1L/Transfer Lexis Westlaw training

For all of you taking Legal Writing this semester, Lexis and Westlaw training will start on Monday. You will have the opportunity to learn just how much is available on these systems beyond cases and statutes and how to search time-efficiently and effectively. (Evening students, you will have your own session in the Spring.)

Training will last for three weeks. The schedule is below. Sign up at the Circulation desk . . . AND MAKE SURE TO BRING YOUR REGISTERED USERNAMES AND PASSWORDS FOR BOTH SYSTEMS!! Meet in the Lower Level lab.

Monday, 9/15 - 11:10-12:40 ; 3:10-4:40
Tuesday, 9/16 - 10:10-11:40 ; 12:10-1:40
Wednesday, 9/17 - 11:10-12:40 ; 3:10-4:40 ; 5:10-6:40
Thursday, 9/18 - 10:10-11:40
Friday, 9/19 - 12:10-1:40
Sunday, 9/21 - 1:10-2:40

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Election Law Online Resource

Election Law is a Web publication of timely interest from the Moritz Law Library at the Ohio State Moritz College of Law.

According to its Web site, Election Law “covers developments in the law of election administration-- laws dealing with voter registration, voter ID, early and absentee voting, provisional balloting, poll workers and polling place procedures, recounts and election contests, and other related issues”.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

George Stephanopoulos to visit Hofstra

This is an Educate'08 event. Take advantage of these opportunities. This is the announcement from the Educate'08 page:

George Stephanopoulos is the Chief Washington Correspondent for ABC News and anchor of ABC’s Sunday morning program, This Week with George Stephanopoulos.

Location: John Cranford Adams Playhouse, South Campus

While this event is free and open to the public, seating is limited. Students and faculty will receive preference during registration and seating. Due to this intense interest in this event, all attendees must register in advance by clicking here. (Registering via this system represents a request for tickets to the event. You will be notified via e-mail within 48 hours regarding the status of your request. There is a limit of two tickets per request.)




Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

HeinOnline Wiki

If you would like some tips and tricks on using HeinOnline, take a look at the HeinOnline wiki. The wiki offers some really helpful things such as a faq, training guides, and a list of new content. I even have it bookmarked in my Diigo account.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Shepard's in Print

This post is about something that doesn't come up too often in law schools now: using Shepard's Citations in print. Here are a couple of places with quick primers on how to use these red books.

U. Delaware has a decent guide, with a picture, that goes over the basics here. And this is pretty similar to what you'll see in Legal Research in a Nutshell (on Reserve and behind the Ref. desk in our library).







Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Landmark Voting Cases

Election law and the story of who has the legal right to vote in the United States has been marked by a key group of landmark court cases. These cases, brought together and summarized by the American Bar Association on its web site, are a good starting point for both law students and the general public. For a brief historian's overview of the cultural and political background behind the legal landmarks, check out "Winning the Vote: A History of Voting Rights," in History Now, a free online journal published by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.


Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Following the Money

With the campaign season now in full swing, we will all want to find a way to track the financial claims of both candidates and their campaigns. A great resource to do just that is the Sunlight Foundation - with its associated sites OpenSecrets.org and FedSpending.org.

According to their site, the Sunlight Foundation was founded to "to make information about Congress and the federal government more meaningfully accessible to citizens" and to serve "as a catalyst for greater political transparency and to foster more openness and accountability in government."

OpenSecrets.org focuses on "money’s influence on U.S. elections and public policy."

FedSpending.org provides spending data for federal contracts t and federal assistance data.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Google U.S. Government Search

According to its Web site, “Google U.S. Government Search offers a single location for searching across U.S. government information, and for keeping up to date on government news. You can choose to search for content located on either U.S. federal, state and local government websites or the entire Web -- from the same search box. Below the search box, the homepage includes government-specific news content from both government agencies and press outlets”.

You can also personalize the page by adding content feeds about government or any other topic that interests you.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Library Audio Tour

If you missed the Law Library walking tours it is not too late! Take a self-guided tour of the Law Library by downloading our seven part Library Audio Tour to your MP3 player and listen at your leisure.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Educate'08

Are you taking advantage of the Educate'08 activities on campus? Hofstra University is to host the third and final Presidential debate on October 15, 2008, and the University has taken this as an educational opportunity to engage in a year-long series of conferences, events and lectures. Plus, there are student only receptions designed to give Hofstra students one-on-one time with the distinguished guests. This is an extraordinary year on campus so extend your educational experience and participate.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat