Get to Know the Law Library: More Tours This Week

For those 1Ls who haven't taken a Library Tour yet, there will be more brief tours by our Reference Librarians each day for the remainder of the week:

Wednesday, 8/19            9am; 9:15am; 9:30am; 9:45am

Thursday, 8/20               3:45pm

Friday, 8/21                    12:10pm

So there's still time to join us at Library Circulation Desk at one of these times and complete this item on your To-Do List.  Those interested in a more detailed self-guided tour can also download our Library Audio Tour from the Law Library website.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Welcome Hofstra Law Class of 2018!

Welcome to the Law Library.  Law libraries today are more than books.  We have many electronic resources that you may not know about now but will learn as you go through law school.  Don't worry or rush as we are here to help you as you need it.  Just  ask us.

Enjoy the library's facilities.  There are several areas that are arranged for comfort, but if you want a quiet corner we have these as well.

We look forward to getting to know you and to work with you over the next three year.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

HeinOnline New Interface

HeinOnline recently launched a new interface with a simplified and streamlined design.  The new interface uses responsive web design so Hein can easily be accessed on your phone, tablet or PC. The search bar will be available on all pages, there is an updated image toolbar, the category options will be collapsible and more.  To learn about the new changes click here, to search on the new HeinOnline, click here.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Farewell and Welcome

As we say farewell to Summer Hours in the Library we look forward to welcoming new students and welcoming back returning students.

As of Monday, we will resume regular Library hours.  Please note our regular Reference desk hours will  be someone different this semester.

Regular Library hours are:
Mon-Thurs - 8am - 9pm
Fri.  8am - 6pm
Sat, Sun - 10am - 6pm

Good luck all with the coming semester.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Analogies From The Wild In Judicial Opinions

Analogies to wild animals’ behavior surface from time to time in judicial opinions. See, for instance, a recent example that evokes a certain large flightless bird.


Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Words of Wisdom for New Law Students

Did you know that even Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. didn't understand a word he heard on his first day of law school?  The Law School Academic Support blog recently posted a compilation of "Thoughts on Learning, Lawyering, and Life" from the successful and famous who learned that success at something challenging, like studying law, doesn't happen overnight or without the right attitude and approach. The Academic Support blog is one of over 40 legal blogs in the Law Professor Blogs network, all edited by law school faculty and lawyers dedicated to providing legal news and commentary in their subject fields, which range from Contracts and Immigration Law to Legal Technology. 

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Combating Book Theft in Medieval Times

You keep your eye on your iPhone nor do you leave your car running when you dash into a Starbuck's to order coffee.  In medieval times the value of a book was nearer that of your car than your smart phone.  There were three main ways to protect a book:  chain, chest or curse.

Chain, chest, curse:  Combating Book Theft in Medieval Times is an amusing overview of these three methods. 

We still lock valuables in a safe and chain our bikes, but curses are no longer deemed an effective safeguard. 
Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

ABA Journal-Why Hollywood Loves Lawyers

The ABA recently released an article entitled " Why Hollywood Loves Lawyers" for their annual pop culture issue.  The article explores legal and cultural history of the past century and features the best legal movies released in the decades since 1915.  Top picks include Blackmail, Young Mr. Lincoln, Anatomy of a Murder and more.  Click here to read full article.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

American Presidency Project

The American Presidency Project, was established in 1999 as a collaboration between John T. Woolley & Gerhard Peters at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

The Project's archives contain 110,487 documents related to the study of the Presidency, including Inaugural Addresses, Data Index, and Debates.

No Habeas Corpus Writ for NY Chimps

Being a virtual feline, I try to follow the progress of my other animal friends in their quest for greater rights within the law.  Last week, a judge of the New York Supreme Court for New York County denied the request of the Nonhuman Rights Project for a writ of habeas corpus to free Hercules and Leo, two chimpanzees in the custody of the State University of New York at Stony Brook who are research subjects in studies of chimp locomotion.  In a serious, thorough, 33-page decision that representatives of both sides described as "thoughtful," Judge Barbara Jaffe found that as a matter of law, she was bound by a 2014 Appellate Division case holding that according chimpanzees the status of legal personhood is inappropriate because they are not able to bear any legal responsibilities and social duties. Therefore, despite the impressive abilities of chimps and similarities to humans, and even though the law has changed over the years to make rights more inclusive of groups of humans that were previously denied them, she was currently bound to deny the request. More about this case can be found in a New York Times article about the decision and in my previous posts about this litigation here and here.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat