Santa Clara Law
500 El Camino Real
Santa Clara, California 95053
408.554.4361
Santa Clara University Home
500 El Camino Real
Santa Clara, California 95053
408.554.4361
Santa Clara University Home
© 2012 Santa Clara Law
Death of Library Director, Mary Emery
August 08, 2011 at 1:37 PM
We are very saddened to announce that Mary Emery, Library Director at the Heafey Law Library, passed away over the weekend. She will be deeply missed by the entire Santa Clara Law community.
Read More ...
Budget Control Act of 2011
August 03, 2011 at 3:28 PM
Citation and links to online text
Read More ...
Death Penalty Repeal Bill
July 11, 2011 at 2:18 PM
Publicity about the cost of executions in the State of California provides impetus to reform
Read More ...
How to apply your legal research skills to the "real world"
June 29, 2011 at 9:39 AM
Law librarians do our best to prepare students for legal research in "real world" settings. However, it is often difficult to truly duplicate the demands and expectations of a law firm environment either in the classroom or in the library. Fortunately, BYU law librarian Shawn Nevers has written a great article on how to transition from law school to legal practice and effectively apply the legal research skills you have learned. This would be a great read for students doing their summer externships or who are starting their first professional job.
Read More ...
Convictions at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
June 24, 2011 at 8:26 AM
Six are convicted of genocide and other crimes in Rwanda's Butare Prefecture
Read More ...
CRS Guide to Legislative History
June 23, 2011 at 3:41 PM
A selection of CRS Reports on federal law making
Read More ...
Summer access for Lexis and Westlaw
June 21, 2011 at 1:29 PM
Are you taking summer law classes or doing an internship/externship for credit? Are you wondering why you can't access Lexis or Westlaw? It's most likely because you didn't sign up for summer access with them. If you didn't sign up for summer access, then you'll be limited to 2 hours of use per month during the summer. To sign up for summer access, log in to Lexis and/or Westlaw. Then look for the news item about summer registration and click the link to find out more.
Read More ...
Library Closing early for University Commencement
June 08, 2011 at 4:29 PM
Due to the University graduate and undergraduate commencement activities, the law library will close Friday evening at 5:30. We do apologize for the inconvenience. The library will resume normal hours on Saturday, but please be aware that parking on campus may not be possible.
Read More ...
SmartPrint Funds for Summer School
June 01, 2011 at 12:35 PM
Students enrolled in summer will will have funds deposited on their Access cards for SmartPrint printing. We have been told by the Access Office that they are working on this right now. In the interim, you may need to add some money to your card if you need to print things immediately.
Read More ...
Summer Access at USF's Zeif Law library
June 01, 2011 at 12:27 PM
During the upcoming summer bar preparation period (June 6 - July 29), the USF School of Law Dorraine Zief Law Library will be restricting access to students from other law schools.
Read More ...
Statutes in U.S.C. Section Notes
May 26, 2011 at 3:37 PM
A presentation on their origin and validity
Read More ...
Online treaty sources
May 07, 2011 at 1:39 PM
Links to WorldLII's International Treaties Collection and the University of Michigan's World Treaty Index
Read More ...
Regulations.gov
April 25, 2011 at 11:38 AM
From the most recent Scout Report, a link to regulations.gov, a searchable website of proposed and final regulations across agencies
Read More ...
USA v. Arizona
April 12, 2011 at 4:58 PM
Documents from the Ninth Circuit case concerning the Arizona immigration statute (10-16645)
Read More ...
WestLawNext Printing Issues
April 06, 2011 at 3:47 PM
Search in WestLawNext but use regular Westlaw to send print jobs to the stand-alone printer.
Read More ...
Shutdown of the Federal Government?
April 06, 2011 at 10:47 AM
February 2011 CRS report available online
Read More ...
Please don't print with WestlawNext
April 05, 2011 at 4:48 PM
Printing from WestlawNext is EXTREMELY slow. We would ask you to please NOT use the WestlawNext print function. Instead, use one of our suggested alternatives.
Read More ...
Tax Time
April 01, 2011 at 2:48 PM
Whan that Aprill, with his shoures soote,
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote?
Read More ...
Legal Information Institute of India
March 18, 2011 at 11:11 AM
Addition to the World Legal Information Institute
Read More ...
List of most cited authors within HeinOnline's law journal collection
March 10, 2011 at 1:33 PM
This may be an interesting list for some of our readers. HeinOnline, a legal publisher which specialized in PDF collections of law materials has published a list of the most cited authors in their law journal collection. The law journal collection on HeinOnline contains over a 1,000 law journals so this list should accurately reflect overall academic impact.
Read More ...
End of the death penalty in Illinois
March 09, 2011 at 12:42 PM
Governor of Illinois signs law ending the death penalty there
Read More ...
ASIL Insights: The Special Tribunal for Lebanon
March 08, 2011 at 3:04 PM
Commentary on the February 2011 decision from the STL Appeals Chamber regarding the definition of terrorism
Read More ...
Westlaw Next Lacks FCIL Content
March 05, 2011 at 9:03 AM
So far, classic Westlaw contains more foreign and international material than WestlawNext
Read More ...
Excellent review of WestLaw Next and its impact on academic legal research
March 03, 2011 at 6:24 PM
There is a new article available via SSRN that discusses the new features within WestLaw Next and how these may impact legal research in academia. Written by Ron Wheeler, the library director at the University of San Francisco School of Law, the article is a great discussion about this new legal research product and addresses some of its strengths and weaknesses.
Read More ...
Stanford v. Roche
February 28, 2011 at 3:57 PM
Intellectual property and research funded by the federal government
Read More ...
Be prepared for internet failure
February 22, 2011 at 10:32 AM
Having copies of assignments in more than one place can save heartache when the campus internet is down.
Read More ...
Reading for Presidents' Day
February 21, 2011 at 1:56 PM
Exhibits and books about American presidents and politics
Read More ...
New ebooks on the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and Evidence available from Westlaw
February 16, 2011 at 4:18 PM
The new updated Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and Evidence are not yet available from Westlaw in the print pocket-book format. However, Westlaw has made available e-books versions of both of these. You can't send these to an e-reader, such as a Kindle or Nook, but you can view them in their entirety on your web browser.
Read More ...
Need help submitting a law review article?
February 12, 2011 at 10:56 AM
Do you have an article to submit but don't quite know how the submission process works? If so, you may find this article helpful. It contains information about submitting articles to law reviews and journals, including the methods for submitting an article, any special formatting requirements, how to contact them to request an expedited review, and how to contact them to withdraw an article from consideration. It covers 202 law reviews.
Read More ...
SB 1070 : New research guide from UCLA
February 08, 2011 at 3:32 PM
The controversial immigration bill in Arizona, SB 1070, has received lots of media attention and has spurred a debate on how governments should confront undocumented immigrants. The librarians at Santa Clara Law have written a research guide on this topic. However, a research project at the law library at UCLA has developed an extensive and nearly comprehensive guide on SB 1070. If you are doing research on this subject, we strongly recommend you take a look at this excellent resource.
Read More ...
CA Supreme Court will respond soon to question from 9th Circuit regarding Prop. 8
February 03, 2011 at 11:19 AM
The San Francisco Chronicle is reporting this morning that the California Supreme Court will respond next week to the certified question from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals whether the supporters of Proposition 8, which outlawed marriage equality for LGBT families, have standing to defend the measure.
Read More ...
Don't forget about CALI lessons!
February 02, 2011 at 10:29 AM
We are now into our fourth week of class here at Santa Clara Law. Many students are already in a frenzy writing their outlines and reading through secondary materials. If you are looking for another resource to help you grasp difficult legal concepts consider the tutorials created by the consortium, Computer Assisted Legal Instruction (CALI). Here are some sample CALI lessons that you may find useful this semester. If you misplaced your authorization code to create a CALI account please email me at dholt@scu.edu and I'll send you a replacement.
Read More ...
How to Break into International Arbitration
January 31, 2011 at 3:49 PM
List of Resources on International Commercial Arbitration from Georgetown and the D.C. Bar
Read More ...
International Center for Research on Women
January 21, 2011 at 12:44 PM
Access to information about efforts to improve the condition of women throughout the world
Read More ...
New CALI video
January 19, 2011 at 11:20 AM
New video from CALI helps students register for their online access
Read More ...
A Cure for Test Anxiety?
January 13, 2011 at 12:50 PM
Study from the University of Chicago points to a simple exercise for coping with test anxiety
Read More ...
The Arizona shooter and mental health care law
January 12, 2011 at 9:39 AM
The terrible tragedy in Arizona has spurred a national conversation about our country's mental health care system and how college campuses need to become more proactive in providing mental health services to their students. The librarians at the Heafey Law Library have written a research guide on the legal aspects of mental health. It includes materials on mental health and public policy, and the role of insanity in criminal responsibility.
Read More ...
Law School Survey of Student Engagement
January 05, 2011 at 9:03 AM
Data from the annual survey
Read More ...
Ninth Circuit sends certified question to CA Supreme Court regarding standing for Prop. 8
January 04, 2011 at 11:15 AM
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, currently hearing the equal protection challenge to Proposition 8, has sent a certified question to the California Supreme Court regarding the applicable state law pertaining to standing. The question submitted to the state court asks what rights, under state law, the proponents of Prop. 8 have when the attorney general has refused to defend the law.
Read More ...
Congressional Research Service reports on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
December 22, 2010 at 10:24 AM
The repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was signed into law by President Obama this morning. The Congressional Research Service has published two recent reports on the legal evolution of this policy and its passage through Congress.
Read More ...
Law and the Multiverse
December 21, 2010 at 10:14 AM
Blogging about superheroes, supervillains and the law
Read More ...
Genocide Archive Rwanda
December 10, 2010 at 9:04 AM
An online archive related to the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda
Read More ...
The Right to a Vegetarian Menu in Prison
December 09, 2010 at 10:06 AM
ECHR award to Polish prisoner denied vegetarian menu in accordance with his religious beliefs
Read More ...
Something to Read between Exams
December 07, 2010 at 8:40 PM
Two ABA Journal articles to read when you're tired of studying
Read More ...
WestlawNext and the Cost of Online Research
December 06, 2010 at 5:00 PM
Starting in January, all law students will be able to access WestlawNext, the next generation of Westlaw searching. Law students can access WestlawNext for "free," but how much will it cost in the real world of law practice? Much more than the current version of Westlaw. This post has a chart with a sample of WestlawNext's pricing.
Read More ...
USF Law Library closed to SCU law students until Jan. 3
November 30, 2010 at 2:45 PM
We know that a number of SCU law students like to study at the Zief Law Library at the University of San Francisco. But once their exam period begins on December 2d, they will not be allowing in students from other law schools.
Read More ...
Prison University Project
November 24, 2010 at 1:18 PM
San Quentin is a leader in higher education program for inmates
Read More ...
Researching Constitutions of Other Countries
November 16, 2010 at 6:00 PM
The law library now subscribes to the database World Constitutions Illustrated. This is a wonderful resource for researching the constitutions of other countries. The database contains not only current and historical constitutions for each country, but also commentaries, scholarly articles, and a bibliography of books on the constitution of that country. Best of all, since World Constitutions Illustrated is part of the Hein Online legal research platform, it links to all of the resources that Hein Online has on that country's constitution.
Read More ...
Preparing for the 800th Anniversary of the Magna Carta
November 12, 2010 at 9:18 AM
Celebrations begin in England although the actual anniversary is not until 15 June 2015
Read More ...
Go Blue, but which way?
November 10, 2010 at 12:16 PM
Two Michigan Law grads on opposite sides of a Supreme Court case this month
Read More ...
Efforts to Improve Wikipedia
November 04, 2010 at 9:12 AM
The Public Policy Initiative enlists the aid of academia to increase and improve articles on public policy topics
Read More ...
Arguments in U.S.A. v. Arizona
November 01, 2010 at 1:34 PM
News coverage of today's hearing at the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco
Read More ...
Introducing Unity
October 29, 2010 at 1:04 PM
Following Santa Clara Law's news just got a whole lot easier! The law IT department recently went live with their new aggregate news application called Unity. The Unity application allows you to follow the several online channels that Santa Clara Law posts information to. To download the Unity application, visit law.scu.edu/unity and click "Install Now."
Read More ...
"Ass clowns" is probably not the best way to refer to the court
October 28, 2010 at 11:45 AM
Good writing is often colorful, vivid writing. But it's possible to be too colorful. Kevin Underhill of the blog Lowering the Bar reports on a pro se appellant's recent petition to the Ninth Circuit for an en banc rehearing. Go here for a description of the petition and to find a link to a pdf copy of the petition. (As a word of warning, "ass clowns" is probably the most polite way the appellant refers to the court.)
Read More ...
French pension reform
October 22, 2010 at 2:39 PM
The French Senate has approved legislation which would delay retirement until age 62
Read More ...
Scout Report links to legal history
October 22, 2010 at 10:17 AM
This week's Scout Report from the University of Wisconsin links to the civil rights history of Milwaukee, to 19th C. civil litigation files from the St. Louis Circuit Court, and to BBC broadcasts from U.K. Parliaments
Read More ...
Indian Law Portal
October 19, 2010 at 3:58 PM
Award-winning link to Indian legal research from the Ross-Blakely Law Library at Arizona State University
Read More ...
School bullying and LGBT adolescents
October 08, 2010 at 12:21 PM
There has been considerable media attention lately on the issue of school bullying and LGBT adolescents. The librarians here at the Heafey Law Library have created a research guide for students and attorneys doing work in this subject area.
Read More ...
The Law Library now has the Serial Set
October 07, 2010 at 5:00 PM
Wonderful news! The Heafey Law Library now subscribes to a digital version of the U.S. Congressional Serial Set! If you're unfamiliar with the Serial Set, it collects U.S. government publications that were compiled by order of Congress. This makes it a gold mine of information for federal legislative history research! The Serial Set contains House and Senate committee reports on proposed legislation. Many of these reports will contain not just the text of the legislation but a section-by-section analysis of the legislation.
Read More ...
Need help creating a table of authorities?
October 05, 2010 at 12:46 PM
One of the tedious tasks involved in writing these briefs is creating a table of authorities. Students often struggle thinking they need to create these "by hand". If this is you, you'll be happy to learn that there is software that automatically does all of this for you. As long as your citations are properly formatted, you should be able to create a nice table of authorities in under five minutes.
Read More ...
First Monday in October
October 02, 2010 at 1:38 PM
Gathering information about the new Supreme Court term
Read More ...
Domestic Case Law on International Crimes (The DomCLIC Project)
September 22, 2010 at 8:27 AM
Online digest of domestic case law on international criminal law
Read More ...
Google Books and multi-volume works
September 17, 2010 at 2:30 PM
Using Google Books to find multi-volume works is an exercise in frustration. Here are some suggestions on how to more easily find what you're looking for.
Read More ...
Exercise and testing
September 16, 2010 at 2:29 PM
Interesting articles about learning and retaining knowledge
Read More ...
The U.S. Constitution
September 15, 2010 at 6:58 AM
Constitution Day and Citizenship Day is Friday, September 17th, commemorating the signing of the Constitution in 1787
Read More ...
Dallas, Cranch, Wheaton, . . . Wagner?
September 09, 2010 at 3:30 PM
The Supreme Court's reporter of decisions prepares the Court's opinions for publication. The current reporter, Frank Wagner, is retiring. Tony Mauro of the National Law Journal has a fascinating interview with him.
Read More ...
California Legislative Session
August 31, 2010 at 1:30 PM
Today is the last day for bill passage. The governor has until September 30th to sign or veto.
Read More ...
Submission of Law Student Articles for Publication
August 19, 2010 at 8:31 AM
A recent article on SSRN (the Social Science Research Network) explains how students might go about publishing an outstanding seminar paper in an academic law journal. After an introduction, which briefly discusses publishing in bar journals, writing competitions, and journals which specialize in particular subject areas, the article provides a chart listing the publication policies of 194 law reviews regarding submissions from students from other law schools and from students at the journal's own law school who are not law review members. Thanks to Joe Hodnicki and the Law Librarian blog for the link.
Read More ...
Changes in the New Edition of the Bluebook
August 17, 2010 at 5:36 PM
The 19th edition of the Bluebook was released this year. The law library has several copies on reserve. If you want to know how this edition has changed from the previous one, there is a chart describing these changes.
Read More ...
In Custodia Legis
August 16, 2010 at 11:13 AM
New blog from the Law Librarians of Congress
Read More ...
Catalog of Federal Register Publications & Online Services
August 11, 2010 at 9:47 AM
Online links to documents since the mid-1990s
Read More ...
Prop. 8 Decision
August 04, 2010 at 1:41 PM
Here is the decision on the Perry et al v. Schwarzenegger case which is a federal constitutional challenge to the ban on marriage equality in California.
Read More ...
Library Closed for Construction Projects
July 26, 2010 at 5:57 PM
Law Library will be closed for renovation projects beginning on Tuesday July 27. We will be closed through August 1. Depending upon progress of projects we may be open on August 2. Call ahead to see before coming down. Staff will be at work... Reminder we will be on reduced hours (once we reopen) from A...ugust 2 through August 13. Regular hours resume on August 14.
Read More ...
Cheerleading Isn't A Sport?
July 23, 2010 at 9:12 AM
Federal district court in Connecticut rules against Quinnipiac University's Title IX calculations
Read More ...
ICJ Validates Kosovo's Indepence
July 22, 2010 at 9:09 AM
World Court rules Kosovo's secession from Serbia does not violate international law
Read More ...
Mobile Apps from Uncle Sam and Elsewhere
July 21, 2010 at 1:17 PM
A selection of iPhone apps for travelers and lawyers
Read More ...
Westlaw error uncorrected?
July 21, 2010 at 10:52 AM
Prof. Eugene Volokh at UCLA's law school has posted a blog entry at the Volokh Conspiracy about his discovery of an error in Westlaw's report of a case and his unsuccesful effort to get Westlaw (part of Thomson Reuters) to correct it. While I am sure that this error will eventually be corrected, despite the statements of the customer service representative to whom Prof. Volokh spoke, this does illustrate a larger point about legal research.
Read More ...
Library Catalog Vendor Presentations
July 19, 2010 at 11:47 AM
The University Library and the Heafey Law Library invite you to a series of presentations on the options for next-generation "discovery systems". These products make it possible to search all at once the library catalog, electronic indexes, full-text databases, and other content that the library provides or purchases for the exclusive use of Santa Clara University students, faculty, and staff.
Read More ...
Legal Scholarship Blog
July 19, 2010 at 11:42 AM
The Legal Scholarship Blog (http://legalscholarshipblog.com) helps the academic legal community keep up with conferences, calls for papers, and in-house workshops. Resource pages provide links to articles and other resources about teaching, grants, and empirical legal studies.
Read More ...
DOMA Decisions from Massachusetts
July 09, 2010 at 9:24 AM
Federal District Court decisions regarding the Defense of Marriage Act
Read More ...
Why the Christian Legal Society case may be important for the Prop. 8 challenge
June 29, 2010 at 3:46 PM
The Supreme Court of the United States finished its session this week with a slew of rulings ranging from an important Second Amendment case to a case on student organizations' adherence to a non-discrimination policy at UC Hastings College of Law. This case, Christian Legal Society v. Hastings, ruled that student organizations which refuse membership to groups protected by a campus' non-discrimination policy can have their funding restricted.
Read More ...
Is legal education at a crossroads?
June 29, 2010 at 11:46 AM
I'm back from the CALI Conference held this year at Rutgers-Camden School of Law in New Jersey. The conference was noticeably smaller this year, likely due to the continued downturn in the economy. What has been interesting, however, is how much attention the opening plenary has received since the end of the conference. Given by Thomas R. Bruce, from LII at Cornell, the talk has been circulating around twitter and has generated considerable discussion among both law librarians and IT people, but also legal faculty.
Read More ...
European Court of Human Rights on Same Sex Marriage
June 25, 2010 at 8:29 AM
Not a right under Art. 12 of the European Convention
Read More ...
Today's Supreme Court Opinions
June 24, 2010 at 10:00 AM
Limiting the scope of "honest services" fraud
Read More ...
California 2009 Legislation
June 21, 2010 at 11:15 AM
McGeorge Law Review issue on California Legislation
Read More ...
Georgetown Bioethics Library
June 18, 2010 at 9:32 AM
Bioethics Research Library at Georgetown University
Read More ...
Supreme Court Decision in Ontario v. Quon
June 17, 2010 at 3:11 PM
Police department review of a police officer's text messages on the pager provided to him by the city which employed him did not violate the officer?s Fourth Amendment rights
Read More ...
Gerald Uelmen on the value of law review articles
June 17, 2010 at 9:54 AM
Gerald Uelmen, professor at Santa Clara Law, has written an article for California Lawyer on the declining value of law review articles in the judiciary. Although this trend has been written on frequently over the last 20 years, Uelmen's article presents a scathing critique of the current focus on law review journals and how they are addressed to a largely academic audience.
Read More ...
Pursuing an LL.M. Tax Degree
June 15, 2010 at 11:00 AM
The number one recent tax paper download
Read More ...
Prop. 8 trial and the "nature of sexual orientation"
June 15, 2010 at 9:40 AM
The closing arguments in the Prop. 8 federal trial are going on tomorrow. A number of legal scholars, however, are already speculating about Judge Walker's thinking via the questions he submitted to both sides prior to these closing arguments. Interestingly, the immutability of sexual orientation appears to be an important issue for Judge Walker. This has already raised some concerns within the marriage equality movement.
Read More ...
International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
June 14, 2010 at 10:52 AM
Questioning Rwanda's arrest of Peter Erlinder for denying the 1994 genocide
Read More ...
Blind Applicants Challenge Online Applications
June 11, 2010 at 9:51 AM
Questioning the accessibility of the Law School Admission Council website
Read More ...
Elena Kagan Documents from the Clinton Library
June 04, 2010 at 1:39 PM
Records released by the William J. Clinton Presidential Library
Read More ...
Samantar v. Yousuf
June 01, 2010 at 10:13 AM
Former Somali prime minister is not protected by the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act
Read More ...
Berghuis v. Thompkins
June 01, 2010 at 9:32 AM
Supreme Court decides criminal suspects must state they wish to remain silent
Read More ...
Information about Sexual Assault on College Campuses
May 14, 2010 at 8:30 AM
Website from the Center for Public Integrity
Read More ...
Summer Lexis & Westlaw Access
May 12, 2010 at 3:49 PM
Continuing and graduating students--you can have your Lexis and Westlaw passwords extended for full use during the summer if you are taking part in a qualifying activity. But, you must register with Lexis and/or Westlaw to have your full access extended. If you don't register, then you will have only very limited access. Here's what Lexis and Westlaw consider to be qualifying activities.
Read More ...
University of Michigan Law Library Posts Informational Page on Elena Kagan
May 11, 2010 at 10:30 AM
The University of Michigan Law Library's informational web page for the latest nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court, Solicitor General Elena Kagan, was created yesterday
Read More ...
Solicitor General Elena Kagan
May 10, 2010 at 2:27 PM
Coverage of the Supreme Court nomination
Read More ...
Looking for exam prep materials?
May 04, 2010 at 3:23 PM
We are in the midst of exam season with only two weeks left in the semester. If you are looking for exam prep materials to give you that additional review before you walk into a classroom to take an exam the library has lots of materials for you. Take a look at our research guide for exam prep materials. We have lists of the items available in the library. Additionally, materials will be kept at the circulation desk for easy access. Finally, take a look at the video tutorials available through CALI. They have lessons on a variety of subjects taught during the first and second year of law school.
Read More ...
Growth Industry
May 03, 2010 at 7:57 AM
N.Y. Times article on law firms handling mega-bankruptcies
Read More ...
Text of the Arizona Immigration Legislation
April 30, 2010 at 3:22 PM
Arizona S.B. 1070 and H.B. 2162
Read More ...
National Forum on the Future of Legal Education
April 28, 2010 at 9:04 AM
ASU conference examining how to educate lawyers
Read More ...
Department of Labor on Unpaid Internships
April 22, 2010 at 3:19 PM
Wage and Hour Division releases fact sheet on Internship Programs
Read More ...
City of Ontario v. Quon
April 19, 2010 at 10:11 AM
Supreme Court oral argument following Christian Legal Society v. Martinez
Read More ...
Christian Legal Society Chapter v. Martinez
April 19, 2010 at 9:27 AM
Supreme Court oral argument on Monday
Read More ...
Don't Scream!
April 15, 2010 at 7:23 AM
Ice cream and other freebies to get you through April 15th
Read More ...
National Library Week
April 12, 2010 at 11:23 AM
2010 theme: Communities thrive @ your library®
Read More ...
Google Search Tips
April 09, 2010 at 8:45 AM
NY Times article includes tips from Simon Mackie of GigaOM
Read More ...
Online Course Evaluations
April 08, 2010 at 9:27 AM
Do online forms make the process easier or more difficult?
Read More ...
Comcast v. FCC opinion from the D.C. Circuit
April 06, 2010 at 2:05 PM
The opinion for the Comcast v. FCC case was published by the D.C. Circuit this morning. The case revolves around Comcast's interference with peer-to-peer traffic through its Internet access services. Advocates for net neutrality see today's decision as a setback for the FCC's regulatory power and the planned National Broadband Plan proposed by the Obama Administration. The opinion is available via the court's website.
Read More ...
Digest of United States Practice in International Law
April 01, 2010 at 3:10 PM
Available online at the State Department website
Read More ...
LARAW students needing a legal research refresh before the final
March 26, 2010 at 3:13 PM
The final for Legal Research and Writing is quickly approaching. If you need a concise refresher on the basic principles of legal research we highly recommend "Locating the Law". It is written by the law librarian in Southern California and is freely available on their website. We particularly recommend chapters 5 and 7 which deal with California and Federal law, respectively.
Read More ...
One week to get new ACCESS cards
March 24, 2010 at 3:12 PM
Unless you get your new ACCESS card you will not be able to get into the library starting April 1st.
Read More ...
Library records still at risk from so-called "Patriot" Act
March 22, 2010 at 1:26 PM
On February 27th, President Obama signed into law P.L. 111-141 (H.R. 3961), which extends key elements of the Patriot Act. Among these is the "library" provision which allows the government to seek surveillance orders from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court for tangible things, including medical and library records, that it states are related to a terrorism investigation.
Library records have historically been protected as private documents. In California, library documents are considered confidential under Cal. Govt. Code § 6267 which reads that "[a]ll registration and circulation records of any library which is in whole or in part supported by public funds shall remain confidential". Additionally, the American Library Association, in its Code of Ethics (54.15) states that "[l]ibrarians must protect each user's right to privacy with respect to information sought or received, and to materials consulted, borrowed or acquired."
Read More ...
OSCAR will be unavailable Tuesday
March 19, 2010 at 11:26 AM
March 23rd OSCAR Migration
Read More ...
Power, Voice and Rights
March 19, 2010 at 10:57 AM
Asia-Pacific Human Development Report
Read More ...
C-SPAN launches new video archive
March 18, 2010 at 10:43 AM
C-SPAN, the television network which documents the activities of Congress, has recently launched a new video archive of their footage from 1987 onward. This may be a great resource for developing a legislative history for recent Congressional actions. The archive is searchable and includes a RSS feed for recent additions.
Read More ...
Law Librarians' Society of Washington, D.C. (LLSDC)
March 17, 2010 at 9:08 AM
New resource for finding Congressional Reports
Read More ...
9th Circuit Pledge of Allegiance Ruling
March 11, 2010 at 4:16 PM
Upheld against atheist challenge
Read More ...
Gunner's World
March 10, 2010 at 2:37 PM
from the University of Chicago's law school musical
Read More ...
Researching American Indian Law
March 10, 2010 at 1:20 PM
Research guide from the University of Washington
Read More ...
International Women's Day: Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities. Progress for All
March 08, 2010 at 9:25 AM
The 100th anniversary
Read More ...
Samantar v. Yousuf
March 05, 2010 at 11:47 AM
Wednesday's oral argument at the US Supreme Court
Read More ...
Federal Jobs and Taxes
March 04, 2010 at 2:22 PM
Bill to bar federal employment for tax delinquents
Read More ...
Half a Century of Asian Law: A Celebration of Prof. Jerome Cohen
March 03, 2010 at 10:01 AM
Conference proceedings online
Read More ...
Tax Time
February 26, 2010 at 11:22 AM
Online forms for federal and state income taxes
Read More ...
Google Trial
February 24, 2010 at 8:58 AM
Italian court convicts three Google executives
Read More ...
Arabic Language Flashcards
February 12, 2010 at 8:29 AM
ACLU lawsuit over airport detention
Read More ...
Avon Global Center for Women and Justice at Cornell Law School
February 11, 2010 at 11:32 AM
Using international law to stop violence against women
Read More ...
Legal Citation Finder Bookmarklet
February 10, 2010 at 10:56 AM
From Cornell's Legal Information Institute
Read More ...
ABA Views on Immigration Courts
February 09, 2010 at 1:36 PM
Resolutions from the Mid-Year Meeting
Read More ...
Afghanistan
February 09, 2010 at 11:00 AM
Some online sources of information: Afghan law
Read More ...
Innocence Project Report
February 08, 2010 at 10:00 AM
250 Exonerated, Too Many Wrongfully Convicted
Read More ...
Dungeons and Dragons
January 29, 2010 at 8:47 AM
From the Scout Report, news about a decision in the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals (Singer v. Raemisch) upholding a ban on playing Dungeons & Dragons in Wisconsin prisons and links to news reports and blog discussions of the case.
Read More ...
Don't Ask, Don't Tell
January 28, 2010 at 11:13 AM
Williams Institute Study: Lesbian, gay and bisexual men and women in the U.S. military
Read More ...
Campaign Spending
January 22, 2010 at 9:22 AM
Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission
Read More ...
Rule of Law Index
January 19, 2010 at 10:35 AM
2009 data on compliance with international law in 35 countries
Read More ...
ECHR Stop and Search Case
January 13, 2010 at 11:13 AM
Decision against the British government
Read More ...
THOMAS introduces some nice new features
January 12, 2010 at 10:46 AM
THOMAS, the legislative information resource created by the Library of Congress has introduced some new features to better integrate with the GPO and social networking media. The site now includes a "Current Activity" window with links to the day's activities in the House and Senate, bills on their way to the President, and the daily edition of the Congressional Record. THOMAS is also integrating with social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter, so that you can share legislative documents easily. Another very nice new feature is that the five most searched for bills for the week are listed for easy access.
Read More ...
Law School Survey of Student Engagement
January 06, 2010 at 9:34 AM
Annual report available online
Read More ...
Perry v. Schwarzenegger will not be online
January 06, 2010 at 9:13 AM
Streaming videos blocked by US Supreme Court
Read More ...
Positive news on the death penalty and the ALI
January 05, 2010 at 11:34 AM
In a move that is sure to have consequences within the legal community, the American Law Institute has abandoned any work relating to the death penalty. The ALI created the Model Penal Code in 1962, which contained the framework for capital punishment that was eventually adopted by the SCOTUS in Gregg v. Georgia in 1976. According to Professor Zimring at Boalt Hall, this move by the ALI is critically important as they were "the only intellectually respectable support for the death penalty system in the United States."
Read More ...
Ninth Circuit Allows Cameras in District Courts
December 22, 2009 at 11:52 AM
Judicial Council's unanimous vote affects civil non-jury matters
Read More ...
2010 Statistical Abstract of the United States
December 21, 2009 at 12:41 PM
Available online
Read More ...
WomensLaw.org
December 18, 2009 at 7:59 AM
Information and resources for those living with or trying to escape domestic violence or sexual assault
Read More ...
Free Full-text Online Law Review/Law Journal Search Engine
December 14, 2009 at 9:38 AM
From the ABA Legal Technology Resource Center
Read More ...
Settlement of Indian Trust Accounts Litigation
December 08, 2009 at 1:55 PM
Attorney General's announcement regarding Cobell v. Salazar
Read More ...
U.S. Supreme Court Records and Briefs
November 24, 2009 at 4:55 PM
If you want to learn more about a U.S. Supreme Court case, primary sources of information are the briefs the parties submitted to the Court and the record of the case from the lower courts. The law library has a microfiche set of Supreme Court records and briefs covering the 1897/1898 - 2001/2002 terms. For each case where there was a printed opinion in the United States Reports, the microfiche will typically reproduce the petition for certiorari and the brief opposing it, the briefs on the merits (appellant's opening brief, respondent's brief, and appellants' reply brief), and the record or joint appendix.
Read More ...
Thanksgiving Proclamations
November 23, 2009 at 1:18 PM
From Presidents Washington and Lincoln
Read More ...
Harvard's Amicus
November 20, 2009 at 9:27 AM
An online supplement to Harvard's Civil Rights Civil Liberties Law Review
Read More ...
Tweeting One's Way Into Court
November 17, 2009 at 7:10 PM
The hazards of speaking one's mind online
Read More ...
Pfizer Move from New London, CT
November 13, 2009 at 9:11 AM
The aftermath of Kelo v. New London...
Read More ...
University of Virginia Miller Center of Public Affairs
November 12, 2009 at 2:32 PM
The Miller Center will conduct an oral history of the George W. Bush administration...
Read More ...
Giving up your Lexis/WestLaw addiction after graduation
November 10, 2009 at 1:20 PM
One of the best benefits of being a registered law student is unrestricted access to both Lexis and WestLaw. Students often have no idea how much these services cost until they experience a rather rude awakening during their first post-graduation law job. Suddenly, the cost of these services becomes important. Sue Altmeyer, a law librarian at Cleveland State University School of Law has written an excellent introduction on how to search "frugally" using these services.
Read More ...
Birther lawsuit thrown out by CA judge -- nice intro to Civil Procedure and Con Law I
October 30, 2009 at 10:57 AM
The issue itself may not be altogether interesting, but the order written by the judge is a nice introduction to topics taught in the first semester of Civil Procedure and Con Law I.
Read More ...
Change in Asylum Policy for Abused Spouses
October 30, 2009 at 7:50 AM
Clarifying grounds for seeking protection in the U.S.
Read More ...
Gender Bias Bingo
October 29, 2009 at 9:15 AM
Online game to promote discussion of gender bias in academia
Read More ...
Finding House and Senate Reports
October 28, 2009 at 8:45 PM
Students often come to the Reference Desk with a citation to a House or Senate Report, and then want to know what they are looking for. Here's a list of readily-accessible places where you can find these reports. The list is arranged by the years the reports were published. . . . (more)
Read More ...
Conference on Practicing Law in a Virtual World
October 28, 2009 at 11:29 AM
Mini-conference to take place in Second Life on the topic of practicing law in a virtual world. The conference is November 14, 2009 starting 12 noon PST. If you have been curious to find out why the legal community is interested in virtual worlds, here is your chance to meet and hear from leaders in the area.
Read More ...
GAO Report on Law Schools
October 28, 2009 at 9:05 AM
Issues Related to Law School Cost and Access
Read More ...
Karadzic Trial at ICTY
October 27, 2009 at 1:41 PM
Refusal to appear delays but does not stop proceedings
Read More ...
Feeling Good about the Golden State?
October 23, 2009 at 11:21 AM
An optimistic view of California's future
Read More ...
Hoover Digest
October 23, 2009 at 8:01 AM
Public Policy research from the Hoover Institution
Read More ...
Death Penalty Report
October 20, 2009 at 8:54 AM
Focusing on the financial costs of capital punishment
Read More ...
The Medill Innocence Project
October 19, 2009 at 11:12 AM
Cook County Prosecutor subpoenas student records
Read More ...
California's Referendum Process
October 15, 2009 at 3:26 PM
Criticism from California's Chief Justice
Read More ...
Side-by-Side Comparison of Health Care Proposals
October 14, 2009 at 9:36 AM
Webpage comparing legislative proposals
Read More ...
The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
October 09, 2009 at 9:21 AM
In Middlesex Guildhall, Parliament Square
Read More ...
Roofing Project Update
October 08, 2009 at 6:48 PM
Last application of roof adhesive (we hope!) scheduled for Friday 10/9.
Read More ...
Forum Network
October 08, 2009 at 10:08 AM
Free video and audio of lectures on a variety of topics
Read More ...
Should animal abuse videos be protected by the first amendment?
October 06, 2009 at 11:15 AM
The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing arguments today regarding a case involving animal abuse videos and a federal law which bans the sell, or possession, or videos which depict animal cruelty with the intent to place them into interstate commerce. The government is asking the court to carve out a narrow exception for these videos placing them in a category similar to child pornography, which receives no first amendment protections.
Read More ...
First Monday in October
October 05, 2009 at 11:44 AM
Opening of the U.S. Supreme Court term
Read More ...
70 Sizzling Apps
October 05, 2009 at 11:44 AM
The American Bar Association Journal recently published an article on applications designed for mobile devices that are of interest to those in the legal professions. The article reviews applications for the iPhone, Blackberry, other PDAs, and desktop computers. I particularly enjoyed their section reviewing applications designed for legal research. They mention the electronic version of Black's Law Dictionary being offered by West for $49.99 which I think is still far too high to entice the average law student particularly since they already have electronic access via their subscription to WestLaw and it is so easy to acquire old paper copies for free.
Read More ...
Blogging at Internet Librarian 2009
October 05, 2009 at 11:42 AM
Once again, I will be attending the Internet Librarian Conference in Monterey, California from October 26-28. This is one of my favorite conferences as it is heavily focused on emergent technologies and practices. They have been doing an entire program track on virtual reference services with a particular focus on Second Life that has been very interesting. I noticed that last year's conference was heavily affected by the economic downturn with a noticeable decrease in the number of attendees and exhibitors. I'm hoping that the excitement around library technology will come back this year and produce another valuable conference.
For the first time, I'm going to be an official blogger for the conference. You can follow my posts at this blog. I will also be tweeting the conference using the hash tag "#IL20093.
Read More ...
Texas state judge rules that gay marriage ban violates federal equal protection
October 02, 2009 at 9:10 AM
A gay male couple married in Massachusetts in 2006 won an initial victory in their effort to file for divorce in Texas. That state, like many others, has a constitutional amendment which bans recognition of same-sex marriages. Dallas judge, Tena Callahan, ruled that the Texas ban on marriage equality violates federal equal protection. This is the first such ruling in Texas.
Read More ...
Torture Archive
October 02, 2009 at 8:33 AM
Documents on U.S. detention and interrogation
Read More ...
Heafey Roofing Project Update
October 01, 2009 at 9:37 AM
Final work on adhesive application planned for Friday, 10/2 beginning at 6:00 AM. Staff will make decision on when to open Law Library at 8:00 AM.
Read More ...
Is online social networking becoming segregated?
September 30, 2009 at 5:31 PM
The explosion in online social networking over the last few years has often been premised on being a transcendence of traditional categories such as gender, race, and economic class. Much has been written on how online networking is a democratizing activity as users are not aware of the social taxonomies which define them. This common wisdom, however, is not demonstrated in recent research. Danah Boyd, a social media researcher at Microsoft, and fellow at Harvard's Berkman Center for the Internet and Society, recently reported on the ethnic divides in online social networks and suggests there is a "white flight" taking place.
Read More ...
Want to read the health care bill?
September 30, 2009 at 10:44 AM
If you are following the recent actions regarding proposed reforms to the nation's health care system you may want to read the actual bill. Here is the text with annotations to the Congressional Record for any recent developments.
Read More ...
New legal blog census
September 28, 2009 at 3:54 PM
Colin Miller, an assistant professor at John Marshall School of Law, has recently finished a new "census" of blogs written by legal educators. Available via SSRN, the article "contains a listing of blogs by anyone who might be involved in the education of students at law schools in the United States: full time professors, adjunct professors, deans, legal writing instructors, law librarians, etc." Interestingly, the list sorts blogs both by title and by the law school from which they are affiliated.
Read More ...
Coming Tomorrow to a Library Near You
September 25, 2009 at 10:41 AM
Banned Books Week
Read More ...
Intellectual Property Rights in China Webinar Series
September 24, 2009 at 9:09 AM
Free, online, ongoing
Read More ...
Beauty School Sues Student for Defamation
September 19, 2009 at 10:38 AM
Insults on social networking site land student in court
Read More ...
Constitution Day and Citizenship Day
September 17, 2009 at 9:00 AM
Celebrate the signing of the U.S. Constitution on September 17, 1787
Read More ...
Are your legal research skills ready for the real world?
September 11, 2009 at 11:35 AM
With the economic downturn, the legal market has been in major turmoil. Reports abound that firms are reducing the number of first-associate positions and cutting costs in unprecedented ways.
Read More ...
Duck Boats Battle Over Kazoos
September 11, 2009 at 9:32 AM
Ride the Ducks v. Bay Quackers
Read More ...
State Department Office of the Historian
September 11, 2009 at 9:11 AM
New website from the U.S. Department of State
Read More ...
Indigenous People and International Law
September 10, 2009 at 2:45 PM
The law librarians at NYU have created a new research guide on indigenous peoples and international law. This might be a great starting place if you thinking of writing on this topic.
Read More ...
Best Guide to Canadian Legal Research
September 02, 2009 at 3:05 PM
Revised guide by Catherine Best
Read More ...
Flash drives are now available!!
August 20, 2009 at 12:20 PM
Flash drives are now available at the law library. If you are a 1L, please come into the law library to get your flash drives. These drives are 1GB capacity and contain important research information for first-year law students.
Read More ...
Evening 1Ls and Lexis/Westlaw training
August 14, 2009 at 6:49 PM
There is some confusion about the Lexis and Westlaw training sessions for the evening 1L students in the part-time program. These sessions are specifically (and only) for the evening 1L students. These training sessions will occur immediately after the evening Contracts class. Evening students do NOT need to sign-up for these sessions (and, in fact, there is no place to do so). Just show up.
Read More ...
Welcome 1Ls - Flash Drives to Arrive Next Week
August 12, 2009 at 5:09 PM
1Ls, the library has a welcome gift for you that will be available at the Circulation Desk starting next week.
Read More ...
Roofing Project Update...
August 12, 2009 at 4:23 PM
he contractors are almost completely done with the tear off of the roof (phase 1, part 1)
Read More ...
How well is OneNote working for you?
August 12, 2009 at 2:57 PM
I frequently talk to law students about how they organize their class notes, case briefs, and outlines throughout the semester. I'm always amazed to see the different ways in which law students organize their coursework. Some students seem to work entirely on paper and take sparse notes but write feverishly in their casebooks. Other students meticulously outline everything and write nothing in their casebooks.
Read More ...
Textbooks on the iPhone?
August 12, 2009 at 2:54 PM
Coursesmart, a company which publishes electronic versions of textbooks, has recently announced that their content will be made available for the iPhone. Coursesmart has been selling textbooks (largely undergraduate materials) since 2007. This may be an interesting development in the seemingly inevitable transition to electronic casebooks in law school classrooms.
Read More ...
Dispute between WestLaw and AALL (American Association of Law Libraries)
August 07, 2009 at 9:32 AM
The American Association of Law Libraries is the professional organization for law librarians that work in academic, law firm, and government law libraries. Recently, AALL had their annual meeting held in Washington, DC. For the first time, the AALL has refused sponsorship money from WestLaw because they are not participating in the official AALL price index for legal publications. Currently, WestLaw has a profit margin over 30% for their legal publications.
Read More ...
Change in Asylum Policy for Battered Woman
July 20, 2009 at 1:56 PM
Homeland Security filing in Matter of L.R.
Read More ...
Follow us on Twitter!
July 16, 2009 at 11:46 AM
The Heafey Law Library now has a presence on Twitter. You can follow us here: http://www.twitter.com/heafeylibrary. Our blog, Heafey Headnotes, will automatically update content on our Twitter account. You can follow the law school's general Twitter account here: http://www.twitter.com/santaclaralaw.
Read More ...
AspenLaw releases StudyDesk version 3.0
July 15, 2009 at 9:24 AM
Aspen Publishers, a major legal publisher that produces study materials for law students (Law in a Flash cards, Examples and Explanation Series, etc.) has released a new version of their StudyDesk software. StudyDesk is a software suite that includes a number of tools for law students including: outlining tools, brief writing templates, a legal concepts database, flash card and quiz wizards, and integration with other Aspen products.
Read More ...
International Criminal Tribunals
July 14, 2009 at 4:09 PM
Trials of Kaing Guek Eav and Charles Taylor
Read More ...
Need help submitting a law review article?
July 14, 2009 at 9:26 AM
A new article, available via SSRN and written by facutly at the University of Missouri, provides information on how to make submissions to law reviews. This may be a helpful resource if you are looking to get your work published and are not quite sure how the submission process works. If you are trying to get published and need assistance, the librarians at Heafey are here to help.
Read More ...
Sotomayor Confirmation Hearings
July 13, 2009 at 10:03 AM
The Senate confirmation hearing for Supreme Court justice nominee, Sonia Sotomayor, is being held today. You can watch the live video stream via CSPAN here.
Read More ...
Practising Law Institute announces new legal titles available in Kindle format
July 13, 2009 at 9:32 AM
PLI (Practising Law Institute) has announced that they are releasing nearly 100 of their legal titles in Kindle format. PLI publishes legal practice materials covering a wide range of legal topics. The titles will be available via the Amazon Kindle Store. PLI claims in its press release that it is the first major legal publisher to make practice materials available in Kindle format. Interestingly, the Kindle had a $50 price drop last week and is now available for $299.
Read More ...
Getting ready for your first year of law school?
July 08, 2009 at 2:40 PM
Are you counting down the days until the Fall semester begins? Can't wait to start law school? In the few weeks of summer you have left, it might be a good idea to read these selected articles, written by law faculty, on how to prepare yourself for law school. They offer invaluable suggestions and strategies on how to make best use of your time and study effectively.
Read More ...
Massachusetts sues over DOMA
July 08, 2009 at 2:31 PM
The attorney general for the state of Massachusetts filed a complaint in federal court yesterday asserting that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) oversteps the authority of the federal government and violates the 10th amendment. The complaint argues that defining marriage has historically been within the purview of the states, not the federal government. Massachusetts was the first state to enact marriage equality, giving LGBT families the right to marry back in 2004.
Read More ...
Washington State Supreme Court hears case on library Internet filtering
July 08, 2009 at 11:29 AM
The Supreme Court of the State of Washington is hearing a case that challenges a library Internet filtering policy that applies to adult patrons. It is the first legal challenge to library Internet filtering since CIPA (Children's Internet Protection Act) was unsuccessfully challenged in 2003.
Read More ...
Product review : Casemaker vs. Fastcase
July 08, 2009 at 9:59 AM
Casemaker and Fastcase are two competing products that market themselves to state bar associations. They are often given to member attorneys as a benefit of bar membership. Although they lack the editorial content provided by WestLaw and Lexis, they do offer a substantial amount of case law from both the state and federal courts. The blog, Law Technology, offers a review of these two products.
Read More ...
Delhi High Court Decision on Gay Rights
July 02, 2009 at 12:20 PM
Decriminalization of homosexuality in India's capital
Read More ...
UPDATE: Law Library Roofing Project
June 26, 2009 at 5:36 PM
SCU Law Grads Studying for the Bar Exam have alternate study sites during construction project.
Read More ...
Roofing Project
June 26, 2009 at 10:43 AM
As many of you are aware the law library experienced a number of roofing leaks during the past rainy season. The University facilities department has been planning a roofing project to address the problem.
Read More ...
California's budget crisis : LA Sheriff suspends DNA testing for rape victims
June 23, 2009 at 10:52 AM
The budget crisis in California is getting tragically worse by the day. The Los Angeles Times is reporting that the L.A. County Sheriff's Office will be suspending DNA testing for sexual assault victims due to budgetary reasons. There is currently no money to pay for testing at private labs, although federal money may alleviate this problem next month.
Read More ...
What can you do with an iPhone/Kindle in law school?
June 22, 2009 at 4:16 PM
Technology advocates have long predicted that we are approaching a tipping point where mobile electronic devices can effectively replace print materials. A number of legal scholars, and law school IT specialists, point to a future where casebooks are collated electronically and then transferred to a mobile device -- either a cellphone or an e-book reader.
Read More ...
CLE class in Second Life
June 19, 2009 at 2:49 PM
CLE bar class being offered in Second Life.
Read More ...
Pew Internet & American Life Project
June 18, 2009 at 10:29 AM
April 2009 study of high-speed internet usage
Read More ...
Tax Protest in the Digital Age
June 17, 2009 at 9:17 AM
The status of a 1989 law taxing personal use of company cell phones
Read More ...
Photos from the Iranian protests
June 16, 2009 at 10:39 AM
The Boston Globe has published a series of photos of the protests following the contested election results in Iran. Some images are rather graphic.
Read More ...
A study in contrasts : Obama and Jerry Brown on gay marriage
June 15, 2009 at 11:55 AM
There have been some major developments in marriage equality over the last few weeks. In addition to state legislatures in New Hampshire and Maine passing marriage equality bills, there have been developments in regards to Prop. 8 and the so-called "Defense" of Marriage Act (DOMA).
Read More ...
The revolution will be tweeted
June 15, 2009 at 10:42 AM
Protests following the Iranian election are presently ongoing in the streets of Tehran and elsewhere in Iran. Amid accusations of impropriety, protesters claim that the election results which indicate a victory by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are inaccurate. Of particular interest is how protesters are organizing in Iran. There have been reports that the government has restricted phone service to Tehran, and have blocked social networking websites such as Twitter and Facebook.
Read More ...
Summer access to Lexis and Westlaw
June 09, 2009 at 11:05 AM
It's not too late to register for full summer access to Lexis and Westlaw! When you log in to Lexis and Westlaw, you should see a link or a button that will take you to the summer registration pages. If you don't see these, you may need to disable any ad-blocking functions on your internet browser.
Read More ...
U.S. Supreme Court Decisions
June 08, 2009 at 3:24 PM
Links to opinion and orders released today
Read More ...
National crisis for public defenders
June 03, 2009 at 2:37 PM
A number of news outlets are reporting on the emerging crisis within public defender offices. Although public defenders have long dealt with overwhelming workloads, and the risk of burnout, the economic collapse has forced many into an unprecedented crisis. The Washington Post is reporting that the economic collapse is posing the most serious challenge to public defenders since the Gideon decision in 1963.
Read More ...
Microsoft announces new search engine
June 03, 2009 at 10:37 AM
Today, Microsoft unveiled its new search engine, called Bing, designed to compete directly with Yahoo and Google. The search engine offers some unique features not available elsewhere, including a semantic searching function that suggests alternative search terms. Additionally, the map function offers some features not available through Google Maps. Already the product is being criticized for not following accepted web standards, such as XHTML.
Read More ...
Typography for Lawyers
June 01, 2009 at 1:04 PM
If your brief or pleading or memorandum is unpleasant to read, the quality of your reasoning and arguments can be muted. Matthew Butterick, formerly a typeface designer and now a litigation attorney in Los Angeles, has created Typography for Lawyers to give lawyers and law students an introduction to the principles of typography.
Read More ...
Prop. 8 being challenged in federal court
May 28, 2009 at 10:03 AM
Two highly unlikely former foes, Ted Olson and David Boies, are teaming up to challenge bans against marriage equality for LBGT families in federal court. They are claiming that state constitutional bans, such as Prop. 8, violate the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment. There was a similar challenge made in the federal courts regarding marriage equality back in 1972, just five years after the Loving v. Virginia decision.
Read More ...
Erwin Chemerinsky and Ilya Somin debate Sotomayor nomination
May 28, 2009 at 9:55 AM
Two prominent legal scholars, Erwin Chemerinsky and Ilya Somin, are debating the Sotomayor nomination in the L.A. Times. Chemerinsky is a well-known liberal constitutional law scholar who is currently the dean at UC Irvine's School of Law. Ilya Somin is a conservative constitutional law and property professor at George Mason.
Read More ...
New website for bill tracking
May 28, 2009 at 9:50 AM
The Government Relations Committee of the American Association of Law Libraries has recently complied a list of bill tracking services. The list contains all 50 states. Many of the services enable users to register their email address so that they will be informed about major actions on a bill. This might be a great website to bookmark in your web browser.
Read More ...
Ruling on Prop. 8 rumored to be imminent
May 20, 2009 at 9:31 AM
There are a number of rumors circulating that the California Supreme Court will be issuing its ruling on Prop. 8 tomorrow morning. There are already reports of barricades being placed by SFPD in the Castro District in expectation of large crowds. Coincidentally, tomorrow is the 30th Anniversary of the White Night Riots. The White Night Riots were a response to the lenient sentence given to Dan White for the murders of Harvey Milk and San Francisco Mayor Moscone.
Read More ...
Westlaw China
May 18, 2009 at 9:24 AM
Access for law school students, faculty and staff
Read More ...
Free Lexis access for new graduates in public interest work
May 15, 2009 at 7:13 PM
LexisNexis is allowing free access to Lexis for 2009 graduates who are doing public interest work. This program, LexisNexis ASPIRE, will allow free access to federal and state cases, statutes, regulations, and law reviews. The program has expanded its criteria for eligibility to now include any 2009 graduate who is doing public interest work for a non-profit or charitable organization.
Read More ...
New cell phone reference service
May 14, 2009 at 10:57 AM
The law librarians at Heafey are delighted to announce that they have started a new cell phone reference service. You may ask information, or simple reference questions, by sending a text message to 66746 beginning with the word "bronco". The librarians at Heafey will then answer these questions via a text message that you will receive on your phone. If you are a cell phone aficionado and need a quick answer to a question, this might be a great service for you!!
Read More ...
Not enough time in the library
May 14, 2009 at 10:17 AM
The Chronicle of Higher Education has an excellent article, written by Yale librarian Todd Gilman, on how educators need to understand the difference between being computer-literate and research-literate. The article describes how many assume that young students do not need extensive research assistance due to their pervasive interaction with online media.
Read More ...
Maine governor signs marriage equality bill
May 06, 2009 at 9:45 AM
The governor of Maine just signed a marriage equality bill giving equal protection to LGBT families in that state. This follows similar action in other New England states. Here is the current status of marriage equality in the country.
Read More ...
Rumors that California Supreme Court will issue Prop. 8 ruling tomorrow
May 06, 2009 at 9:14 AM
Rumors are circulating among legal blogs that a ruling with be issued tomorrow by the California Supreme Court regarding the legality of Prop. 8. Check the court's website for more details. When the decision is released, it will be available immediately on the website.
Read More ...
Summer access to Lexis and Westlaw for students
April 23, 2009 at 7:10 PM
Lexis and Westlaw will restrict student access to their systems during the summer (June 1 through July 31). Students may extend their normal Lexis and Westlaw privileges over the summer for certain activities. These activities include an academic purpose (e.g. summer classes, moot court, law journal, faculty research assistant), an unpaid internship/externship that is done for credit, or bar review.
Read More ...
Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals
April 23, 2009 at 11:46 AM
New software, search engine for IFLP
Read More ...
Senate Report on Interrogation Methods
April 22, 2009 at 8:21 AM
Declassified Congressional report
Read More ...
Captured Somali pirate may create interesting case for American maritime law
April 21, 2009 at 12:45 PM
The adolescent Somali pirate recently captured by American forces may create an interesting development in American maritime law. There has not been a case of piracy before American courts since the late 19th century. At the legal blog, Volokh Conspiracy, scholars are debating whether the government should pursue charges under the federal piracy statute or under the Maritime Safety Convention.
Read More ...
New Twitter service for legal professionals
April 17, 2009 at 11:52 AM
If you already have an account on Twitter, you may be interested in registering with the new Twitter-based service, TweetLaw. It aggregates Twitter feeds from registered users, and is aimed exclusively towards the legal community. You can registered under "lawyers", "law students", "legal librarians", and a variety of other categories. It may be a great way to network with other legal professionals.
Read More ...
OLC Opinions and Memoranda
April 16, 2009 at 2:12 PM
Department of Justice releases Office of Legal Counsel opinions
Read More ...
Human Rights documents and tools from the OSCE
April 15, 2009 at 2:32 PM
Websites from the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
Read More ...
'A Guantanamo on the Sea': The Difficulties of Prosecuting Pirates and Terrorists
April 14, 2009 at 5:20 PM
Given the recent events involving piracy off the coast of Somalia it is timely that this article by Eugene Kontorovich from Northwestern University School of Law discusses how the international community has responded to modern privacy. Professor Kontorovich asserts that existing international law, such as the Geneva Convention and the Law of the Sea Treaty, have frustrated efforts to arrest and prosecute those responsible for acts of piracy.
Read More ...
ASIL Insights
April 13, 2009 at 1:48 PM
Commentary on international law news from the American Society of International
Read More ...
Tools for effectively engaging laptop users in the classroom
April 08, 2009 at 9:37 AM
The issue of laptops in law school classrooms has been debated for a number of years now. Some law schools have instituted policies either requiring, or banning, the use of laptops in law school classrooms. In response to this, the law school consortium CALI (Computer Assisted Legal Instruction) has created a video tutorial on how to use CALInstapoll and Google Moderator in classrooms to better engage laptop users.
Read More ...
Researching Human Rights Law
April 07, 2009 at 7:01 PM
Articles on foreign and international legal research
Read More ...
How did Lexis and WestLaw corner the market on legal information?
April 07, 2009 at 3:13 PM
The blog for the legal research and writing program at Stanford has an article on a new book dealing with anti-trust law called "Free the Market!: Why Only Government Can Keep the Marketplace Competitive". The book details how the legal information market has been adversely monopolized by Lexis and WestLaw and how government intervention could have prevented it.
Read More ...
How to update the CFR using GPO Access
April 07, 2009 at 2:41 PM
The latest issue of Perspectives: Teaching Legal Research and Writing has a new article on how to update federal regulatory code using the government website, GPO Access. The article gives a step by step tutorial, including screen captures. There are advantages to updating federal regulatory code using the GPO, compared to using Lexis or West. First, the GPO website is free, and secondly, the CFR is updated there daily, rather than weekly.
Read More ...
Tech roundup from the Computers in Libraries Conference 2009
March 31, 2009 at 5:04 PM
The library technology conference, Computers In Libraries, is currently wrapping up in Arlington, Virginia. Here is a list of interesting technologies that was presented by Aaron Schmidt for his "Best of the Web 2009" presentation. As always, techie librarians have done great work tracking and gathering these nascent technologies. Here is a list of the items covered in the presentation.
Read More ...
More information about legal RSS feeds
March 31, 2009 at 11:17 AM
The professional journal, Law Library Journal, has a recent article on the increasing value of RSS feeds in legal research. The article discusses the major sources of legal RSS feeds, including Justia, Cornell's LII, the Law Library of Congress, and USA.gov. It also reviews the major RSS readers and gives a nice comparison between Google Reader and Bloglines.
Read More ...
Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia
March 30, 2009 at 9:31 AM
Proceedings in Cambodian Genocide Trial
Read More ...
Free and low cost legal research
March 26, 2009 at 11:49 AM
Given the current economic crisis, legal professionals are increasingly looking for ways to cut expenses out of their legal research budget. Some firms have told their employees to look for materials using a low-cost, or free, service before they search WestLaw or Lexis. The librarians at Georgetown Law have created a great guide to these low-cost, or free, legal research resources.
Read More ...
CALI Lesson on California Citations
March 24, 2009 at 3:04 PM
"Introduction to the California Style Manual"
Read More ...
Monday Fun : Right To Privacy Not Guaranteed By Constitution, Says Supreme Court Justice Peeking In Bathroom Window
March 23, 2009 at 2:32 PM
The parody newspaper, The Onion, has a hilarious article on the Supreme Court not finding a right to private in the U.S. Constitution. If you want to start your week off with a laugh, and take a break from the stress of approaching exams, go check out this article.
Read More ...
New Mexico bans the death penalty
March 20, 2009 at 1:06 PM
There is great news coming from the state of New Mexico this week. Today, New Mexico Governor, Bill Richardson, will be signing into a law a ban on the use of the death penalty. Although the state has only executed one person since 1960, the change marks an important success in the battle against capital punishment.
Read More ...
Bar Admission Requirements
March 20, 2009 at 10:50 AM
Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admission Requirements, 2009
Read More ...
UN Database on Violence against Women
March 20, 2009 at 8:51 AM
The U.N. Secretary General's database on violence against women
Read More ...
Mistrial by iPhone
March 17, 2009 at 5:22 PM
The New York Times has an article, published today, about the growing phenomenon of jurors accessing the Internet during a trial. A federal drug trafficking trial in Florida was declared a mistrial after 8 jurors admitted they did research about the case on the Internet using their iPhones. A similar case in Arkansas overturned a $12.6 million civil judgment after the judge discovered a juror was posting details about the case on his Twitter profile.
Read More ...
What first year students should learn in a legal research class
March 17, 2009 at 1:05 PM
Nancy Johnson, a law professor with Georgia State University, has an article on SSRN about what first year law students should focus on during their legal research class. It highlights how students often do not have sufficient time for learning research during their first year and how they can maximize the time they are given. It is a great read for current students dealing with LARAW this semester.
Read More ...
Law library and law school Twitter feeds
March 17, 2009 at 11:44 AM
Twitter is a social networking service that has experienced enormous growth over the last two years. In response, a number of law libraries and law schools have created Twitter accounts, including Santa Clara Law. Here is a list of prominent law schools and law libraries that have a presence in Twitter.
Read More ...
New search tool for FOIA-acquired documents by the EFF
March 16, 2009 at 5:04 PM
The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a Bay Area group which advocates for information access, fair use, and intellectual freedom has today announced a search engine for FOIA-acquired documents they have collected. The documents are hosted by EFF and are the result of their Freedom of Information Act Project. This was announced today, so there may be some initial glitches. Regardless, it is a welcome addition to the world of government documents.
Read More ...
Surge in anti-gay hate crimes in Santa Clara County
March 16, 2009 at 4:22 PM
The San Jose Mercury News reports today on a new study which details a huge surge in anti-gay hate crimes in Santa Clara County following the passage of Prop. 8. In 2008, hate crimes against LBGT people accounted for 56% of the total -- compared with 15% from 2007.
Read More ...
Law librarians lead nationwide campaign for no-fee public access to PACER
March 09, 2009 at 12:01 PM
The American Association of Law Libraries, the professional organization for law librarians, is leading a nationwide campaign for a no-fee, public access, PACER system. PACER is the document hosting network for the Federal Courts. The service charges users $.08 per page to retrieve documents.
Read More ...
New Technology I Love : DropBox
March 09, 2009 at 10:14 AM
Normally, we use this blog to discuss developments within the law and issues in legal research. Occasionally, a new web technology is introduced that we just have to share with the students at SCU. The new synchronization tool, DropBox, is one of those technologies. DropBox is a way to keep files in sync between multiple computers. It is an excellent way of keeping your notes, papers, and projects organized (and backed up!) on both your laptop and home computer.
Read More ...
RSS Court Feeds
March 09, 2009 at 10:03 AM
RSS is a very simple way to keep track of a large number of websites. It is also a very efficient way of keeping track of developments within the courts. A number of courts, both state and federal, are making RSS feeds available on their websites. They often make a good substitute for a WestLaw or Lexis alert. Here is a list of RSS feeds that may be of interest to SCU law students.
Read More ...
Videos at the U.S. Supreme Court
March 02, 2009 at 12:04 PM
News and law review articles
Read More ...
Children's Rights
February 27, 2009 at 8:20 AM
information from the Law Library of Congress
Read More ...
Upcoming Changes to West's Digests
February 26, 2009 at 5:36 PM
West's American Digest is a subject index of published U.S. case law. This weekend West will roll-out two new digest topics and revise others.
Read More ...
Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC)
February 18, 2009 at 9:17 AM
Khmer Rouge trial
Read More ...
Recovery.gov
February 17, 2009 at 9:02 PM
Website with information about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
Read More ...
Happy Birthday to Charles Darwin
February 12, 2009 at 10:39 AM
Today marks the 200th birthday of Charles Darwin, the English naturalist who was pivotal in the early formation of modern evolutionary biology. Even though evolution is well settled within science, the topic continues to appear in public debate. Here are some resources of interest for those doing research in this area.
Read More ...
Remember to use your librarian
February 11, 2009 at 1:09 PM
Our colleagues at USF noticed a recent decision issued by the 9th Circuit in which the court chastises the defense counsel for failing to properly research the relevant case law. The case, United States v. Beltran-Moreno, was appealed even though the sentences given were below the mandatory minimum.
Read More ...
Most frequently cited authors in Heinonline's law journal collection
February 11, 2009 at 1:05 PM
Heinonline, a legal publisher, posted on its blog today its list of the most frequently cited authors within its law journal collection. The information was extracted using Heinonline's new citation analysis tool, ScholarCheck.
Read More ...
Federal Digital System (FDSys)
February 11, 2009 at 10:06 AM
PDF copies of federal documents
Read More ...
Are you using CALI?
February 10, 2009 at 12:48 PM
If you are a first, or second, year law student you may find CALI to be a very valuable resource. CALI is a consortium of law schools who collaborate together to create flash-based video tutorials on subjects taught in the first and second year of law school. If you are a visual learner, or simply need help visualizing legal concepts, CALI lessons can be an invaluable resource. We strongly encourage you to check it out.
Read More ...
Tens of thousands of CA inmates to be released due to overcrowding
February 09, 2009 at 4:55 PM
A special panel of federal judges ruled on Monday that the conditions within California prisons have become so poor that the state will have to release tens of thousands of inmates to resolve overcrowding. The court stated that conditions in California prisons have degraded so badly that suicide among inmates has become common, and many die from illness due to lack of medical care.
Read More ...
Tax Time
February 09, 2009 at 10:51 AM
Federal and state forms and publications for taxpayers
Read More ...
Please don't divorce us
February 05, 2009 at 3:54 PM
The Courage Campaign, a political action group that advocates for marriage equality in California, has created a photo collection of families affected by the passage of Prop. 8. The oral argument regarding Prop. 8 is scheduled to be heard by the California Supreme Court in March. Ken Starr, dean of Pepperdine University's School of Law, will be arguing in support of the ballot measure.
Read More ...
Important 9th Circuit decision regarding DOMA
February 05, 2009 at 3:04 PM
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals today released its ruling regarding the restriction of health care benefits to the same-sex partners of federal employees. The court held that this restriction is unconstitutional and that there is rational basis to without benefits to same-sex partners. Analysts see the ruling as an important step in overturning DOMA -- the federal legislation which bans recognition of marriage equality for LGBT families by the federal government.
Read More ...
NY recognizes same-sex Canadian marriage for intestate succession
February 05, 2009 at 12:47 PM
A Manhattan has ruled that a same-sex partner of a NY man is entitled to inherit the property left to him. Although the state of New York does not recognize same-sex marriages, they do recognize these union when performed in other jurisdictions. In this case, the two men were married in Quebec five months before one of them died intestate.
Read More ...
Justice Ginsburg has surgery for pancreatic cancer
February 05, 2009 at 10:48 AM
It has been announced this morning that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the only woman currently serving on the US Supreme Court, underwent surgery to remove a tumor from her pancreas. Ginsburg, age 75, is largely regarded as a consistently liberal voice on the court. Sadly, pancreatic cancer only has a five-year survival rate of 10 to 30 percent.
Read More ...
ASPCA v. Feld Entertainment
February 04, 2009 at 12:26 PM
Treatment of circus elephants
Read More ...
East Palo Alto Youth Court
February 03, 2009 at 4:15 PM
Restorative justice efforts for juvenile offenders
Read More ...
Exciting new peer-reviewed law review
February 03, 2009 at 2:13 PM
Perhaps signaling a new direction in legal publishing, Harvard University today launched the online journal, Journal of Legal Analysis. The journal is faculty-edited and peer-reviewed and aims to cover a broad area of legal subjects. Notably, the journal will be open-access and all submissions will be published immediately after the editing process. It it hoped that this journal, among others, will spawn new competition, improve access, and lower costs for law reviews.
Read More ...
New UN Legal Research Tools
February 02, 2009 at 9:27 AM
Online research tools from the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs
Read More ...
Obama issues executive orders regarding labor practices
January 30, 2009 at 11:10 AM
President Obama signed three executive orders today making it easier for employees to organize labor unions. It marks a change in policy from the Bush Administration. The executive orders are available in either PDF or HTML format from the GPO Access website.
Read More ...
A changing economy and the "billable hour"
January 30, 2009 at 11:02 AM
Given the current economic crisis, and the collapse of large firms such as Heller Ehrman and Thelan, there is growing concern over the future viability of billing by the hour for legal services. The New York Times has an article published today that describes the tension between clients and firms regarding billing practices. Although this is a long-debated subject, the present economic crisis is making it more pressing.
Read More ...
Meet your Heafey Law Librarians!!
January 29, 2009 at 3:40 PM
The Heafey Law Library at Santa Clara University's School of Law recently hosted the business meeting for the Northern California Association of Law Libraries (NOCALL). Here is a picture of the SCU law librarians who attended this meeting.
Read More ...
Want to read Obama's executive orders?
January 29, 2009 at 1:42 PM
If you would like to keep track of the administrative, and executive, orders made by the new Obama Administration you can do so at the GPO Access website which contains the daily version of the Federal Register. Presidential documents are available via the GPO in both HTML and PDF formats.
Read More ...
International Criminal Court
January 28, 2009 at 4:10 PM
Trial of Thomas Lubanga Dyilo
Read More ...
New Employment Discrimination Legislation
January 28, 2009 at 3:50 PM
Law to amend Title VII, Civil Rights Act of 1964
Read More ...
Photo from Obama Inauguration
January 26, 2009 at 3:48 PM
Gigapan, a company which uses robotic platforms to take very high resolution digital photos has released photos from the inauguration. In the below photo, some 220 separate images were combined to make an enormous photo that contains 1,474 megapixels.
Read More ...
Is it time for a law library bailout?
January 26, 2009 at 10:54 AM
The blog, Law Librarian Blog, poses a question about the future financial situation of academic law libraries. Given that private law schools have been particularly hard hit by the economic crisis, many working in law schools are speculating where budget cuts may be most felt. There is a concern that law library budgets across the nation will be reduced.
Read More ...
Excellent research guide on California ballot measures
January 26, 2009 at 10:01 AM
The law librarians at Boalt Hall have recently created a research guide for California ballot measures. These ballot measures often have profound consequences for the people of California, yet they are notoriously difficult to research. This research guide is recommended for students doing research in this area.
Read More ...
Santa Clara breaks new ground in virtual admissions event
January 22, 2009 at 10:26 AM
As a world leader in cyber and virtual law, Santa Clara is embarking on a new initiative within the virtual world, Second Life. Today, from 6pm-8pm there will be a "virtual" admissions event at Santa Clara Island in Second Life. Santa Clara Law is the nation's first law school to host an admissions event in an online environment. Other law schools, such as Harvard and Stanford, have created presences in Second Life, but Santa Clara will be the first to host an admissions event there.
Read More ...
Say goodbye to COPA (Child Online Protection Act)
January 21, 2009 at 3:17 PM
The Supreme Court of the United States declined today to hear the government's appeal regarding a lower court's decision on the constitutionality of COPA (Child Online Protection Act). This effectively brings an end to the 10-year long legal struggle surrounding this legislation. Civil rights activists, and librarians, are delighted with the outcome of the case and the court's decision today.
Read More ...
Top 5 most popular blogs written by law professors
January 21, 2009 at 10:35 AM
The blog, TaxProf, has released a report on the traffic of blogs written by law school professors. The report lists the top five blogs based on their traffic and unique visitors.
Read More ...
Obama's new wheels
January 20, 2009 at 4:53 PM
In addition to a new residence, the first family is also changing their mode of transportation. The Christian Science Monitor reports on some of the security features installed on the president's new vehicle. The car is reportedly able to handle direct hits to its fuel tank, withstand a chemical warfare attack, and is covered with 8 inches of armor.
Read More ...
Inauguration Day
January 20, 2009 at 1:46 PM
Today, of course, marks the transition of power in Washington. At 9am this morning, President Obama took the oath of office, making him the 44th President of the United States. Several million people attended the event, making it perhaps the largest political gathering in American history.
Read More ...
Warning about using Westlaw with older web browsers
January 14, 2009 at 10:20 AM
Westlaw has recently announced that they will block access to their services for people using older web browsers. Please make sure that you are using a current web browser. The following browsers will be blocked from Westlaw.
Read More ...
Update on police shooting at Oakland BART station
January 14, 2009 at 9:58 AM
The BART police officer who fatally shot an unarmed African-American man who was in police custody was arrested in Nevada yesterday on suspicion of murder. The 27-year old police officer claimed he fled to Nevada due to death threats made against him. The family of the victim is currently suing BART for wrongful death, asking for $25 million in damages.
Read More ...
Congressional Investigation: "Hulk Hogan was a terrible wrestler"
January 12, 2009 at 11:40 AM
Congressional investigations are an overlooked source of information for researchers. And how good of a wrestler was Hulk Hogan?
Read More ...
Simulations in legal education
January 08, 2009 at 2:45 PM
There is an interesting article on the blog, Law School Innovation, about the future of simulations in legal education. The article discusses the work of Paul Maharg, author of Transforming Legal Education. He argues that the future of legal education heavily involves the use of virtual worlds and simulations. He helped to create the system, SIMPLE, which is used in law schools in Scotland and England.
Read More ...
Rioting in Oakland in response to police violence
January 08, 2009 at 2:17 PM
There has been significant protesting in Oakland today, resulting in property damage, in response to police violence. On New Year's Day, a police officer shot an killed a young African-American man who was cooperating and in handcuffs. The man was shot in the back of the head. The police officer has since resigned. During the protests today, over 105 arrests were made. Local businesses are shutting down today and sending their employees home.
Read More ...
Pictures from Gaza
January 08, 2009 at 11:39 AM
With Israel restricting journalists from accessing Gaza, it has been difficult to obtain images from the conflict there. The Boston Globe has today published a series of photos they acquired from Palestinian journalists.
Read More ...
Significant CA Supreme Court ruling regarding church property
January 05, 2009 at 4:50 PM
There has been a significant ruling made by the California Supreme Court regarding the ownership of church property in the state. At issue was the Newport Beach parish of the Episcopal Church, who wished to separate itself, with its property, from the national denomination. The court ruled that the national denomination is the rightful owner of the property.
Read More ...
Progressive religious groups file petition against Prop. 8
January 05, 2009 at 3:32 PM
There has been significant news about Prop. 8 in the last few weeks. Recently, state attorney general, Jerry Brown, suggested that Prop. 8 violates the fundamental liberty interest and equal protection clause. A number of progressive religious groups, including Reform Judaism, the UCC, the UUA, the Episcopal Church, and the Quakers jointly filed a petition in the ongoing lawsuit against the state.
Read More ...
Leon Panetta named CIA Director
January 05, 2009 at 12:23 PM
It has been announced this morning that Leon Panetta will be selected by the Obama Administration as the new CIA Director. Mr. Panetta is an alum of Santa Clara and did both his undergraduate work, and law school, here at Santa Clara University.
Read More ...
Controversy over changes to Endangered Species Act
January 05, 2009 at 10:33 AM
The state of California has recently announced a lawsuit against the Bush Administration regarding changes to the Endangered Species Act. At issue are changes made to the standard of scientific review for new developments on public lands.
Read More ...
Recent actions at the United Nations
December 22, 2008 at 9:49 AM
There have been recent declarations at the United Nations which have created press coverage lately. The first declaration deals with world hunger, declaring that hunger is an affront to human dignity, requiring the adoption of urgent measures at the national, regional, and local level. The final vote had 180 nations in favor, with only one, the United States, opposed.
Read More ...
California Supreme Court agrees to hear challenge to Prop. 8
November 19, 2008 at 2:41 PM
It has just been announced that the California Supreme Court will hear the legal challenges to the recently passed Prop. 8. The justices voted 6-1 to review the lawsuits. Various civil rights, and LGBT groups, have filed suit against the state regarding Prop. 8 arguing that it is a revision, requiring legislative approval.
Read More ...
National Center for Lesbian Rights submits lawsuit over Prop. 8
November 06, 2008 at 10:57 AM
The National Center for Lesbian Rights, based in San Francisco, has filed a petition over Prop. 8, a ballot initiative which deprives LGBT families of the fundamental right of marriage. The NCLR is joined by a host of other organizations in this petition, including the ACLU and Lambda Legal. The petition is available in PDF format.
Read More ...
Looking for exam preparation materials?
October 31, 2008 at 2:43 PM
The Heafey Law Library has a number of resources designed to prepare students for exams. These range from hornbooks and nutshells, to examples and explanations. We also have previous exams in both electronic format (on Claranet or TWEN) and in print in the Stauffer Collection. Please speak with a librarian at the desk for recommendations on exam prep materials. Also, please refer to these research guides which contain lists of relevant resources and exam information:
Read More ...
Google Book Search Settlement Proposed
October 30, 2008 at 2:24 PM
On Tuesday October 28, 2008 Google announced a settlement plan for the suits filed by the AAP and the Authors' Guild.
"Today we're delighted to announce that we've settled that lawsuit and will be working closely with these industry partners to bring even more of the world's books online. Together we'll accomplish far more than any of us could have individually.... It will take some time for this agreement to be approved and finalized by the Court. "
Read More ...
Audiovisual Library of International Law
October 28, 2008 at 4:09 PM
The United Nations Office of Legal Affairs launches the Audiovisual Library of International Law
Read More ...
Library internet filtering in Washington State
October 15, 2008 at 9:37 AM
A federal district court has certified a question to the Washington State Supreme Court on the issue of filtering Internet access in public libraries. The case, Bradburn v. North Central Regional Library District, revolves around the impediment to access for adult patrons to websites that are blocked by filtering software.
Read More ...
Maureen Dowd's Latin NY Times column
October 13, 2008 at 2:00 PM
In both a feat of linguistic talent, and a hilarious protest of American anti-intellectualism, Maureen Dowd's op-ed column in today's New York Times is written in Latin. Called by some as a response to the American obsession with parochialism, and distaste for erudition, the column is attracting attention all over the blogosphere as a sardonic diatribe on the political zeitgeist.
Read More ...
Connecticut Same Sex Marriage Decision
October 10, 2008 at 10:00 AM
Connecticut Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage
Read More ...
UN Yearbook Online
October 09, 2008 at 11:35 AM
Free online access to the Yearbook of the United Nations
Read More ...
10th Anniversary of the murder of Matthew Shepard
October 07, 2008 at 9:45 AM
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the murder of Matthew Shepard. The 21-year old student at the University of Wyoming was brutally beaten in a hate crime and died from severe head injuries. The issues of hate crime legislation continue to be debated in the public arena and in our country's law schools. Here is a partial list of materials available at SCU libraries that pertain to hate crimes and hate crime legislation.
Read More ...
Digital Course Books?
October 01, 2008 at 1:07 PM
Seattle University conference examines legal teaching tools and methods
Read More ...
Muslim children injured in terrorist attack in Dayton, Ohio
September 29, 2008 at 4:27 PM
Reports are coming in about Muslim children being injured in a terrorist attack at a mosque in Dayton, Ohio last Saturday. Apparently two individuals sprayed an as yet unknown gas into a section reserved for children at the Islamic Society of Greater Dayton. There were more than 300 people inside at the time, celebrating the Muslim holiday of Ramadan.
Read More ...
NY Times calls for a No vote on California's Prop. 8
September 29, 2008 at 11:01 AM
The New York Times editorial board has written an article in today's issue calling for a no vote on California's Prop. 8. The proposition, known as the "Eliminates Right of Same-Sex Couples to Marry Act" would ban marriage equality in the state and eliminate the legal rights given to married LGBT couples under the equal protection clause of the California Constitution.
Read More ...
U.S. Supreme Court
September 25, 2008 at 4:24 PM
New York Times article by Noah Feldman
Read More ...
ASIL Website
September 19, 2008 at 8:40 AM
The American Society of International Law's new website
Read More ...
United Nations Treaty Collection
September 18, 2008 at 4:59 PM
The UN's redesigned treaty database
Read More ...
Constitution Day and Citizenship Day
September 17, 2008 at 8:00 AM
Celebrate the anniversary of the United States Constitution
Read More ...
Men in legal professions earn 95.6 percent more than their female counterparts
September 16, 2008 at 10:18 AM
A very disturbing report has recently been published by the U.S. Census Bureau which indicates a huge disparity in pay between men and women in legal professions. The average salary of males in a legal profession is $105,233 compared to $53,790 for women.
Read More ...
Protest photos from the national conventions
September 11, 2008 at 3:17 PM
Some photos from the DNC and RNC National Conventions are appearing online. Andrew Sullivan, a columnist with the Atlantic Monthly, highlights a photo collection by a freelance photographer on the blog, Fear and Loathing. It provides a behind-the-scenes look at the protests, and the police reaction.
Read More ...
Law school presidential election contributions
September 11, 2008 at 9:15 AM
The tax law blog, TaxProf, has an interesting list of contributions made by law faculty to this year's presidential campaigns. The data was compiled from FundRace2008, which tracks campaign contributions.
Read More ...
Exciting new development in Google News
September 09, 2008 at 4:45 PM
If you have ever done cite-checking with newspapers you know how difficult the process can be. In many cases, students must use microfilm, or microfiche, to verify newspaper citations. Google has announced a new project where print versions of popular newspapers will be available and indexed. The project is starting with major newspapers (NY Times, etc.) but should expand quickly.
Read More ...
Christian Domionism, Imprecatory Prayer, and John McCain
September 05, 2008 at 1:17 PM
An interesting discussion on what constitutes attempted murder appears today on the blog, Volokh Conspiracy. Law professor Eugene Volokh writes about a movement within American Christian Dominionism that is calling for imprecatory prayers for John McCain so that Sarah Palin leads the Republican presidential ticket. At issue, is what constitutes "attempted murder", when the act is impossible to carry out.
Read More ...
Former SCU prof writes about Sarah Palin's teenage pregnancy story
September 04, 2008 at 12:45 PM
Former SCU professor, June Carbone, has written along with her colleague, Naomi Cahn an op-ed piece in the Saint Louis Post-Dispatch about the issue of teen pregnancy and the RNC Platform. Professor Carbone currently serves as a law professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Professor Cahn teaches at George Washington University.
Read More ...
Registering for CALI
September 04, 2008 at 11:48 AM
Introduction to CALI on a Youtube video
Read More ...
Library Resources for Cite Checks
September 03, 2008 at 12:50 PM
Take advantage of library resources and some tips from the reference staff to make your cite check go more smoothly.
Read More ...
Sarah Palin versus the public librarian
September 02, 2008 at 12:29 PM
In a rather disturbing report, Time magazine writes today about Sarah Palin, the presumptive Republican vice-presidential nominee, and her years as the mayor of smalltown Wasilla, Alaska. There are reports from Time magazine, and elsewhere, that Mayor Palin had a less than friendly relationship with her town's public librarian after she asked how to go about "banning library books".
Read More ...
Advice for 1Ls: What to do if you don't know the answer
August 27, 2008 at 10:29 AM
Orin Kerr, professor and blogger on the popular blog, The Volokh Conspiracy, has written an article with advice to 1Ls on how to handle being called on by law professors. Entitled, "What to do if you don't know the answer", Kerr offers some valuable advice for the nascent law student.
Read More ...
Medical Marijuana 10th Amendment claim moves forward in Santa Cruz v. Gonzales
August 22, 2008 at 1:07 PM
A 10th Amendment claim against the federal Controlled Substances Act has survived a motion for dismissal in the Santa Cruz v. Gonzales case being heard by the Northern District of California. The plaintiff "allege[s] that federal officials have devised a strategic plan of targeted enforcement that has had the intended effect of rendering California's medical marijuana laws impossible to implement and thereby forcing California and its political subdivisions to recriminalize medial marijuana."
Read More ...
Obama's case comment from the Harvard Law Review
August 22, 2008 at 11:19 AM
It has been determined that a case comment published in the Harvard Law Review was authored by Democratic Presidential Nominee Barack Obama while he was the editor of the Harvard Law Review. You can read the case comment here.
Read More ...
New student loan forgiveness program for prosecutors/public defenders
August 22, 2008 at 10:49 AM
There is a new law school student loan forgiveness program included in the Higher Education Opportunity Act signed by President Bush last week. The bill amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to establish a program where the Department of Justice absorbs student loans for those working as prosecutors, or public defenders, provided they work for at least three years.
Read More ...
Gay Marriage and Tribal Sovereignty
August 21, 2008 at 9:19 AM
A very interesting story appears in today's issue of Portland's The Oregonian. The story details how the Coquille Tribe of Southern Oregon has decided to recognize gay marriage among their tribal members. The constitution for the State of Oregon explicitly denies marriage rights to same-gender couples. However, the Coquille Tribe, as a sovereign nation, is not bound by the Oregon Constitution.
Read More ...
The crisis of Mexican children deported into Tijuana
August 19, 2008 at 2:15 PM
A very disturbing report done by Mexican newspaper, La Jornada, documents the tragedy of deporting undocumented Mexican children into Tijuana. During the first seven months of this year, some 70,000 children were forcibly deported from the United States into Mexico. Many of these children are unable to travel back to their home state and tend to remain on the border.
Read More ...
San Jose Mercury News comes out against Prop. 8
August 18, 2008 at 3:50 PM
The San Jose Mercury News has published an editorial today denouncing Prop. 8, the initiative which seeks to ban marriage equality. They are joining the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the Orange County Register in calling for a "no" vote on this ballot initiative.
Read More ...
How to Read a Legal Opinion : A guide for new law students
August 18, 2008 at 12:26 PM
Welcome to all incoming 1Ls!! Congratulations!! The librarians at the Heafey Law Library are eager to meet each of you and assist you in any way we can with your legal education. To start off your first semester, we recommend reading the article, "How to read a legal opinion: a guide for new law students", written by Orin Kerr. It provides some good recommendations on your first year.
Read More ...
Library Information for One Ls
August 15, 2008 at 3:23 PM
A summary of library services
Read More ...
Texas's Disdain
August 08, 2008 at 10:25 AM
The Washington Post has an interesting editorial today on the executions of Mexican nationals recently done by the state of Texas. At issue, was whether these individuals had access to their consular authorities as required by the Vienna Convention for Consular Affairs.
Read More ...
Reneging on a right
August 08, 2008 at 10:18 AM
The Los Angeles Times published an editorial today on the issue of Prop. 8 which will appear on the November ballot. Prop. 8 intends to rescind the right to civil marriage from same-gender couples. The editorial discusses how this proposition is markedly different from Prop. 22 back in 2000 which revised the state code to restrict marriage to opposite-gender couples.
Read More ...
Settle v. Trial
August 08, 2008 at 9:38 AM
Study concludes that settling is frequently better than going to trial
Read More ...
Convicted killer gets life sentence, and pizza, from Portland court
August 07, 2008 at 3:21 PM
An unusual case has emerged from Portland, Oregon today where convicted murderer, Tremayne Durham, plead guilty to first-degree murder on the condition that he receive pizza, calzones, and Kentucky Fried Chicken. The judge agreed and provided these items contingent that were paid for by the defense counsel. The Multnomah County prosecutor involved in the case stated that the judge made the right call as it saved the expense of a trial, and possible appeals.
Read More ...
WestLaw Tip: Quick Print is NOT your friend
August 07, 2008 at 3:09 PM
To continue our WestLaw/Lexis advice, here is another valuable tip for our incoming students. There are two print options available to you in WestLaw. The first is the standard print function which sends documents to the WestLaw printer (which does not come out of your SmartPrint allotment). The second print option, Smart Print, sends a document to the attached network printer.
Read More ...
Important tip for downloading documents via WestLaw/Lexis
August 07, 2008 at 3:00 PM
We have received two reports of users having problems downloading documents from either WestLaw/Lexis. Much of this may be due to users upgrading to Firefox 3.0 recently. Please remember to add "web2.westlaw.com" and "w3.lexis.com" to the exceptions list in your pop-up blocker.
Read More ...
Legal educators plan on boycotting San Diego AALS over marriage equality
August 05, 2008 at 2:11 PM
There has been an ongoing boycott against the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego due to the hotel owner's contribution of $125,000 in support of Prop. 8 which seeks to deny civil marriage rights to same-gender families. The boycott has now spread into the field of legal education.
Read More ...
New website enables free searching of criminal records
August 05, 2008 at 10:11 AM
A new website has been introduced this week which enables free searching of criminal records. It also includes civil filings, sex offender status, and traffic infractions. You can try it out at CriminalSearches.com.
Read More ...
Prop. 8 will not be retroactive according to Attorney General Jerry Brown
August 05, 2008 at 10:02 AM
The San Francisco Chronicle published an article today on Proposition 8, which seeks to deny civil marriage rights to same-gender families. In the article, state Attorney General Jerry Brown states that the marriages formed prior to the election will remain valid even if the proposition banning them passes.
Read More ...
Marintindale-Hubbell links up with LinkedIn
August 04, 2008 at 3:43 PM
The 140-year old lawyer directory, Martindale-Hubbell, has announced plans to partner with the social network, LinkedIn. Martindale-Hubbell is a unit of LexisNexis, owned by British-based Reed Elsevier. The two companies hope to remake the lawyer directory into a "global legal professional network" to be used by both clients and practicing attorneys.
Read More ...
Animal rights activists firebomb two homes in Santa Cruz
August 04, 2008 at 10:25 AM
Animals rights activists have firebombed two homes in Santa Cruz. Both residences are occupied by professors from UC Santa Cruz. One firebomb destroyed a car, and another injured two children with smoke inhalation. The incident is the latest in a series of violent attacks against academics working in research which involves animal vivisection.
Read More ...
UK Research Resources
August 04, 2008 at 8:49 AM
Links to research papers from UK Parliament
Read More ...
Dick Cheney's lesbian daughter donates $3K to No on Prop. 8 campaign
August 01, 2008 at 2:12 PM
It has been revealed today that Mary Cheney, daughter to vice president Dick Cheney, donated $3,000 to the No on Prop. 8 campaign along with her wife, Heather Poe. Mary and Heather have a one-year old daughter together and live in Grand Falls, Virginia.
Read More ...
Mormon Times calls for overthrow of government if Prop. 8 fails
August 01, 2008 at 10:24 AM
The noted Mormon sci-fi author, Orson Scott Card, has written a op-ed piece in the latest issue of Mormon Times. In it, he discusses his position on Proposition 8 in California which seeks to deny civil marriage to same-sex families.
Read More ...
Librarian writes defense of "Uncle Bobby's Wedding"
July 31, 2008 at 10:41 AM
Although not exactly law related, there is a great letter written by a public librarian in Colorado defending the children's book "Uncle Bobby's Wedding". The book is aimed to help children deal with gay and lesbian issues in an age-appropriate manner. The letter stresses the value of information access and the dangers of censorship. The author has posted the letter to help other librarians when facing the same issue.
Read More ...
University of North Dakota Law Review gets hijacked by marriage equality opponents
July 31, 2008 at 10:25 AM
The current issue of the University of North Dakota Law Review is drawing ire from a number of North Dakota attorneys for its latest issue. The issue is devoted entirely to opposing marriage equality for LGBT families. One prominent family law attorney in Fargo, Mike Gjesdal, accuses the law review of "passing off editorializing and theological perspective as academic work … [and] bringing shame upon us."
Read More ...
NY Times publishes Obama's law school exam questions
July 31, 2008 at 10:05 AM
The NY Times has published some of the exam questions given by Barack Obama during his time teaching law school at the University of Chicago. Nan Hunter at the blog, Feminist Law Professors, was impressed with the exam questions given. She states that "[a]lmost every exam includes a question that involves sexual orientation or reproductive rights or a combination. His 2001 con law exam, a few months after September 11, contained a question involving bioterrorism."
Read More ...
Southern California earthquake affects bar takers in LA
July 30, 2008 at 4:57 PM
News is coming out of Los Angeles that the bar takers presently taking the bar exam in Los Angeles were affected by yesterday's earthquake. The quake struck shortly before noon, during the morning session of the exam's first day. The State Bar of California is in the process of gathering information about the disturbance, and how the quake may affect test scores.
Read More ...
Eric Goldman discusses Ethan Lieb's "Friends as Fiduciaries"
July 30, 2008 at 4:44 PM
Eric Goldman has written a humorous article on the blog, Conglomerate, discussing the recent article "Friends as Fiduciaries" by Ethan Lieb. The article discusses Lieb's recent submission, and considers how it represents a "broader research trend examining the overlay of legal rules onto social networks and relationships".
Read More ...
Opponents of marriage equality sue over ballot initiative description
July 30, 2008 at 10:52 AM
Opponents of marriage equality have promised to sue the state attorney general's office over a change in the description of Proposition 8. The proposition aims to eliminate the right of civil marriage for same-gender families. Supporters of the initiative are upset that the attorney general's office has described it as "eliminat[ing] the right of same-sex couples to marry".
Read More ...
Poor research skills at DOJ
July 29, 2008 at 4:06 PM
The ongoing saga at the Justice Department continues today with the release of the LexisNexis search string aides of Ms. Goodling's were using to vet potential candidates. The LexisNexis search not only reflects the ideological biases of the department, it also demonstrates a profound ignorance of LexisNexis. A DOJ report, released yesterday, finds that Ms. Goodling violated federal law in her hiring practices.
Read More ...
South Carolina Law Review tries out peer review selection process
July 29, 2008 at 2:09 PM
The South Carolina Law Review, a publication of the University of South Carolina, has announced plans to experiment with a new peer review program to select law review articles. The announcement claims that "[b]ecause we believe the current system of legal scholarship publication may be improved by changing how articles are selected, our Pilot Program will explore the feasibility of article selection through peer review in the context of a major, general interest law review."
Read More ...
Bush approves first military execution since 1961
July 29, 2008 at 10:15 AM
The Bush Administration has approved the first execution by the military since 1961. It marks the first execution since the death penalty, for the military, was reinstated by the Reagan Administration in 1984. The case involved Private Ronald Gray, who was sentenced to death for a series of rapes and murders 20 years ago. The NY Times has an article about Pvt. Gray and the history of the death penalty in the US military.
Read More ...
MCLE credit in Second Life
July 28, 2008 at 5:30 PM
On Tues July 29 th there will be an Internet Fraud class in Second Life that is good for one hour of California MCLE credit
Read More ...
DOJ hiring practices were "unlawful"
July 28, 2008 at 2:05 PM
An internal investigation within the Department of Justice has revealed unlawful hiring practices. A senior aide to Attorney General Gonzales, Monica Goodling, was discovered to have chosen career prosecutors based not on their qualifications, but on their political and religious ideology.
Read More ...
Church shooting in TN targeted "liberals and gays"
July 28, 2008 at 10:33 AM
The shooting which took place yesterday in Knoxville, TN at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalism Association appears to be a hate-crime targeting gays and liberals. The shooting killed two parishioners during an evening children's concert. The shooter, Jim Adkisson, left a manifesto decrying the progressive stance of this faith community and his hatred for gays and lesbians.
Read More ...
Iranian woman faces imminent execution by stoning
July 25, 2008 at 4:24 PM
An Iranian woman accused of prostitution is facing imminent execution by stoning. The woman, Kobra Najjar, is a victim of domestic violence forced into prostitution by her former husband. Execution by stoning is prohibited by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, of which Iran is a signatory party.
Read More ...
IRS says virtual greeters are real employees
July 25, 2008 at 2:40 PM
In a decision which is bound to affect employment practices in virtual worlds, the IRS recently decided that virtual greeters working in Second Life are actual employees. This will require employers doing business in Second Life to withhold for federal income tax and social security. In a virtual world which values anonymity and privacy, the implications of this ruling may be significant.
Read More ...
Top 35 blogs written by law faculty
July 25, 2008 at 11:04 AM
The blog, TaxProf Blog, has recently published a list of the 35 blogs written by law faculty based on traffic and unique visitors. At the top of the list is Instapundit, followed by Hugh Hewitt and the Volokh Conspiracy.
Read More ...
American Library Association begins privacy campaign
July 25, 2008 at 10:54 AM
The American Library Association, the country's largest professional librarian organization, is embarking on a new nationwide privacy campaign. The organization hopes to raise over a $1M to educate Americans about privacy in the information age. The aim of the campaign to get Americans to "recommit to information privacy".
Read More ...
Seasteading and Constructed Sovereignty
July 24, 2008 at 4:33 PM
The legal blog, Opinion Juris, has a recent discussion about the Seasteading movement and whether sovereignty can be "constructed". The article discusses a recent Wired magazine article on the same topic and quotes Patri Friedman the head of the Seasteading Insitute. Patri Friedman is the grandson of Nobel-prize winning economist Milton Friedman and the son of SCU professor David Friedman.
Read More ...
CA Supreme Court deterimines no right to allocution at sentencing
July 24, 2008 at 3:53 PM
The San Francisco Chronicle is reporting on a recent decision by the California Supreme Court regarding the right of allocution at sentencing. Dating back to 17th century England, the right of allocution is the ability of a defendant to address the court during sentencing to ask for leniency. Normally allocution is not subject to cross-examination. The court found no such right and declared that defendants addressing the court must do so under oath, and are subject to cross-examination.
Read More ...
Google releases product to compete with Wikipedia
July 24, 2008 at 11:10 AM
Google today released its Knol product, a direct competitor to Wikipedia. A "knol" is an authoritative article on a particular subject. Google claims that its vetting process for authors is more thorough than Wikipedia, leading to more reliable and authoritative information.
Read More ...
The "de-centralizing" of social networks : News from Facebook
July 24, 2008 at 10:44 AM
Local Bay Area company, Facebook, announced yesterday its new Facebook Connect feature. The service is the beginning of the company's plan to "de-centralize" social networks and permit the data contained in a network to be shared with other services.
Read More ...
New report recommends closing California's state-run juvenile detention centers
July 24, 2008 at 10:18 AM
The state-appointed Little Hoover Commission today released its report on the state of California's juvenile detention system. The report, "Juvenile Justice Reform: Realigning Responsibilities", suggesting laying "the groundwork for the creation of county-run, state-funded, regional rehabilitative facilities for high-risk, high-need juvenile offenders and for the eventual elimination of state juvenile justice operations". The report is available online in PDF format.
Read More ...
GPS Tracking for Convicted Sex Offenders?
July 23, 2008 at 4:07 PM
Pennsylvania state officials are urging their state legislature to enact requiring GPS units for convicted sex offenders for five years following their release from prison. There is a growing movement among state legislature to require GPS tracking for convicted sex offenders. The blog, Sentencing Law and Policy, has a discussion about the issues, and concerns, regarding this topic.
Read More ...
House Armed Services Committee debates future of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
July 23, 2008 at 10:22 AM
The House Armed Services Committee is today discussing the future of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy which discriminates against LGBT Americans in the armed forces. This issue has local interest due to our proximity to the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA. Since the beginning of the "War on Terror", hundreds of highly specialized translators have been discharged due to their sexual orientation.
Read More ...
Recent developments regarding COPA (Children's Online Protection Act)
July 22, 2008 at 4:30 PM
Some ten years after its passage by Congress, the Children's Online Protection Act was ruled facially unconstitutional by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. It has been blocked by court order since 1998. The act intends to "shield" minors from "objectionable" content by requiring website owners to verify the age of their visitors. The court found the legislation to be unconstitutional, and facially violated both the first and fifth amendments.
Read More ...
Despite World Court ruling, and protests, Texas continues with executions of Mexican nationals
July 17, 2008 at 4:13 PM
The World Court ruled two days ago, acting on a request by the Mexican government, that five Mexicans nationals sentenced to be executed in Texas have not been given proper contact with consular authorities, which according to the court, violates treaty agreements. Mexican national, Jose Ernesto Medellin Rojas, is the first scheduled to be executed on August 5. The American member of the tribunal dissented on all points of the court's decision.
Read More ...
How to Read a Legal Opinion : A guide for new law students
July 17, 2008 at 11:50 AM
A new article entitled, "How to Read a Legal Opinion : A Guide for New Law Students" has been posted to SSRN. Written by noted legal scholar, Orin S. Kerr, from George Washington University, the articles introduces basic legal concepts needed to read a legal opinion and also offers advice on how to deal with your first few weeks of law school. It is highly recommended for incoming 1Ls.
Read More ...
The Google Generation and Legal Research
July 10, 2008 at 2:51 PM
The WestLaw-affiliated blog, WestBlog.net, has recently released a podcast on the changing information needs of the "Google Generation" and how it is changing the ways in which legal research services are offered, and used. The podcast is in mp3 format.
Read More ...
Lexis v. WestLaw : Law Librarians Weigh In on Debate
July 10, 2008 at 1:53 PM
A new survey among law-firm and law-school librarians has recently been published by Stanford Law. The survey asked about preferences of Lexis v. WestLaw, and what services are being used in law firms. They also list the resources, and services, they would like law students to learn before they begin to practice.
Read More ...
Congress approves warrant-less eavesdropping
July 09, 2008 at 2:37 PM
Congress today passed the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act which immunizes telecommunications companies for eavesdropping on their customers, terminates pending lawsuits on this issue, and gives the administration new powers to eavesdrop within the United States. The final vote was 69-28. Presidential nominee Barack Obama voted with the Republican senators, while former candidate Hillary Clinton voted against it.
Read More ...
Personal Democracy Forum 2008: Rebooting the System
July 09, 2008 at 11:08 AM
The keynote address by Harvard's Jonathan Zittrain from the Personal Democracy Forum is now available online. Zittrain discusses the role of the Internet in civil involvement and how the "technologies of cooperation" which have contributed to the success of the Internet may now be threatened.
Read More ...
New virtual world created by Google releases its terms of service contract
July 09, 2008 at 10:43 AM
For those interested in the legal issues of virtual worlds, Google yesterday announced its new online virtual world system called Lively. Today, Google is permitting users to download this service via a browser plug-in. The virtual world legal blog, Virtually Blind, has written a commentary on Google's terms of usage contract and how it differs, and compares, with other virtual worlds, and the ways it raises the same legal issues common in this area of law.
Read More ...
Top SCU-affiliated downloads from SSRN
July 08, 2008 at 2:22 PM
Here is a list of the most downloaded articles from SCU-affiliated scholars on the SSRN Network for the past 12 months.
Read More ...
D.C. Circuit Opinion cites to Jimi Hendrix
July 08, 2008 at 2:09 PM
Following the path emblazoned by Chief Justice Roberts' recent citation to Bob Dylan, a D.C. Circuit Court Judge has cited to a Jimi Hendrix song in her opinion for a case involving the False Claims Act.
Read More ...
SL Bar Association offering CLE credit entirely within a virtual world
July 08, 2008 at 11:23 AM
Marking the first time that CLE credit is available for an entirely "in-world" event, the Second Life Bar Association announces an event on "Virtual World Legal Issues". The event will be free for SL Bar members (dues are currently at an amazingly low $2.20 a year). The event is accredited for CLE credit in California and the United Kingdom.
Read More ...
Online video of debate between Eugene Volokh and Jack Rakove on the Heller decision
July 07, 2008 at 5:18 PM
There is an online debate on the Heller decision between Stanford's Jack Rakove and UCLA's Eugene Volokh. The site, Bloggingheads, is hosting the debate.
Read More ...
Summer fun: Judge Kozinsky on The Dating Game
July 07, 2008 at 4:17 PM
A new video from the late 1970s has recently drawn publicity in the legal blogosphere. It depicts future 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Chief Justice, Alex Kozinski, playing a round on the popular 70s television show, The Dating Game.
Read More ...
Washington Post calls for rehearing in Kennedy v. Louisiana
July 07, 2008 at 10:29 AM
In light of the court relying on the false assumption that a federal statute permitting the death penalty for child rape did not exist, the Washington Post has today published an editorial calling upon the court to re-hear the case. A number of legal bloggers and others have been discussing how a federal statute in the Uniform Code of Military Justice does permit the death penalty for members of the armed forces for the crime of raping a child.
Read More ...
Need to brush up on legal research skills before the fall?
July 07, 2008 at 10:20 AM
Are you needing to brush up on your legal research skills over the summer? Needing to prepare for the law review or an externship? You may find the CALI lessons on legal research to be helpful. They cover a wide variety of topics from finding statutes to using loose-leaf services. They are all Flash-based and usually take about 20-30 minutes to complete.
Read More ...
Legal research faux-pas affects Kennedy v. Louisiana case
July 03, 2008 at 11:51 AM
An interesting development in the recently decided Kennedy v. Louisiana case has emerged. The case dealt with the application of the death penalty for child rape. One of the reasons stated by the court for its decision banning the death penalty for child rape pivoted upon the fact that only 6 states, and not the federal government, permit it. This has turned out to be incorrect because in 2006 Congress made child rape punishable by death for members of the armed forces.
Read More ...
Is it a crime for a gay Wisconsin couple to marry in California?
July 03, 2008 at 10:10 AM
Perhaps portending the legal battles to come, Ann Althouse writes today in her blog about a criminal statute in Wisconsin that punishes those who enter into an "illegal marriage" with a $10,000 fine and/or nine months in prison. The criminal statute is being supported by anti-marriage equality groups such as the Wisconsin Family Council.
Read More ...
Interesting study on blog reading habits
July 02, 2008 at 4:44 PM
Three political science professors from George Washington University have recently published a study on blogs and their users' reading habits. The article, entitled "Self-Segregation or Deliberation? Blog Readership, Participation and Polarization in American Politics", contains some surprising results about the political affiliations of blog readers.
Read More ...
C-SPAN posts video of Federalist Society's review of this term's SCOTUS decisions
July 01, 2008 at 1:42 PM
The Federalist Society does a yearly review of the cases decided by the Supreme Court. This year's review was recorded by C-SPAN and is now available online in RealPlayer format. Additionally, the American Constitution Society also hosted a panel reviewing this year's SCOTUS decisions which is also available via C-SPAN.
Read More ...
Chief Justice John Roberts cites to Bob Dylan
July 01, 2008 at 11:59 AM
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, John Roberts, cited to a Bob Dylan song lyric in his dissent on a case involving pay phone operators and long distance phone companies. Adam Liptak at the New York Times writes a humorous article about this case, and others which has cited to song lyrics.
Read More ...
New website for international disaster information
July 01, 2008 at 11:07 AM
The United Nations' Dag Hammarskjlöd Library is promoting a recently updated website, called ReliefWeb, which aggregates information about international disasters including detailed information about refugee camps and international humanitarian efforts. The site is produced by the United Nations' Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Read More ...
U.S. News and World Reports considers adding part-time students in their law school rankings
July 01, 2008 at 11:00 AM
U.S. News and World Report is considering adding part-time law students to their rankings of law schools. As part-time students tend to be older, and have spent more time out of college, this proposed change may have large consequences on this highly competitive tool used to compare law schools.
Read More ...
The Protestant Ethic and American Capitalism
June 30, 2008 at 10:58 AM
There is an interesting discussion at the Becker-Posner Blog on the role of the protestant ethic in American capitalism. Richard Posner discusses a recent NY Times editorial by David Brooks which argues that the success of American capitalism is deeply rooted in the work ethic, and moral framework, of Colonial American Protestantism.
Read More ...
California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice issues scathing report on California death penalty
June 30, 2008 at 10:14 AM
The California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice issued its report on the death penalty in California. While stopping short of calling for its demise, the report does offer a scathing critique of the administration of the death penalty in California calling it both "dysfunctional" and "costly".
Read More ...
Is gun control a feminist issue?
June 27, 2008 at 10:02 AM
Several notable legal bloggers have drawn attention to a section in the opinion of District of Columbia v. Heller and how it may be advancing a feminist argument against gun control. They are specifically pointing out the sentence, "it is easier to use for those without the upper-body strength to lift and aim a long gun", and how the court considered gender in its decision.
Read More ...
Criminal law implications from Heller decision
June 26, 2008 at 3:58 PM
Douglas Berman (a law professor at Ohio State University) in his blog, Sentencing Law and Policy, writes on the criminal law implications of today's decision in District of Columbia v. Heller. He writes how the court found possession of handguns to be an individual right which can be exercised by all Americans and how this impacts those convicted of gun crimes or have sentencing enhancements.
Read More ...
Reactions from Heller decision
June 26, 2008 at 10:49 AM
The Supreme Court of the United States announced their decision today in the District of Columbia v. Heller case. The court found that the second amendment is indeed a personal right, and that restrictions on handguns (such as those in D.C.), are unconstitutional. Here are some reactions from legal bloggers.
Read More ...
SCOTUS rules death penalty for child-rape unconstitutional
June 25, 2008 at 10:44 AM
The Supreme Court of the United States ruled today in, Kennedy v. Louisiana, that the death penalty cannot be given to those convicted of child rape. The case is seen as an important indication of the future of the death penalty in the United States. It continues a pattern in the court, beginning with the 1977 Coker v. Georgia decision, which banned the death penalty for the rape of adult women.
Read More ...
Orange County Register editorial supports marriage equality
June 24, 2008 at 4:16 PM
In a rather surprising move, the Orange County Register, the largest newspaper in historically conservative Orange County, has written an editorial supporting marriage equality. A number of legal bloggers, including Andrew Sullivan, have called this a "watershed" event.
Read More ...
Top 10 Books for incoming law students
June 24, 2008 at 3:18 PM
If you are looking for materials to read over the summer in preparation for your first year of law school, this list may be a good place to start. Compiled by the sales data from Amazon.com, it lists a number of popular items designed to assist incoming first-year law students.
Read More ...
Software tools for making class outlines and table of authorities
June 24, 2008 at 2:42 PM
There are some great software tools made by both Lexis and WestLaw for creating table of authorities and writing class outlines. These tools may be particularly useful for first-year law students in their legal research and writing courses. The Lexis application, CaseMap, is also an excellent way to organize facts, people, authorities, and other documents for a case.
Read More ...
Defining "community standards" in a digital world
June 24, 2008 at 1:34 PM
An interesting obscenity case is developing in Pensacola, Florida regarding a website operator who was hosting pornographic materials. The company's defense counsel is using a novel method to determine "community standards" with Google Trends. Google Trends is a product, created by Google, that tracks search queries based on locale and other criteria. The defense counsel is arguing that community standards can be determined by this data.
Read More ...
Were signatures for the anti-marriage equality initiative acquired under a false assertion?
June 24, 2008 at 11:21 AM
New developments in the California marriage equality issue have come forth in the last week. The National Center for Lesbian Rights is now arguing that the initiative gathered signatures under a false assertion as it claims "no fiscal affect on state or local governments". This assertion is disputed by the Williams Institute at UCLA which has calculated that gay marriage will bring $700 million to the state economy over the next three years, and add $63 million in tax revenue.
Read More ...
Two Years for Law School?
June 20, 2008 at 9:46 AM
Northwestern's accelerated J.D. program
Read More ...
Professors get their "rankings" on SSRN
June 13, 2008 at 8:48 AM
The New York Times has an interesting article about the Social Science Research Network (SSRN) and its increasing influence on academic legal publishing. A new feature on the SSRN which tallies downloads of each article is being used by professors to gauge the impact of their articles before actual publication. The article also comments how the increased accessibility of legal publishing, through technologies such as the SSRN, is expanding the audience and impact of these materials.
Read More ...
Proofreading checklist for law school papers, notes, and comments
June 13, 2008 at 8:39 AM
A new article entitled, "Training Independent Learners: Student Self-Editing Checklist for Law School Papers, Notes and Comments" is now available on SSRN. Written by faculty at the University of Missouri - Kansas City, the articles lists many of the most basic principles of good, clear writing and many of the most common flaws in students' papers. It requires the student to certify, by signing and noting the date and time, that the student has checked the paper for each of the points listed.
Read More ...
June 12--Loving Day
June 12, 2008 at 11:50 AM
Today is the 41st anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Loving v. Virginia that struck down Virginia's anti-miscegenation statute. Richard Loving and Mildred Jeter, both native Virginians, married each other in the District of Columbia. After they returned to Virginia, they were charged with violating the state's ban on interracial marriages. They pled guilty and were exiled from the state . . . .
Read More ...
SCOTUS announces decision on Boumediene v. Bush
June 12, 2008 at 11:04 AM
The Supreme Court released today its decision on the Boumediene v. Bush case. At issue was whether non-citizens held in military custody have a constitutional right to habeas relief. The ruling represents a major loss for the Bush Administration.
Read More ...
Murderer of young gay man gets 2.5 years in South Carolina prison
June 11, 2008 at 2:12 PM
Perhaps demonstrating the need for added hate crime penalties, a judge in Greenville County, South Carolina, sentenced Stephen Moller to 2.5 years for the murder of a 20-year old gay man.
Read More ...
Tenth Circuit says Lawrence was a rational-basis case
June 10, 2008 at 5:27 PM
Demonstrating the confusion among the appellate courts on the Lawrence v. Texas case, the Tenth Circuit recently announced its decision in the Seegmiller v. Laverkin City case. The court upheld a city's private reprimand of a police officer who had an adulterous affair with someone outside the department.
Read More ...
First Circuit Upholds "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
June 09, 2008 at 4:40 PM
The First Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals recently announced its decision in the Cook v. Gates case. This case is the second challenge to the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy after the SCOTUS' 2003 decision on Lawrence v. Texas. The first challenge was heard before the Ninth Circuit and was remanded back to the district court.
Read More ...
www.ourcourts.org
June 09, 2008 at 2:53 PM
Coming soon: interactive civics lessons on the internet
Read More ...
Friday Fun: I'm a Bar/Bri Girl
June 06, 2008 at 4:35 PM
Check out this hilarious YouTube video made by the law students at NYU. It is a parody of the song, "Barbie Girl", from the Danish dance group, Aqua.
Read More ...
Controversy over recent Harvard Law Review article
June 06, 2008 at 1:55 PM
There has been a considerable amount of controversy created by a recent Harvard Law Review note entitled, "Never Again Should A People Starve in a World of Plenty". The article heavily criticizes the pursuit of "big-firm" employment over public interest and social justice law. It has been critiqued by a number of notable conservatives and libertarians among legal blogs.
Read More ...
CA Supreme Court unanimously denies stay for marriage equality ruling
June 04, 2008 at 11:48 AM
The California Supreme Court unanimously denied a stay to the marriage equality ruling (In Re Marriage Cases). Same-gender marriage will begin in California starting on June 17, 2008. Already a number of local community groups are planning to hold events at county clerk offices to celebrate and receive marriage certificates.
Read More ...
New peer-reviewed open access journal from Harvard Law School
June 04, 2008 at 10:48 AM
A new peer-reviewed open access journal is available from Harvard University's School of Law. The journal is scheduled to begin publication in Fall 2008. If you are interested in submitting to this journal follow the instructions from their website.
Read More ...
Marriage quote of the day
June 03, 2008 at 4:03 PM
Interesting parallels between In re marriage cases and Plussy v. Ferguson.
Read More ...
Should communion be a political weapon?
June 03, 2008 at 12:43 PM
An article by E.J. Dionne Jr. was published by the Washington Post today on the controversy surrounding Douglas Kmiec. Professor Kmiec is a law professor at Pepperdine University who once served as the dean of Catholic University. In a surprise move, Kmiec has endorsed Obama for president.
Read More ...
Proselytizing and Free Speech
June 03, 2008 at 11:57 AM
There have been interesting recent developments on the issue of proselytizing in war zones by American military personnel. Recently a U.S. Marine stationed in Fallujah was re-assigned to another area, and reprimanded, for passing out coins imprinted with Bible verses written in Arabic. In a similar story, a British police officer told two Christian missionaries who were passing out leaflets in a largely Muslim area that they were committing a hate crime.
Read More ...
Questions about access to the library?
June 03, 2008 at 11:04 AM
Congratulations to all students who graduated the previous semester. If you are studying for the July Bar Exam you may want to view the library access policy for law school graduates. In it, you'll find the access policy for those studying for the bar exam or other students who would like to use the library over the summer.
Read More ...
Voter initiative to limit marriage qualifies for November ballot
June 03, 2008 at 10:18 AM
The proposed voter initiative to restrict marriage to opposite-gender couples has been certified by the California Secretary of State. In all, nearly 700,000 signatures were gathered.
Read More ...
Podcast Series on Law Practice
June 02, 2008 at 9:44 AM
From Suffolk University Law School Legal Practice Skills Program
Read More ...
ACLU President Anthony Romero interviewed in Second Life
May 29, 2008 at 4:21 PM
The president of the American Civil Liberties Union, Anthony Romero, was interviewed on the radio talk show, Virtually Speaking, on the topics of torture and the FISA court. Virtually Speaking is a talk show in the virtual world, Second Life.
Read More ...
Bar Exam Resources
May 29, 2008 at 3:54 PM
We are only two months away from the bar exam. If you are looking for bar exam materials in the Heafey Law Library please read our research guide. It contains links to bar exam materials/resources, a list of study materials, and other information about the exam.
Read More ...
Heavily-redacted documents on waterboarding released by the CIA
May 29, 2008 at 3:20 PM
Some heavily-redacted documents on the practice of waterboarding those in CIA custody have been released via a FOIA request by the ACLU.
Read More ...
Deal reached to ban cluster bombs
May 29, 2008 at 1:51 PM
The Cluster Munition Coalition organized a conference today in Dublin, Ireland with representatives for over 100 countries to ban the use, and manufacture, of cluster bombs. The United States, Russia and China are the world's largest producers of cluster bombs and all three chose not to send representatives to this conference.
Read More ...
Is California's anti-marriage equality initiative a revision or an amendment?
May 29, 2008 at 11:13 AM
There is an interesting discussion regarding the legality of the proposed ballot initiative which aims to amend the state constitution banning the recognition of marriages between same-gender families. The California politics blog, Calitics, has an article discussing whether the proposed initiative is an amendment or revision of the constitution.
Read More ...
State Laws Relating to Immigrants and Immigration
May 28, 2008 at 12:58 PM
Information about immigration related bills introduced in state legislatures during the first quarter of 2008
Read More ...
Majority of Californians support marriage equality
May 28, 2008 at 11:37 AM
Signaling a generational shift in attitudes, a new Field Poll on Tuesday said California voters now support legal marriage between same-sex couples and oppose a state constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.
By 51 to 42 percent, state voters believe gay couples have the right to marry, according to a May 17-26 poll of 1,052 registered voters.
Read More ...
The California Marriage Decision and Basic Civics
May 23, 2008 at 11:43 AM
Civil rights and constitutional law litigator, Glenn Greenwald, has written an article appearing in Salon dealing with the recent California Supreme Court decision on marriage equality.
Read More ...
Loyola Law School introduces "First Monday" podcasts on iTunes
May 23, 2008 at 11:35 AM
Loyola Law School in Los Angeles recently introduced a series of podcasts, available on iTunes University, called "First Monday". These podcasts cover a range of legal topics and include both recordings of lectures and symposiums. Click on the link for iTunes University, select "Loyola", and then "Law School".
Read More ...
Cheating on your lover may soon be a felony in Missouri?
May 23, 2008 at 11:22 AM
The legal blog, Volokh Conspiracy, has an interesting discussion about proposed legislation in Missouri. The proposed bill makes it a crime to cause "emotional distress" to another person. Eugene Volokh addresses the threat to freedom of expression this legislation poses. It was written apparently in response to a teen who committed suicide after being harassed at school.
Read More ...
USA ranks #97 on the Global Peace Index
May 21, 2008 at 4:20 PM
A list on "global peace" compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit of the Institute for Economics and Peace was released today. The list ranks countries according to their foreign relations, military expenditures, and domestic tranquility. Iceland was ranked as the most peaceful country, with the USA at 97, and Iraq, Afghanistan, and Israel in the bottom three.
Read More ...
Ninth Circuit revives substantive due process challenge to "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
May 21, 2008 at 1:31 PM
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals remanded the case, Witt v. Department of the Air Force, today holding that Lawrence v. Texas "requires something more than traditional rational basis review". There is a discussion about the possible ramifications from this decision on the blog, Volokh Conspiracy.
Read More ...
New legal research blog from the law librarians at Stanford
May 15, 2008 at 3:57 PM
The law librarians at Stanford University's School of Law have recently announced a new legal research blog called Legal Research Plus. The blog intends to keep abreast of current legal issues and developments in legal research. We at Heafey wish to congratulate our colleagues at Stanford for their newest entry into the legal blogosphere!
Read More ...
CA Supreme Court issues historical ruling on marriage equality
May 15, 2008 at 11:12 AM
The California Supreme Court today issued its ruling in the "In re marriage cases" on the issue of marriage equality for same-sex families. The court found that CA Family Code § 300 and 308.5 which restricted marriage to only heterosexual couples failed to meet the strict scrutiny standard as it did not demonstrate a compelling state interest.
Read More ...
Exciting changes to West's Key Number System
May 13, 2008 at 3:45 PM
Exciting news from West (a Thomson Reuters company)!
Changes to the Key Number System
On May 12, West plans to release significant changes to the Key Number System. Attorney editors have completed the reclassification of over 500,000 headnotes. The improvements include the following . . .
For more fun and information about headnotes, you might want to look at these resources . . .
Read More ...
Right-wing affirmative action?
May 13, 2008 at 12:49 PM
The new chancellor at the University of Colorado at Boulder is proposing a new, and controversial, professorship of "Conservative Thought and Policy". This is apparently in response to a perceived "left-wing bias" on the campus, and criticism from conservative groups. This action, however, is drawing criticism from both conservatives and progressives alike.
Read More ...
U.S. Legal Work Booms in India
May 12, 2008 at 3:48 PM
An article in today's Washington Post details the boom in U.S. legal work among Indian workers. The outsourced legal industry in India is growing at a rate of 60% a year, taking advantage of the 300,000 Indians who enter law school every year.
Read More ...
New Screencasts/Video Tutorials!!
May 12, 2008 at 11:23 AM
The librarians at the Heafey Law Library are happy to announce the introduction of screencasts, or video tutorials, available on the law library's website. The tutorials cover basic topics such as how to find a law review article, course reserve, or book. Watch the website for more screencasts as they become available.
Read More ...
Patent Attorney Stephan Kinsella speaks on re-thinking intellectual property
May 09, 2008 at 5:33 PM
Patent Attorney Stephan Kinsella gives a 40-minute presentation on why we need to "rethink" intellectual property. From Techdirt, "He does a very nice job ripping apart the "property rights" arguments that some, especially some libertarians, use in favor of patents, explaining why that doesn't make sense. It's an excellent presentation, and well worth watching."
Read More ...
Harvard Law School goes open access
May 09, 2008 at 10:29 AM
Harvard Law School has announced that articles written by their faculty must be available in open access journals. This mandate upon Harvard faculty marks the first foray by a law school into mandatory open access. Articles written by Harvard faculty will be hosted in an online database and indexed in Google Scholar.
Read More ...
Santa Clara ranks 33rd in 1L attrition rates
May 09, 2008 at 10:03 AM
The website, Lawschoolnumbers.com, has aggregated some statistics on the attrition rates among 1L at the nation's top 200 law schools. In their report, Santa Clara ranks 33rd in the list, with 16.9% of 1Ls not continuing into their second year.
Read More ...
Michigan Supreme Court says gay partners can't get health benefits
May 07, 2008 at 4:05 PM
The Supreme Court for the State of Michigan recently ruled 5-2 that the 2004 state ban on same-sex marriages also blocks the extension of health insurance to partners of gay state government employees. Currently some 375 families are covered via their LBGT partners who are employees at one of Michigan's state universities and/or colleges. This ruling will likely mean these people will loose their health insurance.
Read More ...