New Look for UN Treaty Collection site

The United Nations Treaty Collection has a new refined look. The front page is much easier to view and the contents clearly identified. Searching for a treaty is streamlined and there are some advance search features including: Popular Name, Participant search and Title search. Texts of the treaties are in PDF. Better yet, you can access the text of the treaty from the "Status of Treaty" database. One just has to figure out which of the icons to use.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Obscenity Laws and The First Amendment

If you are interested in obscenity laws and the First Amendment, you might want to check out Obscene. Obscene is a documentary about Barney Rosset, the founder of Grove Press and the publisher who fought obscenity laws in order to bring classics such Lady Chatterly's Lover and Henry Miller's Tropic of Cancer to the United States. Rosset is also receiving an award from the National Book Foundation.


Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Law Library Staircase Repairs

The Library staircase closest to room 102A is closed for repair today. Please use the staircase next to room 104 to access (or exit) the lower level of the library. Apologies for the late notice!



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Fact-Checking Friday's Debate

Here are a few of the claims made by Senators McCain and Obama in Friday's presidential debate, and resources for checking their accuracy.

Factcheck.org and the Washington Post's Fact Checker blog each have their fact-checking for the whole debate on a single page, so those two links are only provided here. PolitiFact has separate pages for each claim, which are linked to individually.

- The kerfuffle over whose position on talking to Iran is most like Henry Kissinger's.
The answer is nuanced. Here is Kissinger's reaction.

- Obama's tax plans. Obama said that he would give 95% of people a tax cut. McCain said that Obama had voted to increase taxes on people making as little as $42,000 per year.
The answer to the latter depends on whether a vote on a budget resolution counts.

- McCain: "The average South Korean is 3 inches taller than the average North Korean."
This is true.

- McCain: Pakistan was a "failed state" before Musharraf came to power.
This was not answered by any of the fact-checking sites mentioned, but using "a country in social and economic collapse where the government no longer exercises authority" as a definition for a "failed state," this AP article calls the statement false.

Several more claims are fact-checked on the sites mentioned.




Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Ernster's Blogroll

You may have noticed our newest feature--our blogroll. We've selected outstanding law and legal news blogs; blogs for which Hofstra Law professors are editors and contributors; a few law library and librarian blogs with research guides and tips; and blogs that feature legal technology news and news about the legal profession. The blogs are listed alphabetically by title, each with a link to the latest post. Take a look, and let us know what you think.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Paper Writing Research Workshop - repeated

At your request, the Library is repeating the 21st Century Workshop on research for paper writing. We received great feedback from some of you and the most popular day and time suggested was Thursday at 4:10pm.

So, we will repeat the workshop on Thursday, October 2nd at 4:10pm in Room 038N in the Library.

If you cannot make this, check out the Library's podcast page, where you will find the mp3 file of the first workshop ready to be downloaded.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Speechology

Speechology archives video of political debates, speeches, and campaign advertisements. Moreover, for each video, users may contribute comments to confirm or refute claims made by politicians by offering their own independent research to the contrary. Videos may be browsed by politician or video set.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Human Rights Watch Report

If you are interested in human rights issues, look at the Human Rights Watch website. Their site provides access to information concerning current human rights issues and includes Human Rights Watch Reports in full text.




Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

President Signs New Attorney-Client Privilege Rule

The President signed into law a new evidence rule (FRE 502) that limits the waiver on attorney-client privilege and work product. It is intended to provide an consistent standard for the privilege for the application of the attorney-client privilege and the work product doctrine. For the text of the rule, discussion/analysis and important links such as the "Statement of Congressional Intent", check out the Federal Evidence Review.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Manage Your Library Transactions Using "My Library Account" -- Renew Items Online!

You just got home and remembered that you forgot to renew your library book. Don't worry. Renew it online from home with MY LIBRARY ACCOUNT. MY LIBRARY ACCOUNT provides access to your library patron record and allows you to see what materials you have checked out and renew them online.

Have you run the same or similar catalog search numerous times? Well, MY LIBRARY ACCOUNT also allows you to save “preferred searches” and re-run them at a later date.

To access MY LIBRARY ACCOUNT:

• Go to Hofstra Law School Library Main Page http://law.hofstra.edu/Library
• In the left-hand margin click “Catalog”
• At the top of the catalog search screen click “MY LIBRARY ACCOUNT”
• You will be prompted to authenticate using your name and “700” number
• Click on “Submit"

Remember to logout.





Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat