Top 10 Research Skills: Getting Background on Your Topic

Imagine you are in your first "real world" summer or full-time job and you are asked to write a memo for the partner, supervising attorney, or judge. The problem is, you don't know anything about the topic or legal issue, and you don't know where to begin.

What should you ask? Where do you start? What are the best resources for background information and how can you get it without wasting your employer's time and money?

"Getting Background on your Topic" is part of a special series of workshops presented by the law librarians and designed to cover the "Top 10 Research Skills" that employers really want new attorneys to know. This 50-minute workshop will be presented twice over the next two weeks at the following times:

Thursday, February 28, 3:10 - 4pm in Room 242
Tuesday, March 4, 4:10 - 5pm in Room 238 (repeat session)

Like the other workshops, it is open to all Hofstra law students and there is no need to sign up in advance.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Sweatshops in America

New York Fashion Week is over and I am still purring over the latest looks. However, as I reflect on the fantastic fabrics and designs, I have to wonder where all of our clothes come from. Sadly, I know that sweatshops in America have a long history.

To raise awareness of sweatshop labor, the National Museum of American History has created an online exhibit entitled Between a Rock and a Hard Place: A History of American Sweatshops 1820-Present. The exhibit provides a good amount of information on the subject and offers insight into "the forces that promote sweatshop production".


Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Top Ten Research Workshops Schedule

Check your email and read about the latest workshops in the Library's 21st Century Library workshop series. The full schedule is listed below.

Top 10 Research Skills: What Employers Really Want New Attorneys to Know

Week 1
1. “Know the Basics. Civics 101"
• Monday, February 25, 5:10-6pm in Room 242 and repeated on
• Wednesday, February 27, 1:10-2pm in Room 243.

2. “How to Use the Basics”
• Tuesday, February 26, 4:10-5pm in Room 238 and repeated in Week 2

3. "Getting Background on your Topic"
• Thursday, February 28, 3:10-4pm in Room 242 and repeated in Week 2


Week 2
2. “How to Use the Basics”
• Monday, March 3, 5:10-6pm in Room 242.

3. “Getting Background on your Topic”
• Tuesday, March 4, 4:10-5pm in Room 238.


4. “Strategic Searching”
• Wednesday, March 5, 1:10-2pm in Room 243 and repeated in Week 3

5. “Smart Searching”
• Thursday, March 6, 3:10-4pm in Room 243 and repeated in Week 3


Week 3
5. “Smart Searching”
• Monday, March 10, 5:10-6pm in Room 242

4. “Strategic Searching”
• Tuesday, March 11, 4:10-5pm in Room 238

**6. “Cost Efficient Research and other Law Practice Survival Tips”**
• Wednesday, March 12, 11:10-1pm in Room 205

Presented by Kathy Greco, Librarian/CLE Coordinator, Rivkin Radler LLP
and Jim Murphy, Reference and Continuing Education Librarian, Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Blog: Free Government Information

From the site: The future of government information is in peril from many economic and political forces. Free Government Information was initiated in order to raise public awareness of the importance of government information and create a community with various stakeholders to facilitate an open and critical dialogue.

It is an interesting site discussing information issues and other current events.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Summer Associate Response Time

As reported by the National Law Journal, the National Association for Law Placement has mandated that next fall, students with summer employment offers will need to reply within 45 days. Under the old guidelines it was possible for students to hold offers for up to four months before replying.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat