular what is implicit bias, where do such biases originate, how can we measure them, why are they harmful, and how can we mitigate them. This is followed by a series of questions and scenarios that will allow you to examine your implicit biases about persons with disabilities.

ABA Commission on Disability Rights, Planning Accessible Meetings and Events Toolkit (PDF)

This toolkit is intended to assist entities in planning both in-person and virtual meetings and events that are accessible to persons with disabilities. It provides recommendations and checklists for all phases of a meeting or an event, from choosing the venue to materials, websites and mobile apps, presentations, meals and social functions, staff and volunteer training, and communication and etiquette. Due to the increase in virtual meetings and events during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have included a checklist and suggested best practices as well. Most of the recommendations and checklists in this toolkit, including for materials, websites and mobile apps, presentations, staff training, and communication and etiquette apply to virtual meetings as well.

ABA Commission on Disability Rights, Why Hire Lawyers with Disabilities? (Video)

The American Bar Association’s Commission on Disability Rights and the Law School Admission Council created the following video, featuring disabled lawyers and law students as well as law school professionals, discussing why disability diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential to the legal profession and why employers should recruit, hire, retain, and advance this untapped talent pool.

NALP, Employment Outcomes for Graduates with Disabilities, (Dec. 2022)

At 85.8%, the employment rate for graduates with disabilities was about 6 percentage points lower than the overall rate for the Class of 2021, and the employment rate in bar passage required jobs was 9 percentage points lower at 69.2%.

July is Minority Mental Health Awareness Month

Posted on July 7, 2023 by dixoncla

Did you know that in addition to Disability Pride Month, July is also Minority Mental Health Awareness Month? In 2008, the US House of Representatives declared July as the Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. Campbell was an author who wrote about the struggles of African Americans with mental health issues in novels such as 72 Hour Hold. She also co-founded NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Urban Los Angeles. Check out our research guide on Resiliency of Law Students and Lawyers as well as these other resources.

Resiliency of Law Students and Lawyers

National Minority and Mental Health Awareness Month

NAMI: Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month

BIPOC Mental Health

Prioritizing Minority Mental Health

NAMI Southwest Ohio

WCPO: Minority Mental Health Awareness Month: Cincinnati nonprofit to hold first ever Black mental health symposium

This Week in the Law Library …

Posted on July 3, 2023 by susanb

This week in the Law Library we’re closed July 4th, asking rising 2 and 3Ls to fill out our legal research survey, covering more bar exam resources, providing new summer legal research tips, and celebrating Disability Pride Month.

Happy July 4th!

The Law Library will be closed July 4, 2023 to celebrate Independence Day. Law students and faculty will still have their 24/7 access. All of our online resources are also still available 24/7!

Fill Out Our Legal Research Survey

We’re asking rising 2Ls and 3Ls to fill out our Legal Research Survey so that we can better plan future research instruction.

Bar Exam Study Resources

The July 2023 bar examination will be administered at the Roberts Centre, 123 Gano Road, Wilmington, Ohio July 25-26, 2023. Ohio Bar Exam FAQs

5 More Bar Exam Resources

The Bar Exam is not a sprint, it’s a marathon so pace yourself! You can see the previous week’s featured bar exam resources on our June 26th, June 20th, June 12th, May 30, and May 22th posts. Check out this week’s Bar Exam Resource highlights below.

Exam Pro Bar Prep Workbook Revised

Available through the West Academic study aid subscription, this book uses frameworks as a guide to writing a top-notch essay. Based on the premises that the bar exam essay is often different in style, length, and scoring from the law school exam essay and that organization and issue identification can best be achieved by a structured, strategic approach rather than “winging it.” The opportunity to practice techniques allows students to further improve their writing.

Mastering Multiple Choice for Federal Civil Procedure MBE Bar Prep and 1L Exam Prep

Available through the West Academic study aid subscription, this fourth edition (expanded with new questions, new answers, and new explanations) encompasses material reflecting all Civil Procedure Rule amendments through December 2021, along with applicable new case law through February 2022. This multiple choice practice book is designed for: (a) bar exam takers, who are preparing to take the MBE multiple choice bar exam, and (b) 1L law students, who are preparing to take their course examinations. This practice book offers practical, easy-to-follow advice on multiple choice exam-taking strategies, clear suggestions on effective multiple choice practicing techniques, and a robust set of Civil Procedure multiple choice practice questions with answers and explanations (designed to simulate MBE-style questions). Tables help users decode the tested-topic for each practice question.

MPT and MPT Point Sheets

These describe the factual and legal points encompassed within the lawyering task to be completed by applicants for each of the tests and outline possible issues and points that might be addressed by an examinee.
These MPTs and Point Sheets are available online from the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

Scoring High on Bar Exam Essays

Available in Law Stacks at KF303 .G35 2006, this text provides step-by-step instructions on essay-writing systems and confidence-building practices. A review of the best and worst ways to respond to essay questions is included.

Strategies and Tactics for the MBE 2: Multistate Bar Exam

Available in Law Stacks at KF303 .E46 2013, Strategies and Tactics for the MBE 2 provides 300 additional questions to help you prepare for the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE). It is important to understand the issues of law tested on the exam and to learn how the exam questions are written to test your understanding of the law. With its comprehensive explanations of why one answer choice is the best answer and why the other choices are not, this text helps you gain the ability to select the best answer choice. The 300 questions are organized by subject area (Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law and Procedure, Evidence, Torts, and Real Property). Within each subject area, questions are broken down by subtopic, allowing you to locate and practice questions in your trouble areas.

Summer Legal Research Tips

Previously, we looked at initial steps to take when you get a summer research project, researching secondary sources, the structure and organization of statutory codes and where to find them, statutory finding tools, and using citators to validate statutes. This week we will cover how to research historical codes. Learn more about researching statutes in our Researching Statutes Guide or watch our videos on researching superseded and historical codes.

Effective Dates

You will need to connect the timeline of your cause of action or issue with the statute version that was in effect at that time. If the statute has been amended or repealed since the time in question, it is likely that the prior version is the one you will need to research. Always be aware of the timelines and any amendment history of relevant statutory provisions, including the date on which the amendment became or becomes effective!

The effective date is the date on which a statute becomes operative and enforceable. This date may or may not be the same date as the signing date or the date that a bill was passed. Generally, in the federal system, a law becomes effective when it has been enacted. There are exceptions to this since a law may have a specific effective date stated within it. The date of enactment is most easily located by looking at the list of session laws creating and amending a statute that are directly after the text of a statute in a code.

Many states have codified the effective dates for their statutes so that a law generally becomes effective on a certain date or number of days. For example, some states provide that laws become effective 90 days after signed. Other states provide that they become effective 6-months after being signed. Still others may provide a specific month such as October 1. Do be aware, however, that there are emergency effective dates for statutes. In Ohio, a signed act becomes law after 90 days. If the governor takes no action within 10 days of receiving the act, it becomes law without his or her signature. The Kentucky Constitution specifies that an act becomes law 90 days after the General Assembly Adjourns, unless the act contains a delayed effective date or an emergency clause.

Finding Historical Statutes

So where can you find historical statutes? HeinOnline has the United States Code going back to 1925. Govinfo.gov has the United States Code going back to 1994 as does Bloomberg Law. Fastcase has the United States Code going back to 2006. Westlaw’s USCA goes back to 1990 and the Lexis USCS goes back to 1992.

State code archives vary. HeinOnline has a library called State Statutes: A Historical Archive that covers superseded state statutes for all fifty states some going back until 1717. HeinOnline also has a library of state session laws that contains the session laws of all 50 U.S. states as well as Canada, Australia, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, and the D.C. Register. All states are current within 60 days of the printed publication, and all states are available back to inception!

Comparing Statutes

Lexis and Westlaw have features that allow you to pull up two statutory sections from different time periods and compare them. Use this feature to quickly compare any 2 versions of a statute to see where language has changed. In a Document view, you can click the Compare Versions button to compare the current version and a previous version of the statute. You can also do this through the History tab.

July Is Disability Pride Month!

Disability Pride Flag. A black flag with a lightning bolt of blue, yellow, white, red, and green. Source: Ann Magill/Public Domain

About Disability Pride Month

UC Resources

Mikaila Corday, Ableism & Disability Justice, Racial Justice Resources for Activists, Advocates & Allies Guide
Topics in this guide page include ableism 101, ableism podcasts, ableism web resources, accessibility, accessibility resources, disability justice resources, veterans resources, and books.

Accessibility Resources for Students
Accessibility Resources leads the campus community in supporting students with disabilities by fostering an environment that places independence, inclusion and success at its core. They help provide a comprehensive collection of resources related to our office and accessibility for the UC Bearcat community.

Accessibility Resources for Faculty
Information for faculty regarding accessibility for themselves and their students.

UC Blue Ash Accessibility Resources
The UC Blue Ash College Accessibility Resources office (AR) seeks to ensure that all students with a documented disability can freely and actively participate in all facets of college life. To that end, Accessibility Resources creates opportunities for and promotes educational experiences, advocacy, and enrichment to persons with disabilities. Finally, AR seeks to increase the awareness and training among the UC Blue Ash College community so that students with disabilities continue to be perceived as people with promise.

Center for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
The Center was created and named in honor of Dr. Freeman and his service to individuals with IDD. The Center provides medical care, trains future physicians in a variety of specialties, contributes to research, and collaborates with numerous community organizations.

Disabled Faculty and Staff Association
The Disabled Faculty and Staff Association is an advocacy group that supports faculty and staff with all disabilities by supporting professional growth, educational pursuits, and striving for access across campus.

UC Clermont Accessibility Resources
The primary purpose of the Accessibility Resources office at the University of Cincinnati Clermont College is to give students with disabilities the opportunity to achieve their academic goals.

Accessibility 101
Resources for e-accessibility.

Katie Foran-Mulcahy, American Sign Language and Deaf Studies
CECH Library guide to support American Sign Language and Deaf studies.

Disability & Accessibility, DEI Book Club at Clermont
Provides resources and support for the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives at Clermont College.

Ron Jones, Disability Law
Legal research guide on disability law.

Shannon Kemen, Mental Health Law Research Guide
This guide provides a quick overview of mental health law materials. It covers browsing for materials by call number range, textbooks, treatises, statutory law, administrative materials, and news.

Kathy Ladell, Sign Language at Clermont
This guide will help you with connecting to ASL resources within the Clermont College Library.

Katie Foran-Mulcahy, Special Education
CECH Library guide to resources including e-books, article databases, online help tutorials, useful websites, and more for researching and teaching special education.

UC Best Buddies
Best Buddies is a club that aspires to transform the lives of both individuals with disabilities, and those without. By forming friendships, Best Buddies further reduces the social space between peers and those with exceptionalities.

UC ASL Club
The UC ASL Club is a safe and friendly organization for students to learn American Sign Language and more about the Deaf Community.

Legal Research Comptency Program

Posted on June 30, 2023 by dixoncla

Did you know that the Law Library offers a program in Legal Research Competency?

The University of Cincinnati College of Law offers a self-paced, extracurricular competency program in legal research. University of Cincinnati Law students who complete the requirements of the Legal Research Competency program before graduation will receive a notation on their transcript stating that they are competent with respect to legal research, a credential they can list proudly on their resumes as proof of the research skills they offer prospective employers. You can find more information about it on our research guide or contact Laura Dixon-Caldwell at dixoncla@ucmail.uc.edu.

2023 Pride Month Resource Recap

Posted on June 30, 2023 by susanb

June is Pride Month and all of this month we have been highlighting resources to learn more about the history behind Pride Month and LGBTQ+ issues. Below we recap those resources.

About Pride Month

Pride Month is commemorated each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall uprising in New York City. The Stonewall Inn was a popular gay bar that police raided on Jun 28, 1969. The raid resulted in days of protest and the uprising is often cited as a catalyst for LGBTQ+ activism. Read President Biden’s 2023 Proclamation on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Pride Month

Learn more about Pride Month and LGBTQ+ issues by checking out the resources below!

University of Cincinnati Pride Month Resources

University of Cincinnati Alumni, Pride Month

UCBA Library Pride Month Display

University of Cincinnati LGBTQ Center

Nimisha Bhat, Honoring Pride Month with UC Libraries Collections, LiBlog (June 5, 2023)

Katie Foran-Mulcahy, Celebrate Pride with the CECH Library!, LiBlog (June 12, 2023)

Erin Michel, Be an Ally this Pride Month (and Every Month!), GradCURRENTS

ABA & LGBTQ+ Bar Resources

This Challenge is modeled after the “21-Day Racial Equity Habit-Building Challenge©,” which was conceived several years ago by diversity expert Dr. Eddie Moore, Jr. to advance deeper understandings of the intersections of race, power, privilege, supremacy, and oppression. The goal of the Challenge is to assist each of us to become more aware, compassionate, constructive, engaged people in the quest for equity, and specifically to learn more about the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and many communities included under the “LGBTQ+ umbrella.” It transcends our roles as lawyers. Non-lawyers are also welcome to participate. The Challenge invites participants to complete a syllabus of 21 daily, short assignments (typically taking 15-30 minutes), over 21 consecutive days, that includes readings, videos, or podcasts. The assignments seek to expose participants to perspectives on elements of LGBTQ+ histories, identities, and cultures. This Challenges cannot possibly highlight all of the diversity of experiences and opinions within the LGBTQ+ community itself, much less substitute for learnings about any other community. This syllabus is but an introduction to what we hope will be a rewarding journey that extends far beyond the limits of this project.

ABA, Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, Welcoming our Transgender Colleagues in the Law

As transgender lawyers increasingly join our profession, lawyers are more likely to interact with them at their offices, in courthouses, and at bar events. How can we move past tolerance toward understanding so that we can meet our obligations of civility and professionalism, “the hallmarks of a learned profession dedicated to public service”.
This panel of notable transgender lawyers and social justice leaders will discuss how the increasing visibility of transgender, non-binary, and non-gender-conforming individuals has changed the legal profession, and what they want lawyers to know so we can create an inclusive environment for all of our legal colleagues.

ABA, Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, Combating LGBT Implicit Bias in the Legal Profession

A panel on addressing LGBT implicit bias in the legal profession.

Peter Blanck et al., Diversity and Inclusion in the American Legal Profession: First Phase Findings from a National Study of Lawyers with Disabilities and Lawyers who identify as LGBTQ+, 23 UDC/DCSL L. Rev. 23 (2020).

First phase findings from a National Study of Lawyers with Disabilities and Lawyers who identify as LGBTQ+ in collaboration with the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University.

ABA, Council for Diversity in the Educational Pipelinem Centering on Experiences: Supporting LGBTQ+ Individuals in the Pipeline

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) students face distinct challenges navigating the pipeline into law school and the profession. Those obstacles intensify for students who identify as transgender or nonbinary, where existing programs may support LGBTQ+ students generally, but are not fully inclusive of transgender and nonbinary issues. This is also true for students at the intersection of race, sexual orientation and gender identity. As the number of LGBTQ+ individuals entering law school and the legal profession continues to grow, it is important to critically consider (1) how to better support LGBTQ+ students into and through law school, and (2) how to help ensure a successful transition into the legal profession. This program will explore the unique issues LGBTQ+ individuals are facing in the long road to becoming a lawyer. Panelists from a variety of backgrounds will discuss their personal experiences in the pipeline, in legal education, and the legal profession, and how law school and legal profession stakeholders can offset the impact of a system that often sets them up to fail.

Selected Film & Media Resources

American Archive of Public Broadcasting, LGBT+ Collection

The LGBT+ Collection includes over 500 public radio and televisions programs and original materials contributed to the American Archive of Public Broadcasting (AAPB) by 35 stations and organizations from across the United States. The recordings date from the late 1950s to 2018. The collection documents the representation of the LGBT+ community in public media, including conversations, social and political reactions, and cultural movements associated with LGBT+ history. These topics are presented through interviews, newscasts, lectures, and more.

Films On Demand Pride Month Collection (UC students, staff and faculty only)

Films On Demand is a web-based digital video delivery platform that allows viewing of streaming videos from Films Media Group.

PBS Pride Month Collection

A collection of documentaries and programs that highlight LGBTQIA voices and experiences.

Pride Collection on Kanopy (UC students, staff and faculty only)

University of Cincinnati Libraries subscribes to Kanopy Streaming video titles. All currently licensed films are available for immediate viewing.

Library of Congress, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Pride Month Audio & Video

This guide page offers links to audio and video productions related to LGBTQIA+ books, poetry, literature, history, and more.

Selected Databases

Census Data – Same Sex Couples

All Census Bureau demographic surveys collect information about same-sex couples. The level of detail collected varies, as well as the availability of other characteristics of the partners. This page collates census data on same-sex couples.

Gender Studies Database

Gender Studies Database, produced by NISC, combines NISC’s popular Women’s Studies International and Men’s Studies databases with the coverage of sexual diversity issues. GSD covers the full spectrum of gender-engaged scholarship inside and outside academia. This database includes more than 696¸750 records with coverage spanning from 1972 and earlier to present.

GenderWatch

GenderWatch is a full text database of publications that focus on the impact of gender across a broad spectrum of subject areas.

LGBTQ+ Source

LGBTQ+ Source (formerly LGBT Life, formerly GLBT Life) is an index to the world’s literature regarding gay¸ lesbian¸ bisexual and transgender issues. This database contains indexing and abstracts for more than 120 LGBTQ+-specific core periodicals and over 230 LGBTQ+-specific core books and reference works. The product also contains data mined from over 40 priority periodicals and over 1¸700 select titles¸ as well as full text for 50 of the most important and historically significant LGBTQ+ journals¸ magazines and regional newspapers¸ and dozens of full text monographs. The database includes comprehensive indexing and abstract coverage as well as a specialized LGBTQ+ Thesaurus containing over 6¸300 terms.

LGBT Thought and Culture

LGBT Thought and Culture is an online resource hosting books, periodicals, and archival materials documenting LGBT political, social and cultural movements throughout the twentieth century and into the present day. Supported by the Charles Phelps Taft Research Center.

Selected Books

The American LGBTQ Rights Movement: An Introduction (Open access)

The American LGBTQ Rights Movement: An Introduction is a peer-reviewed chronological survey of the LGBTQ fight for equal rights from the turn of the 20th century to the early 21st century. Illustrated with historical photographs, the book beautifully reveals the heroic people and key events that shaped the American LGBTQ rights movement. The book includes personal narratives to capture the lived experience from each era, as well as details of essential organizations, texts, and court cases that defined LGBTQ activism and advocacy.

Disrupting Dignity: Rethinking Power and Progress in LGBTQ Lives (UC e-book — must authenticate to access)

In 2015, when the Supreme Court declared that gay and lesbian couples were entitled to the “equal dignity” of marriage recognition, the concept of dignity became a cornerstone for gay rights victories. In Disrupting Dignity, Stephen M. Engel and Timothy S. Lyle explore the darker side of dignity, tracing its invocation across public health politics, popular culture, and law from the early years of the HIV/AIDS crisis to our current moment.

Law and the Gay Rights Story: The Long Search for Equal Justice in a Divided Democracy (UC e-book — must authenticate to access)

Chronicling the past half-century of gay and lesbian history, Law and the Gay Rights offers a unique perspective on familiar events like the Stonewall Riots, the AIDS crisis, and the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Walter Frank pays special attention to the constitutional issues surrounding same-sex marriage and closely analyzes the two recent Supreme Court cases addressing the issue. While a strong advocate for gay rights, he also examines critiques of the movement, including some coming from the gay community itself. Comprehensive in coverage, the book explains the legal and constitutional issues involved in each of the major goals of the gay rights movement: a safe and healthy school environment, workplace equality, an end to anti-gay violence, relationship recognition, and full integration into all the institutions of the larger society, including marriage and military service. Drawing from extensive archival research and from decades of experience as a practicing litigator, Walter Frank not only provides a vivid history, but also shows where the battle for gay rights might go from here.

The Path to Gay Rights: How Activism and Coming Out Changed Public Opinion (UC e-book — must authenticate to access)

The Path to Gay Rights is the first social science analysis of how and why the LGBTQ movement achieved its most unexpected victory—transforming gay people from a despised group of social deviants into a minority worthy of rights and protections in the eyes of most Americans. The book weaves together a narrative of LGBTQ history with new findings from the field of political psychology to provide an understanding of how social movements affect mass attitudes in the United States and globally.

The Routledge Handbook of LGBTQIA Administration and Policy (UC e-book — must authenticate to access)

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, and Allies community (abbreviated LGBTQIA or “LGBT”) is responding to a radically changed social and political environment. While a host of books have analyzed legal dimensions of LGBT public policy, this Routledge handbook is the first to utilize up-to-the-minute empirical data to examine and unpick the corrosive “post-factual” changes undermining LGBT public policy development. It takes a look at a wide range of social and policy issues of broad interest—including homelessness, transgender rights, healthcare, immigration, substance abuse, caring for senior members of the community, sexual education, resilience, and international policy.