Budget of the United States Government

Anyone who seeks in-depth information on the U.S. Government budget should be aware of the Office of Management and Budget’s (“OMB”) Web site. The OMB page for the budget contains downloadable PDF files that include the budget, itself, as well as supporting documents. This link will take you to the budget for the fiscal year 2007.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Testing the New THOMAS

Some exciting changes are coming soon to THOMAS, the primary website of the U.S. Congress. The 12-year-old site, familiar to many law students as one of the best online sources for bills, House and Senate Reports, debates, and other legislative materials, will sport a new face--with major changes to its search, display, and navigation features. You can try out the new features and send the Library of Congress your comments at the THOMAS Beta site. Let them (and us) know what you think while revisions are still in the works. The existing THOMAS site, with the same core content and about a day more current in integrating new data, will remain available throughout the Beta test phase until eventually replaced.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Pizza with the Dean

Did you attend Pizza with the Dean Monday evening? OK, Dean Twerski was unable to attend, but Vice-Dean Demleitner and other faculty and administrators were present to answer student questions. These meetings with the Dean are wonderful opportunities for law students to take their concerns directly to the law school administration. It is an easy way to participate in the law school community and get a free slice of pizza!


Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

NoodleTools - Statistics

There are many websites which can help you with statistical research, but how do you keep track of them and remember which sites are best for which subject matter. NoodleTools, an educational website, has a page on finding and using data. The page is mostly links to different pages of data and statistics separated into categories such as: Demographics, Education, Economics, etc. There are also links to sites on how to use data.





Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Google to become iTunes of books??

An article in the Sunday Times Online (UK) reports that:

"GOOGLE and some of the world’s top publishers are working on plans that they hope could do for books what Apple’s iPod has done for music"

Their vision is that instead of Google's book search merely offering samples of books and referring buyers to Amazon, surfers would be offered the option of downloading an entire book directly to their computer or blackberry type mobile device.

Interesting concept. Do you think it would catch on like iTunes??

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Law Student Debt

If you are worried about paying off your student loans after you graduate, you are not alone. Equal Justice Works released a report last month, Financing the Future: Responses to the Rising Debt of Law Students . The Chronicle of Higher Education briefly summarizes the report in its article "Debt Keeps Many Law Graduates From Taking Government Jobs " . Just one of the interesting facts from this report - the average law-school graduate owes between $50,000 and $80,000 in student loans.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Direct Marketing Association--Consumer Assistance

Mention of the Direct Marketing Association conjures groans of annoyance from many. The organization's Consumer Assistance Web site, however, is quite helpful. Not only does it offer information about removing oneself from those irritating mailing lists, and about the "do not call" registry, but it also contains useful FAQs and other information regarding identity theft and online privacy.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

In the First Person: Going Straight to the Source

Spring Semester has barely begun, but it's not too soon to be thinking about research and paper topics, especially for courses at the intersection of law, culture and history. A great online resource is In the First Person: An index to letters, diaries, oral histories and personal narratives. This fascinating site makes it easy to locate interviews and other personal accounts of individuals who witnessed significant people and events, social movements and eras, famous trials, and more. Best of all, many of the documents are freely available as full-text, audio, or video--either at the site or by direct links to the documents at other free sites. Searching by subject, place, person or historical event makes it easy to find original source material, from interviews with former Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall to the first-hand account of an investigator at the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Keeping up with Congress

There are several ways to research current Congressional legislation, but BillHop.com is a wiki for legislation and issues of the day. It is a "popular" not a legal site. Since it is a wiki contributors can comment on bills and issues. Not a place for scholarly postings, but maybe a place for the viewpoints of ordinary citizens.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Legal Research-THE MOVIE

Check out this short (3 minute) film produced by a group of Advanced Legal Research students at Stanford Law School and FEEL THE POWER!

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat