U.S. Government Info on the Web: A 21st Century Library Workshop

The U.S. Government is one of the world's largest publishers of all kinds of information. Thanks to the advent of the Internet and to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, much government information is available to the public on the Internet.

Government Search and Portals
Federal: Legislative, Judicial & Executive
New York State: Legislative, Judicial & Executive
Other States

Monday, Oct. 29th 10:10 - 11am & Thursday, Nov. 1st 3:10-4 pm
Lower Level Computer Lab

No need to sign up, just show up!

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Strangers to Us All

Lawyers can be wonderful poets. If you don't believe me, take a look at Strangers to Us All, a web site dedicated to lawyers who are also published poets. The site includes chronological, alphabetical and geographical indexes of lawyer-poets; a section on Civil War lawyer-poets; and a list of contemporary lawyer-poets (with biographical information and links to online poetry). The site is constantly updated and alerts us to recently published books of poetry.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Committee Hearings Videos

The Senate Committee on the Judiciary offers streaming videos of some of its hearings on its website, including last week's hearings on Attorney General nominee Michael B. Mukasey. Go to the hearings schedule, and if a video is available for a particular hearing, that hearing's notice/witness list page will include a link to a "webcast."

Streaming videos are now offered by a number of House and Senate committees--to find a video, visit the appropriate committee's website and find the hearing you are looking for under the "hearings" section of the page. There will be a link to a video or "webcast" if a video is available. (Links to committee websites are here for the House and here for the Senate. Some committees seem to preserve access to videos longer than others.)



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Legal Research on Sex Offender Laws

A major topic of interest in criminal law and procedure is the sentencing of sex offenders and the management of their return to the community. Law students beginning research on federal or state sex offender legislation and related issues might be wise to begin with "Criminal Justice Resources: Sex Offender Laws," a new research guide posted on LLRX.com. This guide focuses on recent developments in federal law, with some analysis of state and local developments. News and statistical sources, along with key government, academic, and professional organization resources on prosecution, risk assessment, civil commitment, and other issues are included. For surveys of state laws and regulations on sex offender registration, try Westlaw's "50 State Surveys," where they are located under Statutes: Criminal Laws and Regulations: Criminal Procedure.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Improved Online Resources

Whether you purr alphabetically or by subject, you can now easily use either method when finding Law Library Online Resources . On every Online Resources page, you will now find links at the top allowing you to switch back and forth between the Subject list (the default) and the Alphabetical list .

This is part of an on-going project to make the Library's website easier to use and more useful. If you have any ideas, please let me know and I will pass them along.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Online Intellectual Property Resources

For those who seek a comprehensive online resource for materials relating to intellectual property law, the Franklin Pierce Law Center offers the IP Mall. The IP Mall is a Web site that contains a unique collection of Pierce Law Center- hosted intellectual property resources and links to valuable IP resources (patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, licensing, and technology transfer) worldwide.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes Legislative Library

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) is an agency of the United Nations established to assist Member States with issues concerning illicit drugs and international crime. UNODC’s online legislation legal library provides full text of drug control laws and regulations adopted by countries in support of international drug control treaties. It includes legislation adopted since 1948.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Health Law Online: A 21st Century Library Workshop

If you missed it on Monday, you can still attend onThursday.

Health Law Research Online: An Introduction: This workshop will introduce the fundamentals of researching health law online. Participants will learn how to find the major federal statutes and regulations pertinent to health law, how to research federal health agencies, and how to find such relevant secondary sources as medical journal articles, medical dictionaries, and newsletters.

When: Thursday, Oct. 18^th - 5:10 to 6 pm

Where: Lower Level Computer Lab

No need to sign up! Just show up!



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Legal Ethics and the Use of Technology

Legalethics.com is a blog dedicated to ethical issues associated with the use of technology by lawyers and legal professionals. With topics ranging from lawyer blogging to e-discovery to online advertising, Legalethics.com is a good resource for learning about the many facets of this burgeoning area of law.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Blawg Directory

ABA Journal offers a good Blawg Directory, organized by topic, jurisdiction, school, and author type (e.g. Judge or Anonymous). Whatever your area of interest, this directory probably lists a blawg for you.


Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat