LexLibris

Law & Ethics of Human Rights

This new e-journal from Berkeley Electronic Press focuses on human rights law and its intersection with political theory and policy. Each issue centers around one contemporary human rights dilemma that raises major legal and moral questions. The inaugural issue is on multiculturalism and the anti-discrimination principle. Links to all of the BE Press legal journals are located in the Law Library’s Directory of Electronic Resources at: http://local.law.umn.edu/library/ERDirectory.html.

Thanks to Reference Librarian Vic Garces for the tip!

Posted by University of Minnesota Law Library at 08:36 AM | Permalink

Improving Legal Research Instruction: Texas Tech's Certificate of Excellence in Legal Research Program

As law schools send their graduates off to practice law and their first and second year students to summer programs, many are all too often ill-equipped to perform legal research effectively. Arturo Torres, Associate Dean, Law Library and Computing, and Professor of Law at Texas Tech School of Law, describes below a comprehensive, systematic and convenient legal research program for Texas Tech students.

"The Law Library at the Texas Tech University School of Law offers an extracurricular non-credit certificate program in legal research. By completing this program, students earn a credential that can be listed on their resume as proof of the research skills they offer prospective employers.

"To earn the Certificate of Excellence in Legal Research, students must complete 30 clock hours of instruction and assessment. Each student must complete 20 hours of required courses and 10 hours of electives. Each class consists of two or three hours of lecture and demonstration and one hour of skills assessment. To earn credit for each class, the student must satisfactorily complete the one-hour skill assessment. A representative sample of a semester course schedule is below.

"Students may begin the program as early as the second semester of their first year of law school and complete the required number of hours anytime before graduation. Classes in print research, electronic research, and various other general research topics are offered every semester and during the summer session. Students register online based on their needs and availability.

"The program has been in existence for about two years and we are proud to report that as of spring 2008 eight students have received their certificates. Many students are currently in the pipeline and working toward certification.

"Based on our experiences over the last two years, we will be revamping the program in summer 2008. We will be reviewing the course offerings, including required courses, rigor of skill assessment, and general program administration streamlining. The program is further described at http://www.law.ttu.edu/lawlibrary/library/coe/.

-- Arturo Torres, Associate Dean, Law Library and Computing, and Professor of Law, Texas Tech School of Law

Source: Law Librarian Blog

Posted by University of Minnesota Law Library at 09:33 AM | Permalink

Every so often, we'll review what we find on YouTube that could be used for legal research or education. On the topic of Contract Law, we find Legalmax.info. It has "Contract Law lectures, Contract Law tutorials, Contract Law tips, a Contract Law essay ranking exercise, Contract Law cases & materials, Sale of Goods lectures, & as an added extra: a Web Law Library."

We also find Diana Wallis' remarks before European Parliament on European Contract Law and an episode from the UCBerkeley Graduate Council Lectures from June 2007 featuring "distinguished law scholar Elizabeth Warren, [who] teaches contract law, bankruptcy, and commercial law at Harvard Law School. She is an outspoken critic of America's credit economy, which she has linked to the continuing rise in bankruptcy among the middle-class."

Among the news items that pop up, we find this video piece on labour law in Hong Kong:

"Legal and human resources professionals in Hong Kong will have a growing role advising foreign firms on the Mainland's new Labour Contract Law, which is expected to be enacted soon. So says Stella Hou, General Manager of human resources consultancy, Hewitt Associates. She says the new regulations will oblige Mainland employers -- including foreign-invested enterprises -- to re-think their terms of employment. For example, "term" contracts can't be terminated by employers at will under the new law. Ms Hou says the requirement for basic regulation compliance to enhance China's national theme for a "harmonious society" will give Hong Kong HR professional firms plenty to interpret for their clients."

You can generate a list of these topics and more, by going to YouTube.com and searching for "Contract Law."

Posted by University of Minnesota Law Library at 10:56 AM | Permalink

Here is the list of new titles the Law Library acquired in April 2008. The list is on the library's home page.

April Acquisitions

Posted by University of Minnesota Law Library at 10:31 AM | Permalink

Facts listed in the March/April 2008 issue of Training. You can read the full article, "It's Not Easy being Green" in EBSCO Business Source Premier.

Photo by kenofseattle

Did You Know?

• 1 tree makes 16.67 reams of copy paper or 8,333 sheets.

• 1 ream of paper (500 sheets) uses 6% of a tree.

• The average cost of a wasted page is $0.06, and the average employee prints 6 wasted pages per day--1,410 wasted pages per year at a cost of $84 per employee.

• The average U.S. office worker prints 10,000 pages a year.

• In 2004, the U.S. used 8 million tons of office paper (3.2 billion reams)--the equivalent of 178 million trees.

• The U.S. uses enough office paper each year to build a 10-foot-high wall that's 6,815 miles long. That's more than the distance from New York to Tokyo.

• Production of 1 ton of copy paper uses 11,134 kWh (the same amount of energy an average household uses in 10 months).

• Making a single sheet of copy paper can use more than 13 ounces of water--more than a typical soda can.

• Production of 1 ton of copy paper produces 19,075 gallons of waste water; 2,278 pounds of solid waste; and 5,690 pounds of green house gases (the equivalent of 6 months of car exhaust).

• It takes 3 tons of wood to produce 1 ton of copy paper.

SOURCE: GREENPRINT, A SOFTWARE COMPANY DEVOTED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION, http://WWW.PRINTGREENER.COM/EARTHDAY.HTML.
Via Reference Services Blog

Posted by University of Minnesota Law Library at 09:50 AM | Permalink

Changes to the Key Number System

On May 12, West plans to release significant changes to the Key Number System. Attorney editors have completed the reclassification of over 500,000 headnotes. The improvements include the following:

A large portion of the topic CRIMINAL LAW has been revised and expanded to account for recent changes in the law relating to the right to counsel, effectiveness of counsel, conduct and argument of either prosecuting attorneys or defense counsel, authentication of evidence, mistrial, regulation of trial, and standards of review on appeal.

Revisions have been made to the topic SENTENCING AND PUNISHMENT relating to application of the Sentencing Guidelines.

Dozens of other areas of the Key Number System have been given minor improvements, particularly in the topics AUTOMOBILES, INNKEEPERS, INSURANCE, and NEGLIGENCE

Changes to the Key Number System do not affect a researcher’s ability to search by a former classification number. West tracks the former Key Number next to the updated classification, so Westlaw can be searched using old or new numbers. Depending upon the total impact on the bound print volumes, the reclassified headnotes may go into the pocket part.

Questions about these changes or Westlaw research in general? Contact the Law Library Reference Office at 612-625-4309 or law-ref@umn.edu.

Source: Tom Duggan, Manager, Librarian Relations, Thomson West Company

Posted by University of Minnesota Law Library at 08:24 AM | Permalink

The Office of the Revisor of Statutes has added all the historic Minnesota session laws, from 1849 to 1993, to the Legislature's web site. They are all keyword-searchable.

Since this event happens to coincide with the state's sesquicentennial, Revisor Michele Timmons issued a press release: https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/press.php.

Direct URL to the new access to old laws: https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/laws/

Source: Barb Golden, State Law Librarian, MN State Law Library

Posted by University of Minnesota Law Library at 08:29 AM | Permalink

In this occasional feature, we highlight recently asked questions and brief answers from the Law Library reference desk.

Q: I need to research the legislative history of an old Minnesota statute. Are there records of debates and committee meetings available?
A: No, the earliest records (audio tapes) of Minnesota legislative sessions and committee meetings start in 1991.

Q: I need a form for incorporating a non-profit corporation in Minnesota. Do you have one?
A: Yes--we recommend the Annotated document series of the Minnesota State Bar Association, Continuing Legal Education. Annotated form of mission statement, articles of incorporation and bylaws for a nonprofit corporation / prepared by J. Patrick Plunkett. TC Law Library KF209 .M54x 2000 no.1625 One Week Loan

Q: I know I need my parents' permission to get a tattoo in Minnesota (I'm 15), but how about Wisconsin?
A: In Wisconsin, you must be 18 to get a permanent tattoo, even with parental consent. See especially WI Administrative Code section HFS 173.05(1)(b).

Have your own reference question? Call or email the reference desk at 612-625-4309 or law-ref@umn.edu.

Posted by University of Minnesota Law Library at 12:31 PM | Permalink

Kenji Yoshino, Yale Law Professor (joining NYU School of Law in the fall), has contributed his thoughts on "Shakespeare and the Law" to Bigthink, a website devoted to "direct, unfiltered interviews with today's leading thinkers, movers and shakers."
Photo: umjanedoan, flickr.com

Among his interesting comments:

"Civil rights does not belong to lawyers--civil rights belongs to all of us."

Posted by University of Minnesota Law Library at 08:52 AM | Permalink

Family Responsibility Discrimination (also called "caregiver discrimination") is "discrimination against workers who have family caregiving responsibilities" and it can affect both women and men, parents of children and children of the elderly. The Center for Worklife Law at UC Hastings College of the Law is a great resource for learning about this type of discrimination. It offers information about recent cases, model policies, state and local statutes, reports, summaries and much more.

Source: The Virtual Library Cat's Eye View blog

Posted by University of Minnesota Law Library at 10:41 AM | Permalink

With exams just around the corner, the Law Library would like to remind you of some useful study aids available through the library’s website: http://local.law.umn.edu/library/home.html

A thorough bibliography of the most current and helpful Treatises, Hornbooks, Nutshells & Study Aids for Law Courses is available at: http://local.law.umn.edu/library/studyaidpubs.html The most recent editions of the books on this list are in the reserve collection, available by request at the circ desk.

Other study aids and information about study facilities, including sample course exams, bar review exams, and conference/study room information, are available at: http://local.law.umn.edu/library/obsolete/tools/studyaids.html

Over 50 research guides and pathfinders have been compiled by the Law Library’s reference librarians. The guides are posted here: http://local.law.umn.edu/library/pathfinders-directory.html

Still not finding the right research tool or study guide? Make sure to stop by the reference desk and ask a reference librarian for help.
Reference Office hours are: M-Th 9 am – 8 pm; F 9 am -5 pm; Sat 11 am-5 pm; Sun 1-5 pm.

As always, please let us know if you have any questions. We’re happy to help you prepare for exams…just let us know how we can help! You can email the reference office at law-ref@umn.edu or send a general inquiry to the library at lawlib@umn.edu.

Posted by University of Minnesota Law Library at 08:58 AM | Permalink

During May 1-16, part of the first floor of the Law Library is designated as a QUIET ZONE.

We have posted signs near the area and would appreciate your cooperation in keeping this part of the library as quiet as possible.

When studying in this area please be sure to:
• turn-off the sound on your laptop,
• turn-off or silence your cell phone,
• and refrain from talking.

Please avoid walking through this area, unless you plan to study there, and please keep voices low in nearby areas as well.

If you are looking for a place to study in a group, please check at the circulation desk for an available study room.

Thank you.

Posted by University of Minnesota Law Library at 08:35 AM | Permalink

Every so often, we'll review what we find on YouTube that could be used for legal research or education. On the topic of Employment Law, not only will you find informational videos that deal with specific topics such as discrimination, compensation, or non-compete agreements, but you'll also find fun videos that feature a "sing-a-long" review of employment law reminders for Human Resource professionals (see below).

You can generate a list of these topics and more, by going to YouTube.com and searching for "Employment Law."

Source: Career Revolution Blog

Posted by University of Minnesota Law Library at 09:40 AM | Permalink

The University of California at Berkeley has created several video tutorials that demonstrate how to do Congressional research in the following areas, each of which is highly useful for law students:

Finding bills and Congressional debates from 1989 forward on Thomas

Finding a Congressional report on LexisNexis Congressional

Finding debates from 1873 to the present in print in the Congressional Record.

Note that the video tutorials last from two to five minutes apiece, and that they require Macromedia’s Flash player to be installed on your computer.

Source: Virtual Library Cat's Eye View blog

Posted by University of Minnesota Law Library at 02:08 PM | Permalink

Today is Earth Day, which was started on April 22, 1970 in protest over the smog and dirty rivers in the United States (according to the EPA's history page). In addition to any other fun activities you might be enjoying (like riding the bus to work or planting a tree), why not check out a few Earth Day resources from the government:

Earth Day 2008 This page from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides links to events and actions you can take at home, work, school and more.

2008 Photo Contest This contest from the EPA let citizens send in pictures of the environment and the creatures in it and all I have to say is wow! If you want to see a picture that looks like it is out of a fairytale, check this one out!

EarthDay.gov Okay, this site doesn't have the fancy pictures or quite as an in-depth set of resources, but I thought it should at least be mentioned.

Finally, if you want environmental law resources, why not check out the Law Library research guide.

Source: Government Publications Library at the Univ of CO-Boulder blog

Posted by University of Minnesota Law Library at 12:35 PM | Permalink