Writing Tip of the Week: Proofreading Strategies

 

When you have finished revising and editing your work, spend some time proofreading.  Remember that proofreading is not the same as editing—you should not try to do both at the same time.  When you edit, you are revising for style and clarity. When you proofread, you are looking for mistakes, such as missing words, typographical errors, and incorrect punctuation.  Consider these proofreading strategies: 

·    Give yourself a break between editing and proofreading.  Ideally, you should put your paper away for a day before proofreading it, but even 30 minutes can help.

·    Do something different.  For instance, proofread your paper in a different order from the order in which you have been revising it.  If you usually work on the first section first, proofread the last section first. Try reading your paper backwards, line for line, from the back to the front.  Read it aloud, or try covering everything but the line you are reading with a ruler or paper.  If you are a fast reader, slow down.

·    Personalize your proofreading.  Think about the types of errors you tend to make, such as errors in grammar and punctuation or transpositions of certain words.  Then read your paper looking only for these types of mistakes. 

·    Print out a hard copy.  Looking at the hard copy is different from looking at your computer screen, and you may be able to see mistakes more easily on paper. You should always print out a final document, even if you are submitting it electronically.

·    Use Spellchecker and similar computer tools, but do not rely on them.  Spellchecker will not catch missing words, homonyms such as “hear” for “here,” transpositions such as “statue” for “statute,” or misspellings in capitals-only text such as point headings.   

For more information, see Anne Enquist & Laurel Currie Oates, Just Writing 20-22 (3d ed. 2009) and Laurel Currie Oates & Anne Enquist, The Legal Writing Handbook 183-84, 221, 471-72 (5th ed. 2010).

Writing Tip of the Week: Use the Correct Tense

 

Knowing which verb tense to use when discussing the law, precedent cases, or client facts can be confusing at first. But as in other writing, use the present tense to describe facts or rules that exist now and the past tense for facts or events that have already happened. 

Use the present tense to discuss the rule of law.

·    A significant change in employment status constitutes an adverse employment action under Title VII. (rule of law exists in the present)

Use the past tense to discuss the facts of a precedent case and the court’s holding or reasoning.

·    In Sanchez, the school district transferred a teacher from one school to another, but her title, salary, benefits, duties, and responsibilities remained the same.  (the transfer occurred in the past)

·    The court held that her transfer did not constitute an adverse employment action.  (court decided case in the past)

·    The court reasoned that because she had the same job title, salary, benefits, duties, and responsibilities, her transfer was a mere lateral transfer rather than an adverse employment action.  (court reasoned in the past)

Use the past tense for client facts that have already happened, but use the present tense for client facts that exist in the present.

·    Mr. Smith worked in the branch office, where he represented adult clients in high-profile criminal cases. (Ms. Smith did these things in the past)

·    The company’s client list contains names, addresses, and phone numbers for all corporate clients. (list exists in the present)

For more information, see Anne Enquist & Laurel Currie Oates, Just Writing 178-82 (3d ed. 2009) and Laurel Currie Oates & Anne Enquist, The Legal Writing Handbook 620-23 (5th ed. 2010).

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).

Library Noise Alert

Noise Alert!

Children from the Ricks Center will be in the building, trick-or-treating, from just after 9:00 tomorrow morning until around 3:00 in the afternoon.  The children are here intermittently and escorted by teachers.  It’s normally well organized and minimally disruptive.  

The other event is an annual “Flash Mob” that the children put on in front of the law school on the west side of the building.  That event will occur between 1:30 and 2:30 in the afternoon.

Happy Halloween!

Writing Tip of the Week: Pronoun Agreement

 

A pronoun must agree with the noun it replaces (the “antecedent”) in number, gender, and person.  Errors often occur with agreement in number.  To avoid these errors, use a singular pronoun when referring to a singular antecedent and a plural pronoun when referring to a plural antecedent.

• Correct:  The police read Jack Rayburn his rights.
• Correct:  The police read Jack and Sue Rayburn their rights.

 

The same rule applies when the pronoun replaces a generic noun.

• Incorrect:  The police must read the defendant their rights.
• Correct:  The police must read the defendant his or her rights.
• Correct:  The police must read defendants their rights. 

Collective nouns, such as court, jury, or team, are singular (unless referring to the members of the court, jury, or team), so they take singular pronouns.  

• Incorrect:  After the court heard the testimony, they dismissed the case.
• Correct:  After the court heard the testimony, it dismissed the case.   

Indefinite pronouns, such as everybody, someone, or no one, usually take singular pronouns. 

• Incorrect:  Anyone would know that they should not drive while intoxicated. 
• Correct:  Anyone would know that he or she should not drive while intoxicated.

 For more information, see Anne Enquist & Laurel Currie Oates, Just Writing 189-94 (3d ed. 2009) and Laurel Currie Oates & Anne Enquist, The Legal Writing Handbook 631-34 (5th ed. 2010).

Writing Tip of the Week: Affect and Effect

Affect and effect are easily confused because they look alike.  Further, although affect is normally a verb, effect can be either a verb or a noun, adding to the confusion. You can distinguish the two words by taking a closer look at their definitions. 

Affect is a verb that most commonly means “to influence.”  When used as a verb, effect means “to bring about” or “to accomplish.” When used as a noun, effect means “result” or “consequence.” 

Therefore, to choose between affect and effect, you must first consider whether you are using the word as a verb or a noun. If you are using it as a verb, select affect if you mean “to influence” and effect if you mean “to bring about.” As a noun, effect will normally be the correct choice.  

• The new law affects voters in several swing states. (affect used as a verb meaning “to influence”)
• The new law will effect a change in the way states recount votes in close elections. (effect used as a verb meaning “to bring about”)
• It is difficult to gauge the effect of the new law. (effect used as a noun meaning “result”)

Less common meanings for affect and effect are as follows:  affect as a verb that means “to put on a pretense or feign”; affect as a noun in psychology that means “emotion”; and effect as a noun meaning “personal possessions.”

For more information, see Anne Enquist & Laurel Currie Oates, Just Writing 160-61, 307-08 (3d ed. 2009) and Laurel Currie Oates & Anne Enquist, The Legal Writing Handbook 772 (5th ed. 2010).

Writing Tip of the Week: Avoid Nominalizations

One of the best ways to improve your writing is to use active verbs instead of nominalizations. A nominalization is a verb that has been turned into a noun. For example, as nominalizations, the verbs “state” and “assume” become the nouns “statement” and assumption.” Words that end in -ment, -ion, -ence, -ance, -ity, -ent, -ant, and -ancy are often nominalizations.  

Nominalizations lead to wordiness. When you turn a verb into a noun, the sentence then requires additional verbs, prepositions and articles.  Nominalizations also tend to lead to passive voice and weaker verb choice. 

 

·     Nominalization:  The usage of the property by the defendants was for the storage of firewood and building materials.  (17 words; passive voice; weak verb)

·     Better:  The defendants stored firewood and building materials on the property.  (10 words; active voice; stronger verb—“stored” instead of “was”)

·     Nominalization: An agreement was made by the parties to reach a decision by Friday. (13 words; passive voice; weak verb)

·     Better: The parties agreed to decide by Friday. (7 words; active voice; stronger verbs—“agreed” and “decide”)

·     Nominalization:  The intention of Congress was for the interpretation of the statute to be made broadly by the courts. (18 words; passive voice; weak verbs)

·     Better:  Congress intended the courts to interpret the statute broadly. (9 words; active voice; stronger verbs--“intended” and  “interpret”)

 

For more information on nominalizations, see Anne Enquist & Laurel Currie Oates, Just Writing 74-77, 113-14 (3d ed. 2009); Laurel Currie Oates & Anne Enquist, The Legal Writing Handbook 178-79, 521, 556-58 (5th ed. 2010); and C. Edward Good, Legal Writing & Its Cure ch. 3  (reprinted in Lawmanac—Clickable Help for Legal Writers 2009).

Writing Tip of the Week: Commas before Conjunctions Joining Main Clauses

When you join two main clauses with a coordinating conjunction, use a comma before the conjunction.  Although the terminology in this comma rule may sound complicated, it is really quite simple.  A main clause (or independent clause) can stand alone as a complete sentence, whereas a subordinate clause (or dependent clause) cannot stand alone. The seven coordinating conjunctions are as follows:  for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so. You can use the mnemonic device “FANBOYS” to remember them.

• The defendant provided his own billing system, and he also paid for his own bookkeeping services. (“and” joins two main clauses)
• The appellate court held that the noncompete agreement was void, but it remanded the case for further determination on the question of trade secrets. (“but” joins two main clauses)

While it may be tempting to add a comma every time you use a coordinating conjunction, the rule applies only when you are joining two main clauses with one of the FANBOYS conjunctions.  A sentence with a compound verb does not have two main clauses; thus, it does not take a comma even though it contains a coordinating conjunction. 

• The defendant provided his own billing system and paid for his own bookkeeping services. (dependent clause comes after “and,” so no comma)

Likewise, do not use a comma to join two main clauses without a coordinating conjunction.  In that case, use a semicolon.

• The defendant provided his own billing system; he also paid for his own bookkeeping services. (two main clauses but no FANBOYS)

For more information, see Anne Enquist & Laurel Currie Oates, Just Writing 211-13 (3d ed. 2009) and Laurel Currie Oates & Anne Enquist, The Legal Writing Handbook 652-53 (5th ed. 2010).

Writing Tip of the Week: Principal and Principle

Principal and principle look and sound alike, yet have different meanings. While principal can be a noun or an adjective, principle is a noun.

As a noun, principal generally means main or head person, such as the principal of a school.  (Some people remember this meaning using the memory device, “the principal is our pal.”)  As a noun, it can also mean a capital sum of money; a perpetrator or aider and abettor to a crime; or one who employs another (an agent) to act for him.  When used as an adjective, principal means “main” or “primary,” such as the principal finding in a study.

On the other hand, principle is a noun that means a rule, tenet, or basic truth, such as the principle of gravity. 

Thus, use principal as a noun to refer to important people and as an adjective to signify someone or something important.  In contrast, use principle, a noun, when you mean a rule or doctrine.

• The principal of the high school led the students in singing the national anthem. (principal as a noun meaning the main or head person)
• The principal issue in this case is whether the defendant waived his right to trial by jury. (principal as an adjective meaning main or primary)
• Freedom and justice are the principles upon which our country was founded. (principle meaning rule, tenet or basic truth)

For more information, see Anne Enquist & Laurel Currie Oates, Just Writing 311 (3d ed. 2009) and Laurel Currie Oates & Anne Enquist, The Legal Writing Handbook 775-76 (5th ed. 2010).

 

Library closed on Oct. 3, 2012

The Westminster Law Library will be closed on Wednesday, October 3, 2012 for the Presidential Debate. Regular hours will resume the next day.

Writing Tip of the Week: Use the Active Voice

When you write in the active voice, the subject of your sentence does the acting. In contrast, in the passive voice, the subject is acted upon.

· Active voice: The batter hit the ball. (the subject, the batter, is doing the action in the verb, the hitting)

· Passive voice: The ball was hit by the batter. (the subject, the batter, is acted upon)

 

Because the active voice is generally clearer and more concise, make a habit of using it unless you have a good reason not to. You can spot passive voice in your writing by looking for some form of the verb “to be.” In some forms of passive voice, you will also see the preposition “by.”

· Passive voice: It can be determined that the rule is violated by prosecutors when they fail to research adequately. (17 words)

· Active voice: Prosecutors violate the rule when they fail to research adequately. (10 words)

In other forms of passive voice, the writer leaves out the subject, requiring the reader to fill in the missing information.

· Passive voice: Every week, all confidential material was shredded and discarded. (Who shredded and discarded the material?)

· Active voice: Every week, the company shredded and discarded all confidential material.

For further information on passive voice, see Anne Enquist & Laurel Currie Oates, Just Writing 69-73 (3d ed. 2009); Laurel Currie Oates & Anne Enquist, The Legal Writing Handbook 176-78, 513-18 (5th ed. 2010); and C. Edward Good, Legal Writing & Its Cure ch. 7, (reprinted in Lawmanac—Clickable help for Legal Writers 2009).

Lexis Office Hours

Look for Lexis Student Reps at the Lexis table on the second floor adjacent to the Library entrance. Visit Jenna Bechtholdt jbechtholdt13@law.du.edu, Jonathan Culwell jculwell13@law.du.edu, Neal McConomy nmcconomy13@law.du.edu, or Antonio Mendez amendez14@law.du.edu with LexisNexis questions during the hours listed:

 

Jenna Bechtholdt jbechtholdt13@law.du.edu:
Tuesday          10:30am – 12:30pm
Wednesday     9:00am – Noon

Jonathan Culwell jculwell13@law.du.edu:

Monday           9:30am – 1:00pm
Tuesday          9:00am – 10:30am

Neal McConomy nmcconomy13@law.du.edu,:

Monday           4:15pm – 6:15pm
Thursday         9:00am – 10:00am; Noon – 2:00pm

Antonio Mendez mendez14@law.du.edu:
Tuesday          2:30pm – 4:00pm; 5:30pm – 6:30pm
Wednesday     Noon – 1:00pm
Thursday         2:30pm – 4:00pm

Contact LexisNexis Account Representative Katherine Sparks between or after hours Katherine.Sparks@lexisnexis.com:

• Call 24-hour Lexis Customer Service: 1- 800-45 – LEXIS (53947)
• Go live http://www.lexisnexis.com/lawschool/help and chat online for research assistance.

Written by Sheila Green, Reference Librarian

Writing Tip of the Week: Its Versus It's

Don’t make the mistake of confusing the possessive “its” with the contractive “it’s.”  “Its” is a pronoun meaning “belonging to it.”  Like the other possessive pronouns (my, mine, your, yours, his, her, hers, ours, their, and theirs), “its” does not take an apostrophe.  Conversely, “it’s” with an apostrophe is a contraction meaning “it is” or “it has.”  

Here's the simple rule:  if you mean “it is” or “it has,” use “it’s” with an apostrophe.  Otherwise, always use “its” without the apostrophe. 

·    Example:  It’s important to let justice take its course. (first “it’s” is a contraction meaning “it is,” so use the apostrophe or write it out; second “its” is possessive, so no apostrophe)

·    Example:  It’s been a long time since he visited the site. (contraction meaning “it has,” so use the apostrophe or write out the words “it has”)

·     Example:  The company will not voluntarily release its financial records.  (possessive, so no apostrophe)

·     Example:  The court heard its first case this week. (possessive, so no apostrophe)  

 

Because legal writing is a formal style of writing, however, you will rarely use contractions like “it’s.”  Thus, you will normally write out “it is” or “it has” and use only the possessive “its.”

 For more information, see Anne Enquist & Laurel Currie Oates, Just Writing 108-09, 238, 310 (3d ed. 2009); Laurel Currie Oates & Anne Enquist, The Legal Writing Handbook 680, 775 (5th ed. 2010); and Lawmanac—Clickable Help for Legal Writers, “Punctuation, Capitalization & Typeface” (follow “Apostrophe” hyperlink; then follow “Contractions” hyperlink) (C. Edward Good ed., 2009).

Westlaw Office Hours

Look for Westlaw Student Reps at the Westlaw table on the second floor adjacent to the Library entrance. Visit Koley Borchard kborchard14@law.du.edu, Christina Brown cbrown13@law.du.edu, or Collin Zundel czundel13@law.du.edu with Westlaw questions during the hours listed:

Koley Borchard kborchard14@law.du.edu:

    Tuesday          1:00pm – 4:00pm

    Thursday         1:00pm – 4:00pm

Christina Brown cbrown13@law.du.edu:

    Monday           11:45am – 1:15pm

    Wednesday     8:00am – 10:00am; 11:45am – 1:15pm

Collin Zundel czundel13@law.du.edu:

Monday           3:00pm – 6:00pm

Wednesday     3:00pm – 6:00pm 

•  Contact Westlaw Account Manager Jeff Brandimarte between or after hours at jeff.brandimarte@thomsonreuters.com or (720) 839-1388.

• Call 24-hour Westlaw Customer Service: 1-800-WESTLAW.

Written by Sheila Green, Reference Librarian

CIA World Fact Book

Have you been asked, or chosen, to write about a country you know very little about? Before you do significant in-depth research, it is generally helpful to begin with background material. You’ll want to find out  some basic information such as geographical information, the political and legal system, something about it’s economy, and, possibly, any significant transnational issues.

One of the primary places to obtain this information is The CIA World Fact Book. The online access provides information on all of these topics and more.  Information on issues such as the language(s) spoken, population,  and religion(s) can be found under the People and Society link drop down.  Mortality rates, drinking water sources, and other health related information can also be located here.

As with any website or other resource, you’ll want to verify the date the material was last updated, and ‘consider the source’ – what isn’t there? Is there a bias to the information? The CIA World Fact Book online is a great place to begin!

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

Oil & Gas Research

Domestic oil and gas law is the main focus of Oil and Gas Law: A Legal Research Guide   by Lauren E. Schroeder at Law-Level 3 KF1849 .S37 2012. Schroeder also covers international oil and gas sources and oil pollution.

Check the Table of Contents for the following:  

• Primary Sources: Federal, state, cases, and specialized case reporters.
• Secondary Sources: Nutshells, dictionaries, hornbooks, periodicals, institutes, continuing legal education (CLE) materials, and treatises.
• Online Sources: Subscription databases and free Internet sources.
• International Oil and Gas Law: Organizations, secondary sources, industry associations, and online sources.
• Researching Oil Spills and Oil Pollution: Primary sources, secondary sources, websites, and conferences.
• Appendix I. Library of Congress Subject Headings for additional oil and gas research in online library catalogs.
• Appendix II.  Shale deposits in the United States.

This guide is recommended for oil and gas practitioners, lawyers who are new to this specialty, law librarians, law school faculty teaching in this area, and students.

Written by Sheila Green, Reference Librarian

Westlaw By Credit Card to Cease

Westlaw has recently announced that it will discontinue its “Westlaw By Credit Card” service as of August 31, 2012. Presently, this document retrieval service allows users to access to materials on Westlaw, including state and federal case law, statutes, and appellate briefs, with the use of a credit card. It also provides access to KeyCite, West’s citation research service. After August 31, 2012, users will have to have a Westlaw subscription in order to access Westlaw and charges will be billed to the user’s Westlaw account. LexisNexis previously discontinued its “LexisNexis by Credit Card” website.

The Westminster Law Library continues to provide access to a limited public Westlaw service through two public-access computer terminals on the third floor. We also provide public access to the LexisNexis Academic database from public-access computer terminals on any floor. Unfortunately, no remote access is available. Please ask library staff for any needed assistance accessing these services.

Written by Brian Shoemaker, DU LIS Student

Interim Library Hours, 7/29-8/19

The Westminster Law Library will be on reduced interim hours from Sunday, July 29, 2012 - Sunday, August 19, 2012. The library will be open 8am - 8pm daily. Reference assistance during this time will be available Monday - Friday, 9am - 6pm.

Patent Law Research Guide

See our new research guide for an introduction to resources available for patent law research. The guide includes background material on patent law and litigation, links for inventors on obtaining a patent, and law journals, blogs and databases in the field.  There is also a short informational video on the US patent system that was created by the Federal Judicial Center for use in jury trials.

Check out all of our research guides for a topic that interests you! We currently have 60 guides on a variety of topics. Listed below are our Top 10 most popular guides so far in 2012.

1.	Colorado Law Project: Landlord / Tenant Resources by Colorado Law Project @DU - Last Updated Jun 4, 2012 4,951 views this year

2.	Tax Loose-Leaf Services by Sheila Green - Last Updated Apr 19, 2012 1,144 views this year

3.	Reporters and Digests by Sheila Green - Last Updated Apr 19, 2012 933 views this year

4.	Colorado Law Project: Wills, Trusts, and Estate Planning by Colorado Law Project @DU - Last Updated Jun 7, 2012 865 views this year

5.	Colorado Law Project: Structure of Colorado Government by Colorado Law Project @DU - Last Updated Jun 7, 2012 750 views this year

6.	Colorado Statutes by Reference Desk - Last Updated May 31, 2012 645 views this year

7.	Colorado Law Project: Small Claims Resources by Colorado Law Project @DU - Last Updated Jun 7, 2012 623 views this year

8.	DU Bar Success: Resources and Tools by Leah Kilpatric - Last Updated Apr 12, 2012 588 views this year

9.	Colorado Law Project: Child Custody and Parenting Time by Colorado Law Project @DU - Last Updated May 29, 2012 523 views this year

10.	Court Rules and Related Trial Practice Materials (Federal and Colorado) by Sheila Green - Last Updated Apr 29, 2012 477 views this year Written by Patty Wellinger, Reference Services Coordinator

U.N. Wire

For students with an interest in foreign and international issues: have you signed up for UN Wire?

A daily email from UN Wire   is a great complement to the postings found on the Jurist blog. The UN wire is a compilation of articles from various sources such as The New York Times, the BBC, The Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal, Al-Jezeera, AlertNet/Reuters, The Guardian, and many other sources. If you are short of time, but would like to keep up on world events, this is an excellent way to do it. Some of the categories include: United Nations, Health & Development, Climate and Energy, Peacekeeping and Security, and Environment. The categories vary depending on the news of the day.

While not necessarily a legal website, the UN Wire will help to provide the context in which legal issues are happening.

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

Bridge the Research & Analysis Gap Webinar

2012 BRAG Conference: Bridge the Research and Analysis Gap

 

  Video Replay on July 25th, 2012 - 3 CLE Credits

Program Highlights:

• Advanced techniques for finding and analyzing primary law and secondary sources, including practice materials and forms
• Understanding the relationship between state and federal law 
• An overview of local government in Colorado and how to find municipal codes 
• How to find and navigate free online resources, with demonstrations of key Colorado law materials

Program Description:
This year's BRAG program will demonstrate how to analyze and research a legal issue regarding medical marijuana.  The program will begin with how to analyze a problem to determine which research resources to consult and how to develop and track research steps.  The program will then explore how to research primary and secondary resources to find the authority to answer the legal issue.  The focus will be on Colorado authority but will be applicable to research in other jurisdictions.  The presenters will show how most of this authority can be found using free online resources and discuss cost-effective strategies.

Agenda:

9:00 - 9:30 a.m.

Research Methods and Analysis

This segment presents a hypothetical scenario for the following presentations and explains fact pattern analysis. Demonstrates how to create a research plan and keep track of your research.

Presented by Robert Linz, Esq., William A. Wise Law Library, University of Colorado Law School, Boulder, Colorado

9:30 - 10:00 a.m.

Colorado Practice Materials and Secondary Authority
This segment discusses how to save valuable research time by starting with secondary authority. Presents the different types of key resources, including Colorado practice materials, and how to apply them to your research.

Presented by Alicia Brillon, Esq., William A. Wise Law Library, University of Colorado Law School, Boulder, Colorado

10:00 - 10:45 am

TRACKS - Please select the track you plan to attend:

TRACK 1:

Colorado Statutory and Case Law Research

This program will discuss the value of annotated statutory codes and how to use them to quickly find the most relevant and cited cases. Shows how to save money by searching the free version of the Colorado Revised Statutes, and how to find legislative history documents on the Colorado General Assembly websites. Examines the West Digest System for case law and how to maximize the use of free resources both online and in your local law library.

Presented by Robert Linz, Esq., William A. Wise Law Library, University of Colorado Law School, Boulder, Colorado

TRACK 2:

Free Legal Resources

Learn how to make your research more cost-efficient by using a variety of free online resources, and how to judge the authoritativeness of web resources.

Presented by Susan Nevelow Mart, Esq., William A. Wise Law Library, University of Colorado Law School, Boulder, Colorado

Searching the CCR Online

Learn how to find and use the free online version of the Colorado Code of Regulations and Colorado Register.

