This Week in the Law Library …

This week in the Law Library, we’re reintroducing the Law Library to 2Ls, teaching about cases and citators, teaching technology in law practice, and highlighting privacy and national security law resources.

Happy Labor Day! It’s More than Just a Holiday!

American flag with tools in background

To enter the Library when it is closed, swipe your ID card through the key-card reader mounted outside the library entrance located across from classroom 302. Exit after-hours through that same door.

This Week’s Research Sessions

Tuesday, September 7, 2021

Technology in Law Practice

Shannon Kemen, Legal Technology & Research Instructional Services Librarian
Room 208
11:10am – 12:05pm

2L Reorientation to the Law Library

Susan Boland, Associate Director
Room 114
12:15pm – 1:15pm

Thursday, September 9, 2021

Technology in Law Practice

Shannon Kemen, Legal Technology & Research Instructional Services Librarian
Room 208
11:10am – 12:05pm

Friday, September 10, 2021

Lawyering I, sec. 5

Susan Boland, Associate Director
9:00am – 10:25pm
Room 204
Cases & Citators

Lawyering I, sec. 3

Susan Boland, Associate Director
10:40am – 12:05pm
Room 204
Cases & Citators

Featured Study Aids

Principles of Counter-Terrorism

Available via the West Academic subscription
The book examines the military and law enforcement responses to international terrorism. Subjects include the legal authority to use military force; determining when the law of armed conflict comes into force; the law of targeting and how this authority is applied to terrorist operatives; preventive detention; prosecution of terrorists by military commission; the legal framework for gathering counter-terrorism intelligence information; prosecuting terrorists and their sponsors; freezing terrorist assets; and civil liability for personal injury or death caused by acts of international terrorism.

Understanding the Law of Terrorism

Available via the LexisNexis Digital Library (Overdrive)
This text provides a compact review of the three main approaches to combating terrorism: criminal proceedings, intelligence and prevention, and military action. The three modes of responses are not the same; each has benefits and limitations, and it will be difficult to find the proper balance among them. Understanding the Law of Terrorism contributes to the search for balance by providing the tools for analysis and application of each of the three modes of response.

Featured Database

Bloomberg Law Privacy & Data Security Practice Center

From EU GDPR to CCPA and beyond, the Bloomberg Law Privacy & Data Security Law is a platform for practitioners to track the latest developments– with actionable guidance. It features primary and secondary sources, practice tools, and analysis across data privacy law and other key topics. It contains data privacy news. It provides checklists and sample forms, as well as In Focus resource pages providing analysis of critical issues.

Featured Treatise

Geoffrey Stone & Lee Bollinger, National Security, Leaks, and Freedom of the Press: The Pentagon Papers Fifty Years On (e-Book)

The United States Supreme Court made a landmark decision in the Pentagon Papers case in 1971, concerning how government should balance its legitimate need to conduct its operations—especially those related to national security—in secret, with the public’s right and responsibility to know what its government is doing. The Pentagon Papers decision, though, left many important questions still unresolved and the circumstances that undergirded the system initiated by the decision have changed fundamentally in recent decades. Difficult problems call for a range of different perspectives. In this book, Lee C. Bollinger and Geoffrey R. Stone gather an array of remarkable, wise, and accomplished individuals to share their deep and broad expertise in the national security world, journalism, and academia. Each essay delves into important dimensions of the current system to explain how we should think about them, and to offer as many solutions as possible. A rigorous and serious analysis, this volume examines the incredibly complex and important issues that our nation must continue to address and strive to resolve as we move into the future.

Featured Video

Frontline: America After 9/11

From veteran FRONTLINE filmmaker and chronicler of U.S. politics Michael Kirk and his team, this documentary traces the U.S. response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and the devastating consequences that unfolded across four presidencies.

Drawing on both new interviews and those from the dozens of documentaries Kirk and his award-winning team made in the years after 9/11, this two-hour special offers an epic re-examination of the decisions that changed the world and transformed America. From the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq to the January 6 insurrection, America After 9/11 exposes the legacy of September 11 — and the ongoing challenge it poses for the president and the country.

Featured Website

Hannah Hartig & Carroll Doherty, Pew Research Center, Two Decades Later, the Enduring Legacy of 9/11 (Sept. 2, 2021)

A review of U.S. public opinion in the two decades since 9/11 reveals how a badly shaken nation came together, briefly, in a spirit of sadness and patriotism; how the public initially rallied behind the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, though support waned over time; and how Americans viewed the threat of terrorism at home and the steps the government took to combat it.

September Oral Arguments at the Ohio Supreme Court

You can view the live stream of oral arguments on the Court’s website or see them after the arguments take place in the Ohio Channel archives.

Ohio Supreme Court Chamber

Tuesday, September 7, 2021

  • Lycan v. City of Cleveland – whether class members suing for return of funds collected through red-light camera enforcement actions lack standing or have waived their rights to pursue a cause of action when they failed to pursue relief through photo enforcement administrative hearings.
  • Sinley v. Safety Controls Tech., Inc. – whether the judicial review presumption favoring arbitral resolution of disputes for common law and contract-based claims also applies to statutory-based claims, and whether arbitration provisions in a collective bargaining agreement that do not refer to specific statutes can waive access to a judicial forum for employee statutory claims.
  • Cleveland Metro. Bar Ass’n v. Whipple – whether an attorney engaged in professional misconduct when he alleged professional misconduct and criminal charges against opposing counsel in order to obtain dismissal of a civil case.
  • Jezerinac v. Dioun – whether a change in the composition of the 10th District Court of Appeals prevents the panel from ruling on an application for reconsideration.

Wednesday, September 8, 2021

This Week in the Law Library …

This week in the Law Library, we’re introducing students to legal research, teaching about cases and citators, teaching technology in law practice, and teaching bluebooking and WordPress.  We’re also highlighting labor and employment law resources.

Law Library Hours & Services

Monday — Friday 8:00am – 6:00pm
Closed Saturday and Sunday
Closed Monday, Sept. 6 (law students, faculty, and staff will still have their 24/7 access to the Law Library physical space)

Library Access

Your UC ID (Bearcat Card) will allow you access to the building and the Law Library 24/7. If you forget your UC ID during regular business hours (weekdays, 8:00am — 5:00pm) enter through the front doors. Please visit uc.edu/publichealth for COVID-19 and Return to Campus updates. For updates on other UC Libraries, please visit the UC Library Services Update page.

To enter the Library when it is closed, swipe your ID card through the key-card reader mounted outside the library entrance located across from classroom 302. Exit after-hours through that same door.

This Week’s Research Sessions

Monday, August 30, 2021

Legal Research & Writing for LLM Students

Shannon Kemen, Legal Technology & Research Instructional Services Librarian
8:00am – 9:25am
Room 303
Cases & Citators

Lawyering I, sec. 2

Ron Jones, Electronic Resources Instructional Services Librarian
10:40am – 12:05pm
Room 104
Introduction to Legal Research

Lawyering I, sec. 1

Ron Jones, Electronic Resources Instructional Services Librarian
1:30pm – 2:55pm
Room 100A
Introduction to Legal Research

Tuesday, August 31, 2021

Technology in Law Practice

Shannon Kemen, Legal Technology & Research Instructional Services Librarian
Room 208
11:10am – 12:05pm

Wednesday, September 1, 2021

Intellectual Property & Computer Law Journal

12:15pm – 1:15pm
Room 303
Introduction to the Bluebook

Thursday, September 2, 2021

Technology in Law Practice

Shannon Kemen, Legal Technology & Research Instructional Services Librarian
Room 208
11:10am – 12:05pm

Immigration & Human Rights Law Review Editors WordPress Training

Susan Boland, Associate Director
12:15pm – 1:15pm
Zoom

Lawyering I, sec. 4

Ron Jones, Electronic Resources Instructional Services Librarian
Room 100A
2:00pm – 3:25pm
Researching Secondary Sources

Lawyering I, sec. 6

Michael Whiteman, Associate Dean of Library Services
Room 100A
4:00pm – 5:25pm
Researching Secondary Sources

Friday, September 3, 2021

Lawyering I, sec. 5

Susan Boland, Associate Director
9:00am – 10:25pm
Room 204
Researching Secondary Sources

Lawyering I, sec. 3

Susan Boland, Associate Director
10:40am – 12:05pm
Room 204
Researching Secondary Sources

Happy Labor Day! It’s More than Just a Holiday!

American flag with tools in background

Featured Study Aids

Labor Law in a Nutshell

Available via the West Academic subscription
This comprehensive guide reviews the early regulations set up to guide employee-employer relations and provides a snapshot of the structure and procedures of the modern-day National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Expert commentary offers insight into primary legal issues such as picketing, employer responses, and the duty to bargain.

Understanding Labor Law

Available via the LexisNexis Digital Library (Overdrive)
This Understanding text examines the multifaceted and complex law of private-sector Labor Law. Because Understanding Labor Law focuses on relations between management and labor in the private sector, it deals primarily with the National Labor Relations Act, as amended, and its interpretation and application by the federal courts and the National Labor Relations Board. The book is organized in a format that is consistent with the organization of most Labor Law courses. At the end of each chapter is a section titled “Chapter Highlights,” summarizing some of the major doctrines discussed in the chapter.

Featured Database

Bloomberg Law Labor & Employment Law Practice Center

Bloomberg Law’s Labor & Employment Practice Center gives comprehensive access to primary and secondary authorities on labor and employment law, and to transactional and other practice tools.

Featured Guide

Employment & Labor Law Research Guide

This guide, authored by Shannon Kemen, Legal Technology & Research Instructional Services Librarian, provides a quick overview of general and law materials related to labor and employment law. It covers browsing for materials by call number range, textbooks, treatises, statutory law, administrative materials, news and forms.

Featured Treatise

Labor & Employment Law

Cover art for Labor and Employment Law

Available on Lexis
This is an eleven-volume treatise that is a complete guide to Labor and Employment law. It covers both federal and state law, including topics such as union elections and sexual harassment, to lesser understood subjects like employment arbitration, wage and hour law, and employee privacy.

Featured Video

Intro to U.S. Federal Labor and Employment Agencies Webinar (U.S. Department of Labor on YouTube)

Learn about the roles and responsibilities of four federal agencies and their sub-agencies that enforce workplace rights: U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division and Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Special Counsel on Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the National Labor Relations Board.

This Week in the Law Library …

This week in the Law Library we are welcoming everyone back, providing information on library use, highlighting useful resources, and reminding everyone about COVID safety protocols.

Welcome Back

Welcome back, we missed you!

Law Library Hours & Services

Library Access

Your UC ID (Bearcat Card) will allow you access to the building and the Law Library 24/7. If you forget your UC ID during regular business hours (weekdays, 8:00am — 5:00pm) enter through the front doors. Please visit uc.edu/publichealth for COVID-19 and Return to Campus updates. For updates on other UC Libraries, please visit the UC Library Services Update page.

To enter the Library when it is closed, swipe your ID card through the key-card reader mounted outside the library entrance located across from classroom 302. Exit after-hours through that same door.

Although law faculty and students have 24/7 access to the Library, circulation and reference are only available during certain hours. Hours vary during holidays. You can check Library hours at 556-0163 or at https://law.uc.edu/education/library.html.

Circulation hours

Monday — Friday 8:00am – 6:00pm
Closed Saturday and Sunday
Closed Monday, Sept. 6

Research & Library Help

Ask us - names and contact information for librarians

Take advantage of librarian expertise! Schedule an appointment, email us, or stop by our offices. We’ll be happy to help with suggestions for sources and tips. Also, don’t forget the Library’s Web page and many research guides.

Library Study Areas

Seats are available on a first come, first serve basis. We are not reserving seating at this time. Please disinfect your seating area before you use it and after you use it. Disinfecting stations are located throughout the law library. Do not move furniture. Chairs and furniture have been arranged to meet social distancing requirements.

Beverages in containers with lids are permitted in the Library. No food is permitted in the Computer Labs or the Rare Book Room. Packaged snack foods such as candy, chips, pretzels, crackers, and cookies; as well as other non-odiferous, non-messy foods are allowed in the Library’s open areas.  Please dispose of wrappers and containers promptly.

Unfortunately, sound carries in the Law Library. Please avoid loud or lengthy conversations in open areas of the Law Library, and any other conduct that disturbs others or disrupts their work. Please step outside of the Library for cell phone conversations and turn off the ring feature on your cell phone.

This Week’s Research Sessions

Tuesday, August 24, 2021

Technology in Law Practice

Shannon Kemen, Legal Technology & Research Instructional Services Librarian
Room 208
11:10am – 12:05pm

Thursday, August 26, 2021

Law Review CiteChecker Training

Susan Boland, Associate Director
Room 114
12:15pm – 1:15pm

Lawyering I, sec. 4

Ron Jones, Electronic Resources Instructional Services Librarian
Room 100A
2:00pm – 3:25pm
Introduction to Legal Research

Lawyering I, sec. 6

Michael Whiteman, Associate Dean of Library Services
Room 100A
4:00pm – 5:25pm
Introduction to Legal Research

Friday, August 27, 2021

Lawyering I, sec. 5

Susan Boland, Associate Director
Room 204
9:00am – 10:25pm
Introduction to Legal Research

Lawyering I, sec. 3

Susan Boland, Associate Director
Room 204
10:40am – 12:05pm
Introduction to Legal Research

Featured Study Aid

CALI

CALI stands for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction. CALI.org is a non-profit consortium of law schools – of which UC Law is a member – that develops and distributes legal education lessons to the consortium members. If using CALI, you will need to create an account (if you have not already done so) using a Cincinnati Law authorization code. You can obtain this code from a librarian.

There are over 400 CALI lessons dealing with First Year topics. You can also browse lessons tied to a specific casebook.CALI also publishes a selected number of free e-books. Of particular note are the Federal Rules.

Featured Database

Preview of United States Supreme Court Cases on HeinOnline

Preview is an eight-issue subscription publication that provides, in advance of oral argument, expert, plain-language analysis of all cases given plenary review by the Supreme Court. Preview Issues 1-7 precede the Court’s seven argument sessions from October to April. Published in July following the close of the Court’s term at the end of June, Preview Issue 8 reviews the term using a combination of charts, statistics, case summaries, and essays.

Featured Videos

Sources of Law & Legal Authority Video Part 1

This video discusses sources of law and legal authority among the different branches of government and looks at the weight of different primary law authority. The video is 8:11 minutes long and features closed captioning and a table of contents.

Sources of Law & Legal Authority Video Part 2: Hierarchy of Case Law

This video focuses on the hierarchy of case law and looks at the federal court system and several different state court systems. The video is 7:30 minutes long and features closed captioning and a table of contents.

Featured Guides

1-L Survival Guide
This guide provides vital information on library resources and services for first year law students.

LLM Survival Guide
This guide provides vital information on law library resources and services for LL.M. students.

Law Student Guide to the Law Library
This guide provides an overview of the Law Library for law students.

Know Before You Go

COVID-19 Campus Safety Measures (refer to the Return to Campus Guide for any updates)

Facial Coverings

Given the most-recent developments with the virus, and in keeping with new guidance from the CDC, the University requires all individuals, both fully vaccinated and those not fully vaccinated, to wear a facial covering indoors (unless you have received an exemption or accommodation; or when eating, drinking or alone in a private room). Facial Coverings guide

Those who are not fully vaccinated are required to wear facial covering when outdoors and unable to maintain social distancing. Individuals who are not wearing a facial covering when outdoors are attesting to compliance with this requirement.

Social Distancing in the Law Library

Students studying in the Law Library must maintain six feet of social distancing. Please do not move the furniture and pay attention to the signs. Sanitation stations are conveniently placed in each space so please wipe down surfaces before and after occupying a table or carrel.

UC COVID Check App

Please remember that all students are required to report via the UC COVID Check App if they develop viral symptoms or if they have a known exposure to a COVID-positive person. If you have COVID symptoms, do not come to campus. Stay home and contact the COVID Response Team via the App or Web Based Tool for further guidance. Note that failure to comply with these protocols is a violation of the UC Student Code of Conduct.

Proof of Vaccination

Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to submit proof of their COVID-19 vaccination (see eligibility requirements and entry information). UC will award nearly $50,000 in prizes to vaccinated students, faculty and staff. If you have not yet been fully vaccinated, COVID-19 vaccines are available to members of the campus community through many medical providers and pharmacies, including UC Health and Hamilton County Health Collaborative.

 

 

 

This Week at the Law Library …

This week in the Law Library we are welcoming our 1-L students, providing resources to help students prepare for the year ahead, sharing fascinating details about the history of the College of Law, and reminding everyone about COVID safety protocols.

Welcome 1-Ls

We’re so happy to welcome all of our 1-L students!

Library Tours

Monday, August 16 11:00am – 2:00pm, travel along on an excellent adventure as we point out the best study spots, secret printers, and free library resources!

Library Orientation

Join us Wednesday, August 18 at 9:00am in room 114 for an introduction to the law library and library resources.

Law School Success

Last week we covered 5 resources to help prepare you for law school success. This week we’re going to cover 5 more.

5 More Resources to Help Prepare for the Year Ahead

The resources below are available through the Law Library’s study aid subscriptions. For more information on accessing our study aids, view our Introduction to Study Aids video and our 1-L Study Aids page on the 1-L Survival Guide.

The Guide to Belonging in Law School

The Guide to Belonging in Law School, available through the West Academic study aid subscription, accomplishes two discrete goals. First, it requires readers to engage in an authentic, rigorous, mini-law school semester involving reading, studying, five Socratic classes (through the connected website), exam preparation, and exam writing. Second, the book provides a foundation for students from marginalized groups to recognize and manage both subtle and explicit barriers that can impede their progress.

Open Book: The Inside Track to Law School Success by Barry Friedman & John C. P. Goldberg

This book, available through the Wolters Kluwer study aid subscription, explains what law professors expect from their students both in classes and exams. The authors, award-winning teachers with a wealth of classroom experience, give students an inside look at law school by explaining how, despite appearances to the contrary, classes connect to exams and exams connect to the practice of law. Open Book introduces them to the basic structure of our legal system and to the distinctive features of legal reasoning. To prepare students for exams, the book explains in clear and careful detail what exams are designed to test. It then devotes a single, clearly written chapter to each step of the process of answering exams. It also contains a wealth of material, both in the book and digitally, on preparing for exams. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Open Book comes with a free suite of 18 actual law school exams in Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law, Property and Torts, written and administered by law professors. These exams include not only questions, but: (1) annotations from the professors explaining what they were looking for; (2) model answers written by the professors themselves; and (3) actual student answers, with professor comments that explain why certain answers were stronger of weaker. As Open Book explains, there is no better way to prepare for exams than by practicing, and these unique materials will enable students to get the most out of their pre-exam practice.

What Every Law Student Really Needs to Know by Tracey E. George & Suzanna Sherry

This book, available through the Wolters Kluwer study aid subscription, aims to decrease students’ anxiety and increase their chances of achieving academic success, What Every Law Student Really Needs to Know: An Introduction to the Study of Law, Third Edition features insights into how and why law school classes work the way they do, and the tools and techniques to better understand the substance of the first-year courses. It helps students enter law school with an understanding of legal concepts, the American legal system, and court structures. It provides a look ahead at the goals of a legal education and the life, duties, and responsibilities of being a lawyer.

Whose Monet? An Introduction to the American Legal System by John A. Humbach

This book, available through the Wolters Kluwer study aid subscription, focuses on a lengthy dispute over the ownership of a painting as a vehicle for introducing students to the basic law school tasks of reading analytically, understanding legal materials, and working with the common law. The major events in a lawsuit are considered, and the text sheds light on how the law is applied in a civil dispute, introducing common law and statutory law and the various courts and their interrelationship (trial/appellate, state/federal) The author draws on judicial opinions, litigation papers, transcripts, and selections from commentators and various jurisprudential sources, thereby exposing the first-year student to as broad a spectrum of materials as possible Telling the story of a real lawsuit (DeWeerth v. Baldinger)–from client intake through trial and various appeals–draws students into the legal process. The lawyer’s role is examined in both its functional and moral dimensions: What do lawyers do? What does society legitimately expect lawyers to do?

The Zen of Law School Success by Chad Noreuil 

The Zen of Law School Success, available through the LexisNexis Digital Library study aid subscription, offers a comprehensive approach to succeeding in law school. Zen is about simplicity, balance, knowing your universe, knowing yourself, and staying focused on the path to enlightenment. Similarly, these principles should be the foundation for success in law school, and this book details how to put these principles into practice in order to maximize your ability to have a successful law school career. Like the Zen path to enlightenment, law school success is about balance (between studying and other aspects of life, as well as balancing your study time between subjects, outlining, etc.), knowing your universe (knowing not only the subject matter tested, but knowing how the questions are constructed, knowing what to look for, etc.), knowing yourself (what type of essay writer you are, what type of learner you are, what type of exam taker you are, etc.), and staying focused on your path (when to study, what to do when you are stressed out, what to do when you don¿t know a subject very well, etc.). In addition to offering a comprehensive approach to succeeding in law school, the book also offers practical advice for doing well during the classroom Socratic method, navigating the law school environment, managing law school stress, and getting a job after graduation. Moreover, the Zen of Law School Success focuses on doing well on final exams, including specific strategies and tips for both essay and multiple choice exams. The book includes many exercises and model answers that will benefit any law student.

History of the College of Law Display

“History of the College of Law” a look into the past that highlights the diversity of faculty and alumni of the country’s fourth oldest law school.

On display at the entrance to the law library is a “History of the College of Law” a look into the past that highlights the diversity of faculty and alumni of the country’s fourth oldest law school. Featured items from the law library’s archival and monograph collection are also on exhibition including a painted rendition of the very first Cincinnati Law School which began training students in 1833. A “Catalog of Students” from 1874 features William Parham, the first African American to graduate from the Cincinnati Law School. The catalog offers an historical snapshot of what his educational experience would have been like. Also featured is Ms. Nellie G. Robinson, class of 1893, the first woman graduate of the Cincinnati Law School.

Correspondingly on display is an item from the law library’s Ohio collection entitled “Of All 19th Century Novelties: The Admission of Women to the Bar in Ohio, 1873-1900”. A spotlighted point in history is 1925-1980, or the Alphonso Taft Hall era. This was a rich time in the College of Law’s history when many notable firsts for alumni and faculty occurred. Highlighted items included exams taken by Ms. Elsie Austin, first African American female graduate, and prepared by Professor Elwin Griffith, first African American faculty member of the College of Law. Explore UC’s Cuban connection with Professor Jorge Carro. Look at notable alumni and past Chief Justice of Hawaii, William Richardson, namesake of the Hawaii’s only law school. Explore the 1980’s to now with featured yearbooks, Ohio Law Reporters, and other items from our archival collection.

Know Before You Go

COVID-19 Campus Safety Measures (refer to the Return to Campus Guide for any updates)

Facial Coverings

Given the most-recent developments with the virus, and in keeping with new guidance from the CDC, the University requires all individuals, both fully vaccinated and those not fully vaccinated, to wear a facial covering indoors (unless you have received an exemption or accommodation; or when eating, drinking or alone in a private room). Facial Coverings guide

Those who are not fully vaccinated are required to wear facial covering when outdoors and unable to maintain social distancing. Individuals who are not wearing a facial covering when outdoors are attesting to compliance with this requirement.

Social Distancing in the Law Library

Students studying in the Law Library must maintain six feet of social distancing. Please do not move the furniture and pay attention to the signs. Sanitation stations are conveniently placed in each space so please wipe down surfaces before and after occupying a table or carrel.

UC COVID Check App

Please remember that all students are required to report via the UC COVID Check App if they develop viral symptoms or if they have a known exposure to a COVID-positive person. If you have COVID symptoms, do not come to campus. Stay home and contact the COVID Response Team via the App or Web Based Tool for further guidance. Note that failure to comply with these protocols is a violation of the UC Student Code of Conduct.

Proof of Vaccination

Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to submit proof of their COVID-19 vaccination (see eligibility requirements and entry information). UC will award nearly $50,000 in prizes to vaccinated students, faculty and staff. If you have not yet been fully vaccinated, COVID-19 vaccines are available to members of the campus community through many medical providers and pharmacies, including UC Health and Hamilton County Health Collaborative.

This Week in the Law Library …

This week in the Law Library we are welcoming our LLM students, providing resources to help students prepare for the year ahead, and looking at summer legal research tips on researching administrative law.

Welcome LLM Students

World Flag Map

Map made by Mason Vank

A warm welcome to our LLM students! We’re so happy that you joined us.

LLM Introduction to the Law Library

  • Tuesday, Aug. 10
  • 1:30 – 2:30pm
  • Room 204

Law School Academic Success

Last week we covered some useful podcasts for law school success. This week we’re going to cover 5 resources to help you prepare for the year ahead.

5 Resources to Help Prepare for the Year Ahead

The resources below are available through the Law Library’s study aid subscriptions. For more information on accessing our study aids, view our Introduction to Study Aids video and our 1-L Study Aids page on the 1-L Survival Guide.

1L of a Ride by Andrew J. McClurg

This book, available through the West Academic study aid subscription, covers topics such as pre-planning, top student fears, first-year curriculum, the Socratic and case methods of teaching, effective class participation, top habits of successful students, essential study techniques, legal research and writing, exam strategies, maintaining well-being, and much more. Combines anecdotes, comments from law students, empirical research, and authentic samples of signature documents from the 1L experience, including exam questions, Socratic dialogue, and student case-briefs, class notes, and course outlines. McClurg is an award-winning professor who has taught at six different law schools.

Coming to Law School: How to Prepare Yourself for the Next Three Years by Ian Gallacher

This book, available through the Lexis Nexis Digital Library study aid subscription (Lexis Overdrive), demystifies law school and the process of studying the law. The book shows how study skills such as case briefing, taking notes in class, and preparing exam outlines are interrelated and how an incoming student can practice them before coming to law school, making the transition from prospective to actual law student easier and as painless as possible. The book also contains information about many practical issues, including the law school process, how to do well in a summer job, and taking the bar exam.

Law 101: What Law School’s Really Like by Chad Noreuil

Law 101, available through the Lexis Nexis Digital Library study aid subscription (Lexis Overdrive), gives a behind-the-scenes look at what law school’s really like. The advice covers all aspects of law school, and ranges from academic advice on such topics as study techniques, classroom skills, and tips for exam success, to the best ways to participate in extracurricular activities, maintain healthy relationships outside of law school, and get a job after graduation.

Starting off Right in Law School by Carolyn J. Nygren

This text is available through the Lexis Nexis Digital Library study aid subscription (Lexis Overdrive). Law school is different. Incoming students, confronted with an entirely new vocabulary and unfamiliar with the discipline’s unique and demanding educational methods, are often disoriented. This book is designed to give these students a head start, both by introducing them to the fundamentals of the legal process and by helping them acquire the study skills necessary for success. Starting Off Right in Law School introduces new law students to the practice and study of law by following a lawsuit from its inception through the appeals process, illustrating what lawyers actually do, how they prepare, how they interact with clients and in courtrooms, how a lawsuit proceeds, and how students can effectively read and analyze cases, outline, and apply what they have learned on the exams.

A Weekly Guide to Being a Model Law Student by Alex Ruskell

This book, available through the West Academic study aid subscription, gives law students weekly checklists explaining the skills necessary to successfully navigate their first year of law school. Each chapter provides a checklist of things to do that week, such as briefing cases, going over notes, outlining classes, or doing practice questions. When a new concept is introduced, this book clearly explains the concept and its purpose and provides examples. It also includes a bank of over 100 short, medium, and long practice questions in six first year subjects.

Summer Legal Research Tips

Last week we covered researching state legislative history. This week we will briefly cover researching administrative law.

Federal Administrative Law Research

Any time you have a statutory issue, you will need to find any applicable administrative regulations and update those regulations. You will also want to consult administrative adjudications. Congress creates administrative agencies and delegates to them the authority to act, but they are part of the executive branch. Administrative agencies generate rules and regulations, much like a legislature generates statutes. These administrative rules and regulations help further interpret a statute. Additionally, agencies may conduct hearings and issue decisions concerning matters that fall under their jurisdiction, much like a court. Finally, agencies may also investigate and enforce violations.

E-CFR

Rules that are immediately effective are integrated into the “Electronic Code of Federal Regulations” also known as the e-CFR. The e‐CFR is an unofficial editorial compilation published by the Office of the Federal Register and the Government Printing Office. It is the most up-to-date version of the CFR.

CFR

The official publication of Federal rules is the Code of Federal Regulations that is published annually by the Government Printing Office. The CFR is divided into 50 subject matter titles. Each of the 50 titles are republished each year on a staggered, quarterly basis. Titles 1-16 are revised as of January 1, titles 17-27 are revised as of April 1, Titles 28-41 are revised as of July 1, and Titles 42-50 are revised as of October 1. Each title is divided into chapters usually bearing the name of the issuing agency. At the back of each CFR volume is an Alphabetical List of Agencies Appearing in the CFR, showing the title and chapter where an agency’s regulations are codified. Each chapter is further subdivided into parts which cover specific regulatory areas. Large parts may be subdivided into subparts; all parts are organized in sections, and most citations to the CFR will be provided at the section level.

Finding Regulations

Secondary Sources & Annotated Code References

So how do you find regulations? If you are following the research process, hopefully your secondary source would have given you some citations to regulations when talking about your issue. For example, if we were researching a Fair Labor Standards Act issue of overtime for outside sales employees, we would find references to the applicable regulations in the secondary source, FLSA Employee Exemption Handbook.

Your annotated code also will often refer you to relevant CFR sections. In Westlaw codes, you can find this under Context and Analysis. In Lexis Codes, it is under Research References.

If you are using online sources on Lexis or Westlaw, you can just jump to the hyperlinked CFR citations. If using a print secondary source or code, once you have a citation to a specific CFR section, you can retrieve the section by citation in Lexis and Westlaw just like you would any other document. You can also retrieve it by citation in HeinOnline and you can retrieve it by citation for free at the e-CFR or govinfo.gov.

Finding Regulations by Subject

If you don’t have a citation from a secondary source or the annotated code, you might also want to look at finding regulations by subject. The CFR has an index. You can access this index on Govinfo.gov and on HeinOnline. Lexis and Westlaw also have a CFR Index. Note that it is not the same index as the one that the Government Printing Office provides. To access the index on Westlaw, simply go to the CFR, look off to the right under Tools and Resources, and select the CFR Index. To access the index on Lexis, begin typing CFR Index in the big search box. When using either the GPO Index or the indexes on Lexis or Westlaw, one helpful hint is to start by looking under the agency or sub-agency. Remember that you can also do keyword searching for regulations. When searching administrative regulations on Lexis or Westlaw, you can add a little precision to your search by using fields and segments.

More on Researching Administrative Law

For more on researching Federal Administrative law, check out the resources below:

 

This Week in the Law Library …

This week in the Law Library we are getting ready to welcome new and returning students and looking at more summer legal research tips on researching legislative history.

Law School Academic Success Podcasts

Advice to a 1L from a Law Professor

A Question and Answer podcast session with Prof. McFarland of Hamline University. His comments in this podcast about the first semester of law school focus on the Socratic method, preparing for class, note-taking during class, class participation, “riding out” that “lost at sea” feel common during the first few weeks of law school, the appropriate use of study aids, advice about law school exams, and general advice on doing well in law school. (14:56 min.)

How To Be Successful In Law School

Having difficulty navigating your hectic law school schedule? You’re not alone! Your new hosts, Ashley Baker and Kristoffer Butler, talk to Negeen Sadeghi-Movahed, chairwoman of the ABA Law Student Division, about law student life and her goals as chair. They discuss tips for handling a busy schedule, give internship advice, and talk about prioritizing what matters during finals

Preparing for Your First Semester of Law School

In this podcast, Profs. Ron Brown and Joe Grohman, Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad Law Center discuss study techniques for 1Ls. (24:33 min.)

Law School Survival Guide: Advice to Hit the Ground Running as a 1L and Beyond

A summary article from a podcast featuring professors who teach first year law students, authors of some helpful guides to tackling your first year of law school, and a student on what you should know before you go.

Law School Toolbox, Episode 289: Starting Law School in 2021

This Law School Toolbox podcast episode focuses on getting ready to start law school this year, and specifically, how to frame it for yourself during a time affected by pandemic restrictions.

 

Summer Legal Research Tips

Last week we finished looking at Federal legislative history research. This week we’re going to explore state legislative history research.

State Legislative History

The resources available for state legislative history vary widely from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. The General Assembly in Ohio, for example, does not maintain a formal, comprehensive record of legislative activity with respect to a particular piece of legislation as occurs, in the U.S. Congress.

Ohio

Ohio Session Laws

The statutory codes are not official sources of law in Ohio. The Session Laws are the only official source of legislative enactments. The session laws used to be published in the print Laws of Ohio but in 2006, they discontinued publication. Now the Laws of Ohio are available on the Ohio Secretary of State’s website. You can also find the session laws on the General Assembly’s website. The Laws of Ohio are the official publication of the Ohio legislative enactments. They are the full text of acts, whether codified or uncodified.

Did you know that not all laws are codified? An uncodified law is part of the law of Ohio and is filed in the office of the Secretary of State. However, because it is not a law of a general and permanent nature, it does not appear in the statutes in codified form. Common examples of session laws not codified include: preambles and recitals; provisions that have only local or regional application; provisions that may apply for a limited time; and provisions that may apply to a limited number of circumstances.

Ohio House & Senate Committee Material

Committee material is very scarce. The House & Senate Journals are the best source of procedural actions taken on a bill. They include things like introductions, referrals to committees, committee reports, floor motions, and votes. Unfortunately in Ohio, committee reports are really just simple statements: “The bla bla bla bla committee reports it back and recommends its passage…” House & Senate Journals can be found on the General Assembly’s website. Archived versions going back to 2003 can be found on the General Assembly’s Archives website.

In Ohio, you can use the committee name(s) to request the House of Representative and Senate Committee Files. The Committee Files may contain transcripts of hearings, reports, voting records, copies of bill and reference materials. You can get these through the Ohio History Connection.

Hannah Capitol Connection is a database that we subscribe to where you can access Ohio documents created during the legislative process going back to 1989. It also includes reporters’ notes of Committee activity which you won’t find on the Ohio General Assembly website but those would not be as complete as what you might find through Ohio History Connection.

You can find more information on doing Ohio legislative history research on our Ohio Legal research guide.

Other States

Because each state differs on what legislative history resources are available, it is best to consult a state specific guide for the jurisdiction for which you need to do the research. How can you find such a guide? The Maurer School of Law has a guide to help: State Legislative History Research Guides Inventory.

This Week in the Law Library …

This week in the Law Library we are wishing everyone taking the bar exam good luck! We’re also looking at tips for bar exam day, more summer legal research tips on researching legislative history, and we continue exploring Disability Pride Month resources.

Bar Exam Last Minute Tips

Law Dawg Meme: Bar Exam? You Got This

This is it! You’ve studied, you’ve prepared and you’ve got this! Feeling a little anxious? Be sure and check out our previous list of resources on dealing with Bar Exam anxiety. Below are some tips for the days of the exam:

 

Summer Legal Research Tips

Last week we took an initial look at legislative history research. This week we’re going to continue looking at legislative history research and what to do if you cannot find an already compiled legislative history.

ProQuest Congressional

Sometimes, unfortunately, no one has compiled a legislative history for you and you have to do it yourself. One of the best ways to find legislative history documents not already gathered by someone else is to use the ProQuest Congressional database. This is different from the ProQuest Legislative Insight. You can find the link for this database under the Research Tools & Databases on the Law Library’s webpage. Within ProQuest Congressional, the easiest way is to search by Public Law Number. To get to that search screen click the Congressional Publications link in the top left corner of the page. Then select Search by Number. If you have the public law number or Statutes at Large citation for an enacted law, use those. If you have a bill number for a law that was not enacted, use that.

Lexis

In addition to the selected compiled legislative histories, Lexis also has individual legislative history documents. Search in the Federal Legislative Bill History, Committee Reports, and Congressional Record.

Westlaw

You can also find individual legislative history documents on Westlaw. Instead of clicking on the US GAO Federal Legislative Histories or the Arnold & Porter Legislative Histories, search the Legislative Histories — Congressional Reports, Congressional Record, U.S. Congressional Testimony, and historical public laws.

Congress.gov

You can look up more current legislation on Congress.gov. Clicking on the Actions gives a chronology of everything that happened to the bill in reverse chronological order. There are links to some but not all documents. The more recent your bill or public law, the more likely you are to find links to documents.

Check out our guide on Federal Legislative History for more information and resources!

July Is Disability Pride Month!

Disability Pride Flag

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 Anniversary

Throughout the year, celebrate the 31st ADA anniversary and 30 years of the ADA National Network for information and training on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

ADA.gov

A website by the United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division that focuses on the ADA and disability resources.

ADA National Network

The ADA National Network provides information, guidance and training on how to implement the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in order to support the mission of the ADA to “assure equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for individuals with disabilities.”

Beyond Affliction: The Disability History Project

Beyond Affliction: The Disability History Project is a four hour documentary radio series about the shared experience of people with disabilities and their families since the beginning of the 19th century. This Web site includes excerpts from the Shows as well as many of the primary source documents – extended interviews, images, and texts- from which the on-air programs were developed.

Disability History Museum

The Disability History Museum hosts a Library of virtual artifacts, Education curricula, and Museum exhibits. These programs are designed to foster research and study about the historical experiences of people with disabilities and their communities.