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Spotlight & News Archive
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Celebrate Law Day, Loyalty Day, May Day … Or Just Prepare for Finals May 1st: a day when two presidentially-proclaimed national observances compete with an internationally recognized holiday for the rapt attention of the nation’s citizenry. To help you decide where to focus your celebratory energy, a brief synopsis of each commemoration follows. Law Day. Initiated in 1958 at the urging of the ABA, Law Day is a "day of national dedication to the principle of government under law." This year’s theme is “the rule of law.” Suggested reading: The Rule of Law in America / Ronald Cass. Call number: KF382.C37 2001. Loyalty Day. Originated in 1921 as a counter to the communist-inspired May Day, Loyalty Day is a time for “reaffirmation of loyalty to the United States and for the recognition of the heritage of American freedom.” Suggested reading: For Love of Country? / Martha C. Nussbaum. Call number: JC329.N87 2002. May Day. Begun as a remembrance of the Haymarket Riot of 1886, May Day is a worldwide celebration of the international labor movement … and the inspiration for Loyalty Day. Suggested reading: Labor Embattled: History, Power, Rights / David Brody. Call number: HD8066.B76 2005. Of course, May 1st is also the last study day before finals begin. So students may have to forego participating in any of the day's celebrations, and instead demonstrate their loyalty to the law by spending extended hours in the Library perusing various hornbooks, nutshells, and study guides. posted April 30, 2008
Torture The Library usually takes a lighthearted approach to its spotlight feature. The tone and subject matter are, at times, purposely snarky and frivolous. But this week the focus is on a serious—and sometimes deadly serious—topic: torture. With the recent release of a March 2003 legal memorandum from the U.S. Justice Department Office of Legal Counsel on the standards governing the interrogation of military detainees, the debate over the moral, ethical, and legal aspects of torture is once again in the headlines. The discussion—that as we struggle to define torture, torture will inevitably define us—is a critical, difficult, yet necessary national conversation. To challenge or to reinforce your views on torture, or to gain a deeper understanding of the issues and ramifications involved in the debate over it, check out the following books:
posted April 21, 2008
That Time of Year Again And exactly what time of year would that be? Baseball season? Allergy season? Crabgrass season? Well, technically yes, it is indeed all of those seasons. But what is putting the pep in the step and the glide in the stride of your already enthusiastic Warren E. Burger librarians is the arrival of the 50th anniversary of National Library Week. Running from April 13-19, National Library Week celebrates the contributions libraries have made to society and promotes their use and support. All well and good—after all, who doesn’t like libraries?—but you’re probably wondering “what does National Library Week mean for me, the library patron?” It means that fines accumulated on overdue books will be waived if the books are returned during the April 13-19 timeframe. No questions asked. No explanations expected. posted April 10, 2008
Taxman. Yeah, I'm the Taxman. It’s a safe bet that in 1966 when The Beatles recorded “Taxman,” that even their highly-skilled and undoubtedly well-compensated tax attorneys did not have at their disposal even the smallest fraction of the tax law resources found in the Warren E. Burger Library. From online databases such as CCH Internet Tax Research and RIA Checkpoint to venerable loose-leaf publications such as Standard Federal Tax Reporter, United States Tax Reporter, and Tax Management Portfolios, the answer to practically any tax-related question is readily at hand. And if supplementary research information on taxation is necessary, the Library has literally thousands of books, periodicals, and government publications on the subject. All of which points to the inescapable conclusion that were this wealth of information available to the Beatles’ taxmen, The Fab Four might have been able to evade Britain’s onerous “one for you, nineteen for me” 95% top tax rate and the hit song might never have been written. posted March 31, 2008
About That March Madness Office Pool You’re about to fill out an NCAA basketball tournament bracket. Settled on your sleeper teams, Cinderella stories, and upset specials. Concluded that UCLA will beat Georgetown in the championship game. But then a thought crosses your mind: “Is this legal?” As librarians, we don’t give legal advice or opinions, but we can direct you to the resources that will answer that question. Start with 28 U.S.C. [sec.] 3701-3704 “The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992”. Then peruse the pertinent Minnesota laws on gambling: Minn. Stat. [sec.] 349 and Minn. Stat. [sec.] 609.75-609.763. Finally, read an article or two on the legality of office pools. Now that you’ve determined the lawfulness of participating in the office pool, turn to the experts for help with your picks. No, not the folks at ESPN, but the bona fide statistics gurus found on JSTOR:
posted March 20, 2008
Reading O' the Green For most people, St. Patrick’s Day is a time for shamrocks and shillelaghs, green clothes and green beer, Flogging Molly and the Dropkick Murphys. But this year, take a more cerebral (ok, I’ll admit that it’s really just one geeky librarian’s) approach to celebrating the national holiday of the Emerald Isle. In addition to wearing o’ the green, spend some time reading o’ the green. Do an author search for "Green" in the Library’s catalog and you’ll find, at the end of your query’s metaphorical rainbow, an intellectual pot of gold that includes: James R. Green: Death in the Haymarket: A Story of Chicago, the First Labor Movement, and the Bombing that Divided Gilded Age America. Call number: HD8085.C53 G74 2006. John C. Green: The Final Arbiter: The Consequences of Bush v. Gore for Law and Politics. Call number: KF5074.2 .F56 2005. Ronald M. Green: Babies by Design: The Ethics of Genetic Choice. Call number: RB155 .G74 2007. Stuart Green: Lying, Cheating, and Stealing: A Moral Theory of White-collar Crime. Call number: K5018 .G73 2006. William Green: A Peculiar Imbalance: The Fall and Rise of Racial Equality in Early Minnesota. Call number: F614.S4 G745 2007. Erin Go Bragh, indeed. posted March 12, 2008
Legal Schadenfreude Schadenfreude. That wonderful German word for the satisfaction or pleasure felt at someone else's misfortune. Certainly not a state of mind to which we readily confess, but only the most saintly among us can completely resist succumbing to schadenfreude’s siren song—especially when reading about the prosecutions of high-level executives for corporate misdeeds. Gauge your ability to refrain from taking even the smallest measure of pleasure at others’ guilt by checking out the following books: Martha Stewart's Legal Troubles / edited by Joan MacLeod Heminway. Call number: KF225 .S74 2007. Pride Before the Fall: The Trials of Bill Gates and the End of the Microsoft Era / John Heilemann. Call number: KF228.U5 H44 2002. Conspiracy of Fools: A True Story / Kurt Eichenwald. Call number: HD9502.U54 E5736 2005. posted February 28, 2008
The Presidents of the United States of America Between President’s Day, various presidents’ birthdays (not only Lincoln’s and Washington’s, but William Henry Harrison’s and Ronald Reagan’s are also in February), and the ongoing presidential primaries, interest in the nation’s highest office is at a near fever pitch. So indulge your inner Doris Kearns Goodwin by browsing the Public Papers of the Presidents. The Public Papers contain almost all of the speeches and writings of the Presidents that were issued by the Office of the Press Secretary during their respective terms in office. In the Papers, you’ll find such treasures as the remarks Kennedy had prepared for his ill-fated November 22, 1963 visit to Dallas, Johnson’s famous “I shall not seek reelection speech," and Nixon’s resignation address to the nation. Volumes covering the Hoover Administration through the first three years of the Reagan Administration are available at call number: Gov Docs GS 4.113: (note: Roosevelt’s public papers have not yet been published). Volumes covering the final five years of the Reagan Administration through the George W. Bush Administration are available at call number: Gov Docs: AE 2.114: The Public Papers of the Presidents are also available online as a searchable database. posted February 19, 2008
The Eleventh and the Twenty-Fifth February 7th and 10th mark the anniversaries of the ratifications of the Eleventh and Twenty-fifth Amendments to the United States Constitution. While these two amendments—concerned with sovereign immunity and presidential succession, respectively—haven’t inspired the wealth of scholarship that their more well known and oft-times more controversial brethren have, there is still a substantial body of research that can aid in the understanding and interpretation of the roles the Eleventh and Twenty-fifth Amendments have played in shaping constitutional law. On the Eleventh Amendment, see:
On the Twenty-fifth Amendment, see:
posted Feburary 6, 2008
Open CRS If you’ve ever wondered how your U.S. Senator or Representative manages to stay informed on all the issues of the day, the answer is twofold: a dedicated support staff and the Congressional Research Service. The CRS, a division of the Library of Congress, performs unbiased, confidential research and analysis for members of Congress. The research reports and issue briefs produced by the CRS are not, unfortunately, available to the general public unless a Congressperson releases them or a constituent requests them. This is where Open CRS comes into the picture. Open CRS acts a central collection repository for all publicly released CRS reports. Their web site features a searchable database of nearly 13,000 reports with titles ranging from Iraq: Post-Saddam Governance and Security Governance to Trafficking in Persons: U.S. Policy and Issues for Congress. So if you’re looking for background information when researching nearly any legislative topic or if you just want to be as well informed (or hopefully better informed) than your Congressperson, add Open CRS to your Internet bookmarks. posted January 28, 2008
A Martin Luther King Jr. Day Bibliography for the Busy Law Student Admittedly, very few people have the time or inclination to work their way through David Garrow’s or Taylor Branch’s massive, yet masterful tomes on Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Era. But even the most time-pressed among us can spare an hour or two to peruse the following compilations of speeches, articles, photographs, and documents from that epochal moment in the nation’s history: A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr. / edited by James M. Washington. Call number: E185.97.K5 A25 1991. King, Malcolm, Baldwin: Three Interviews / by Kenneth B. Clark. Call number: E185.61 .K56 1985. Let Freedom Ring: A Documentary History of the Modern Civil Rights Movement / by Peter B. Levy. Call number: E185.61.L47 1992. The Eyes on the Prize Civil Rights Reader: Documents, Speeches, and Firsthand Accounts from the Black Freedom Struggle, 1954-1990. Call number: E185.61 .E95 1991. Memories of the Southern Civil Rights Movement / Danny Lyon. Call number: E185.615 .L96 1992. posted January 15, 2007
Welcome Back, Students ... Looking for a Job? It’s a new year, a new semester, and a new opportunity for work-study eligible students to secure employment at what is quite possibly the premier law library circulation desk in the Upper Midwest. We’re looking for several service-oriented students to assist in staffing said desk. Duties include: helping patrons, retrieving library materials, checking books out & in, shelving library materials, filing law library updates, and assisting in miscellaneous tasks. Benefits include: putting some extra cash in your pocket and gaining practical insight into incorporating the Library’s resources into your own legal research.
posted January 4, 2007
Library Closed for Winter Break Although the Library will be closed from December 22, 2007 through January 1, 2008 for the College’s winter break, you can still utilize its online resources for your legal research needs. All of the Library’s Free Internet Research Sources remain available to everyone and most of the Library’s Subscription Databases—including Westlaw, LexisNexis, and HeinOnline—are accessible off campus with a William Mitchell network login. Enjoy your winter break and we’ll see you next year. posted December 20, 2007
The Finals Countdown ‘Tis the season for final exams and the Library is here to provide services and materials to support you during this not-so-festive time of the year. Extended hours: Through December 21, the Library is open Monday-Friday from 7:30-Midnight and on Saturday-Sunday from 8:00-Midnight. Exam Archive: The Library’s online exam archive contains actual exams administered in previous semesters. While the archive is not comprehensive—it only contains exams submitted by professors voluntarily —it does offer some insight into the structure and content of law school exams. Study Aids: The Understanding Series, the Hornbook Series, the Examples and Explanations Series, and the Sum and Substance of Law Sound Recording Series are good sources of review information on substantive areas of the law. CALI Lessons: CALI, The Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction, offers interactive lessons on various areas of the law. A password—available from the Library reference desk—is required to login to the database for the first time. Alas, the Library is not able to provide a download of "The Final Countdown" for your cell phone or ipod. posted December 4, 2007
Revisions to the Federal Rules Barring Congressional action, amendments to the Federal Rules of Appellate, Bankruptcy, Civil, and Criminal Procedure will take effect on December 1, 2007. The revisions, approved by the United States Supreme Court in April 2007, implement provisions of the E-Government Act of 2002. Additionally, the amendments impose a set of comprehensive style changes to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure in an attempt to clarify and simplify the Rules without changing their substantive meaning. More information on the Federal Rules amendments as well as advisory committee reports on the amending process is available from the United States Courts website. A criticism of the Rules revisions by Professor Jeffrey S. Parker of George Mason University Law School is available via SSRN. posted November 27, 2007
I Personally Recommend Amidst the all the casebooks, hornbooks, reporters, treatises, and digests in the Library’s collection are dozens of overlooked but extraordinary books. Three of which are: Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing / by Ted Conover. Journalist Ted Conover wanted to write about the world of corrections officers. So he became one—at New York’s notorious Sing Sing prison. Newjack chronicles the banalities and brutalities of a year spent on the inside. Call number: HV9475.N72 S563 2000. Fair Use: The Story of the Letter U and the Numeral 2 / by Negativland. In which Negativland, U2, Casey Kasem, Island Records, and SST Records clash over the Fair Use Doctrine of the United States Copyright Act. Enjoy the accompanying CD: a sound collage commentary on the ordeal. Call number: KF3080.N43 1995. Common Ground: A Turbulent Decade in the Lives of Three American Families / by J. Anthony Lukas. A sprawling, yet elegantly written exploration of race, class and social upheaval in 1970s era Boston. Thirty years later, the issues raised in the Pulitzer Prize-winning book—integration, educational inequality, and social stratification—still confront America’s cities. Call number: F73.9.A1 L85 1985. posted November 16, 2007
When the Glove Didn't Fit With O.J. Simpson once again the subject of cable TV’s legal gabfests, memories inexorably drift back to the murder trial/media spectacle that transfixed the nation for much of 1995. Lance Ito, Kato Kaelin, and Mark Fuhrman became household names, and the white Ford Bronco, the Bruno Magli shoes and the bloody glove became topics for endless speculation. The “trial of the century” spawned a cottage industry in the publishing world. Prosecutors Marcia Clark and Christopher Darden and “dream team” defense attorneys Robert Shapiro, Alan Dershowitz, and Gerald Uelmann all provided first person accounts of the trial. Monday morning legal quarterbacking was proffered by Gerry Spence, Jeffrey Toobin, and Vincent Bugliosi, while other commentators deconstructed the Simpson trial as a metaphor for race, rhetoric, language, and justice. Find all these books and more at call number KF224.S485 in the Library's lower level. posted November 9, 2007
BNA Titles Now Available Online The Warren E. Burger Library is pleased to announce that the complete collection of BNA online publications is now available to faculty, students, and staff. Comprised of over 110 titles, including such familiar titles as United States Law Week and Pension & Benefits Daily, the BNA collection provides timely, authoritative, and objective information in the areas of corporate, employment, environmental, health care, and tax law. To browse a complete list of the publications available via the BNA collection, click on the BNA link on the Library’s Subscription Databases page. posted November 1, 2007
Dinner and a Movie The Library can’t help you prepare the food, but we can provide the film. And we don’t mean stale instructional videos, but award-winning Hollywood and independent features. Choose a lighthearted romp such as Wedding Crashers, Adam’s Rib, or My Cousin Vinny. Opt for more serious fare like The Squid and The Whale, Syriana, or The Story of Qui Ju. Or, compare your law school experiences with those depicted in The Paper Chase. All of the movies in the Library’s collection, available on either DVD or VHS format, are kept on reserve and circulate for three days. posted October 22, 2007
The National Pastime, Litigated With the World Series just two weeks away, Americans find themselves divided into two camps: baseball fans studiously poring over ERAs, RBIs, and batting averages in anticipation of the 103rd Fall Classic and non-baseball fans struggling to understand why grown men wearing funny-looking pants play a children’s game. Perhaps this yawning chasm can only be breached by thinking of baseball not as a sport, but as the American legal system in microcosm. Farfetched? Maybe, but not to the authors of:
Both baseball lovers and baseball haters will appreciate the books’ insights into antitrust law, collective bargaining, employee privacy issues, mediation, and statutory construction. And, thankfully, the books' minimal references to relief pitchers, power hitters and those funny-looking pants. posted October 9, 2007
The First Monday in October Sure, you could acknowledge the day by seeing the play or just watching the movie, but serious legal minds will want to delve more deeply into the cases and issues that highlight the Supreme Court’s 2007-2008 term. Begin that exploration by visiting On the Docket—Northwestern University’s Supreme Court News page—and peruse the synopses of the 43 cases before the Court. Then head to the ABA’s Supreme Court Preview to read the briefs submitted for the Court’s consideration. Finally, bookmark the Supreme Court's Opinions page and check it frequently—slip opinions are posted within hours of the issuance of bench opinions. posted October, 1, 2007
Which One is the Salad Fork? As the Career Development Office will tell you, knowledge of proper etiquette is not simply an esoteric concern for the persnickety readers of Miss Manners’ column. It is also an essential skill in networking and interviewing--two situations where your social grace is being measured along with your understanding of estoppel. So then, which fork is the salad fork? And when should you exchange business cards? Find out from the old school masters of etiquette: Emily Post, Amy Vanderbilt, and Letitia Baldrige. Or, for a more contemporary approach to matters couth and uncouth, check out:
posted September 25, 2007
Avoiding Plagiarism Plagiarism: The act or instance of copying or stealing another’s words or ideas and attributing them as one’s own (Black’s Law Dictionary 1170. 7th ed. 1999) Whether in the realms of academia, literature, or law practice, charges of plagiarism have the potential to derail promising careers. For law students, the consequences of plagiarism, whether deliberate or unintentional, are severe and can include course failure, suspension or expulsion from school, and notification of state bar examiners. To learn more about the pitfalls of plagiarism, copy and paste … in light of the topic at hand, perhaps it would be better to simply click on the following links:
Posted: September 14, 2007
Instant Message Reference Service The problem: you need assistance researching riparian rights in Rhode Island, but are unable to make it to the Library. The solution: send your questions to the Warren E. Burger Library reference librarians via the meebo instant messaging widget found on the right side of this page. The IM reference service is completely anonymous and is available during regular reference hours. So whether you’re studying in the commons, at a coffee shop, or at home on your couch, the expertise of the Library’s reference librarians is only a few keystrokes and mouse clicks away. Posted: September 6, 2007
A Story Ripped from Today's Headlines As the Michael Vick dogfighting saga culminates with the Atlanta Falcons quarterback pleading guilty to federal conspiracy charges, inquisitive legal minds may find themselves wanting to learn more about animal law. A great place to begin is the Animal Legal & Historical Center at the Michigan State University College of Law. The web site features a comprehensive collection of state and federal statutes and case law. For a more philosophical consideration, check out Rattling the Cage: Toward Legal Rights for Animals or People, Property, or Pets? or any of the other animal law and animal rights books found in the Warren E. Burger Library. Posted: August 27, 2007
How to Succeed in Law School Without Even Trying The truth is, you probably can’t. The demands of law school—briefing cases, writing memos, researching statutes, creating outlines—require an extraordinary amount of time and effort. To learn how to thrive at these tasks (and a myriad of others), check out the Library’s collection of “success in law school” books. You’ll find them at call number KF283 in the lower level of the Library. Posted: August 15, 2007
Resources on I-35 Bridge Tragedy The Minnesota Legislative Reference Library and the University of Minnesota Government Publications Library have both published Web pages listing resources connected to the I-35 bridge collapse on Thursday, August 2, 2007. To view the resources pages, click on the links above. Posted: August 6, 2007
Spotlight On … Minnesota Laws from 2007 SessionThe Minnesota House of Representatives Web site has a page, 2007 New Laws, which links to summary reports of the new laws from the latest legislative session. From this page you can search for law by keyword, topic or browse a list of all new laws by chapter number. Posted July 19, 2007
Library News … JSTOR available for William Mitchell CommunityJSTOR, an online archive of scholarly journals, is now available through the Warren E. Burger Library's Subscription Databases page. The library's subscription to JSTOR provides access to journals in the areas of Arts & Sciences and Business. This database is available on campus to all users, and off campus to members of the William Mitchell Community with your Mitchell network login. Please contact the reference desk if you have any questions about using JSTOR. Posted July 12, 2007
Spotlight On … Supreme Court Limits Use of Race to Achieve DiversityIn its June 28 decision in Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School Dist. No. 1, the Supreme Court limited the use of racial factors in determining school eligibility for students in order to maintain racial diversity. This 5-4 decision continues the conservative trend of the Court's decisions. Details:
Posted June 28, 2007
Spotlight On … Supreme Court Decides Five CasesThe United States Supreme Court handed down five decisions on Monday, June 25. News sources analyzed the influence of the two recent Bush appointees, Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito, on the outcome of recent cases, as the decisions indicate a move to the conservative right. Several of the cases have been followed with much interest, including one on campaign-finance regulation and another dealing with student free speech. Details: Posted June 25, 2007
Spotlight On … New Federal Documents Search EngineThe Sunlight Foundation, release a beta version of a new search engine with a goal to "improve public access to federal documents." LOUIS, the Library of Unified Information Sources, currently includes documents dating back to 2001 from the Congressional Record, congressional bills and resolutions, congressional reports, congressional hearings, GAO reports, presidential documents and the Federal Register. Ellen Miller, executive director of Sunlight Foundation states, "Sunlight created LOUIS to give citizens a one-stop, Google-like ability to search across disparate information sources in order to examine the workings of the federal government." Details:
Posted June 18, 2007
Spotlight On … Flag Day, June 14June 14, 1777 is the date on which the U.S. Flag was official adopted as a symbol of the United States. In 1885, a school teacher in Wisconsin arranged for his students to celebrate "Flag Birthday" or "Flag Day" and following this example, other celebrations developed. The date was officially recognized in 1916 by a presidential proclamation signed by Woodrow Wilson, and became a national holiday in 1949 through an act of congress signed by President Harry S Truman. Details:
Posted June 14, 2007
Spotlight On … Google Book Search Project ExpandsAs part of its goal "to create a repository of books that allows users to search the full text of those books as easily as they search Web pages today" Google has entered into an agreement with 12 universities (the members of the Big Ten, and the University of Chicago) to digitize 10 million books. This brings the total number of schools Google is working with to twenty five. While there is some concern over the inclusion of copyrighted material in the project, scholars view this as a groundbreaking move that will revolutionize research. According to Thomas Sullivan, provost of the University of Minnesota, "the virtual access to printed volumes will change the face and pace of scholarly research." Details:
Posted: June 11, 2007
Spotlight On … Authenticated Public and Private LawsEver wonder if what you see on the web is authentic? GPO access is beta testing a searchable and browseable database of authenticated public and private laws for the 110th Congress. What does that mean? The authentication initiative "focuses on the primary objective of assuring users that the information made available by GPO is official and authentic." Thus users of files distributed through this process are assured that the information is unchanged from the official print version. For more information go to GPO Access beta site for Laws of the 110th Congress. Posted: May 31, 2007
Library News … Library Catalog Redesigned!In 2006, the library catalog system was upgraded from the Innovative Interface Millenium to WebPAC Pro. The upgrade offers rich new features, including a sleek new search engine offering results ranked by relevancy and a host of Web 2.0 features such as user ratings, user reviews, and RSS feeds. To allow our patrons to make full use of the new features and maximize their utility, we felt that the catalog needed a new look to go along with the new functionality. Tinkering in the margins would not fully utilize the new features; the time had come for a redesign. Check out the redesigned catalog and please feel free to send any comments about the design (both what you like and ideas for further improvement) to Neal Axton, chair of the redesign committee. Posted: May 21, 2007
Spotlight On… Library Movie and Popular Fiction CollectionsAre you done with finals, but haven't started summer classes yet? Are you looking for something to occupy the time you used to spend studying? Did you know that the library has a growing collection of popular movies available to be checked out? This collection includes titles with legal, elder law and feminist themes such as: The Firm, Driving Miss Daisy and even Wedding Crashers. To locate movies in the library collection, go to the Library Catalog and under "Limit search to..." click on Video Material. Prefer to spend your downtime reading a good book instead? Check out the library's collection of popular fiction. Titles such as: An American Tragedy, The Just and the Unjust and The Caine Mutiny are located in the PS 3000 call number area on the lower level of the library. If you are looking for a specific title, please check with the reference librarians, and we will be happy to help you. Enjoy! Posted: May 16, 2007
Spotlight On… Victory in Europe Day, May 8, 1945World War II Digital Document ArchiveMay 8, 2007, marks the 62nd anniversary of the day the Allies formally celebrated the victory over Nazi forces in Europe. The Government Printing Office (GPO) and Southern Methodist University (SMU) Central University Libraries have partnered to provide digital access to over 300 U.S. Government Publications distributed during the war. This archive can be accessed at http://worldwar2.smu.edu/.
Library News … Library on Extended Hours, Conference Room open until 2 a.m.Students looking for a study area after midnight may use the Library conference room until 2 a.m. Monday through Friday. The Conference Room may be entered on the 2nd floor near the Kelly Board Room. Students must enter and exit through the main security doors. Please note that there will not be access to the library after midnight. Posted: April 30, 2007
Spotlight On… World Intellectual Property Day, April 26World Intellectual Property Day was first designated in 2000 by the World Intellectual Property Organization as "an opportunity to encourage people to think about the role played by intellectual property in everyday life, and about its importance in stimulating and safeguarding innovation and creativity." This year's theme is "encouraging creativity."
Details: Posted: April 26, 2007
Library News… Library on Extended HoursThe library will be on extended hours from April 20 through May 11. We will be open Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to Midnight, and Saturday to Sunday, 8 a.m. to Midnight. Reference hours will remain the same. Click here for the Library Hours page. Good luck as you prepare for and take your final exams! Posted: April 23, 2007 . Library News...Network Outages in the LibraryOn Sunday, April 22, Information Technology will be taking the network down to install new network components. This work will affect the library at approximately the following times (times are approximate, depending on project progress): 9:00 am to 11:00 am Computer room powered down - All computer applications will be down. This includes email, web and all applications, both inside and out side of the campus. 9:00 am to 11:00 am Library checkout system will be down (you will still be able to check material out, but we will process these manually) 9:00 am to 12:00 noon Library labs will not have connection to the Internet or network drives 11:00 am to 2:00 pm Library upper level will not have Internet or network connection Posted: April 20, 2007 . Spotlight On … National Library Week and Mitchell's New CatalogThe Warren E. Burger Library is excited to announce the debut of its new catalog interface during National Library Week starting April 15th. The new catalog design will improve Internet access to the library’s resources. The new catalog links to:
The new catalog features:
The new catalog design is available on the college network at the beta testing site. Posted: April 13, 2007 Spotlight On … Briefs available for 8th Circuit Arguments to be held at William Mitchell, April 4
On April 4, William Mitchell will host a panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit as it hears oral argument in cases involving issues ranging from the denial of social security disability benefits to the constitutionality of criminal sentencing regulations. Chief Judge James B. Loken, Judge C. Arlen Beam, and Judge Kermit E. Bye will hear oral arguments in the William Mitchell Auditorium starting at 9:00 am. The event is open to faculty, staff, and students. Details: Briefs: . Spotlight On … National Women's History Month
The National Women’s History Project (NWHP) was founded in 1980, to "broadcast women’s historical achievements." As the project grew and expanded, they lobbied congress to designate the month of March as National Women's History Month. This year's theme, "Generations of Women Moving History Forward,” was selected to recognize the "wisdom and tenacity of the generations of women who have come before us and those who will follow." Details: Posted: March 13, 2007 . Spotlight On … International Women's Day 2007
Evolving since the early 1900s, International Women's Day (IWD) is the "global day connecting all women around the world and inspiring them to achieve their full potential. IWD celebrates the collective power of women past, present and future." Details: Posted: March 8, 2007 . Spotlight On … . Class Action Against BAR/BRI Reaches Tentative Settlement, Some Class Members Dissatisfied
A class action suit against BAR/BRI, a leading bar review prep course, has reached a tentative settlement. The suit, filed in 2005, contends that the company operated an illegal monopoly and overcharged students for bar review courses by as much as $1,000. The settlement has angered many of the class members who assert that one objective of the suit was to force changes in BAR/BRI's business practices, which the current agreement does not require. Details: Posted: March 3, 2007 . Library News … March 1, 2007 - College and Library Closing at Noon The Library and College will close at noon on Thursday, March 1, 2007 due to the stormy weather. For current updates on the status of the library, call the circulation desk at 651-290-6333. For information on the status of the college, see the William Mitchell homepage. Posted: March 1, 2007 . Spotlight On … Minnesota State Legislature Website The Minnesota State Legislature Website is an award winning site that provides a wealth of information to users about the Minnesota Legislature, past and present. The site includes access to the current Minnesota Statutes, session laws back to 1994, Minnesota Rules, and the state constitution. In addition, the "MyBills" service allows a user to track proposed legislation as it moves through the system. You can also find information on the State House and Senate, and link to live or archived video of floor sessions, committee hearings and other materials. Posted: February 12, 2007 . Spotlight On … Documentary on the Minnesota Supreme Court "Justice Matters" is a documentary co-produced by the Minnesota Supreme Court and Twin Cities Public Television (TPT) which "...uses significant cases of the past 20 years to illustrate the role Minnesota's highest court plays in the state's justice system, and in the lives of Minnesotans." This documentary will be shown on Sunday, February 11 at 4 p.m. on Channel 2 and 7 p.m. on Channel 17. For more information see the Minnesota Judicial Branch website. Posted: February 8, 2007 . Spotlight On … Public Access KeyCite available in the Library KeyCite is now available on one of the research terminals located in the reference area. Through this subscription, researchers may use Keycite to update the curent status of cases, statutes, selected administrative decisions, and federal and selected state regulations. This service does not provide full-text of the KeyCited document or full-text access to other material on the report, nor does it allow general research in other Westlaw databases. Posted: February 7, 2007 . Spotlight On … Minnesota CLE Online Library Training Are you interested in harnessing the power of Minnesota CLE materials through your computer? Join us for a training session on using the CLE Online Library to find practice aids, forms and many other materials, Tuesday, February 6 at 3 p.m. in room 240 and 5 p.m. in room 234. Posted: February 5, 2007 . Spotlight On … U.S. Supreme Court Documentary Series on PBS Described as “an unprecedented series exploring the history, impact and drama of America's highest court," this four part series will begin its run on Wednesday, January 31. See the PBS website for the complete schedule, a discussion guide, a timeline of Supreme Court events, interactive games to test your knowledge of our highest court, and more resources. Posted: January 29, 2007 . This Date in History … Madeline K. Albright sworn in as Secretary of State Madeline K. Albright was sworn in as the 64th Secretary of State and the first woman to serve in the position on January 23, 1997. Ms. Albright, who was born in Czechoslovakia, on May 15, 1937, held the position for four years. Details::
Posted: January 23, 2007 . Library News… Lexis and Westlaw Classes Being Offered Our Westlaw and Lexis representatives are offering a variety of training opportunities for William Mitchell students over the next few weeks. These classes are a great way to improve your online research skills and develop techniques to maximize your research effectiveness. Check out the Lexis My School page (login required) and the Westlaw Training page (login required) for classes, times and locations and to sign up. Posted: January 18, 2007 . Spotlight On… Research Article Published by Librarian Deb Hackerson William Mitchell Reference Librarian and alumna Deb Hackerson '96 recently published an article titled Legal Research: A Guide to Online Tutorials for First Year Law Students, 25 Legal Reference Services Quarterly 153 (2006). This article suggests tutorials provided by CALI, LexisNexis and Westlaw which might be most relevant and useful for first year law students. William Mitchell students, faculty and staff can can find her article in the periodical collection on the upper level of the library, and the tutorials through the links in the spotlight details below. Details: William Mitchell students, faculty and staff can access these tutorials as follows:
Posted: January 16, 2007 . . Spotlight On… Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday - Library Closed Remember! Celebrate! Act! A Day On, Not A Day Off!! This is the theme for this year's celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday, January 15, 2007. This holiday was officially recognized by Public Law 98-144, signed into law on November 2, 1983 by President Ronald Reagan. Details:
Posted: January 11, 2007 . Spotlight On… Welcome Back to Classes The library welcomes our students and faculty back to the spring 2007 semester. Please let us know how we can help you with your research needs! Posted: January 9, 2007 . Library News … Library Closed During the Winter Break The Library will be closed during the college winter break. We will close on Friday, December 22 at 6 p.m. and reopen on Tuesday January 2, 2007 at 7:30 a.m. We will be on interim hours January 2 -7, 2007. We wish you a safe and relaxing Holiday Season, and look forward to serving you in the New Year! Posted December 20, 2006 . Spotlight On… Iraq Study Group Final Report Available
The Final Report of the Iraq Study Group, released on December 6, 2006, is available online and may accessed through the Library's Online Catalog. At the catalog page enter a title search for Iraq Study Group Report to bring up the link to connect to the complete document. For additional information on the Report see the Spotlight Details below. Details: Posted: December 08, 2006 . Spotlight On … Getting Ready for Finals The Library has many items that may be helpful to students preparing for final exams. These include: CALI Lessons - CALI, The Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction, provides interactive lessons in substantive areas of law. Contact the reference desk for the William Mitchell authorization code to login the first time. Exam Archive - The library maintains an online exam archive containing past exams voluntarily contributed by faculty of the college. Exams are organized by course and by faculty member. Note that not all faculty provide exams. Study Aids - The library owns many books and audio materials that can serve as a good source for review of a substantive area of law. To find some of these, search the Library Catalog for the following titles: Sum and Substance of Law Sound Recordings, Understanding Series, Hornbook Series, Examples and Explanations Series. If you need help locating particular materials, members of the library staff are always willing to help. Feel free to stop in, email or call (651-290-6424) the reference desk for assistance. Good Luck on Exams! Posted: November 30, 2006 . . Library News … Library Hours for Holidays and Exams The Library will be closed on Thursday, November 23, 2006 for the Thanksgiving holiday. We will be open regular hours prior to the 23rd, and again on the 24th. There will be no reference service on Friday, November 24th. The Library will go to our extended hours schedule on Friday, December 1, 2006 and remain on that schedule through Friday, December 22, 2006. The Library will be closed for the Winter Break from December 24, 2006 through January 1, 2007, and will reopen on January 2, 2007. If you have any questions about library hours, they are posted on the Library Hours page or you may contact the circulation desk at 651-290-6333 or circulation@wmitchell.edu. Posted: November 21, 2006. Spotlight On … Historic Code of Federal Regulations now available on HeinOnline HeinOnline has announced the availability of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) from inception in 1938 through the 1983 edition. All editions inclusive of this period as well as all supplements for this time frame are now easily accessible online for the very first time in an image-based (PDF), searchable format. The CFR is the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register (also available in HeinOnline from its' inception in 1936) by the executive departments and agencies of the U.S. Federal Government. The CFR is divided into 50 titles that represent broad areas subject to U.S. Federal regulation. To access HeinOnline from the Library website, click on the Research link above, and then Online Databases Posted: November 8, 2006 . Spotlight On … Don't forget to Vote! November 7, 2006 is election day, don't forget to take time to exercise you constitutional right to vote! Not sure where to go, who the candidates are, etc? Check out the Minnesota Secretary of State's website for all that information and more. Interested in getting the election results? The Library's Internet Legal Resources Minnesota Media page links to the major Minnesota media outlets where you can find continuing coverage of the election. Posted: November 7, 2006 . Library News … Library Study Room Policy Change The policy for use of the library study rooms has changed to allow individual users when the rooms are not being used by groups. The rooms have also been re-keyed to allow entry using your William Mitchell ID card. For complete details on access to the study rooms, see the Spotlight Details (link below), and for all library policies related to students check out the Current Students page. Details: Study Room Policy Availability of Rooms; Authorized Users and Uses The library has 11 study rooms on the lower level. These rooms are available only to WMCL students and faculty and to alumni who are studying for the bar exam, and they may be used only for college academic purposes. Any exceptions must be approved by the Circulation Librarian. The rooms are designed primarily for group study, and groups have priority for use of the rooms. The rooms may be used for individual study but only when they are not needed for group study. Use of the Rooms A group may use a study room for an initial two-hour period. If no other group needs the room after that period, the group may signup on the room reservation sheet for another two-hour period and remain in the room.. A group does not have to vacate a room for an individual student. Individual students may use the smaller study rooms (B, C, G, H, I, J, K, and L). The larger study rooms (D, E, and F) are not available for individual study. An individual may use a study room as long as a group does not need it. An Individual must vacate a room immediately if it is needed by a group, even if the individual has not been in the room for two hours. Students and faculty may open study rooms by using their WMCL ID cards on the card reader outside the door of a study room. Alumni studying for the bar exam may request help at the circulation desk. Groups who have not reserved a room in advance and all individual users must sign in on the registration sheet posted on or near the door. Room Reservations Groups are encouraged to reserve study rooms in advance, but standing reservations (multiple reservations for the same day and time) are not allowed. To reserve a room for the next day, your request must be made at least an hour before the library closes. To reserve a room, email the Circulation Desk staff (circulation@wmitchell.edu) with the time and date you wish to use a room and with the name of at least one other person who will be in the room with you. The circulation staff will respond to your request. Reservations for each day will be posted outside each study room. If a group is more than 15 minutes late for its reservation, it forfeits use of the study room if another group wants it. Individuals may not reserve rooms. Those who do so will forfeit their study room privileges. Study Room Code of Conduct I you are an individual user, vacate a room immediately when asked to do so by a group, regardless of how long you have been occupying the room. Do not consume food or beverages in the study room. Do not use a study room as a locker, storage space, or place to sleep. Do not leave library materials in the study rooms. Place them on shelving carts. Leave a room in good condition by erasing the white boards, picking up trash, and pushing in chairs. Vacate a study room 15 minutes before the library’s scheduled closing. Violating the Study Room Policy Those violating study room policies may have their study room privileges revoked for the academic year. Posted: October 25, 2006 . Spotlight On… Supreme Court Transcripts - Same Day Availability In a move applauded by some for providing greater public access, the Supreme Court announced that starting with the October 2006 term, oral argument transcripts will be posted to the Court's web site on the same day they are given. In prior terms, transcripts were generally not available for about two weeks after the arguments. Details:
Posted: October 2, 2006 . Spotlight On… O'Connor Confirmation 25th Anniversary On September 21, 1981, Sandra Day O’Connor was unanimously confirmed as the first female justice on the United States Supreme Court. She served on the court until her retirement in January of 2006. As a moderate conservative, O'Connor often cast the deciding vote in cases that polarized the court. Details:
Posted: September 21, 2006 . Spotlight On… Constitution Day Celebrates Freedom The United States Constitution was signed on September 17, 1789, and this year marks the 10th anniversary of official celebrations of that day. Many federal agencies and other related groups have planned activities to commemorate this pivotal event in the history of the United States. See the Spotlight Details below for links to several of these. Details:
Posted: September 18, 2006 . Spotlight On... Windows Live Search Launched Windows announced the launch of Live Search, its internet search service, on September 11. Live Search will power the web search feature on MSN, Microsoft’s portal for media and entertainment. Microsoft is third behind Google and Yahoo in search engine popularity Details:
Posted: September 11, 2006 . Spotlight On... Super Lawyers? A committee of the New Jersey Supreme Court has ruled that lawyers may not advertise as a “Super Lawyer” as determined by Law & Politics magazine’s Super Lawyers supplement. The concern is that labels such as “super” or “best” can mislead consumers to think that one attorney is significantly better than others. Details:
Posted: August 14, 2006 . Spotlight On… Title IX Anniversary June 23 marked the 34th anniversary of President Nixon signing Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 into law, which prohibits sex discrimination in federally funded educational institutions. Details:
Posted: June 29, 2006 . Spotlight On… Video Game or Terrorist Training Tool? In a recent congressional hearing, pentagon experts showed scenes from a popular video game, Battlefield 2, that were described as an advertisement for a terrorist modification of the game to be used for terrorist training purposes. In reality, the scenes were from a fan film for the game, posted to the internet, and the "modification" was actually a component of the commercially sold game. Details:
Posted: June 27, 2006 . Spotlight On… Affirmative Action in Law Schools Two recent law review articles have presented some challenges to conventional ideas regarding affirmative action in law schools, and a June 16, 2006 meeting of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights also fueled debate on the issue. See the Details page for more information. Details:
Posted: June 21, 2006 . Spotlight On… The Response to Hurricane Katrina - Government Reports The government response to Hurricane Katrina has been the subject of much discussion. Several government reports have recently been issued which review the response and what can be learned for the future. Details:
Posted: April 27, 2006 . Spotlight On… Supreme Court allows use of unpublished opinions in Federal Courts The U.S. Supreme Court voted Wednesday to adopt Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 32.1, permitting attorneys to cite to unpublished opinions in federal court. See the Details page below for additional information. Details:
Posted: April 13, 2006 . Spotlight On… National Library Week - April 2-8, 2006 Change Your World @ Your Library... is the theme for this year's National Library Week. National Library Week, started in 1958, is a time to celebrate all libraries as centers of learning. Did you know that academic reference librarians answer over 7 million questions a week! Stop in and see what we can do for you! Details:
Posted: April 3, 2006 . Spotlight On… Women's History Month - March 2006 Women's History Week, first celebrated in 1978, was originally designated as the week including March 8, which is International Women's Day. In 1987, the celebration, which recognizes and celebrates the contributions of women throughout the history of the United States, was expanded to the full month of March. Over the past 15 years, it has developed into a major national and international celebration of the accomplishments of women in the US and around the world. Details:
Posted: March 9, 2006 . Spotlight On… The Solomon Amendment Upheld In an 8-0 opinion written by Chief Justice Roberts, the Supreme Court ruled that the Solomon Amendment, which requires law schools that receive federal funding to allow the military the same access as other employers when recruiting on campus, does not violate the First Amendment. Details:
Posted: March 6, 2006 . Library News… The Best of the Legal Web - CLE by Neal Axton, Reference Librarian Reference Librarian Neal Axton recently presented a Continuing Legal Education Seminar on the Best of the Legal Web. He discussed a range of topics, including internet security, resources beyond Google, where to find cases, briefs, regulatory and financial information, how to keep up on current happenings, and the future of the Web, including data-mining and the Semantic Web. Posted: March 1, 2006 . Library News… Library Online Catalog Unavailable March 1st The Library Online Catalog will be unavailable on Wednesday, March 1st for installation of new hardware for the system. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Please ask for help at the reference desk if you are looking for library materials. Posted: February 23, 2006 . Spotlight On… Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-2005 The 16th edition of this classic reference tool is now available online and in our library! This comprehensive directory contains the biographies of thousands of members of Congress from the first through the 108th Congress, territorial delegates, resident commissioners and vice presidents. Search the title in the Library's Online Catalog for the location of the print version in the library or a link to the online version. Posted: February 21, 2006 . Spotlight On… Trial of Saddam Hussein The Law Library of Congress has created a website devoted to the trial of Saddam Hussein. This site will monitor, analyze and report legal developments related to the trials, and provide a list of reference materials related to various aspects of the trials. Posted: February 13, 2006 . Spotlight On... Black History Month - Why is it in February? Get the answer to this question and others from the new bulletin board display in the library! Learn about resources in the library's collection about Black history in the United States, including: "All Deliberate Speed," "How Long? How Long?" and articles found using the library's Online Databases. Posted: February 7, 2006 . Spotlight On… National Security Agency Eavesdropping Activity President Bush defended his authorization of the NSA's eavesdropping program as "critical to saving American lives" and "consistent with U.S. law and the Constitution." Details:
Posted: January 26, 2006 . Library News... HeinOnline Unavailable Sunday Morning HeinOnline services will be unavailable Sunday, January 15, from 5 a.m. until 11 a.m. for an operating system upgrade. Posted: January 12, 2006 . Minnesota Libraries Survey… Confused by technical jargon on library websites? A committee of Minnesota libraries is researching the language library patrons feel best describes library services. If you are interested in helping this effort, please click on the survey link below.
Posted: January 11, 2006 . Library News… Shift of the Minnesota Collection In order to facilitate use of the Minnesota collection, we are currently shifting some older materials to the lower level. Current editions of Minnesota Practice, Minnesota CLEs from the last 5 years and current treatises will remain on the entry level, along with primary resources such as statutes and regulations. All materials in the Minnesota collection on the entry level will have a MN REF label at the top of the spine. These changes will be reflected in the online catalog, but if you have any questions, feel free to ask a member of the library staff. Posted: January 9, 2006 . Library News… Interim Hours January 2-7, 2006 The library will be on interim hours during the first week of January, and there will be no reference service on January 7-8, 2006. We will resume regular reference hours on January 9. Posted: January 2, 2006 . Library News… Winter Break The library will close on Friday, December 23, 2005 at 6 p.m., and will reopen on Monday January 2, 2006 at 7:30 a.m. Happy Holidays! Posted: December 21, 2005 . Spotlight On… Economic Data on FRED & FRASER FRED and FRASER are two companion Web sites from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. They contain valuable current and historical economic data of the United States. Details:
Posted: December 7, 2005 . Spotlight On… FAIR v. Rumsfeld - Solomon Act Constitutionality On Dec. 6, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in FAIR v. Rumsfeld, a case challenging the constitutionality of the Solomon Amendment, which denies federal funds to educational institutions that prohibit military recruitment on campus. Details:
Posted: November 29, 2005 . Library News… Extended Hours for Exams The library will be open extended hours starting Friday, December 2 and running through Thursday, December 22. Posted: November 29, 2005 . Library News… Library Hours for Thanksgiving Holiday The library will be closed on Thursday, November 24 for the Thanksgiving Holiday. On Friday, November 25, we will be open regular hours, but there will be no reference service. Regular reference service will resume on Saturday, November 26. Posted: November 21, 2005 . Spotlight On… FBI Scrutiny under Patriot Act Challenged A recent Connecticut case is challenging the FBI's use of "National Security Letters" to conduct domestic surveillance. Details:
Posted: November 15, 2005 . Spotlight On… Bloggers Investigated for Encouraging Rioting French authorities have detained two teenage bloggers on suspicion of encouraging people to participate in the recent riots in France. Details: .
Posted: November 10, 2005 . Spotlight On… Samuel A. Alito Nominated to U.S. Supreme Court President Bush nominated Judge Samuel A. Alito to replace Harriet Miers as his nominee to replace Justice Sandra Day O'Connor on the United States Supreme Court. Details:
Posted: October 31, 2005 . Library News… E-mail Reference Service Do you have a quick reference question after hours? Or while working from home? Send your question to reference@wmitchell.edu (or click the "Ask a Reference Librarian" link under Contact Us) and a reference librarian will get back to you within 24 hours. This service is intended to provide brief answers to factual questions, help with search strategies and information on library resources and services. For more in-depth assistance, you may arrange a meeting with one of the reference librarians or call (651) 290-6424. Posted: October 24, 2005 . Spotlight On… Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005
Details: Posted: October 17, 2005 . Spotlight On… Harriet Miers nominated to U.S. Supreme Court White House counsel Harriet Miers has been nominated by President Bush to succeed Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. Details: . . U.S. Supreme Court begins October Term On Monday October 3, the United States Supreme Court began the 2005 term with Chief Justice John Roberts at the helm. Details: . Posted: October 3, 2005 . Spotlight On… Roberts Confirmed Chief Justice John G. Roberts was confirmed to be the U.S. Chief Justice and will be sworn in later today (Sept. 29). Details: . Blatz to leave Minnesota Court Minnesota Chief Justice Kathleen Blatz has announced she will be leaving the court in January. Details: Posted: September 29, 2005 . Spotlight On… Constitution Day and Citizenship Day To commemorate the signing of the U.S. Constitution in 1787, Saturday, September 17, has been designated Constitution Day and Citizenship Day. To learn more, see the Spotlight Details below. Details: . Many organizations and federal agencies are commemorating the anniversary of the signing of the Constitution with special activities including Web exhibits and live Webcasts. For more information, see the links below. Posted: September 14, 2005 . Spotlight On… Roberts Supreme Court Nomination Hearings to Begin 9/12/05 The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to begin hearings on September 12, 2005 on the nomination of John Roberts for the position of Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. See the Spotlight Details below for links to more information. . Details: For information about the Judiciary Committee hearings see: Posted: September 12, 2005 . Spotlight On… Chief Justice Rehnquist Dies at 80 Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist died at his home in Washington D.C. over the Labor Day weekend. To learn more about his career, see the Spotlight Details below. Deta |
