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

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

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

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

New Database on Torture

As part of the commemoration of the Convention Against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment’s 25^th anniversary, the American Civil Liberties Union has launched a new database of over 100,000 documents from the Bush era, and forward, relating to “rendition, detention, and interrogation policies and practices.”  The Torture Database can be searched in a number of ways. One can search by the Year (2001 – 2012), by the Authoring Agency (Executive Branch, Department of Defenses, Department of Justice, etc.), by the name of officials mentioned (Colin L. Powell, JoAnn J. Dolan, etc.), by the name of the detainee mentioned (Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, Jose Padilla, etc.), by the method of torture used, and the type of document (email, interview, memo, etc.) There is also a free search box into which you can enter search terms of your choice (water boarding, etc.) A detailed explanation of the search methods available can be found here. The materials were obtained largely through Freedom of Information Requests (FOIAs).

Some library materials that may be of interest to those interested in the subject include these reports from Human Rights Watch:

• Getting away with torture : the Bush Administration and mistreatment of detainees, K3239 .H85 G v.23

• We can torture, kill, or keep you for years" : enforced disappearances by Pakistan security forces, K3239 .H85 C v.23 pt.2;

• Torture redux : the revival of physical coercion during interrogations in Bahrain, K3239 .H85 E v.22 pt.1; and, Ignoring executions and torture : impunity for Bangladesh's security forces, K3239 .H85 C v.21 v.21 pt.2 .

And, for those interested in learning more about the Convention Against Torture, this Commentary, written by the former UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Manfred Nowak, will be of interest: The United Nations Convention against Torture : a commentary. And a search in the Westminster Law Library catalog on the Subject, Torture (International Law) will take one to 23 items on the general subject.

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

New CO Statutes Website

LexisNexis is the official publisher of the Colorado Revised Statutes (C.R.S.). As part of their contract with the state of Colorado, they are required to provide a free, online source to the C.R.S. for the public. LexisNexis recently released a new version of their free website. The new site requires that the searcher click on "I agree" to their terms and conditions before continuing on to the database. It states This website is maintained by LexisNexis®, the publisher of the Colorado Revised Statutes, to provide free public access to the law. It is not intended to replace professional legal consultation or advanced legal research tools. To report errors regarding this website, please complete the Feedback Form.

The new site still includes the Colorado Statutes, Colorado Court Rules and the state and federal constitutions. There is a new feature called "Colorado Advanced Legislative Service" that looks through Colorado Session laws from StateNet, which is another LexisNexis company.

There is an advanced search template that includes terms & connectors, natural language, the Easy Search template and segment searching options. An extensive Help feature and tutorial are also included.  These options make the advanced search template look very similar to the LexisNexis Academic database format that we subscribe to for University (non-law) students.

Written by Patty Wellinger, Reference Services Coordinator

Jurist

Are you in a course in which the Professor enjoys discussion of current happenings in law? Do you want to find an easy, authoritative way to keep up to day on what’s happening in the legal world? Or, maybe you’re looking for a topic for a paper and want to look at current topics to find inspiration – and information! 

The Law Library’s homepage contains a link to Jurist’s Paper Chase, the University of Pittsburgh’s blog for current domestic, foreign, and international law. This source is constantly updated with the “headline” legal news from around the world, so with a simple click, you can review the headlines, and, with another click, have access to an excellent summary of the issue. Even better, from a research point of view, each article contains links to any primary documents, press releases, or prior posts related to the story. 

A favorite paper topic for the last several years has been “piracy.” Students who start with Jurist posts (use the simple search box in the upper right hand corner) get a quick look at all the latest laws and cases dealing with piracy, and can then use that information to begin an outline of the topic and formulate a research strategy.

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

Research Guide – Sustainable Development and International Law

The latest addition to the Foreign and International Law Research Guides, Sustainable Development and International Law is based on the resources used in the Sustainable Development Series which is taught at the Sturm College of Law in three separate courses focusing on three different levels of law: international, national (domestic/foreign), and community. The Research Guide features tabs linking the user to resources that will be of interest to those beginning research in any of those areas. Treaties and United Nations materials are important at all three levels and there are tabs for each of those topics. Other tabs are for the World Bank and the World Trade Organization. As a group, the world’s indigenous peoples are affected by the concept of development, whether as a program such as REDD+ that is promoted as sustainable, the WIPO's Intergovernmental Committee on Traditional Knowledge/Genetic Resources/Traditional Cultural Expressions (folklore) or the current focus on energy development and mining projects. As most issues involved in sustainable development will have an indigenous component, there is a separate tab for Indigenous Peoples. Various codes and certifications are also common to all the courses and a basic list of links to these are provided under the Codes and Certifications tab.

When researching sustainable development, it can be helpful to begin with basic research guides to both international environmental and economic law. Links to the American Society of International Law’s electronic research guides for each of these topics is found on the Guide’s home tab. And, given the interdisciplinary nature of sustainable development, students will want to be sure and take advantage of the Penrose Library’s Summon@DU, as well as the extensive science, business, and social science resources accessible online and through interlibrary loan.

This summer’s course will feature national policies and legislation concerning sustainable development and the most useful beginning resources will be located in the Foreign Legislation and Case Law tab. Here you will find relevant links for the European Union, China, and India, as well as free online resources for broader sites.  

Finally, for additional materials or to answer any questions, please contact your Foreign, Comparative and International Law Librarian, Joan Policastri, at jpolicastri@law.du.edu , in Rm. 230 of the library, or at 303-871-6017.

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

Summer Westlaw & Lexis Password Extensions

WESTLAW

If you are a SCOL recent graduate or continuing law student, your Westlaw password through the Westminster Law Library was turned off at the end of May. There may still be some options available if you need Westlaw access over the summer.

Continuing Students – Go online to the Westlaw law school site at http://lawschool.westlaw.com. There is a button over on the side for continuing students needing summer access because they are taking classes, interning, doing law review, etc. You will need to click on the link and fill out the form. Please remember that students are not supposed to use their school's Westlaw access for paid summer employment.

May Graduates – Go to the Westlaw law school site at http://lawschool.westlaw.com and click on the link  for recent graduates called "Graduate Extension". Westlaw has a transitional plan in place for recent graduates that allows you to use your DU Westlaw ID for up to 10 hours of usage per month for June & July. 

The Law Library also has two public access Westlaw terminals that you can use onsite if you need additional online research time. The public access Westlaw software is available on the two computers farthest from the door on Level 3. These contain limited Westlaw resources - statutes, regulations, cases, law reviews and some other secondary sources. You will need a printer/copier card in order to print using the DUNet printers since these machines are not tied to the free student Westlaw printers.

If you have problems extending your password, please contact DU's Westlaw Academic Rep, Jeff Brandimarte at Jeff.Brandimarte@thomsonreuters.comor (720) 839-1388. If you need assistance using the public access Westlaw in the Law Library, please stop by the Reference Desk on Level 2.

LEXIS

LexisAdvance passwords for current students will automatically be extended through the summer. For students that are doing internships, taking classes, working for a professor, etc., there is an option to  sign up for summer access to lexis.com.   To sign up, go to www.lexisnexis.com/lawschool and sign in, then look for the link to “2012 Summer Access” in the lower left corner.  Then you will need to click on the link to the summer access registration form.  Summer access runs from June 1 to July 31.

If you have problems extending your password, please contact DU's Lexis Academic Rep, Katy Sparks at katherine.sparks@lexisnexis.com. If you need assistance using Lexis in the Law Library, please stop by the Reference Desk on Level 2. 

Written by Patty Wellinger, Reference Services Coordinator

A-Z Databases Research Guide

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


Written by Patty Wellinger, Reference Services Coordinator

Researching Energy Law

While energy is a popular topic at the law school, finding resources is not always straightforward.

The general topic of Energy can be found in several locations in the library’s collection. Materials can be found in the “Environmental Law” sections of both US law (on the 3^rd floor, KF3775-3813) and International Law (on the 1^st floor, K3581-K3598). If you are searching for foreign law, a good place to begin might be in the International Encyclopaedia of Laws: Energy Law where you can look at the energy laws of 22 foreign countries and the United States (in print at K3478, or online). 

You can also locate foreign energy legislation in the Foreign Law Guide database  (law students have full access, subscription required). If you want to find a book on the energy law or policy of a particular country, use the country’s name + “Energy” as the starting point for a search.

If you are trying to decide on a topic for your paper, try looking at the subject headings to focus your ideas and to get a general idea about the legal resources available. Some of the major subject headings include: [Energy] Conservation, [Energy] Consumption, [Energy] Development, [Energy] Policy, and [Energy] Tax. Doing this will also give you some idea of the resources available at our library in those areas.

You may also want to start by looking at the various types of energy, always remembering that there may be a variety of terms that you will want to use in your search. Nuclear power, biomass, coal, geothermal, petroleum, solar, and wind energy may be found in the same general area of the library, but will be in different places depending on if you are looking at law (in the “Ks” sections on the first and third floors) or if you want to find policy or management issues.

It is generally recommended that before jumping into a search, that one make a list of possible search terms as each will retrieve a different subset of results (although some my overlap, and some databases may cross-reference terms), and different databases may use different terms. Look for both synonyms (atomic / nuclear or petroleum / oil & gas) and related terms (renewable / alternative or power / energy).

And, don’t forget to use these databases, only available to students, faculty, and staff of the law school.

• BNA (Bureau of National Affairs) - Collection of treatises, reports, journals and newsletters. Major topics include banking, tax, employment, privacy, intellectual property, medical, international trade and environmental resources. 
• Daily Environment Report
• Environment and Energy Publishing - Source for comprehensive, daily coverage of environmental and energy policy and markets. Includes Environment & Energy Daily, ClimateWire, Greenwire, and Land Letter, as well as specialized reports.
• Environment & Safety Library
• Environment Complete - Offers deep coverage in applicable areas of environmental law, energy, renewable energy sources, natural resources, public ppolicy and more. Contains full-text for more than 680 journals and 120 books.
• Environment Reporter - Current Reports
• Environmental Due Diligence Report
• Environmental Law Reporter - Federal, state and international materials on topics such as environmental law, natural resources, energy, toxic tort, safety and health, and land use law.
• Federal Environment & Safety Regulatory Monitoring Report

Finally, you may want to use a good research guide such as the ASIL electronic resource guide to International Environmental Law, or Georgetown ‘s Energy Law guide.

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

LexisNexis Academic Database

Alumni and other patrons can access the following full-text legal resources on LexisNexis Academic database at Westminster Law Library .Use public computers on Levels 2 and 3 to access resources federal and state cases, Shepard’s Citations, landmark cases, Supreme Court briefs, federal statutes, codes and regulations; state statutes, codes, and regulations; law reviews, legal reference, patents, and tax law.

Since licensing restrictions prohibit alumni and non-DU patrons from using this database remotely, please stop in when you're in the neighborhood and a reference librarian will be happy show you this database.  


Written by Sheila Green, Reference Librarian

Federal Legislative History

New law clerks are often assigned the job of researching the legislative history for a particular state or federal statute. The goal is to look at the documents produced throughout the various stages from bill to public law to interpret the meaning or intent behind various sections. For a federal law it may involve looking at different versions of the bill, testimony in the Congressional Record, hearings or committee reports.

Compiling a legislative history can be a time consuming process that may result in a large bill for the client, so before you start researching, it makes sense to see if someone has already done the work for you. Compilations can be found by searching the online catalogs of area libraries such as the University of Denver’s Westminster Law Library, University of Colorado Law Library, Colorado Supreme Court Law Library, or Denver Public Library. The U.S. Federal Legislative History library of the HeinOnline Database contains digitized compilations that can be searched by popular name, Congress or Public Law number. To access, click on the link above or go through the library's Databases / Indexes section on our website. You will need your DU ID to log on through the proxy server if your are not on campus.

Other databases  offer a wealth of compiled legislative history resources. The FED-LH database on Westlaw contains the GAO's  collection of legislative history documents compiled for Public Laws enacted from 1921 to 1995. (Password required). They also have topical databases for legislative histories in securities, tax and immigration. Be sure to check out the Arnold and Porter database of legislative histories while you are on Westlaw. Arnold and Porter is a large law firm with more than 800 attorneys in nine offices including Denver.Lexis includes many legislative history options as well. Search the directory under Federal Legal - U.S. Legislative History to see if what you are looking for is available.


The Department of Justice has digitized and made available to the public some legislative histories that their staff has compiled. Topics vary, but some of the major compilations include the Administrative Procedure Act, the Child Custody & Visitation Act, The Federal Tort Claims Act Amendment and the War Crimes Act.


So what happens if you have looked at these various resources and no one has done a compilation on your particular federal statute? What online resources (free or fee-based) are the most useful? The Westminster Law Library has created an online research guide on Federal Legislative History to assist you with your research. See this article, Researching Federal Legislative History, published in the Colorado Lawyer in 2010, for details on the sources and steps need to compile a legislative history. Investigating older laws may mean that you need to use more print resources since the material may not all be available online. This article, Uncovering Federal Legislative History - Part II, focuses on print resources that can be found at many academic law libraries or larger public libraries.

Written by Patty Wellinger, Reference Services Coordinator

Lexis - Cost Effective Searching Class

• Monday, April 2 at Noon in Room 170
• Monday, April 2 at 4:50p.m. in Room 125
• Tuesday, April 3 at Noon in Room 410 
• Wednesday, April 4 at 4:50p.m. in Room 180

This class will include cost information and savings tips for both Lexis.com and Lexis Advance.  This is essential information for all students, but especially for those with summer internships or 3Ls with new associate positions.  Your attendance is worth 400 points and you can earn a bonus 500 upon completion of the Certification quiz after class.  You'll also receive an entry to win $250 from J. Crew and lunch or dinner.  Please sign-up  on the MySchool tab at www.lexisnexis.com/lawschool.

Why get Lexis Certified?   To show employers that you know what you are doing!  Being Certified means you are an efficient legal researcher and are aware research costs.

How does Certification work?  It is a two-part series.  The first class is called "Practice Tools" and the second class is called "Cost Effective Research".  Practice Tools is offered next week and Cost Effective will be offered after Spring Break.  To become certified, you need to attend both classes and then take a quiz.  If you pass the quiz, then you will get listed on our National Certification Registry and can put "Lexis Certified" on your resume.

This year there is an added incentive!  One person at DU who attends a Certification class will win a $250 J. Crew gift card and an ABA membership!  The entire program is worth 1300 Lexis Rewards points - 400 for each of two classes and 500 for passing the quiz.

Questions? Contact: 

 

Katherine Sparks

Account Executive, Law Schools

Colorado and Wyoming 

katherine.sparks@lexisnexis.com

1-800-45LEXIS  Customer Service

HeinOnline Law Journal Library

Law journals can be a great research tool.  As a secondary source they help you learn about a legal topic you are researching.  Law journals also provide citations to primary law such as cases, constitutions, statutes, codes and agency regulations.  Some journal articles are written by attorneys practicing in a specific area of law, often found in bar journals or topic specific journals.  The American Bar Association journals are often published by the different topical sections and committees.  When you hear the term “law review”, it is usually a reference to the academic journals published by law schools such as the Sturm College of Law.  Our own Westminster Law Library has many law journals in print on Level 1.  However, if you do not have a citation for an article from another source it is difficult to search print journals by topic.

The HeinOnline Law Journal Library database is an excellent tool to find journal articles.  It can be found on the library’s homepage in the drop down list of databases under the “Research” section. his database is purchased for anyone to use, including SCOL alumni, attorneys, students, and the public.  After you graduate, it often makes sense to begin your research in free resources.  HeinOnline has “libraries” for many additional topics.  

The Law Journal Library has extensive help guides to enhance your research.  You can also access their many User Guides online.

Written by Catharine Cott, Reference Librarian 

Electronic Citation Guide

Read Introduction to Basic Legal Citation (online ed. 2011) by Peter W. Martin, Jane M. G. Foster Professor Law, Emeritus,  which includes:

(1.) WHAT AND WHY? Introduction, Purposes of Legal Citation, Types of Citation Principles, Levels of Mastery, Citation in Transition, and Who Sets Citation Norms.

(2.) HOW TO CITE . . . Electronic Sources, Judicial Opinions, Constitutions and Statutes, Agency and Exec. Material, Arbitrations, Court Rules, Books, Law Journal Writing, and Case Documents.

(3.) EXAMPLES – CITATIONS OF . . . Electronic Sources, Judicial Opinions, Constitutions & Statutes, Agency andExec. Material, Arbitrations, Court Rules, Books, and Law Journal Writing.

(4.) ABBREVIATIONS AND OMISSIONS USED IN CITATIONS: Words in Case Names, Case Histories, Omissions in Case Names, Reporters and Courts, States, Months, Journals, and Spacing and Periods.

(5.) UNDERLINING AND ITALICS: in Citations, in Text, and Items Not Italicized.

(6.) PLACING CITATIONS IN CONTEXT: Quoting, Citationsand Related Text, Signals, Orders, and Short Form Citations.

(7.) CROSS REFERENCE TABLES: Introduction, Changes in The Bluebook, Table: Bluebook, Table: ALWD Manual, and Table: State-Specific Practices.

Load an e-book version of this guide on a dedicated reader (Kindle, Nook, Sony, etc.) by clicking Introduction to Basic Legal Citations: e-book versions fall 2011.

Written by Sheila Green, Reference Librarian 

Lexis Practice Tools Class

• Monday, March 12 at Noon in Room 155
• Monday, March 12 at 5:00pm in Room 125
• Tuesday, March 13 at Noon in Room 155

This class will cover tools that you might see in practice, including File and Serve, CourtLink, Lexis for Microsoft Office, & Lexis Advance. This is also good for any students considering taking a clinic or an internship where you will be required to file documents with the Colorado court system.  Get snacks (no lunch), 400 points, & an entry for a $250 J. Crew gift card!  Please sign-up at www.lexisnexis.com/lawschool and click on the 'MySchool' tab.

Why get Lexis Certified?   To show employers that you know what you are doing!  Being Certified means you are an efficient legal researcher and are aware research costs.

How does Certification work?  It is a two-part series.  The first class is called "Practice Tools" and the second class is called "Cost Effective Research".  Practice Tools is offered next week and Cost Effective will be offered after Spring Break.  To become certified, you need to attend both classes and then take a quiz.  If you pass the quiz, then you will get listed on our National Certification Registry and can put "Lexis Certified" on your resume.

This year there is an added incentive!  One person at DU who attends a Certification class will win a $250 J. Crew gift card and an ABA membership!   The entire program is worth 1300 Lexis Rewards points - 400 for each class and 500 for passing the quiz.

Lawmaker's New Website

The Second Regular Session of the Sixty-eighth Colorado General Assembly convened on Wednesday, January 11, 2012, and is scheduled to adjourn sine die (http://www.lectlaw.com/def2/s049.htm) on Wednesday, May 9, 2012.Explore the new layout and organization features of Colorado General Assembly’s official website (http://www.leg.state.co.us/):

SESSION INFORMATION , Audio and Video Broadcasts, 2012 Regular Session, House or Senate > Bills and Fiscal Notes ,  Calendar, Journals ,  Resolutions/Memorials , Status Sheet , Update Bill Summaries ,Committees , Prior Sessions, and Interim, Year-Round, and Select Committees.

CONTACT INFORMATION , Legislative Directory (Pink Book), House or Senate, Directory, and Legislator Home Pages, and District Maps.

SERVICE AGENCIES , Legislative Council, Office of Legislative Legal Services, Office of the State Auditor, Joint Budget Committee, and Intranet (password protected).

GENERAL LEGISLATIVE INFORMATION,  How a Bill Becomes a Law, Legislative Deadlines Schedule, Interim, Year-Round, and Select Committees, Ballot Issues, House and Senate Rules, Social Calendar, Press Credentials, Open Records Policy and Requests, Rules  Regulations of Executive Agencies, and Disclaimer/Privacy Policy.

STATUTES AND SESSION LAWS and Colorado Revised Statutes and Constitution, Session Laws, and Bill Digests.

STATE CAPITOL BUILDING , Public Wi-Fi, Capitol Tour, Capitol Security Protocols, and Legislative Complex Advisory.

LEGISLATIVE REPORTS AND REQUIREMENTS, Transparency Online Project, RFP for Cost-of-Living Study, Senate Bill 06-090 Arrestee Immigration Reporting, and Report on Referendum C Revenue and Spending - FYs 2005-06 through FY 2008-09.

Follow progress of new House bills introduced in the current session: SESSION INFORMATION, House ,Status Sheet. Track new Senate bills at SESSION INFORMATION, Senate , Status Sheet. Office of Legislative Legal Services (OLLS) (http://www.state.co.us/gov_dir/leg_dir/olls/) produces updated bill summaries after a bill passes the first chamber (House or Senate) and before the first committee meeting in the second chamber (House or Senate.) See SESSION INFORMATION > House or Senate, Updated Bill Summaries.

Written By Sheila Green, Reference Librarian

Public Westlaw Printers: How to Save & Print Documents

All Westminster Law Library (WLL) patrons, including SCOL alumni, area attorneys, DU main campus students, and public patrons, have free access to the two Westlaw Public Access Computers (PAC) currently located on Level 3 of the WLL, on the far south end.  While the databases are much more limited than the law student’s password protected Westlaw, you can research all state and federal cases and statutes, plus some Colorado practice materials.  Simply double click on the Westlaw icon on the desktop to open the program, scroll down to accept the terms of use, and choose the Westlaw databases that you wish to search.  

You will need to purchase a print/copy card at the Level 2 Circulation Desk if you want to print any research results on the LawDuplex4x50 printer.  You cannot email your research results; use the LexisNexis Academic database from the WLL homepage for that option.  

Research results can be printed or saved in one of two ways to a flash drive.  The first is as an html document and the second is as an Adobe PDF file that you have created in the same way as if to print.  For html open your case/statute and click anywhere on the document.  To print an html document click on the print icon in the upper right corner (not red), then choose html (not PDF) and click print.  In order to save as an html document, click on the print icon and then select html (not PDF).  Put your flash drive in and go to the drop down menu “File” , “Save page as” , click on “Save in” E (or whatever drive your flash drive is showing up as) ,“Save as Type” , “Web Page Complete”, then name your document and save.  

To create an Adobe PDF document to either print or save to a flash drive, click the print icon (without red) at the top right of your document, then on the screen which opens choose PDF (not html) on the dropdown menu.  You can then choose to Keycite (the equivalent of Shepherds in LexisNexis Academic) the direct history to ensure that your case or statute is still good law.  To find additional sources which cite your authority, choose Keycite citing references for a list of cases which also tell you the Westlaw topic and key number for the headnote in which you are interested for your research.  Select full text or other request and then ok.  Your ability to either print or save occurs at this point.  

Your document appears in PDF format on the next screen.  In order to print, click the print icon in the top left corner, and a narrow window should appear for you to enter your name or initials to identify your print jobs on the printer itself.  Click print on the next menu and your document is sent and held by the printer on any level for two hours.  You do not get charged for sending the document to the printer, only if you print your document before it disappears.

In order to save the document to your flash drive, put your flash drive in and go to the drop down menu “File”, “Save page as” , click on “Save in” E (or whatever drive your flash drive is showing up as) , “Save as Type”,  “PDF” (or Word, etc.), then name your document and save.   

Printing and saving your search results can be frustrating because of glitches in the popup blockers.  If you go through the entire process to print your document as a PDF, but do not see a narrow window across the screen where you can enter your name to identify the print job, it is a popup blocker problem.  At the top of the page select the drop down menu “Tools”, “Options” and then “Content”.  This window will provide a method to make exceptions to the popup blocker.  Make sure “Block popup windows” is checked.  Check to see whether both the addresses print.westlaw.com and web2.westlaw.com appear in the bottom half of the screen.  If they are not there, type in one of them in "Address of Website" and click allow, which will move it to the lower half of the screen.  Repeat for the other address if missing, and click ok.  Retry your print job.

Written By Catharine Cott, Reference Librarian

Alternatives to Rosetta Stone

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

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

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

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

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

Written by Joan Policastri, Foreign,Comparative & International Librarian