Legal Research Corner

Members of the Colorado Association of Law Libraries (CoALL) write quarterly articles on legal research issues and databases that are published in the Colorado Lawyer bar journal in a column called the Legal Research Corner. Recent articles include:

• Creating a Good Company Profile by Tom Seward, Ballard Spahr, LLC, May 2012
  
• Copyright Compliance Issues and Resources for Law Firms by Kelly C. Fanning, February 2012
  
• Free and Low-Cost Online Legal Resources by Stacey Bowers, University of Denver, Sturm College of Law, August 2011
  
• Researching Federal Court Rules by Amy Levine, U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit Circuit Library, May 2011
  
  
  The Colorado Lawyer is a free benefit of membership in the Colorado Bar Association, although copies are available for perusal at the Westminster Law Library. The journal is located on Level 3 in the Colorado materials section at KFC1869 .C62.
  
  
  Written by Patty Wellinger, Reference Services Coordinator
  
  

Restricted Access: May 29-July 27, 2012

The Westminster Law Library will be on restricted access evenings and weekends from May 29, 2012 - July 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 July 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.

Please note that the Library will be closed on Wednesday, July 4, 2012 which is a University holiday. 


Written by Patty Wellinger, Reference Services Coordinator

A-Z Databases Research Guide

The Westminster Law Library has published a new A-Z Databases Research Guide highlighting the many databases that we subscribe to for our patrons use. The home tab also has information about public usage; proxy server/remote access for students, faculty  and staff; and an e-journal locator form that lets you search for journals by name or subject. Check out all of our Research Guides before starting your next project. 


Written by Patty Wellinger, Reference Services Coordinator

Legal Periodicals Research Guide

Find out why researchers read legal periodicals by reviewing Westminster Law Library’s new research guide on Selected Legal Periodicals and LegalPeriodical Indexes. This research guide will also provide answers to: What are legal periodicals? What are legal periodical indexes? Why do researchers value legal periodical indexes?

Click “Selected Legal Periodicals” to view model legal periodical citations and links to  how to translate cryptic legal periodical abbreviations, different types of legal periodicals in our library with examples of each type, and online and print legal periodicals published at Sturm College of Law (SCOL).

For retrospective researchers who prefer print materials, see resources listed under “Selected Legal Periodical Indexes in Print (Historical).”

Follow step-by-step instructions for finding up-to-date, full-text articles online in The Colorado Lawyer,  HeinOnline, Index to Legal Periodicals & Books Full Text, and LegalTrac under “Selected Legal Periodical Indexes Online (Current).” Note:  Several of these databases are updated on a daily basis.

Finally, read tips under “Updating Legal Periodicals” to discover how faculty and subject specialists at SCOL sometimes play a major role in the updating process.

Written by Sheila Green, Reference Librarian

Reduced Library Hours 5/18-5/29

The Westminster Law Library will be on a reduced schedule for interim hours until Summer semester classes begin. The library will be open:

8am - 6pm  from Friday, May 18th - Sunday, May 27th.  

Reference assistance will be available from 9am - 6pm, Monday - Friday, during that time. The library will be closed for Memorial Day on Monday, May 28, 2012.

Translations

If you are working in Foreign or International Law, you will, inevitably, have to deal with the issues of finding foreign laws, and then, perhaps, needing to translate what you find.  While you will hope to find your materials in English, this simply may not be possible for a variety of reason.

Websites can often be translated using various tools provided on the internet, however, use of such translations should be done with caution. First, translations are generally not official. Second, translations generally do not take into account the legal use of terms, nor are translations as culturally sensitive as needed for the practice of law. And, while websites may be translated, the documents found on them generally are not. (https://portfolio.du.edu/pc/communityport?uid=22123 ) (“Google Translate” will be the topic of another blog.)

More and more countries are recognizing the value of having their laws and other legal materials available in foreign languages. The example below is from Legifrance, the official portal of the French government. Translations of French legal texts are also available in Italian , Arabic , German , Spanish , and Chinese .

Some questions you may want to ask yourself before selecting a foreign country for a project are: Do I speak the language? Is the material I need available in translation, or in a language that I do speak? For instance, while you may not speak Slovak, you may speak German, and it is more likely that you will find Slovak materials translated into German than into English.

There are a few other things to consider. One generally finds that laws and other materials related to trade, business, or finance, etc., are more likely to be found in English while human rights materials may not be easily located, unless it is something very much in the news. One will also want to consider the type of legal system(s) in the country and think about the need for case law or secondary sources. Links to foreign law sites may be somewhat unstable if you are not dealing with developed countries.

The Library of Congress Global Legal Information Network (GLIN) can be a good source of foreign laws. GLIN is a public database that contains official texts of laws, regulations, judicial decisions, etc., contributed by various governmental agencies and international organizations. GLIN documents are contributed in their original languages, and each has a summary in English.

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

Reference / Research Law Librarian Opening

 

Quick link to view position details:  http://www.dujobs.org/postings/15975

 

The Westminster Law Library in the Sturm College of Law at the University of Denver seeks a creative, enthusiastic, highly productive law librarian to serve as a Reference / Research Law Librarian to work as part of a reference, research, and instruction team that interacts with law students, faculty, staff, alumni, the practicing bar, and the legal community. This individual should be proficient in both legal and general research strategies, resources, and new and emerging information technologies as they apply to law libraries and legal research. The Reference / Research Law Librarian will have an opportunity to teach legal research and library instruction. An awareness of developments in law librarianship will enable the Reference / Research Law Librarian to play a key role in enhancing services that support the five Centers of Excellence and the strategic plan of the Sturm College of Law.

Responsibilities:  Reporting to the Library Director, the Reference / Research Law Librarian will perform the following duties (subject to change based on operational needs):

-The position develops and maintains guides to legal research, web-based tutorials, and instructional materials, and participates in selecting books and other materials for the library’s collections.

- Provides specialized legal research consultations to law students, faculty, staff, alumni, the practicing bar, and the legal community.

- Serves as a member of the law library’s reference services team, providing excellent and responsive general information and legal reference services through regular shifts (day, evening, and weekends) at the Reference Desk.

- Contributes to the law library’s collection development efforts, representing a Center of Excellence and assigned content areas, including selection, assessment, and management of resources.

- Works closely with the Faculty Research Liaison and participates in the Law Library’s outstanding faculty services program, including performing legal and interdisciplinary research.

- Collaborates with law librarians to design, develop, and maintain the research web pages on the law library website (bibliographies, handouts, tutorials, Lib Guides, Internet research links, etc.).

- Leads and manages special projects that further the law library’s reference, research, instruction, teaching, and marketing efforts.

- Delivers basic and advanced legal research instruction to law library patrons.

- Prepares and presents library instruction sessions, lectures, workshops, and tours to students from the law school, other academic units at the University, and non-university affiliated groups.

- Represents the law library on law school, campus-wide, and law library community committees and at various meetings and other functions (as appropriate).

- Participates in and contributes to law librarianship through professional activities outside of the law library, including University and public service, and/or research and other creative activities that relate to and enhance performance of the primary position responsibilities.

- Develops and maintains awareness of current developments in the fields of law, library science, and legal research to enhance performance of primary position responsibilities.

Required Qualifications:

-MLIS & JD required.

-Demonstrated awareness of current trends in legal research instruction and technologies.
-Knowledge of the legal bibliography and legal research techniques in multiple formats. Familiarity with legal bibliography, legal research methods, and online legal and interdisciplinary research systems and sources.

-Demonstrated ability to conduct scholarly research and write articles for publication in peer-reviewed journals.

-Successful experience, skills and service-oriented approach in providing reference services.

-Innovative, flexible, and enthusiastic team player. Strong initiative and ability to work both independently and in a collaborative, collegial environment. Outstanding organizational, interpersonal, oral and written communication skills.

-Demonstrated knowledge of Lexis, West law, and Lib Guide software. Proficiency using standard MS Office applications.

Preferred Qualifications:

-Practice experience as an attorney and/or in a law library.

-Demonstrated experience shepherding ideas & projects through an organization without a formal leadership role.

-Ability to conceptualize & implement processes & programs, both independently & in a team, in a dynamically changing environment.

-Experience in assessing & selecting collections in law.

The Sturm College of Law

The Sturm College of Law at the University of Denver opened its doors to its first class in October 1892. Recognized for its Educating Tomorrow’s Lawyers: Putting Knowledge into Practice initiative, the Sturm College of Law has a current enrollment of approximately 1,000 students in day and evening programs and a faculty of 80 members. The Sturm College of Law features a Modern Learning Initiative and offers specializations in five areas: Environmental and Natural Resources Law, International and Comparative Law, Workplace Law, Constitutional Rights and Remedies, and Business and Commercial Law (http://law.du.edu/).

The University of Denver

The University of Denver, the oldest and largest independent university in the Rocky Mountain Region, is located in the city of Denver which is quickly becoming one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the U.S.  Situated in this vibrant metropolitan community, the University is committed to building and sustaining a culturally diverse faculty, staff, and student body. DU is research University with a high research activity and enrolls approximately 11,500 students in its undergraduate, graduate, and professional preparation programs (http://www.du.edu).  

Salary & Benefits: Salary commensurate with qualifications and experience. The University of Denver offers a wide range of benefit choices.  Please see the 2012-2013 enrollment guide for details:  (http://www.du.edu/hr/benefits/2012_2013_benefits_enrollment_guide.pdf).

Deadline for Applications: Applications received by June 8, 2012, will receive first consideration, but applications will continue to be accepted until the position is filled.  The start date of this position is expected to be August 1, 2012.

To Apply: You can view a position description and apply on-line by going directly to:  http://www.dujobs.org/postings/15975.  To be considered an applicant, you must submit your application, resume, cover letter and a list of references (please include the names, e-mail addresses, and phone numbers of three references, with a statement of each reference's professional relationship to the applicant) online.

The University of Denver is committed to enhancing the diversity of its faculty and staff and encourages applications from women, minorities, people with disabilities and veterans. DU is an EEO/AA employer.