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New Issue of Global Legal Monitor Available
A new issue of the Law Library of Congress’ Global Legal Monitor has been released via the Library of Congress web site. Drawing upon the Global Legal Information Network (GLIN), the January 2007 issue includes fifty-five pages of recent developments in international legislation. An index of country names is provided.
Source: The AALL Eashington E-Bulletin, Vol. 2007, Issue 1; February 27, 2007
While Dolley Madison may not have technically been the first First Lady to be photographed (that honor may go to sitting First Lady Sarah Polk between 1845-1849), she was the first if ranked by the order in which their husbands held office (Dolley was married to President #4, James Madison).
The beloved Grande dame of Washington, Dolley was renowned as an entertainer during the time of our founding fathers, having assisted the widowed Thomas Jefferson during his tenure as President, and serving as First Lady during her husband's two terms of office. She was also the first First Lady to attend her husband’s inauguration.
During the War of 1812, she fled the White House and saved the treasured Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington, as well as state papers and other valuables. She and her husband retired to their home Montpelier, which Dolley sold several years after her husband’s death in 1836. After Congress purchased her husband's papers, she moved to Washington D.C. where she became the center of social life once again. She was the first First Lady to be granted a permanent seat on the floor of the House of Representatives, the first private citizen to transmit a message via telegraph (an honor given her by its inventor, Samuel B. Morse), and was treated with great honor during the Polk administration.
Dolley Madison was photographed on July 4, 1848, the same day she attended the laying of the cornerstone of the Washington Monument. When Dolley died on July 12, 1849, Congress immediately adjourned. It is said that President Zachary Taylor paid tribute to Dolley Madison in his eulogy, saying, "She will never be forgotten, because she was truly our First Lady for a half-century,” the first time the phrase “First Lady” was used.
Source: World Almanac
The Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) yesterday (Monday Feb 26) recommended that the cost of a first-class stamp rise to 41 cents, a 2 cent increase. They also recommended the introduction of a forever stamp, that would work even when the cost of a stamp increased.
Want to read the documents related to this decision? Check them out on the PRC's web site. In addition to the 502-page opinion, you can also find a 34-page summary for the press.
Who is the PRC? It is an independent regulatory agency made up of five commissioners. This group makes recommendations on new domestic mail rates, fees and mail classifications. The Board of Governors for the U.S. Post Office generally follows these recommendations. According to the Washington Post article "Postal Commission Favors Selling Stamp That Locks In Current Rate" the last time they deviated from the recommendations was in 1980.
Want to know the historical cost of mailing a letter? Check out this letter to Thomas Jefferson in March of 1792 from Thomas Pickering of the Post Office (from the Thomas Jefferson collection at American Memory). In this letter he recommends against carrying the mail 100 miles a day, due to the increased cost.
Source: Gov Pub Library-U of CO Boulder
University of Minnesota students, faculty, and staff - as well as the general public - now have access to the world's largest archive of visual histories of the Holocaust. In February 2007, the University Libraries launched public access to a two-terabyte digital media cache of testimonies from the USC Shoah Foundation Institute’s Visual History Archive. The University of Minnesota is among six universities worldwide that currently provide access to the Institute's archive.
The archive, which is accessible from workstations on the U's Twin Cities campus, includes nearly 52,000 video testimonies of Holocaust survivors and other witnesses. These histories, in 32 languages and from 56 countries, were collected by the Shoah Foundation. The vast majority of the interviews—about 90 percent—are with Jewish survivors of Nazi persecution; however, political prisoners, Roma and Sinti (Gypsy) survivors, homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and liberators, witnesses, rescuers, and aid providers are also represented in the Archive.
To access the archive, users must be physically present on the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities campus. Users can access the local VHA site for additional information about the archive.
Read more on the University Libraries News blog.
Law and Order: The Career And Legacy Of Minneapolis Mayor Charles Stenvig
An exhibit at Elmer L. Andersen Library Gallery, running March 8 through May 7.
Opening reception on March 7 from 6 to 8 p.m. Free and open to the public.
This exhibit, sponsored by the Immigration History Research Center and the department of history, explores the turbulent politics and culture of the late 1960s and 1970s through the career of Minneapolis's controversial mayor, Charles Stenvig. A police officer who ran on an independent, "law and order" platform, Stenvig was a divisive figure in Minneapolis history and the debate about his legacy continues today. The exhibit invites you to interpret Stenvig and his legacy through historical photographs, objects, and video.
Additional information at: www.ihrc.umn.edu
"Lawyers as Leaders"
ESSAY by Ben W. Heineman, Jr.
"In this Essay, I argue that graduates of law schools should aspire not just to be wise counselors but wise leaders; not just to dispense “practical wisdom” but to be “practical visionaries”; not just to have positions where they advise, but where they decide. Put another way, I wish to re-define (or at least to re-emphasize) the concept of “lawyer” to include “lawyer as leader.” The profession and the law schools should more candidly recognize the importance of leadership and should more directly prepare and inspire young lawyers to seek roles of ultimate responsibility and accountability than they do today. Why do I advance this thesis? First, our society is suffering from a leadership deficit in public, private, and non-profit spheres. The core competencies of law are as good a foundation for broad leadership as other training. Second, the legal profession, by many accounts, is suffering from a crisis of morale, from a disconnect between personal values and professional life. Providing leadership can affirm—and test—our vision and core values. Third, other professional schools—business and public policy—have as their explicit mission the training of leaders for the public, private, and non-profit sectors. The graduates of our law schools are at least as talented as those who enter other professional and graduate schools. And law schools should have a similar vision to enhance the careers of their outstanding students, thus serving society and addressing the values crisis that affects portions of the profession. But today’s law schools are muted or ambivalent about leadership (Yale Law School has no mission statement on its web-site)."
From Stark Co Law Library blog, quoting:
The Pocket Part, 16 February 2007
Labor and employment attorney Julie Elgar writes That’s What She Said, a blog that breaks down each episode of The Office from a corporate liability standpoint. Great idea for a site, and great advertising for her practice.
Source: Mental Floss blog
Globalex February 2007 http://www.nyulawglobal.org/globalex/index.html
New legal research articles available on GlobaLex: TRIPS, Honduras, Iceland, Singapore, Zimbabwe, Caribbean (update)
--Research Guide on TRIPS and Compulsory Licensing: Access to Innovative Pharmaceuticals for Least Developed Countries by Do Hyung Kim http://www.nyulawglobal.org/globalex/TRIPS_Compulsory_Licensing.htm
---Guide to Legal Research in Honduras by José Miguel Álvarez and Jessica Ramos http://www.nyulawglobal.org/globalex/Honduras.htm
-- Researching Icelandic Law by Rán Tryggvadóttir and Thordis Ingadóttir http://www.nyulawglobal.org/globalex/Iceland.htm
-- A Guide to the Singapore Legal System and Legal Research by Tzi Yong Sam Sim http://www.nyulawglobal.org/globalex/Singapore.htm
-- The Law in Zimbabwe by Otto Saki and Tatenda Chiware http://www.nyulawglobal.org/globalex/Zimbabwe.htm
-- UPDATE: Guide to Caribbean Law Research by Yemisi Dina http://www.nyulawglobal.org/globalex/Caribbean1.htm
More than 120 articles on international, comparative, and foreign law research at: http://www.nyulawglobal.org/globalex/index.html
Source: Mirela Roznovschi, Editor
Excerpted from the Feb. 8 issue of UMN News:
Why players might seek his counsel
How many Division I head basketball coaches have law degrees? Without crunching the numbers on that one, the guess here is somewhere around one.
[Jim] Molinari gained a juris doctor from DePaul University in 1980 while helping coach the Blue Demon basketball team. After passing the bar and working as a summer associate at a big firm in Chicago ("I was a tax drone," he quips), Molinari decided to turn his attention to coaching.
Coach Mo believes having a law degree helps make him a better coach, and made the following observation: "We tie our goals to our values--like effort, like discipline, like unselfishness. Whether it's a law firm or coaching, a lot of those principles are the same."
Read the whole article at: http://www1.umn.edu/umnnews/Feature_Stories/A_love_of_teaching.html
NEWS RELEASE:
February 2, 2007
Law Library of Congress To Celebrate 175th Anniversary in 2007
In celebration of its 175 years of service to Congress and the nation, the Law Library of Congress is launching a yearlong series of events designed to celebrate its achievements and showcase its unparalleled resources.
The celebration began with a special ceremony held at the Library of Congress on Jan. 18. The American Bar Association presented the Law Library with a resolution recognizing this historic milestone, and the American Association of Law Libraries presented the Law Library with a commemorative plaque.
Read the rest of the press release here: http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2007/07-019.html
Link to the law library of Congress here:http://www.loc.gov/law/public/law.html
Here is the list of new titles the law library acquired in January 2007. The list is also on the library's home page.
FAQ: Exam Collection
Q: Do you have old exams from past years that I can use as a study aid before finals?
A: Yes! Past exams are put on reserve at the circ desk a short time before the semester exam period. These exams are often also posted on the Intranet.
Q: I just checked for an exam and didn't find anything. Why don't you have all the exams?
A: We need permission from the professor in order to release the exam to students. Some professors do not give us permission to allow students to study from past exams. Other professors only allow hard copy exams, not to be posted on the Intranet. We request permission each semester, but we are only allowed permission by the professors, so that's why not all exams may be available.
If something appears to be missing from the binder, please let library staff know ASAP.
Q: Can past exams be put in the stacks so I can access them after hours?
A: If the exam is on the Intranet, it's accessible 24/7 already! Hard copies remain at the circ desk for a limited time before the exam period only. When we put exam binders in the stacks, we run the risk of them disappearing, making them even more inaccessible. By keeping them on reserve at the circ desk, we can keep track of the binders so that they remain available for all students who need them.
Q: How long are the past exams available?
A: If you need a copy of an exam, make it early and don't wait until the last minute! Past exams are put out several weeks before the exam period for you to plan ahead.
Have more questions about Past Exams? Email lawlib@umn.edu and we'll find the answer for you.
From the Resource Shelf:
New Online: U.S. Statutes at Large Volume 118, 108th Congress, 2nd Session
The United States Statutes at Large, typically referred to as the Statutes at Large, is the permanent collection of all laws and resolutions enacted during each session of Congress. The Statutes at Large is prepared and published by the Office of the Federal Register (OFR), National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Every public and private law passed by Congress is published in the Statutes at Large, in order of the date it was enacted into law.
Source: GPO
From the Law Librarian Blog comes news of these two new resources on SCOTUS:
Special Master reports are now being posted on the Supreme Court's Web site. On the 'Docket' page of the Web site you will find a link titled Special Master Reports. The Court will add reports as they are issued in the future. In addition, the Court plans to post past reports as well."
PBS Series on SCOTUS
An unprecedented series exploring the history, impact and drama of the Supreme Court of the United States.
You may have experienced technical difficulties while trying to access law library e-reserves in the past few days. The e-reserves should now be accessible. All documents uploaded prior to last week should be accessible thru the intranet. However, anything added last week are still not accessible. They continue to work on that problem and hope to resolve it soon. If you have any questions, please make sure to ask library staff. 612-625-4300 or lawlib@umn.edu Sorry for any inconvenience this has caused.
From The Billable Hour comes news of a new journal: Consortium: The Journal of Legal Nonsense.
"Although we like to think we have the legal humor market cornered, the fact is that there are enough absurdities in legal education and practice to fill more than one publication. That's why we're happy to tell you about Consortium: the Journal of Legal Nonsense.
Consortium avoids legal precedents, pivotal cases, and high-minded legal theory. Instead, it discusses the social interactions and professional lives of lawyers and law students in a lighthearted manner.
Consortium is the brainchild of Pete Holiday, a law student at Indiana University School of Law-Bloomington, and Charlsie Paine, a recent graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law.
The law students and lawyers who write weblogs were the inspiration for Holiday and Paine, who also serve as Consortium’s editors. "There are all sorts of great writers saying funny, insightful things on their blogs," explains Holiday, "and we thought that, if we could condense even a small fraction of that down into a regular publication, it would be fantastic."
In another departure from traditional law journals—which eschew images in favor of densely-packed text—Consortium is visually striking, from its landscape format layout to its use of color and imagery. "As much as I love what a yellow highlighter can do for black and white text, sometimes I just have to let loose and remember there is more to life than black, white and neon shades of gray," Paine muses thoughtfully.
The inagural issue of Consortium is on the web at www.ConsortiumJournal.org. Readers can subscribe to Consortium at www.ConsortiumJournal.org/rss.php.
So check out Consortium (and look for our ad with a coupon for a free song download just for Consortium readers) today!"
Too busy for the usual dating scene? Interested in meeting other legal professionals in a social or romantic setting? Check out Lawyers In Love!
From the Site: Lawyers in Love is the premier online dating site for professional singles - lawyers, law students, and legal professionals looking to match other lawyers, law students and legal professionals. If your schedule makes it difficult for you to meet other professional legal singles, if you are still working during happy hours and other social events, if weekends are devoted to writing briefs or studying for your next law school exam, you will love this unique opportunity to find romance on the Web. Lawyers In Love provides lawyers the opportunity to match with other legal professionals. Finally, legal singles have the opportunity to date other legal professionals. Whoever thought finding a dream date with a fellow lawyer could be this easy!
Cornell Law Library is pleased to announce its new Legal Research Engine available at http://library.lawschool.cornell.edu/guides/researchengine.asp
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.