Alternatives to Rosetta Stone

Want to learn another language? Or brush up on your high school French? Maybe you’d like to travel (once you graduate), or, maybe having foreign language skills may prove useful in other ways.

The possibility of making a career in international law is greatly enhanced by knowledge of a foreign language…or two. Law students can take advantage of the language programs available through the Penrose Library. And DU is now expanding the number of options available to acquire foreign language skills. Many students, faculty, and staff have taken advantage of the Rosetta Stone program, and now Penrose is now offering additional programs, on a trial basis, as described below. See the rest of the story here.

Computer-Assisted Language-Learning Programs at DU
As you may have heard, Penrose Library and the Center for World Languages and Cultures (CWLC) are evaluating the computer-assisted language-learning (CALL) programs, including Rosetta Stone, that we offer to the campus community. Currently, we offer Rosetta Stone and Tell Me More, but there are several other programs available, including Live Mocha, Mango, Pimsleur, and Transparent Languages. Together, this broader suite of tools would provide our students and faculty with a wider variety of languages and would serve a broader range of learning styles.

If you are currently using Rosetta Stone through Penrose, you will want to be aware that Penrose will be transitioning away from the current Rosetta Stone program, and will be moving to a more limited option (details at the link, above). This is your opportunity to try out the alternatives that could be offered in its place, and express your views on the best replacement(s). And, if you tried Rosetta Stone, but found it didn’t meet your needs, here is an opportunity to find a program that matches your learning style.

Taking a trip to Mexico or Italy may be beyond the means of many of us, but the break is a great time to explore Spanish or Italian language learning programs. Because maybe, someday, having those language skills will be the key to getting us that position that we really want in Geneva or Beijing!

Written by Joan Policastri, Foreign,Comparative & International Librarian

Writing Tip of the Week: Persuasive Style Part I

Be a subtle advocate. Don’t risk losing credibility with your reader by coming on too strong or attacking the other side. Instead, strive for a reasonable tone.

• Too strong: No one could possibly believe that Mr. Smith’s complaints about his new office have any merit whatsoever.

• Better: Mr. Smith’s complaints that his new office is unattractive and that the printer is too far away are mere inconveniences rather than significant changes in his employment status.

Choose persuasive words. To emphasize favorable information and present your case positively, use colorful and persuasive verbs, adverbs, and adjectives. To de-emphasize facts or information, use neutral, colorless words.

• The witness promptly spotted the man as he fled from the store.

• The witness saw a man leave the store.

Frame your arguments as conclusions rather than opinions. Opinion statements are less persuasive and typically include unnecessary “throat-clearing” phrases such as “it is arguable” or “our client maintains.”

• Opinion: It is our contention that Mr. Smith took reasonable measures to keep the information secret.

• Better: Mr. Smith took reasonable measures to keep the information secret.

Argue affirmatively, rather than defensively. Focus your reader on your own argument by making affirmative instead of defensive statements whenever possible.

• Defensive: The defendant wrongly claims that she should not be liable for the injury to Mr. Jones.

• Affirmative: Public policy mandates holding the defendant liable to Mr. Jones.

Robin Wellford Slocum, Legal Reasoning, Writing, and Persuasive Argument 311-26 (2d ed. 2006); Laurel Currie Oates & Anne Enquist, The Legal Writing Handbook 353-61, 592 (5th ed. 2010).

Restricted Library Access

The Westminster Law Library will be on restricted access evenings and weekends from January 30, 2012 - February 27, 2012. The change to restricted access is being implemented to help support our law graduates by providing a quieter place to study while they are preparing for the February 2012 Colorado bar examination.

The doors will be locked from 6pm - closing weeknights and from 6pm Friday until opening on Monday morning. During those times, patrons will need a DU law school ID card to swipe at the front door to gain access. Non-law school patrons, such as attorneys and other individuals needing to do legal research, will need to knock on the door and speak to the Circulation Desk employee in order to enter the library. DU (non-law) students are asked to please find another place to study during this time. Thank you for your consideration.


Written by Patty Wellinger, Reference Services Coordinator

Legal History Databases

Are you interested in legal history or trying to track down a classic work in a particular are of law for your paper? The library subscribes to a database with several modules called the Making of Modern Law (MOML). These are available remotely to current SCOL students, faculty and staff. Other patrons may access these databases from the public access terminals on Level 2 & Level 3 of the Law Library.

Making of Modern Law: Primary Sources, 1620-1970

For researchers of American legal history, Primary Sources is a fully searchable digital archive of the published records of the American colonies, documents published by state constitutional conventions, state codes, city charters, law dictionaries, digests and more.

Making of Modern Law: Treatises

Provides digital images of every page of 22,000 legal treatises on US and British law published from 1800 through 1926. Full-text searching on more than 10 million pages provides researchers access to critical legal history in ways not previously possible.

Making of Modern Law: Trials, 1600-1926

Historical trial accounts and official documents covering famous cases as well as everyday events in U.S & British courts. Primary source material also includes some legislative and administrative proceedings.

Making of Modern Law: U.S. Supreme Court Records and Briefs, 1832-1978

U.S. Supreme Court Records and Briefs contains the world's most comprehensive online collection of records and briefs brought before the nation's highest court by leading legal practitioners. It includes transcripts, applications for review, motions, petitions, supplements and other official papers of the most-studied and talked-about cases, including many that resulted in landmark decisions.

Written by Patty Wellinger, Reference Services Coordinator

Resources Supporting Research on P4R

A recent post on The View From Above, the blog of The Ved Nanda Center for International and Comparative Law, discussed the World Bank’s Project for Results (P4R) which proposes a new financing alternative from the World Bank for development, and poverty reduction programs. Students in SCOL courses such as Global Climate Change or the Sustainable Development series, or international business courses may be interested in locating materials in this area.

If you would like to find additional information on the World Bank or the Project for Results, as well as some basic background for the discussion, here are some resources to get you started – there are many other resources you will want to consult. See particularly the tabs on Projects and Operations, and Data. Research papers can be found under the Publications tab.Here is a link to the results of a search in the Westminster Law Library catalog for a keyword search on “world bank” AND “indigenous peoples”

If you would like to find additional information on the World Bank or the Project for Results, as well as some basic background for the discussion, here are some resources to get you started – there are many other resources you will want to consult.

About/From the World Bank:

Jurist’s This Day in Law: World Bank Created

The World Bank Group homepage - See particularly the tabs on Projects and Operations, and Data. Research papers can be found under the Publications tab.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC)

Here is a link to the results of a search in the Westminster Law Library catalog for a keyword search on “world bank” AND “indigenous peoples”

World Bank Project For Results

World Bank – Indigenous Peoples Policy

Non-World Bank organizations that may be of interest include:

p4rcomments.org

Indian Law Resource Center

International Rivers

Recent Westminster Law Library Project Finance books include the following:

1) Energy & Environmental Project Finance Law & Taxation: New Investment Techniques. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010. Level 1 K3981 .E4 2010

2) The Law and Business of International Finance. Hoffman, Scott L., New York: Cambridge University Press, 2008. Level 1 K891.B8 H64 2008

3) Project Finance, Securitsations, Subordinated Debt. Wood, Phillip., London: Sweet & Maxwell, 2007. Level 1 K1331 .P765 2007

And, don’t neglect the Penrose Databases. Some items that might be of interest include these three items:

1.    Doing business [electronic resource] : an independent evaluation : taking the measure of the World Bank-IFC doing business indicators / World Bank Independent Evaluation Group

2.    International Business/Finance Databases from Penrose Library

3.    International Financial Statistics - Covers the monthly publication International Financial Statistics as well as data found in the annual publication International Financial Statistics Yearbook. Our subscription does not cover Balance of Payments Yearbook, Direction of Trade Statistics Yearbook, or Government Finance Statistics Yearbook. The product can browsed by country or by variable, and can also be searched. Areas of statistical coverage include exchange rates; fund accounts; interest rates; international liquidity; international transactions (imports and exports); balance of payments; money and banking; government finance; prices, production, and labor; and national accounts. IMF press briefings, press conferences, official IMF statements, and many other documents are also available through the service. Our subscription allows up to five simultaneous users.

Using a research guide is a great way to learn more about the resources available, as well as to keep track of the places you’ve looked. The American Society of International Law’s Electronic Research Guide: International Economic Law is an excellent guide for this topic.

And, finally, don’t forget the Nanda Center’s Research Guide. Use the “Enviro” and “Indig Ppls” tabs to locate additional resources.

Written by Joan Policastri, Foreign, Comparative & International Law Librarian

Writing Tip of the Week: Capitalizing "Court"

Rules B7.3.1 and 8 of the Bluebook explain when practitioners should capitalize the word “court” in court documents and legal memoranda. Under these rules, capitalize “court” in the following three situations:

1. When “naming any court in full.”

• The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit addressed this question in Gove v. Robinson.

2. When “referring to the [United States] Supreme Court.”

• Justice Scalia wrote the dissenting opinion for the Court.
  

3. When “referring to the court that will be receiving that document.”

• This Court should deny the Motion for Summary Judgment.

Otherwise, do not capitalize “court.”

• The Smith court considered whether a swimming pool was an attractive nuisance.

• The court in Wilson found the physician liable for failing to warn the victims about his patient’s threats against them.

The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation R. B7.3.1, at 22, R. 8, at 84 (Columbia Law Review Ass’n et al. eds., 19^th ed. 2010); see also Lawmanac—Clickable Help for Legal Writers, “Punctuation, Capitalization, & Typeface” (follow “Capitalization” hyperlink; then follow “Words in Text” hyperlink; then follow “Court” hyperlink) (C. Edward Good ed., 2009).

Lexis Advance Launches at DU

Lexis is hosting a Lexis Advance Launch Party on Tuesday, January 24, 2012 in the forum. Come have fun and learn more about this exciting new Lexis product. There will be carnival games, a snow cone machine, and help for registering Lexis Advance IDs. Open to everyone! 

You can also learn more about Lexis Advance by watching a YouTube video or reviewing some Research Guides. Robert Ambrogi's LawSites blog includes a review of the main features of the new software.

Katy Sparks, the Academic Lexis Rep for DU will be offering Lexis Advance training sessions later in the semester.Lexis Advance is available via your iPad or iPhone! Click here to download the free apps.

Written by Patty Wellinger, Reference Services Coordinator