Saturday, October 25, 2014

HeinOnline's United Nations Law Collection

Since yesterday was United Nations Day, this is a good time for a reminder about the United Nations Law Collection on HeinOnline. Finding international sources can be a challenge. This collection should not be overlooked when searching for treaties, international arbitration rules and awards, International Court of Justice judgments and case materials, and so much more.  Special finding features also make it easy to search for a treaty or agreement by citation, popular name, and other identifiers.

The United Nations Law Collection consists of nine sections: Treaty Publications; International Court of Justice (ICJ); United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL); International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS); United Nations Yearbooks; United Nations Serials; Codification and Progressive Development of International Law; and United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research.  There is a wealth of material here for researching topics in international law, trade, and human rights, as well as for the source gathering of specific documents--all of it in PDF.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Applying Native American Traditions to New York Disputes


The Peacemaking Program of the Court Innovation Project now has a branch in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn. According to a recent article,


“Peacemaking is used today in the [Native American] tribal court system as a restorative practice that focuses on mending relationships and healing the community after an offense has been committed. When a case is referred to peacemakers, a circle is formed that includes the victim and the offender, any family or community members who have been affected by the crime or dispute and some tribal elders. Bread is broken, prayers are said, and then the issue is talked out until a resolution is reached.


Despite concerns that such a culturally specific and spiritual practice would not work in a multicultural urban environment with no particular spiritual tradition, peacemaking is flourishing at the Red Hood Community Court, and plans for expansion are already underway. Since the program was launched, the peacemakers have handled over 50 court cases and a number of conflicts referred directly from the community.”

Read more here.


Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Monday, October 20, 2014

Study Guides

Sometimes you just need a little help preparing for a law school exam.  The Study Guides LibGuide is a list of resources that you can find in the law library by subject and series.

Only the most recent edition of each study guide is listed.  Earlier editions may also be available.  Academic Support (Law School, rooms 219 & 220) also lends from its library of study guides, which includes series not held in the Law Library.  Flashcards and audio CD’s are  listed by series and subject.  Unless  you see “Reserve,” the location will be in the Classified Collection, i.e. the main stacks.

In each list by subject, BL = Black Letter; CI = Concepts & Insights; EE=Examples and Explanations.

Check out the different kinds of study guides now so you can discover which type is best for you.  

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Sunday, October 19, 2014

Legal Forms Libguide

Are you researching for various subject specific forms and would like to have all the resources in one place?  Try the Legal Forms Guide, this guide provides lists of major sets (like Bender's, American Jurisprudence and more), subject specific forms, online free and fee forms.  This guide only reflects resources available in the Law Library in print and online.  Click here to access the guide.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat