October 2008
Bureau of National Affairs Databases: Keeping in the “Know” !
Currently, the Law Library provides to all enrolled law students and faculty a weekly email of the updates to the BNA U.S. Law Week database for keeping informed about the activities of the U.S. Supreme Court during its current term. In addition to the U.S. Law Week database, the Law Library subscribes to several topical BNA databases that are updated weekly. These databases contain news about recently decided federal and state cases, proposed or newly enacted legislation, and activities of federal agencies and organizations. Using their institutional email address, students can sign up to receive BNA weekly email alerts in their chosen subject area. Instructions are located either in the left or right margins of the database’s opening web page.The databases are: ABA/BNA Lawyers’ Manual on Professional Conduct; Antitrust & Trade Regulation Report; Bankruptcy Law Reporter; Criminal Law Reporter; Electronic Commerce and Law Report; Employment Discrimination Report; Environment Reporter - Current Reports; Family Law Reporter; Health Law Reporter; Intellectual Property Library; International Trade Reporter-Current Reports; Labor and Employment Law Library; Patent, Trademark and Copyright Journal; Securities Regulation & Law Report; Tax Management Library; U.S. Patents Quarterly/Intellectual Property Library and, White Collar Crime Report.
So for topic inspiration or small talk with a colleague, professor, or perspective employer, the email alerts are just the ticket for keeping abreast of developments in your area(s) of interest. It is easy to sign up and also to stop receiving the email newsletters. If you need assistance in signing up for any email alert, do not hesitate to ask a Reference Librarian on duty at the Reference Desk or email LawLibraryHelp@rwu.edu.
[Posted October 29, 2008]
‘Tis the Season: Election Law Blogs!
For those who are interested in election law, check out the following election law blogs.
Professor Richard L. Hasen of Loyola Law School in Los Angeles writes the Election Law Blog. He covers election law, campaign finance, legislation, voting rights, initiative, redistricting, and the Supreme Court nomination process.
Election Law @ Moritz is a web publication of the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law that covers developments in the laws dealing with voter registration, voter ID, early and absentee voting, provisional balloting, poll workers and polling place procedures, recounts and election contests, and other related issues. Moritz College of Law Professor Daniel Tokaji authors the Equal Vote blog that provides analysis of and commentary on election reform and voting rights issues, in particular the Help America Vote Act and the Voting Rights Act.
[Posted October 22, 2008]
Law Library Computer Lab Assistants!
The Law Library employs students to assist with computer-related problems. They can answer basic questions about wordprocessing, email, electronic databases, and Internet. They can assist with printing problems in the computer labs. Look for the photo at the Circulation Desk indicating the Computer Lab Assistant who is on duty. In order to better acquaint you with our Computer Lab Assistant, here is a brief bio about each one!
Third-year student Dan Caswell is from Stonington, Connecticut. He graduated from the University of Connecticut at Storrs where he majored in Political Science and Sociology and minored in Human Rights. His areas of interests are criminal law and international law. As Daniel has wanted to be a lawyer since he was a kid, he says that he is now “living the dream” in attending law school. This past summer, he was a clerk in the Los Angeles County Public Defenders’ Office.
Third-year student Jeff George is from Prospect, Connecticut. He attended the University of South Carolina in Columbia, S.C. and has a B.S. in Criminal Justice. Jeff’s areas of interest are environmental law and criminal law.
Second-year student Andrew Gould is from Danvers, Massachusetts. He attended Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut where he studied and earned a degree in Economics. Andrew is interested in learning more about business law and is currently taking business law electives such as Business Organizations, Payment Systems and Labor Law. He hopes to be able to use the skills acquired at the R.W.U. School of Law to find a job in one of the many different fields of business law.
Third-year student Benjamin Lemcke is from Albion, New York. He is a graduate of Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts and received his Master’s in Criminal Justice from Niagara University in New York. Ben worked as a probation officer between graduating from college and attending graduate school. His activities include participation in the Criminal Defense Clinic, the Honor Board and Trial Team. Ben wants to be a criminal trial attorney.
Third-year student Kenny Milord is from Queens, New York. He has a B.A. in Criminal Justice and a Minor in Economics from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Prior to coming to law school, Kenny worked as a Direct Support Professional for the Association for the Help of Retarded Children in Nassau County. Kenny, along with other staff members, assisted the clients with their day- to -day life choices, exercise independence and develop responsibilities. Attending law school and graduating with a J.D. degree has always been his ultimate career goal. In his spare time, he enjoy going to the movies, especially to watch action movies.
Third-year student Ashley Parker is from South Windsor, Connecticut. She has a degree in Political Science and minors in Psychology and Italian from Roger Williams University. While attending R.W.U., she worked with Laurie Barron and Liz Tobin-Tyler in the Feinstein Institute for Legal Service. She has also worked for UTC Power in Connecticut as a legal intern and for the Rhode Island Office of the Child Advocate.
Third-year student Diane Stewart is from Middleboro, Massachusetts. She has a B.A. in Russian Language & Literature from Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts. Diane came to law school so she could be an advocate for people who can’t afford lawyers. During spring break of her senior year at Wheaton College, she participated in an urban mission project in Providence where her group slept in a church basement and volunteered at a variety of organizations geared toward helping those struggling to live at or below the poverty level. Diane was amazed at the number of available social services and how a simple phone call from a lawyer to a landlord or employer accomplished what the clients couldn’t do themselves with weeks of phone calls or visits. Last summer, Diane attended a six week international human rights law program in Strasbourg, France. She currently runs a youth group in her home town.
[Posted October 16, 2008]
LAW LIBRARY DATABASE EXPO!
Ever wonder what’s beyond LexisNexis and Westlaw? Come and find out at the Database Expo sponsored by the Law Library! Explore a variety of databases.
Featured databases are:
• Bureau of National Affairs databases including Family Law Reporter, Environment Reporter, IP Library, and Employment Discrimination Reporter
• CCH Business & Finance Library
• CCH Tax Research Network
• Constitutions Suite Online
• HeinOnline
• LexisNexis Congressional
• Making of Modern Law: Legal Treatises 1800-1926
• RIA Checkpoint Tax Library
• Selected International law resources
Also, enjoy a guided tour of the Library WebCatalog!
Win a free gift! The first fifty attendees to learn about three databases will receive a $5.00 Dining Services gift card!!
The Database Expo will be held on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Main Computer Lab in the Law Library.
Hope to see you there!
[Posted October 8, 2008]
Crashes, Bailouts - Main Street, Wall Street and the World!
For following the current news about the U.S. and global economy, banking, and financial markets, daily issues of The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and the Financial Times are available on the newspaper stands in the Law Library. Previous issues of these newspapers are kept on Reserve for a few weeks. LexisNexis offers full-text access to articles from all three newspapers. Westlaw provides full-text access to the contents of The New York Times as well as abstracts from The Wall Street Journal. The websites of these newspapers offer varying amounts of free content such as full text articles, blogs, podcasts, RSS feeds, and email notifications.
The Law Library’s collection even has a few dictionaries in its reference collection for looking up unfamiliar terminology. They include: Dictionary of Banking Terms (HG151 .F57 2000), Dictionary of Finance and Investment Terms (HG151 .D69 2003), and the Wall Street Dictionary (HG151 .S424 1999).
If you need to educate yourself about banking, economics and financial markets before even beginning to follow the news about them, check out the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Financial Education and the Federal Reserve Bank’s website for their educational materials.
[Posted October 2, 2008]