Presented by Stacey Bowers, Esq., Westminster Law Library, University of Denver Sturm College of Law, Denver, Colorado

10:45 - 11:00 am

Networking Break 

11:00 - 11:45 am

TRACK 1:

Colorado Administrative Regulations

Learn how to explore regulatory law as part of your research plan. This session examines the relationship between statues and regulations and demonstrates how to use the Code of Colorado Regulations and Colorado Register in your legal research.

Presented by Robert Linz, Esq., William A. Wise Law Library, University of Colorado Law School, Boulder, Colorado

Local Government Research

This segment will explore the nature and source of local government ordinances and how to find them free online. Explores various other research uses for information found on local government websites.

Presented by Alan Pannell, Esq., William A. Wise Law Library, University of Colorado Law School, Boulder, Colorado

 TRACK 2:

Casemaker Demonstration

This segment will demonstrate how to take advantage of Casemaker, an alternative to LexisNexis and Westlaw that is available free to members of the State Bar of Colorado.

Presented by Madeline Cohen, Esq., U.S. Courts Library for the Tenth Circuit, Denver, Colorado

Google Scholar Searching

Get an in-depth demonstration of how to use Google Scholar to find case law and law review articles, and how this free resource can help you expand your research.

Presented by Alicia Brillon, Esq., William A. Wise Law Library, University of Colorado Law School, Boulder, Colorado

11:45 am - 12:00 pm

Closing Session  - Colorado Law Library Services

This session summarizes how the various research components fit together and how to utilize local library resources and law librarians to successfully complete your research assignments.  

Presented by Alan Pannell, Esq., William A. Wise Law Library, University of Colorado Law School, Boulder, Colorado

12:00 p.m. Adjourn

 

Faculty:

Stacey BowersOutreach & Instructional Services Coordinator, Adjunct Faculty, and Interim Assistant Library Director
Westminster Law Library
University of Denver Sturm College of Law

Denver, Colorado

Alicia Brillon

Reference Librarian
William A. Wise Law Library
University of Colorado Law School

Boulder, Colorado

Madeline CohenCircuit Library Director

U.S. Courts Library for the Tenth Circuit

Denver, Colorado

Robert Linz

Associate Director and Head of Public Services
William A. Wise Law Library
University of Colorado Law School

Boulder, Colorado

Susan Nevelow Mart

Director of the Law Library and Associate Professor
William A. Wise Law Library
University of Colorado Law School

Boulder, Colorado

Alan Pannell

Head of Reference
William A. Wise Law Library
University of Colorado Law School
Boulder, Colorado

 Video Replays: July 25, 2012:

 

Death Penalty Worldwide Database

New from Northwestern University, and in partnership with the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, comes a database with current information relating to the application of death penalty laws from around the world. This database is intended to supplement the Hands Off Cain database, and the reports by Amnesty International. The new database focuses on providing detailed information on the application of death penalty law and practice.

As with use of any new database, a quick review of the FAQ will tell the user  what kind of information can be found, and what will not be found (cases and news feeds), as well as information on how to search the database, the currentness of the information, and a short discussion of the “viewpoint” presented on capital punishment . The database itself can be searched in a variety of ways: by Country, Region, or Method of Execution. One may also search by topic under the heading “International Legal Issues” where one finds issues such as: Access to Courts, Arbitrariness and the Death Penalty, Death Row Conditions, Foreign Nationals, Innocence and Wrongful Convictions, Mental Illness, Moratoria, and Women. Finally the Resources section provides link to Death Penalty Organizations, articles and books, further electronic research, and Guidelines for International Legal Research.

The Country search provides a wealth of information including  the methods of execution, the status of the laws, a discussion of and citations to the relevant laws, as well as a general profile of the country.

The homepage provides an interesting “Country of the Day” feature. On June 20, 2012, the country was Iran and the following was seen: 

Iraq

Death Penalty Law Status

Retentionist

Method(s) of Execution

Hanging

Shooting

Year of Last Known Execution

2011

Learn More

There is also a blog on the homepage.

For those who would like to use the library’s print collection, you can search using the term “death penalty,” but don’t forget to also use the term “capital punishment.” The library has an extensive selection of books on this important topic, as well as providing direct online access to the Death Penalty Information Center.

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