New SCOTUSblog Launched

SCOTUSblog, a respected independent source for online coverage of the Supreme Court since 2002, introduced this week its new, expanded version that will take advantage of an exclusive sponsorship by Bloomberg Law. Tom Goldstein, the attorney founder of SCOTUSblog, will remain as publisher with editorial control of the content, which will remain free to all. Coverage of individual cases and analysis will continue, along with new features. Stephen Wermiel, a former Wall Street Journal Supreme Court reporter, has posted his first bimonthly column on the Court targeted at law students. In their joint press release, Goldstein and Bloomberg Law discussed plans to collaborate on other new features designed to help law students learn about the Court. Beyond the expert coverage, SCOTUSblog will be rolling out a new "community" section soon that will offer moderated discussion and debate of a specific Court-related topic each business day. Take a look at the new SCOTUSblog.
Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

NLRB Releases Report on Social Media Cases

The National Labor Relations Board issued a preliminary report covering investigations where an employee’s use of social media clashed with an employer’s social media policy. Click here to read the report.

Hat tip to the Law Librarian Blog
Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

American Community Survey 2010 is released

The U.S. Census Bureau recently released the American Community Survey 2010. The release covers more than 40 topics, such as educational attainment, income, health insurance coverage, occupation, language spoken at home, nativity, ancestry and selected monthly homeowner costs.

The American Community Survey found at American FactFinder is a powerful tool to discover population and social information about specific counties. It is recommended to read the "Using FactFinder" to obtain the best results. You can construct your own tables and download as an Excel spreadsheet to make charts and display the information as wanted.


Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

25 Greatest Legal Movies Every Lawyer Should Watch

A few weeks ago, the ABA Journal had published an article highlighting 30 books that every lawyer should read during their career. They now have compiled a list of the 25 greatest legal movies. The journal compiled the list by asking 12 prominent lawyers who teach film or are con­nected to the business to choose which movies represent the world of lawyers and the law. Titles include 12 Angry Men, Philadelphia, Chicago and more. See the complete gallery of recommended movies here and many of the titles from the list are available at Hofstra Law Library on the Feature Films cart by the Circulation Desk.
Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

A Better Article Finder

Many of you have started your research for papers and notes. You all know to search Lexis and Westlaw for law review articles. But how many of you get results with your search terms that have nothing to do with your topic??? (I know there have been a few, since I have overheard you at the Reference desk.)

Yes, there is an alternative which can sometimes be a better way. Try an index. For law related topics, try Index to Legal Periodicals-Wilson or LegalTrac. Both of these databases are available from the Article Finding page of the Library's Online Resources.

With an index, you enter your search terms, and get articles which have those terms in the title or subject descriptors. Frequently, this retrieves articles more on your topic and fewer irrelevant results.
Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

DOJ Reports Reduction In Violent Crime During 2010

The U.S. Department of Justice announced recently that the national rate of violent crime decreased by thirteen percent during 2010. The basis for the announcement comes from statistics in the annual National Crime Victimization Survey . Read more here.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Article Finding--Law and Psychology

Important legal research is carried on at the intersection of law and human behavior. Where can you find authoritative articles from a psychological perspective on topics such as jury bias, false confessions, negotiation dynamics, domestic violence, and informed consent? Two great resources are PsychINFO and PsycARTICLES, databases made available by the Axinn Library to all Hofstra students. Both are products of the American Psychological Association. PsycINFO is broader in scope, with citations and summaries for over 3 million articles and comprehensive coverage from the 1880's to the present. Many are available in full-text PDF, and others can be accessed by "Journal Finder" links leading to the full-text article in other Hofstra databases. PsycARTICLES provides full-text PDF articles from 78 landmark journals in behavioral science and related fields, including all American Psychological Association journals, with coverage from 1894 to the present.

To access these databases, click on "Research Databases" at this Hofstra University libraries web page. You will be directed to the Hofstra portal login page. PsycINFO and PsycARTICLES are listed under Psychology/Health/Medicine in the subject list of databases.
Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Online Resources: The Tax and Accounting Center (BNA)

The Tax and Accounting Center offers analysis, news, primary sources, and practice tools covering federal, international, and state tax issues and financial accounting.

The Tax and Accounting Center is organized by subject or “Practice Area,” accessible via the tabs located at the top of any of the “home” pages. Practice areas include: Compensation Planning; Estate Planning; Real Estate; Sales and Use Taxes; Tax-Exempt Organizations; and Transfer Pricing.

To access The Tax and Accounting Center:

• Go to the Library's home page, click "Online Resources"
• Click the "Tax and Estate Planning" link
• Scroll down to " The Tax and Accounting Center (BNA)"

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

a google a day

a google a day is the new daily puzzle from Google. There is no right way to solve it, but there's only one right answer. Find the answer with your creativity and clever searching. They do provide hints and the answer under a link. This is a fun way to learn "advanced google" and improve your search techniques.
Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Online Resources: Mergers & Acquisitions Law Report

If you are looking for federal, state, and international coverage of M&A news in litigation, legislation, and regulation, check out BNA's Mergers & Acquisitions Law Report. The Report focuses on various areas including securities, contracts, partnership, tax, corporations, intellectual property law and more. It also provides access to the latest M&A developments in a wide range of industries, including banking and financial services, telecommunications, health care, accounting and more.

To access the Mergers & Acquisitions Law Report:

• Go to the Library's home page, click "Online Resources"
• Click the "Commercial and Corporate Law" link
• Scroll down to "Mergers & Acquisitions Law Report (BNA)"

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat