Saturday, December 26, 2009

Memorial to Prof. Erik Bluemel

And finally,

To truly begin to understand indigenous cultures one must read their stories … history … poetry … “fiction”. In addition to the texts above, Erik’s understanding and love of indigenous peoples and the many issues confronting them are demonstrated by his family’s donation of Erik’s non-law volumes including fiction by authors such as N. Scott Momaday. Momaday’s House Made of Dawn is a classic.

Those of us who had the privilege of knowing Erik still miss him. As one faculty member said of him, he was a rising star. And although we don’t what he might have achieved, we know it would have been great…because he already was.

Also, click here for a tribute to Erik Bluemel written by Prof. Justin Marceau and published in the D.U. Law Review.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Donations from Erik Bluemel - Second Copies

Because it is our library’s general policy to purchase a single copy of new books, unless there is a special reason to have multiple copies (statutes, court rules, professor requests), we are most grateful that in addition to the new books donated by Erik’s family, we have second copies of the following titles. This is a somewhat eclectic group of titles as being in this group depends on what the library already owns.

Second Copies

Administrative Law (2nd ed.) – Examples and Explanations – now we can wait a bit before we order another copy of this popular title!

Understanding Administrative Law- Administrative law desk reference for lawyers by Fox, William F.

Administrative law, by Russell L. Weaver, William D. Araiza OK, so this book isn’t a second copy, but since all the other Administrative Law books ended up here, I include this one, too.

Global Climate Change & U.S. Law - Gerrard, Michael B., editor

Our Common Future – World Commission on Environment and Development

Indian Water in the New West, McGuire, Thomas R, et al. eds.

Blood Struggle-the Rise of Modern Indian Nations, by Wilkinson, Charles F.

Indian Reserved Water Rights by Shurts, John

Closing the Circle, by Grijalva, James M. - This book analyzes how an anomalous confluence of federal environmental, administrative and Indian law exacerbates environmental injustice in Indian country, but also offers a solution.

Academic Legal Writing (3rd ed.), Volokh

Brethren & Sisters of the Bar, by Robertson, Edwin David

The Rise of the Conservative Legal Movement, by Teles, Steven Michael

Next: And finally….

Monday, December 21, 2009

Donations from Erik Bluemel - Student Resources

Those of us who knew and worked with Erik recognized the quick, energetic, and flexible mind he possessed. Looking at the books he read may help us to find tips on advice he found useful. Erik’s contribution to our students in this area included several titles and covers debate (attention VIS Cup, Moot Courts, and other competitors), critical thinking and legal writing, and that all-important topic, interviews.

Law

One L: the turbulent true story of a first year at Harvard Law School by Turow

Argument: a guide to formal and informal debate by Abne M. Eisenberg, Joseph A. llardo

Ergo: thinking critically and writing logically by Sheila Cooper, Rosemary Patton

Critical choices in interviews: conduct, use, and research role by Harriet Nathan

Next blog: “Second Copies”

Friday, December 18, 2009

Donations from Erik Bluemel - General

Representing Erik’s broader interests, here is a short list of some titles of interest. While two of the titles seem “expected,” one can only wonder at what prompted the interest in law and psychiatry.

Clinical handbook of psychiatry and the law by Thomas G. Gutheil

Law, psychiatry, and the mental health system by Alexander D. Brooks

In our defense: the Bill of Rights in action by Ellen Alderman, Caroline Kennedy

Presidential power stories ed. By Christopher H. Schroeder, Curtis A. Bradley

Next blog: a small collection on life as a law student, thinker and professional.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Donations from Erik Bluemel - Indigenous Peoples

Writing this introduction is the most difficult of the seven pieces included in this blog series. What can I say? I never had the opportunity to sit down and talk with Erik in any depth about his passion for indigenous issues, but I have to say I felt we shared an instinctive connection at the heart level for the world view expressed in the lives and practices of indigenous peoples around the world.

Having worked in this field for over 20 years, I have had the great privilege to work with many great indigenous scholars and activists and I will always count Erik among them. What made him different? To me, it was the joy and optimism he brought to the work. This is a difficult field in which to engage. There are no easy questions. These studies can challenge not only the ”world view” of non-indigenous persons, but very real things such as our basic property rights. Erik didn’t avoid the tough questions or try to pretend the conditions of indigenous peoples are better than they are. He knew that for every success there are years and years of work and the memory of hundreds or thousands of lives that one wishes could have been touched by the success, but for whom the ‘victory’ comes too late. And he knew that there is still so much to do. But, Erik focused on the achievements and saw the obstacles as challenges.

While these are not all the titles he owned on the subject, they represent important writers and subjects in the field. You will see other titles listed in posting number six, "Second Copies" and the previous post on environmental books noted several titles that could be cross-listed.

No more states?: globalization, national self-determination, and terrorism, ed. By Richard N. Rosecrance and Arthur A. Stein

Human rights and revolutions, ed. by Jeffrey N. Wasserstrom, Lynn Hunt and Marilyn B. Young

Indigenous Peoples in International Law, by S. James Anaya (author is the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous peoples)

International human rights in the 21st century: protecting the rights of groups, ed. By Gene M. Lyons and James Mayall

Multicultural odysseys: navigating the new international politics of diversity, by Will Kymlicka

Political theory and the rights of indigenous peoples, ed. By Duncan Ivison, Paul Patton, Will Sanders

The Nations Within: the past and future of American Indian Sovereignty, by Vine Deloria, Jr., and Clifford M. Lytle

Multicultural citizenship: a liberal theory of minority rights, by Will Kymlicka

Paradigm wars: indigenous peoples’ resistance to globalization, ed. By Jerry Mander and Victoria Tauli-Corpuz

Monday, December 14, 2009

Donations from Erk Bluemel - Environment

The books in Erik’s environmental law collection indicate his adoption of an indigenous perspective on the environment combined with the practical needs for teaching environmental law. Questions and Answers on Environmental Law will be a help in prepping for exams. And while I have termed these “environmental” some of these books will be useful for classes in such things as urban planning, animal law (wildlife), and climate change

Water Wars: privatization, pollution and profit, by Vandana Shiva as well as Water Wars, When the Rivers Run Dry, and Blue Covenant may be of interest to students in classes on water law, Stephen Ambroses’ book, Undaunted Courage, provides a look at what North America looked like at the time of Lewis & Clark, while the inclusion of Property here is no accident (land being at the heart of most indigenous issues). Friedman’s The World is Flat is a timely addition to our collection and some titles are just entertaining, like Garbage land: on the secret trail of trash by Elizabeth Royte, Dumping in Dixie: race, class, and environmental quality, by Robert D. Bullard, and Cradle to cradle: remaking the way we make things, by William McDonough & Michael Braungart. Finally, the law library now has a copy of the environmental classic, A Sand Country Almanac: with essays on conservation from Round River, by Aldo Leopold.

Thank you, Erik and the Bluemel family, for greatly enriching our collection in a subject so central to the law school.

Europe’s environment: the fourth assessment, European Environment Agency

The World is flat: a brief history of the twenty-first century, by Thomas L. Friedman

A primer for law & policy design: understanding the use of principle & argeement in environmental & natural resource law, by John Martin Gillroy and Brenna Holland, with Celia Campbell-Mohn

Ecological resistance movements: the global emergence of radical and popular environmentalism, Bron Raymond Taylor, ed.

Federal wildlife statutes: texts and contexts by Dale D. Goble

Crabgrass frontier: the suburbanization of the United States by Kenneth T. Jackson – Don’t you have to look at a book with a title like that!

Alternative techniques for managing growth by Irving Schiffman

Federal historic preservation laws, from the National Center for Cultural Resources

Ecological imperialism: the biological expansion of Europe, 900-1900 by Alfred W. Crosby – This book could have also gone under Indigenous Peoples, but falls here too.

Global environment outlook GEO4, environment for development: summary for decision makers, UNEP

Undaunted courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the opening of the American West by Stephen E. Ambrose – Another book that could have gone in a couple categories….indigenous peoples, or general…

Seven wonders for a cool planet: everyday things to help solve global warming by Eric Sorensen and the staff of Sightline Institute

Property: takings, by David A. Dana and Thomas W. Merrill – this, too, could be general and/or indigenous peoples.

This moment on Earth: today’s new environmentalists and their vision for the future by John Kerry, Teresa Heinz Kerry

Garbage land: on the secret trail of trash by Elizabeth Royte – OK, when I find time, this I have to read.

Something new under the sun: an environmental history of the twentieth-century world by J.R. McNeill

Man and Nature: or, Physical geography as modified by human action (1864), by George Perkins Marsh – note the year on this one…

Collaborative land use management: the quieter revolution in place-based planning by Robert J. Mason

Nor any drop to drink by William Ashworth

Environmental sociology: from analysis to action, ed. By Leslie King and Deborah McCarthy

Major problems in American environmental history: documents and essays, ed. By Carolyn Merchant

Environmental law, by Jeffrey M. Gaba

Questions & answers, environmental law: multiple choice and short answer questions and answers

Dumping in Dixie: race, class, and environmental quality, by Robert D. Bullard – Great title, intriguing comparisons

Disasters and the law: Katrina and beyond, by Daniel A. Farber, Jim Chen

Environmental crime: law, policy, prosecution, by Kathleen F. Brickey

Air pollution, by Mark S. Squillace, David R. Wooley

Water Wars: privatization, pollution and profit, by Vandana Shiva

When the rivers run dry: water, the defining crisis of the twenty-first century, by Fred Pearce

Blue covenant: the global water crisis and the coming battle for the right to water, by Maude Barlow

Cradle to cradle: remaking the way we make things, by William McDonough & Michael Braungart

Federal Planning and historic places: the section 106 process, by Thomas F. King

A Sand Country Almanac: with essays on conservation from Round River, by Aldo Leopold – the Classic

The diversity of life, by Edward O. Wilson

Friday, December 11, 2009

Donations from Erik Bluemel - Introduction

>>Memories of Erik…

Last May we lost Professor Erik Bluemel, however, thanks to the generosity of his family, who donated all of his books to us, the Law Library, as well as current and future students of the Sturm College of Law, have acquired many, many new titles. As one might expect, these are primarily in the areas in which Erik taught; administrative law, the environment, and indigenous law, but there are also a few more general, but very useful books related to law.

Over the next several weeks Hearsay will feature highlights and comments concerning these valuable contributions to our community which I have somewhat arbitrarily divided up into various categories based on Erik’s teaching assignments and interests. When you pick up any of the books to which you will be introduced, look inside the cover for the bookplate commemorating Professor Erik Bluemel. And please add your comments to Hearsay about any of these titles and/or about your memories of Erik.

When you look at Erik’s areas of specialty, you find that they demonstrate a harmony of thought. Based on very brief conversations with Erik, and the privilege of attending many of his class sessions, it is my understanding that his interest in Indigenous Peoples came first, but he had to make a living, so…teach environmental law, which is so central to Indigenous Peoples, and follow-up with administrative law, which is so central to environmental law (ah…implementation!). I am guessing that it was his passion for Indigenous Peoples and their issues which motivated his understanding and patience with (what can be) tedious, detailed areas of law. And he was so excited to teach his first class in Indigenous Peoples law. His deep understanding of the topic was brought home to me by his research request to find a piece of Ainu epic poetry. And he wanted every book and article ever written about indigenous peoples. For each class session (twice a week for the entire semester) he reviewed 150-200 articles. When I asked if he was a speed reader, he said, “no,” but he loved having this excuse to read all the things he’d always wanted to read but had never had the time for. Now, because he was teaching the class, he felt he could at least review it all. He was so looking forward to teaching the class again in Spring 2010.

In the next posting in this series, look for Erik’s environmental law collection… and if you are interested in pursuing an LLM degree in International Environmental Law, please consider applying for the Erik Bluemel International Environmental Law Scholar program by March 5, 2010.

These posts on the donations from Prof. Erik Bluemel's family to the Law Library's collection were written by Joan Policastri, Foreign, Comparative and International Law Librarian.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

United States Code, 2006 Edition

The United States Code is the official codification of general and permanent laws of the United States. The 2006 edition of the U.S. Code incorporates laws enacted through the One Hundred Ninth Congress, Second Session, and signed by the President on January 15, 2007.

When citing to the U.S. Code, use guidelines outlined in Rule 12.2.1(a) of Bluebook, Eighteenth Edition.

Find the prior editions of the U.S. Code from 1934 - 2000 on Level 3 of the Law Library in the northeast Superseded shelves.

Monday, December 7, 2009

New Titles

The Westminster Law Library added some new titles to our collection recently. You can see a list of all items or search by subject. Fill out our online form to be emailed a list of new titles on a regular basis. If you are interested in suggesting an item for purchase, let us know!

Saturday, November 7, 2009

New Resource for Moot Court Teams

Supporting our Competition Teams … if you are the member of any of SCOL’s competitions, check out the new book, The 12 Secrets of Persuasive Argument. It’s a short, pithy book…easy reading. Pick it up when you think your presentation is ready and see if you can pick up a few additional tips…(K2251 .W35 2009)

Thursday, November 5, 2009

'NOT' Operator Added to HeinOnline's Field Search

News about a new feature from Hein Online, by Tim Hooge.

For those HeinOnline users who prefer to search using the Field Search, we've added a small but powerful option to this search page. The 'NOT' operator is now a selectable option in addition to the AND/OR operators you are used to using. The 'NOT' operator is used in a search the same way that you would use the AND/OR operators. Simply select the NOT option from the drop box. The NOT operator is different because it functions as an exclusionary tool. This can be quite useful in weeding out search results that are very similar to the topic you are looking for, but are actually irrelevant to your search and just diluting the results that you really want. A simple example of how this works is explained in the short video below.

Again, this is just a simple example of how the NOT operator can function. When used correctly, the NOT operator can be a highly effective tool in narrowing your research to the relevant results you need. The NOT operator has always been available for users searching with the Advanced Search. If you'd like to learn more about searching in HeinOnline, we recommend taking a look at some of the training guides in the HeinOnline Wiki.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Legal Abbreviations

Having trouble deciphering a legal abbreviation in a cite & source assignment? Try Prince's Bieber Dictionary of Legal Abbreviations: A Reference Guide for Attorneys, Legal Secretaries, Paralegals, and Law Students, 6th Edition, Level 3 Reference Desk KF246.B46

Locate meanings for acronyms, abbreviations, and symbols found in reporters, treatises, law reviews, loose-leaf services, legal encyclopedias, law dictionaries, legal reference books, and other documents in forward and reverse order.

Prince's update includes new and/or expanded abbreviations for domestic, foreign, and international agencies, organizations, periodicals, reporters, popular acts, and legal terms and phrases cited in American legal literature.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Ask a Librarian

Working on a research paper or a pesky LP assignment? Trying to find that really strange citation for your law review cite & source assignment. Our Reference staff is available to help you with your legal research questions! Come see us at the Reference Desk on the 3rd floor (see hours), call 303-871-6206 or contact us via email.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Student "Lawyers"

As a rule, only lawyers licensed in Colorado may practice law in this state. To obtain a license, you must either waive in as an attorney licensed in a reciprocal state or graduate from an ABA accredited law school, pass the Colorado Bar Examination, and be determined to be of fit character by the Colorado State Board of Law Examiners.

A law student may practice law or give legal advice under the applicable Colorado court rules and statutes, however, under the supervision of a licensed attorney. C.R.S. 12-5-116 provides that students at a law school that maintains a legal-aid dispensary (student clinic) serving poor or legally under served persons may give legal advice and appear in court or before an arbitration panel. Some federal courts such as the United States Bankruptcy Court also provide for student representation.

The Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure (C.R.C.P.) Rules 201 et seq. defines the "practice of law" in part as private practice or employment as a lawyer who furnishes legal counsel, drafts documents and pleadings, interprets and gives advice with respect to the law, and/or preparing, trying or presenting cases before courts, executive departments, administrative bureaus or agencies.

Rules regarding the unauthorized practice of law are in C.R.C.P. Rule 228 et seq. The Colorado Supreme Court has the authority to create rules of procedure for all Colorado attorneys and state courts. This is done through an appointed committee known as the Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee of the Supreme Court. Investigations are handled by the Regulation Counsel appointed by the Supreme Court. See C.R.S. 12-5-112 to 12-5-116 as well as Colorado case law. Clearly, an unlicensed person who pretends to be an attorney or represents another person in court is guilty of contempt.

Other areas which may not be so clear include work done or information provided by paralegals, law clerks, students, or other lay persons. It is essential that a lawyer supervise all work done by an unlicensed person, being careful to review legal documents and communications with clients. The Appendix to Chapters 18-20 of the C.R.C.P. outlines the Colorado Rules of Professional Conduct.

Students - Be careful about the legal information you give out before you are admitted to practice, because people will ask you for legal advice without even realizing it!



Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Banned Books Week

Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read runs September 26, 2009 - October 3, 2009. An annual event sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) since 1982. the event celebrates intellectual freedom, reading and the First Amendment. According to ALA figures, there were 581 challenges to books in US schools and libraries in 2008. The ALA website also provides charts detailing the number and types of challenges since 1990 ans a list of classics that have been challenged along with the reasons why.

Amnesty International USA participates in Banned Books Week by highlighting individuals world-wide who have been persecuted because of what they write, read, or publish. Information about these authors and their cases is available.

Additional First Amendment websites and books may be found via the Library's website.

Monday, September 28, 2009

New Titles

The Westminster Law Library added some new titles to our collection over the summer. You can see a list of all items or search by subject. Fill out our online form to be emailed a list of new titles on a regular basis. If you are interested in suggesting an item for purchase, let us know!

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Law in Spanish

Argentina, Chile, Colombia Civil Codes in English … Mexico

Are you planning to research civil codes for Argentina, Chile, or Colombia, but you don’t speak Spanish? The library has English translations of these codes available on the shelf and dated 2008. Also available in translation from Mexico are the Federal Civil Code of Mexico (2005) and the Mexican commercial code annotated (2005).

If you are just learning Spanish or need to know legal terms in Spanish, a simple keyword search (Spanish Dictionary) in the library catalog
will get you 38 results, including the Essential English/Spanish – Spanish/English Legal Dictionary, K52.S6 K37 2008 .

And don’t forget to check the Inter-Am Database from the National Law Center for Inter-American Free Trade, available through the Databases/Indexes list from the library’s homepage. Focusing on Latin American countries, the database provides access to quite current laws in a number of specific areas of law. Under “User’s Tools” you can find “ENGLISH-SPANISH KEYWORD LISTS OF LEGAL TERMS & PHRASES” arranged by topic. This site also provides access to European materials and has a “Treaties” database. Check it out!

Stay tuned for more on our legal resources in Spanish.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Study Room Reservations

Need to reserve a study room? SCOL study rooms may be reserved by law school students, faculty & staff. See the complete guidelines and procedures on the Current Students webpage.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Congressional Directories

Interested in knowing "who's who" in the current Congress? Want to do some research before applying for a legislative staff job? Check out the photos in the Congressional Pictorial Directory for the 11th Congress.

For biographical data, see the official directory of Congress, Congressional Directory, which has been published since 1888 by the Joint Committee on Printing. Or use the Congressional Biographical Directory which has a simple search template which contains information on legislators back to 1774.

For more details about current legislative activities Congress.org website to track the committee assignments, bill sponsorships and other details of each Senator or Representative.

Westlaw includes a database for The Congressional Staff Directory (congstaff-dir). It has detailed profiles for U.S. Congressional committees, subcommittees, task forces, caucuses, etc. as compiled by the CQ Press staff.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

New Environmental Blog

Check out the new blog Environment21 from Prof. Don Smith, Director of the Environmental, Natural Resources Law & Policy Graduate Program (ENRLP). Focusing on current issues concerning the environment, this is a great site to keep up what is happening locally, domestically, and internationally. Prof. Smith provides links to new research being published in many areas of environmental law as well as newspapers, journal articles and relevant legislation. Look for stories about your classmates and their accomplishments, too. You will also get the benefit of Prof. Smith’s views on some of the topics on which he posts. Research-oriented readers will also appreciate the “labels” links at the end of the posts which allow you to easily find other articles posted on that topic.

If you are taking classes in any area concerning the environment: energy, water, air, sustainability, climate change, mining, you will be glad you took the time to check out this great new resource!

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Justice Sonia Sotomayor

Justice Sonia Sotomayor was sworn in (see video) on August 8th, 2009, as the first Hispanic and third woman to serve on the United States Supreme Court. The New York Post has created an interactive timeline with more information about her life and career to date. For more information about the other Justices on the Roberts Court, see the Oyez website which also features case information, oral arguments and videos about the inner workings of the Court. The Court's term officially begins with oral arguments the first Monday in October.

Monday, August 10, 2009

International Humanitarian Law

The American Society for International Law (ASIL) offers a free electronic resource guide of interest to international law researchers. Topical chapters include EU, commercial arbitration, criminal law, environmaental law, human rights, intellectual property law and treaties / UN material. One of the newer guides is on International Humanitarian Law. It was co-written by our very own FCIL Librarian, Joan Policastri and Sergio Stone at Stanford Law Library.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Free Law Dictionary iPhone App

A free Law Dictionary iPhone App has been released by Nolo Publishing. Aimed at the public, the app is based on their publication, Nolo's Plain English Law Dictionary. This is the second law dictionary with an iPhone app, although the more traditional attorney version, Black's Law Dictionary version costs $50.

Monday, July 6, 2009

Website for Unemployed Lawyers

West has announced a new website called Between Cases to assist attorneys who are currently unemployed or delaying the start of their employment with a law firm due to the economy. The site contains legal job search information, free research resources, legal news updates and information on starting a private practice.

See also the post on free Lexis passwords for pro bono work from June 22, 2009.

Monday, June 29, 2009

Encyclopedia of Public International Law

Attention International Law students ...

The May 2009 update to the Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law Online is now available from the library’s Databases/Indexes list at Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law Online.
This is the definitive reference work on public international law, revised edition.

This update provides 124 NEW ARTICLES, bringing the total online article count to almost 850. “Among these new articles you will find content on Anti-Semitism, Self-Determination and Secret Intelligence, all contributed by leading experts in International Law. This online service now includes 50 articles on the Law of Treaties and over 100 entries on the Law of the Sea.”

Monday, June 22, 2009

LexisNexis Passwords for Public Interest Work

LexisNexis has announced a new program called ASPIRE (Associates Serving Public Interests Research) that provides passwords to 2009 law graduates who are volunteering or working in public interest law. This program includes recent graduates who have had their Fall Associate positions deferred as well as those who are doing public interest work while searching for law firm employment.

If you are eligible, complimentary LexisNexis access will be provided throughout your public interest employment period, up until September 2010 maximum. Public interest employment must be for a non-profit or charitable organization. Government employment is excluded from this program. Documentation confirming your eligibility for this program must be included, i.e., a letter from your firm or public interest organization.

Free LexisNexis access will include federal/state cases, codes, regulations, and law reviews. To ensure you don’t receive unanticipated or unwanted charges, other materials will not be visible. Once your registration and documentation are received, we will reactivate your law school ID no later than two business days prior to your start date. If applying after your start date, we will reactivate your law school ID within two business days.

Friday, June 5, 2009

SCOL Journals on HeinOnline

DU law journals are available in full-text pdf format via HeinOnline on the Databases/Indexes section of the Law Library’s website. Selected materials are also available on the journals’ webpage.

Articles from the Sports & Entertainment Law Journal are not included in HeinOnline, but see their webpage for access to articles as well as case summaries.

Monday, June 1, 2009

Alumni Library Cards & Services

Sturm College of Law Alumni are eligible for free lifetime library cards which provide access and checkout privileges at the Westminster Law Library. To request a card, please fill out the form available at the Circulation Desk on Level 2.

Your law alumni library card will also allow you remote access to some of our research databases (contractual restrictions limit some databases to current students, faculty & staff). Browse a full list of available databases, but please note the "no remote alumni access" button.

Alumni also have in-library access to databases such as Shepard's Online, Bradford Legal Forms (Colorado), Loislaw, and public access Westlaw. These can be important cost-saving resources for recent graduates or solo practitioners.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Research Review for Clerks (BRAG)

Are you a summer clerk or new associate that needs a research review? Plan to attend the BRAG (Bridging the Research & Analysis Gap) workshop from 8am - noon on Wednesday, June 3rd. The workshop is co-sponsored by the Colorado Association of Law Libraries and CLE in Colorado. Topics include:

  • Tips From A Young Associate
  • The Research assignment: Effective Communication & Smart Research
  • Colorado Practice Materials
  • Casemaker 101
  • Colorado Legislative History
  • Cost Effective Legal Resources
  • Internet Footprint / Social Networking
The cost is $55 and the workshop is available "live" or as a webinar. You firm or agency may be willing to pay for you to attend. Also available for 3 CLE credits for attorneys.

Registration details & more information are available online. Printed brochures are also at the Reference Desk on Level 3 of the Westminster Law Library.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

U.S. Bankruptcy Court - District of Colorado

There are three Federal Courts located in Denver, Colorado. They include the United States District Court for Colorado, which is a trial court; the United States Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, the appellate court; and the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Colorado. The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals includes Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, Kansas, and Oklahoma. There are a total of eleven United States Circuit Courts of Appeals that cover the various states.

The library homepage has links to materials on bankruptcy. Go to
http://www.law.du.edu/index.php/library Under "Research" on the left hand side, click on Web Research Links> Topical Resources> Bankruptcy Resources. There is also a Bankruptcy Subject Guide which can be printed or used online. Under "Research" click on More> Subject Guides> Topical Legal Research> Bankruptcy Materials> and you will find the subject guide with live links. We also have printed subject guides in the library on wooden spindles on Level 1 and Level 2. The subject guides are always in the process of being updated.

Don't forget to check the library catalog for the many print materials found in the library's collection. The Bankruptcy Code was extensively changed in 2006, so be careful about the primary and secondary sources you rely upon in your research. The general call numbers for bankruptcy materials is KF 1501-1548. We do have the Bankruptcy Reporters and Digests. For materials in the Colorado section, add the word Colorado to your search.

Perhaps the best place to start is the web site for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Colorado.
There is a wide range of materials including the code, regulations, forms, proposed local rules, information for debtors, court procedures, and links to the new requirement for credit counseling prior to filing a case. The states are allowed to elect between their state's statutory exemptions and the federal exemptions. In Colorado at this time the exemptions in the Colorado statutes are used instead of the Bankruptcy Code. See C.R.S. 13-54-102

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Solo Practice

As you near the end of law school, study for and pass the bar, many law students do not already have a position waiting for them. Perhaps an internship has changed your mind about what you thought you wanted to do. Informational interviews may steer you toward or away from particular areas of practice. The amount of debt or student loans you must repay may influence your career decisions. You may not want to do trial work, or practice law at all! There are a myriad of choices outside of practicing law. The library has some excellent resources, as does the Career Development Center, outlining possible options.

If you do choose to strike out on your own, here are a number of practical tips. Have a mentor(s) with experience, whom you can bounce ideas off of. Remember that this person is not someone to do your legal research. Learn how to do your own legal research in a law library, before you turn to expensive databases like Westlaw or Lexis. Check into prices for these and other databases such as LOISLAW. Check out the websites offering free access to case law and statutes. At the beginning, use the free public Westlaw terminals at SCOL or the Colorado Supreme Court Library, along with the expensive treatises at those libraries. After graduation, you can still use many of the expensive databases on the SCOL Level 3 computers, as well as benefit from the assistance of the law librarians. For your own office, portions of the Colorado Practice Series or other treatises may be a sound investment. Always have a set of current statutes and court rules in your office. At first, your main referrals may be cases that attorneys do not want or are not the types of cases they handle. Eventually, your main referrals will come from satisfied clients. It may take time and experimentation to find out what you enjoy doing.

If possible, obtain a position working for a trial court judge. This will not only sharpen your research skills, but expose you to a wide range of cases, as well as potential referrals from attorneys that you meet. Do a paid or unpaid internship while in law school or after you graduate. Work with the student law clinic, or volunteer at a smaller law firm or government agency. Advertise in print or by contacting attorneys that you are available to do contract research. You will be putting in many non-billable hours when you begin a solo practice, simply to educate yourself. Law school gives you many analytical skills, but the substantive law will be something you continue to learn in an ongoing process. Experience comes with time.

There are two aspects of solo practice. The first is practicing law, and the second is running a business. Both are time consuming. In the beginning the key is to keep costs as low as possible. Do your own books, accounting, recordkeeping, and word processing. Use a service that provides a business and mailing address, receptionist, and access to a conference room for which you are charged on an hourly basis. Office sharing and expenses is another option. Home offices work well depending on your home. There are countless other arrangements and ways to save costs. Trade services with an accountant or word-processor. The keys to success in solo practice are imagination, creativity, networking, setting goals, self education, and self discipline. You may work long hours before you have the ability to turn business away, but solo practice does eventually afford you the flexibility and opportunity to create what works for you.

The spindle next to the Reference Desk on Level 3 has a Subject Guide for Opening a Solo Law Office. It contains a wealth of helpful information. You can also view it on the Library’s homepage where
the links are live.

Monday, May 18, 2009

MedlinePlus

MedlinePlus has come a long way since its launch a decade ago. With over 12 million visitors each month from 200 countries, the site is nearing 1 billion page views per year. The National Library of Medicine unveiled the site in 1998 with 22 health topics, and today www.medlineplus.gov boasts over 770 health topics—in English and Spanish. The most popular health topics are also available in 40 other languages. In addition to the health topics, MedlinePlus provides free information on drugs and supplements, the latest news, a medical dictionary, an extensive encyclopedia, surgery videos, interactive educational material, and links to other helpful sites to locate clinical trials, understand genetic conditions, and find information specifically for older Americans. The health information on MedlinePlus is professionally selected from reliable sources including the National Institutes of Health, government organizations, medical associations, and more than one thousand other health organizations such as the Mayo Clinic and the Harvard School of Public Health. Health topics are updated at least every six months to provide consumers with the most current health information available. Here are two new additions to the MedlinePlus site:

MedlinePlus has a new tutorial (
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/medicalwords/) on understanding medical words or terminology. Sometimes the terms we use to describe an illness or condition do not match those of a doctor. For example, a “heart attack” to a doctor means there is damage to the heart muscle, while a consumer might interpret it to mean the heart isn’t beating. You'll also learn how to make sense of medical terms by breaking the term into parts and examining the word roots. For instance, the term colostomy (creating an opening in the colon) looks like this when broken up: colo=colon, +ostomy=opening of. The tutorial takes around 15-20 minutes to complete, including a few short quizzes.

MedlinePlus has partnered with DSHI Systems to bring FreeMD (
www.freemd.com), a symptom checker, to health consumers. A virtual doctor conducts and interview, evaluates symptoms and offers expert advice from the convenience of your computer. The site can analyze over 3,000 symptoms and injuries, providing information on possible symptom causes and determining when and where to seek care. FreeMD was designed to not only help consumers triage personal symptoms, but also to provide a tool for communicating with their doctor. The system generates a personal web page that can be shared with health care staff. DSHI is a physician-led medical technology company, and the evidence-based content on FreeMD.com is written and maintained by physicians. It is independently funded by virtual and real life emergency room physician, Dr. Stephen Schueler, and is advertising-free. MedlinePlus links to 150 FreeMD entries, and/or you can link directly to the FreeMD site. Use of the site is for information purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for evaluation and treatment by a physician.

(from Dana Abbey, MLS - Consumer Health Coordinator at the University of Colorado Denver-Health Sciences Library)

For other medical related information, check out the Health & Medicine links on our website under Research > Web Research Links > Nonlegal > Health & Medicine.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Black's on your iPhone

Black's Law Dictionary, 8th ed. is now available as a iPhone application for $49.99. See a product review or purchase at the iPhone App Store.

Friday, May 8, 2009

Finding Federal Legislative History (1970-2005) on Microfiche

Use the following hardbound Congressional Information Service (CIS) volumes at Level 2 Index KF 49.C62 to find selected federal legislative history (1970-2005) on microfiche:

· CIS 1999 Annual Index to Congressional Publications and Legislative Histories
· CIS 1999 Annual Abstracts of Congressional Publications
· CIS 1999 Annual Legislative Histories of US Pubic Laws

Assignment:
Retrieve legislative history for American Inventors Protection Act of 1999 including congressional publications, House/Senate bills and committee reports, and floor debates.

1. Perform a “Words” search for American Inventors Protection Act of 1999 in Westminster Law Library catalog
http://www.law.du.edu/index.php/library > Library Catalog http://pacman.law.du.edu/ > Words http://pacman.law.du.edu/search/X and retrieve legislative history materials.

2. Review CIS 1999 Annual Index to Congressional Publications and Legislative Histories “User Guide” on page vii.

3. Check 1999 Annual Index to Congressional Publications and Legislative Histories under Inventors’ Rights Act and make note of the following CIS microfiche codes:
· H183-39
· H273-26
· H523-27
· PL106-113

4. Check CIS microfiche codes in 1999 CIS Annual Abstracts of Congressional Publications for more information.

5. Check public law entries (PL106-113) in 1999 CIS Annual Legislative Histories of US Public Laws.

6. Decide which CIS microfiche you wish to view and retrieve from microfiche drawers on Level 2 KF 49.C6 (1999). (When you find fiche, put a white card in the drawer so filer can file the fiche correctly.)

7. View microfiche in fiche reader/printer in SE corner of Level 2 library.

8. Review instruction cards on procedure for making copies and/or transmitting e-mails.

For researchers who prefer to work online, see FINDING FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE HISTORY (1789-present) ONLINE.

Friday, May 1, 2009

Law Day: May 1, 2009

Celebrate Law Day! May 1 has been designated as Law Day since 1958 by 36 U.S.C. 113. The statute says in part that:


"Law Day is a special day of celebration by the people of the United States—
(1) in appreciation of their liberties and the reaffirmation of their loyalty to the United States and of their re dedication to the ideals of equality and justice under law in their relations with each other and with other countries; and
(2) for the cultivation of the respect for law that is so vital to the democratic way of life."


Each year, the President issues a presidential proclamation in honor of Law Day. The theme of this year's Law Day is a Legacy of Liberty: Celebrating Lincoln's Bicentennial. More information on President Lincoln's contributions can be found in the document Dialogue on Lincoln that was created by the American Bar Association to use a teaching tool in public education projects across the country.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Finding Federal Legislative History (1789-present) Online

Find selected federal legislative history (1789-present) online with LexisNexis Congressional . See the left frame under “Congressional Search Forms” and review the following search options:

  • Congressional Publications (For detailed content information, click Basic Search > congressional materials and legislative histories > What Publications are Contained in Each Results List Document Type?)
  • Legislative Histories, Bills & Laws
  • Members & Committees
  • Regulations
  • Daily Congressional Record & Rules
  • Political News/Hot Topics

Practice Assignment:
Retrieve legislative history for American Inventors Protection Act of 1999 including congressional publications, House/Senate bills and committee reports, and floor debates. Also check the news for all updates to this Act since 1999.

Assignment Search and Retrieval Options:
1. Congressional Publications (Basic Search, Advanced Search, or Search by Number):Click Advanced Search link. Click in “Enter search terms” template and type: American Inventors Protection Act of 1999.

Under “Search within,” select:

Committee Prints & Misc. Publications (1830-present)
CRS (Congressional Research Service) Reports (1916-present)
Hearings (1824-present)
House & Senate Documents (1817-present)
House & Senate Reports (1819-present)
Legislative Histories (1969-present)
Serial Set (1789-1969)

Under “Restrict by,” select Congress 106(1999-2000).
Click red SEARCH button and review retrieval abstracts.
Click each abstract and review document.
Scroll to and click live links and/or Replica of Original link for full text.

2. Legislative Histories, Bills & Laws (Keyword Search or Get a Document):
Click Keyword Search link.
Click in “Enter search terms” template and type: American Inventors Protection Act of 1999.
Under “Restrict by,” select Congress 106(1999-2000).

Run separate searches for:
Legislative Histories
Bill Tracking
Bills (Full Text)
Floor Votes
Click red SEARCH button and review retrievals for each search.
Click each abstract and review document.
Scroll to and click live links and/or Replica of Original link for full text.

3. Daily Congressional Record & Rules (Keyword Search or Get a Document):
Click Keyword Search link.
Click in “Enter search terms” template and type: American Inventors Protection Act of 1999.
Under “Restrict by,” select Congress 106(1999-2000).
Click red SEARCH button and review retrieval abstracts.
Click each abstract for full text.

4. Political News/Hot Topics:
Click Political News link.
Click in “Enter search terms” template and type: American Inventors Protection Act of 1999.
Under “In,” select Full Text.
Under “Search within,” select The Hill, Roll Call, and The Washington Post.
In “Restrict by date,” select Previous 10 years.
Click red SEARCH button and review full text.

Researchers can also access LexisNexis Congressional from the
Databases / Indexes link on the Westminster Law Library

For researchers who prefer to use microfiche, check back next week for a blog entry on FINDING FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE HISTORY ON MICROFICHE.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Email Updates From Hearsay

Subscribe to e-mail updates from Hearsay! Stay current on the latest announcements, new databases and research tips from the Westminster Law Library. There is now a registration form on the right side, near the bottom of the blog that will allow you to subscribe to updates. After you subscribe, you will receive a confirmation e-mail. You need to click on the link in the message to confirm your subscription and then you are all set.

Summer Westlaw & Lexis Access

Want to maintain access to Westlaw & Lexis over the summer? Because the SCOL has an academic contract with these vendors, you need to be aware that there are specific policies & procedures regarding summer access to Westlaw & Lexis.

Westlaw
Law student access in June and July goes down to two hours per month unless you apply for an extension. Extensions are permitted if you are taking summer law classes, doing law review and journal work, working on a project for a professor, participating in moot court or doing an unpaid non-profit public interest internship/externship or pro bono work required for graduation.

Graduating students are also given the option to extend their password. Extension allows graduating students 10 hours of additional access on their current password in June and July for bar exam preparation.

Use this link to the sign-on home page of lawschool.westlaw.com--Once you enter your password, you will be directed to the extension page.

Lexis

Students and faculty may use their LexisNexis Law School Educational ID only for academic purposes. Academic purposes" include, but are not limited to:
  • class preparation and assignments
  • research associated with moot court or law review/law journal
  • research associated with pursuing a grant or scholarship
  • service as a research assistant to a professor (either paid or unpaid)
  • an unpaid internship, externship or clinic position for school credit
  • clerkship for credit
  • bar review

"Academic purposes" do not include research conducted for a law firm, corporation or other entity (other than a professor or law school) that is paying the student to conduct said research, or that is passing along the costs of said research to a third party. These are deemed "commercial purposes". As such, students’ access will be restricted to a limited menu of employment research related materials beginning June 1. These menu limitations will be lifted on August 1.

To sign up for summer access, go to the lexis law school home page and click on the rotating banner that advertises summer access. Fill out the form and you are all set.




Friday, April 17, 2009

Copyright & Education

Copyright laws are complex. University students and professors tend to assume that everything done in school is protected by the “fair use” doctrine. This may not be true, and the particular use of each work must be considered separately. There are a number of considerations applicable to copyright infringement. The following websites discuss the definition of “fair use”, among others, and should be reviewed in order to avoid copyright infringement in the university setting and elsewhere.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Open Access E-Books

Library users in Colorado now have access to tens of thousands of additional open-access digitized books and serials through the Prospector Library Catalog. The digitized items originate from the University of Michigan, a partner in the Google Books digitization project. Last year the University of Michigan made available bibliographic records for many of the out-of-copyright titles that Google digitized from its collections. The University then made available online files for each of the digitized works.

The bibliographic records were acquired and enhanced by librarians at the Auraria Library in Denver. After the records were loaded into Skyline, the Auraria Library online catalog, they were uploaded to Prospector, the union catalog of the Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries. Now library patrons from across Colorado have access to the online books via the Prospector catalog. Except for the University of Michigan where the books originated, the Auraria Library was the first library in the nation to make these books available to its users.

There are over 105,000 digitized books and serials freely available in this initial phase of the project. They cover a broad range of topics in the humanities and sciences and are in many different languages. They represent the rich collections found at the University of Michigan and complement local collections held in Colorado libraries. Moreover, the books are "open-access," which means they are in the public domain either because they were published before 1923 or because they are a government publication and therefore not copyrighted.

Adapted From Prospector Press Release, April 10, 2009

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Exalead Search Engine

Tired of using the standard search engines such as Google or Yahoo? Try Exalead instead!

Exalead, a newer search engine from France, was released on the Web in 2004. It currently offers the following types of searching: web searches from over eight billion pages for Web sites, Word documents, .pdf
files, etc. and image searches over two billion pages for photographs, illustrations, and icons.

Warning: multiple search terms are processed as an AND operation by default. (Adding more terms will more likely retrieve fewer results.) Prepare to launch a search by reviewing precise truncation and proximity search strategies in Web Search Features. Find images quickly by following search hints in Exalead Images Search Features Search Exalead exact phrases for more accuracy:


EXAMPLE: Type "Ruth Bader Ginsburg" in search box and click Web Search button.
Your Exalead result will include:
- Page title
- Keyword in context extract (or sometimes just a summary)
- Domain name
- File size
- Add to shortcuts link
- Thumbnail screenshot on the left
Click "Only recent results" link for current information. See "Narrow your search" options on the right for links to related materials. Change results display by clicking View icon for "show text only" or "show images and text view."

Personalize Exalead http://www.exalead.com/search search engine by creating shortcuts to your favorite Web sites now! Just click an "Add a shortcut" link and type a URL and/or title in the template. Your shortcuts will be saved and accessible anytime you log onto the same computer you use to create the shortcuts. Access your shortcuts from any Internet-connected computer in the world. Just click "create my account" and your shortcuts will be saved in account preferences.

Find Exalead in the Law Library's Web Research Links under Non-Legal > Search Engines > Exalead.




Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Oral Arguments

The Lawyering Process program is hosting live oral arguments for the Colorado Court of Appeals here at the Sturm College of Law on Thursday, April 9th from 4-5pm. Oral arguments in two cases will be heard before Judge Russell Carparelli, Judge Robert Hawthorne and Judge Diana Terry.

Student or staff id's are required to access the courtroom in Room 165. Space is limited so there will also be overflow rooms set up with a live feed of the proceedings. A reception follows in the Forum from 5-6:30pm. RSVP's are required for the reception.

This year's cases are DeHerrera v. EquityLink LLC and People v. Villaneuva. Briefs are posted on the LP website. The Reese Persuasive Writing Awards and Hartje Objective Writing Awards nominees are announced during the reception. Past award winners and photos of previous Judge's Day events provide some context for the event.

For a list of books and videos relating to oral arguments, see our earlier post.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Google Maps

Explore Web mapping applications and technologies with the Google Maps feature. Researchers with an Internet connection and supported Web Browser can use personal computers or mobile devices to find places, businesses, and get detailed directions on Google Maps at http://maps.google.com .

Before practicing the following searches, review the following links on Maps Help:
- Basics - Google Maps User Guide
- Learn the Basics
- Fix a Problem
- Learn More

1. Locate Colorado Court of Appeals in Denver with Google Maps
http://maps.google.com:
- Click "Learn more" link under search box and review search examples.
- Click inside search box, type Colorado Court of Appeals in Denver, and click Search Maps button.
- See left frame for results and right frame for an area map of Denver with red alpha icons showing locations.
- Double-click (A) Colorado Court of Appeals on left frame. See right frame for a dialog box over an area map with street address, zip code, Web address, a small photograph of location, and the following live links:

- Write a review
- More info
- Street view
- Get directions
- Search nearby
- Save to My Maps
- Send
- Edit
Click "Street view" link for a close-up of the Colorado Court of Appeals building and neighborhood. Practice map navigation techniques by:
- Clicking + or - links for zooming in or out.
- Moving cursor over a location and using mouse scroll button for zooming in or out.
- Double-clicking on a location to zoom in.
- Clicking the appropriate arrows to move the view north, south, east or west.
- Dragging the zoom slider up or down for zooming in or out.
Click "Print" button on top right of map or share this information by clicking "Send" or "Link" buttons.


2. Get detailed driving directions to Colorado Court of Appeals from Sturm College of Law (2255 E Evans Ave)
- From the Colorado Court of Appeals dialog box, click "Get directions" and select "To here" option near search box.
- Click in search box, type 2255 E Evans Ave, and click GO button.
- Check left frame for starting and ending addresses. Click "Add destination" link if you plan another stop along the way. And click "Show options" to include route restrictions.
- Set "by car" option and click "Get Directions" button.
- See left frame for detailed route entries. Click camera icon for each entry and follow pictures of the route on right frame by clicking white arrows.
- Click "Print" button on top right of area map or share by clicking "Send" or "Link" buttons.

3. Find a French restaurant on 8th in Denver and get walking directions from Colorado Court of Appeals.
- Return to Colorado Court of Appeals screen and click "Search nearby" in right frame dialog box.
- Click in search box, type French restaurant on 8th in Denver, and click GO button.
- On right frame dialog box, double-click (A) Le Central Affordable French Restaurant and click "Get directions" button.
- Note Colorado Court of Appeals information will default in search box as start address. Select "To here" option and click GO button.
- Check left frame for starting and ending addresses. And click "Add destination" if you plan another stop along the way. And click "Show options" to include route restrictions.
- Set "walking" option and click "Get Directions" button.
- On left frame, click camera icon for each entry and follow pictures of the route on right frame by clicking white arrows.
- Click "Print" button on top right of map or share by clicking "Send" or "Link" buttons.

Find Google Maps in the Web Research Links section of the Law Library's website under Non-Legal > Daily Life > Google Maps.