Congress 101: Authorization and Appropriation

Since the President's proposed federal budget for 2008 has just been released, it is worthwhile to consider the meaning of the the words "authorization" and "appropriation". Fortunately, Paul Jenks on GalleryWatch.com has written an easy to understand explanation of what these words mean for Congress. He also describes some of the tricks Congress plays when they "authorize" an action, but do not "appropriate" money to pay for it. One must not only listen to what Congress says, but watch what they do.

You may also remember from the Library's December display that Congress did not pass the 2007 budget. Congress is having to deal with this issue as well as looking ahead to 2008.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Student Engagement

The 2006 Law School Survey of Student Engagement (LSSSE) is entitled "Engaging Legal Education: Moving Beyond the Status Quo". The blog Law School Innovation has summaries of the findings by two different professors, Joe Hodnicki and Douglas A. Berman and there is a link to the findings from each. There is a great deal of information in these findings that might make a law student think about their interactions while in law school.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Legal Research Engine

I am a fan of specialized or vertical search engines, as it is easier to find a "needle" in a much smaller, more fine tuned haystack.

A new specialized engine worth bookmarking is the Legal Research Engine, from the Cornell University Law Library.

"this specialized search engine helps users easily find authoritative online legal research guides on every subject. It searches approximately 20 different web sites that either prolifically publish guides, or index and link to guides. The number of web sites searched was deliberately kept small to keep search results manageable and focused"

This site is a KEEPER!



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

New Web page

Along with the new Law School web page, the Library has also updated our web site. There are many changes, especially our new Online Resources page - which combines our subscription databases with free web sites in a subject listing. Tell us what you think and give suggestions for improvements.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

A New Rival for Google?

Ask X is a beta interface to Ask.com, known formerly as “Ask Jeeves”. Ask X contains similar information to the main Ask.com search page, but it presents a cleaner and more functional user interface. As with Google, one simply types the search query into the box, and Ask X returns a ranked series of results. The search also generates a list of suggested phrases to help you to expand or narrow your search.

So, is it a viable rival to Google? Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

13th Amendment Anniversary

On January 31, 1865, the House of Representatives passed the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that abolished the institution of slavery in the entire country. Having already passed the Senate, the amendment was on its way to the states for ratification. The fascinating story of the proposed and adopted methods for ending American slavery, with a timeline, biographies of the major players, and links to articles and documents, can be found at the 13th Amendment Site--"The End of Slavery: the Creation of the 13th Amendment." What makes this site especially engaging are the primary source materials--news items, editorials, illustrations, cartoons--taken directly from the pages of Harper's Weekly, described as "the leading American illustrated newspaper in the second half of the nineteenth century." Check out this outstanding source for Constitutional history background and research.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Davos Annual meeting, Jan. 24-28, 2007

Want to know what global leaders - the movers & shakers - think are the important issues facing the world today? Check out the Davos website and read the news. This event is an opportunity for many world leaders to meet, discuss issues and solutions in an open atmosphere. The theme for this year was "Shaping the Global Agenda: The Shifting Power Equation." The depth and breadth of material available is great for research.

Davos is the city in Switzerland where the World Economic Forum holds their annual meeting.

The World Economic Forum is an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging leaders in partnerships to shape global, regional and industry agendas.

Incorporated as a foundation in 1971, and based in Geneva, Switzerland, the World Economic Forum is impartial and not-for-profit; it is tied to no political, partisan or national interests. The World Economic Forum is under the supervision of the Swiss Federal Government.




Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

NCSL's Top 10 Policy Issue Forecast

The National Conference of State Legislatures annually release their predictions on what they think the key issues they will face during the coming year will be. The 2007 Top 10 list was released in Denver of January 4th and said that "Many of these issues are likely to reach the boiling point this year." The issues including immigration, health insurance and minimum wage.

The entire Press Release and Top 10 list are available at the National Conference of State Legislatures website.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

"In Law School, Obama Found Political Voice"

Check out this New York Times article about Barak Obama during his law school years. A wonderful glimpse of his tenure as President of the Harvard Law Review. I was taken by his sense of humor. Included is a great interactive feature to see where some of his law review colleagues are now.

Look to the left of you, look to the right of you, do not forget to look in the mirror. Remember that one of you may be a presidential contender in the not too distant future!


Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Doing Good

Interested in practicing public interest law? Equal Justice Works' mission is to "create a just society by mobilizing the next generation of lawyers committed to equal justice". Equal Justice Works (formerly the National Association for Public Interest Law) was founded in 1986 by law students dedicated to working for equal justice on behalf of under-served communities and causes.

The website provides information on fellowships and public interest job resources .

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat