Exams in the Good Old Days

Yes, it looks like law school exams were easier in the old days--well, the really old days, anyway. Thanks to the Harvard Law School Library, which has digitized and posted the full run of annual law school exams from 1871 to 1998, you can explore this treasure trove and judge for yourself. Of course, the law was much simpler without current tax, civil rights, sales and other statutes to deal with. And Professor Christopher Langdell, who introduced the case-method into legal education, had just begun his Deanship. But how long would you have had to study for this 1871 torts exam? Check out the exams and how they changed over the years, and see if you can answer the questions about them posed by the Wall Street Journal Law Blog.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Congress- past and present

For a virtual library cat, I can be kind of geeky. I LOVE prowling the web for legislative history. My all-time favorite site for legislative history research - LexisNexis Congressional - has recently been bought and undergone a name change. It is now know as "ProQuest Congressional".

You will still find it listed as "LexisNexis Congressional" under Federal Information-Legislative in the Library's Online Resources listing. We will soon be adding the new name "ProQuest Congressional."

For those tracking the latest developments in legislation on the budget, remember OpenCongress and GovTrack . Although, for the latest news developments on the possible Federal Government shutdown, nothing beats your favorite major news site, like the New York Times, Washington Post or Wall Street Journal.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Research Instruction Videos

The library has uploaded new videos to help students improve their research skills. These are all available on the library's webcasts page.

10-15 minute videos on effective use of Lexis and Westlaw are linked under Advanced Lexis/Westlaw Quick Tours,
and recordings of the library's prepare to practice series are listed under
The Top Ten Research Skills: What Employers Really Want New Attorneys to Know.


Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Online Resources: Privacy & Security Law Report (BNA)

If you are interested in legal issues concerning consumer law topics such as, data protection, employee privacy, identity theft, corporate security, financial privacy, health care privacy, consumer privacy, or e-discovery, take a look at BNA's Privacy & Security Law Report. The Report provides weekly coverage of regulatory, legislative, and judicial news in the privacy and security fields.

To access Privacy & Security Law Report (BNA):

• Go to the Library's home page, click "Online Resources"
• Click the "Consumer Law" link
• Scroll down to "Privacy & Security Law Report (BNA)"

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

LLT Lab Open House

Want to learn more about the LLT Lab? The Law, Logic and Technology Lab is holding an open house this week, so drop by the lab and talk to the students already involved.

Tuesday, April 5:
1:30-2:00
2:00-3:30

Wednesday, April 6:
2:00-3:30

Thursday, April 7:
1:30-2
2-3:30

Also check out their website: LLT Lab.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Law and comic books

Did you read Marvel or DC? Doesn't really matter since the activities of the super heroes as well as the villains. For discussion of rather unusual legal situations, check out "Law and the Multiverse: Superheroes, Super villains and the Law". It also includes international law topics such as Extraterritoriality and the Asgardian Embassy (Thor).

Relax a bit and study the lighter side of law.
Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Federal Database for Safety Complaints

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recently launched a public database that allows users to report and search safety complaints for various products. The database allows people to file reports of injury or potential harm about household and other consumer products. The public database will then allow others to search these safety complaints if they themselves experienced similar problems or for further research when shopping for products. Although, many consider this a good government tool others claim it can cause problems of inaccuracy and issues for manufacturers. Read more about these issues at Law Technology News. To access and learn more about the database click here.
Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat