IssueLab

Taking a seminar or paper course this semester?  Writing a law journal Note?  Your legal topic is likely to involve some aspect of a public policy issue, such as health care, the environment, immigration, education, consumer protection, human or civil rights, crime and safety, or judicial reform.

Many excellent studies, statistical reports, white papers, and other documents on policy issues are published by nonprofit research and advocacy groups, including foundations and institutes.  Thanks to a recent merger of online resources, more than 12,500 of these free, full-text PDF documents are now available at IssueLab, a service of the Foundation Center, an authoritative source of information on American private philanthropy.

IssueLab is not only keyword searchable, but browseable by issue areas, authors, and organizations.  It's a good place to start locating sources on a wide range of law-related issues and causes.  

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Remembering passwords

How many times have you had to click on those "forgot password" links on web sites where you do business, check accounts, do legal research?

With LastPass, you need to remember only one password.  LastPass is a fantastic, free, well-respected for security tool for keeping track of the passwords required for web sites.  LastPass is also quite easy to install and use.  You can use LastPass on your laptop/desktop for free.  For a $12 annual fee you can access your LastPass database on your cell phone and tablet.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Law School Academic Support Blog

A member of the Law Professor Blogs Network, the Law School Academic Support Blog offers advice for students about various aspects of studying law.

It is not the most prolific or frequently updated of blogs, but it is worth a visit for the articles about outlining and study habits, which are especially germane to the start of a new semester.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Register for Spring 2013 1L Lexis/Westlaw Training

1L Students are now able to register online for Lexis and Westlaw training sessions at http://lawschool.westlaw.com and http://lexisnexis.com/lawschool.  Look for the "Training" link on Westlaw and the "Training Calendar" link on Lexis to access the registration page for Hofstra Law.

These training sessions are meant to coordinate with the 1L's Legal Analysis Writing and Research II coursework.  Reserve your time now, as space in the training lab is limited.

Lexis Legal Analysis Writing and Research II  training weeks:*

Mon, 1/14 – 10a-12p, 12p-2-p
Wed 1/16 –12p-2p
Thurs 1/17 – 12p-2p, 2p-6p
Fri 1/18 - 12p-4p
Thurs 1/24 – 12p-2p, 2p-6p
Fri 1/25 - 12p-4p
Mon 2/4 – 10a-12p, 12p-2-p
Wed 2/6 –12p-2p
Thurs 2/7 – 12p-2p, 2p-6p
Fri 2/8 - 12p-4p
Wed 2/20 – 12p-2p

Westlaw Legal Analysis Writing and Research II  training weeks:*

Mon 1/28 – 10a-12p, 12p-2-p
Wed 1/30 –12p-2p
Thurs 1/31 – 12p-2p, 2p-6p
Fri 2/1 - 12p-4p
Mon 2/11 – 10a-12p, 12p-2-p
Wed 2/13 –12p-2p
Thurs 2/14 – 12p-2p, 2p-6p
Fri 2/15 - 12p-4p
Thurs 2/21 – 10a-12p, 12p-2-p (Mon schedule)
Fri 2/22 - 12p-4p

(*see the training calendar on your Lexis and Westlaw homepage for the most up to date days/times of available 1L training)

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Tech Circuit: Legal Communities Predictions for 2013

The Law.com Technology News polled the legal community asking, "What do you predict will be the most unexpected legal technology development or trend in 2013, and why?"

An interesting overview of the legal technology issues practitioners across the United States view as important and why.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Research Resources: Media Law Reporter (BNA)

BNA’s Media Law Reporter provides federal and state judicial decisions on media law. Decisions are provided from all court levels and coverage is from 1977 to the present.  The media law decisions range in areas of privacy, defamation, copyright, media ownership, broadcast regulations and more.

To access Media Law Reporter (BNA):

• Go to the Library's home page, click "Online Resources"
• Then, click "Intellectual Property Law" link
• Scroll down, click the "Media Law Reporter (BNA)" link

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Supremes Will Hear Contentious Adoption Case

Spring Semester starts Wednesday, and several family law courses are about to begin. Students in these classes and anyone interested in family law issues have an interesting case to watch as the U.S. Supreme Court tackles some complex and difficult family law issues in Adoptive Couple v. Baby Girl, a case in which certiorari was granted yesterday. At the crossroads of state adoption law and the Indian Child Welfare Act (25 U.S.C. §§1901 et seq.), a federal statute passed "to protect the best interests of Indian children and to promote the stability and security of Indian tribes and families by the establishment of minimum Federal standards for the removal of Indian children from their families and the placement of such children in foster or adoptive homes which will reflect the unique values of Indian culture," this case pits a Cherokee biological father against non-Indian adoptive parents who raised his daughter from birth to two years of age. The father then claimed her, was awarded custody by a state court, a decision later affirmed "with a heavy heart" by the South Carolina Supreme Court, and took her to Oklahoma to raise her in a Cherokee cultural home. The facts of the case are complex, in that the father had not taken steps to legally establish parenthood in South Carolina, where the adoptive parents reside, and the non-Indian mother had voluntarily relinquished the baby for adoption.

This case has already captured the interest of the national news media, as evidenced by coverage on CNN, and undoubtedly will be the subject of much legal commentary as the appeal proceeds.  SCOTUSblog is a great place to follow developments and find case documents for this case and others on the high court's docket. 

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Welcome back - Specifics

 If you need a Reference librarian, our hours are slightly different during intersession.  (The Library is open until 6pm on these days.)

Friday, 1/4 - 9-5
Sat., 1/5 - 10-6
Sun, 1/6 - 10-6 (not the usual 12-8)
Mon, 1/7 - 9-5
Tues 1/8 - 9-5

On Wednesday, Jan. 9th the Reference librarians resume our regular hours and will be here until 9pm.  See Reference Hours on our web site for the full schedule.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

World's Most Mysterious Buildings

Since many of you are still enjoying Winter break, we'll follow up our post on weird hotels rooms with an informative guide to the world's most mysterious buildings (the former aren't necessarily contained in the latter). Click the link to see the one local entry that made the select list of mysterious buildings.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

We Are Back!

We are back for a new year and shortly the start of a new semester. Library hours are shorter during the intersession, so you might want to check our website for specifics.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat