Migration Policy Institute

Interested in immigration law and policy? Whether the information you need is for a course assignment, a clinic, or a research paper, the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) is a great free web source. The MPI web site reflects the scope and resources of "an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit think tank devoted to the movement of people worldwide." While covering such topics as European migration and asylum seekers, the MPI site also features some very useful sections with resources on United States legislation, policy, and statistical data, including the National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy, the Immigration Data Hub, and the Immigration: Data Matters resource guide to finding and using immigration data.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Recent Criticism of the U.S. Supreme Court

Some currently sitting Supreme Court justices are taking the unusual step of replying to critics of the court, whether during speaking engagements or via body language. See, for instance, Clarence Thomas’s recent remarks to an audience at the University of Florida’s school of law, and the account of Samuel Alito’s head-shaking during the President’s State of the Union address.

What do you think? Is such criticism of the court appropriate or inappropriate? Should the court respond?

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Snow, Snow, Snow

We have been lucky so far with the big snow storms hitting over the weekends. However, it seems that we should expect 6-12 or 12+ inches of snow (depends on location) tomorrow. If there is snow tomorrow morning, it is a good idea to discover whether the University is open.

Call the Hofstra Snow line: (516) 463-SNOW; or
Hofstra University's website: http://www.hofstra.edu/home/index.html and click on Campus Alerts
Check your email as the University/Law School may send out an email announcing a closing.
Listen to the radio and watch public television, but be aware that radio and TV may not be accurate.

If the University is closed, the Law Library is closed.

Be safe and check status before you leave home.


Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

National Criminal Justice Reference Service

NCJRS is a federally funded resource offering justice and substance abuse information to support research, policy, and program development worldwide. The NCJRS Library contains all the materials summarized in the NCJRS Abstracts Database. The database includes Federal, state, and local government reports, books, research reports, journal articles, and unpublished research.





Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

New Westlaw and Lexis Platforms

Both Westlaw and Lexis plan to unveil new platforms this year (Westlaw's will appear first). Both have been designed to be easier to use. This marks a big change for both systems, and it is partially a response to newer competitors like Fastcase and Bloomberg. This ABA Journal article does a good job of explaining this situation.

Hopefully the new Westlaw and Lexis platforms will not be much more expensive to use than the current systems.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat