Ask-A-Lawyer Program

After graduating from law school, you may be asked to provide pro bono service for the public from time to time. The South Dakota Bar's Ask-A-Lawyer Program is an example of such a service. For the next three nights people will be allowed to call in anonymously and ask lawyers for free legal help. The program begins tonight,April 30, and goes through Thursday evening, May 2nd. For detailed information see here.

(This entry was originally written and posted by Karyl Knodel)

Fastcase's "Bad Law Bot"

Here's a heads-up for those of you currently using Fastcase or who may be using Fastcase in your new job: "Bad Law Bot" is now included in the Fastcase toolbox. As a part of Authority Check, Bad Law Bot uses an algorithm to find cases that indicate negative citation history for a particular case. If Bad Law Bot (say that 3 times in a row!) finds that a court has negatively cited to your case, a red flag will appear by the name of the case in your search results. It is not intended to be a complete replacement for KeyCite or Shepards and does not tell you whether your case is still good law. For more information, watch the Fastcase video on Bad Law Bot. For additional comments on Bad Law Bot, read the Law Librarian Blog for April 26th.

(This entry was originally written and posted by Marsha Stacey)

Preparing for the Big Event

This is an exciting time of year for our students and especially the 3L's who have diligently labored these last three years for a most worthy goal, the JD Degree. The Law School and Law Library are proud of the graduating class and wish you success in your chosen career.

We want to continue to be of assistance to you as you embark on an exciting future and have prepared both a LibGuide online and a display of books you may find helpful as you prepare for the next big event, the Bar Exam. Be sure to check the new display set up directly inside the library, with selections from our collection, on preparing for the Bar Exam. Also, a LibGuide has been prepared to assist you with South Dakota Bar Exam basics and to provide information regarding the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE), reciprocity, and surrounding state bar exams and admittance.

(This entry was originally written and posted by Karyl Knodel)

And the Winners Are...

Nathan Chicoine and Nathan Chicoine! Nathan is the winner of both the M&M contest and the Legal Research Trivia contest sponsored by the Law Library for National Library Week. Nathan's M&M guess of 1112 was the closest of all the 58 entries to the number of candies in the jar, 1180, without going over. Nathan was one of three contestants to correctly answer all the Legal Research trivia questions, and his entry was randomly selected from the three eligible entries. Nathan and up to four friends will receive the grand prize of a study night with treats in the State Bar Room, courtesy of the Law Library staff. The library encourages greater participation in next year's trivia competition and will likely modify the contest elgibility rules to ensure more than one winner.
Congratulations to Nathan!

(This entry was originally written and posted by Sarah Kammer)

Finals 2013: Studying In the Snow

This year's final exams are scheduled from April 23 to May 3, but with the snow outside, one might think it was January. Although having snow this late in the season is not unusual, it is possible to have snow even into May. The record for the latest snowfall in Sioux Falls is May 31, 1954. See the National Weather Service website here.

(This entry was originally written and posted by Gordana Filipovic)

Bloomberg Law Representative at the Law School

For those of you who may have been unaware, in January 2013, USD Law began a subscription to Bloomberg Law. You can find the link to Bloomberg Law on the Law Library Database List.

On April 19, Jed Levin, the Bloomberg Law Representative, will be at USD to provide training for 1L students in the Fundamental Legal Research Course. If there is an interest in basic training by other students, please advise the Law Library staff so we may arrange additional future training sessions.

(This entry was originally written and posted by Darla Jackson)

National Library Week Contests and Display

This week (April 14 - April 20) is National Library Week, a national observance week sponsored by the American Library Association and recognized by libraries across the country. This year's theme is "Communities matter @ your library." In light of the theme, the law library is hosting two special contests for the law school community at the Circulation/Reference Desk. When you pass by the desk this week, you will notice a large jar of M&M candies. Forms are available to guess the number of candies in the jar. The person who guesses closest to the actual number of candies will receive the jar of M&Ms. The other contest is a Legal Research Trivia contest. All contestants who correctly answer all five trivia questions will be entered into a drawing for a "study night" for the winner and up to four friends in the State Bar Room, complete with treats, courtesy of the Law Library. There are also some fun freebies available at the desk to pick up, so be sure to stop by.

The library is also featuring a display highlighting all the members of the library staff and their publications and work. Tuesday is National Library Workers Day, an important occasion to recognize the many contributions made by all library workers.
 

Click here for more information on National Library Week.

(This entry was originally written and posted by Sarah Kammer)

Display - Sexual Assault Awareness Month

The law library is currently featuring a display related to Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). The goal of SAAM, according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC), is to "raise public awareness about sexual violence and to educate communities and individuals on how to prevent sexual violence." The display aims to achieve this goal by highlighting resources available in the library regarding crimes of sexual violence and sexual assault prevention. The display also includes the Presidential Proclamation designating April as the awareness month, a current news article related to sexual assaults in the military, a link to a DOJ Report to Congress on the Effectiveness of Grant Programs Under the Violence Against Women Act, as well as information regarding special events occurring this month intended to increase community awareness of this important issue, such as National Denim Day. The display also offers brochures on sexual assault resources available to the public.

(This entry was originally written and posted by Sarah Kammer)

South Dakota KIDS COUNT

On March 28, Carole Cochran, project director of South Dakota KIDS COUNT, gave a presentation in the MUC on the great concern for children living in poverty in our state. According to Cochran, 19.4% or one-fifth of children living in South Dakota are living in poverty, this compares with 22% nationally.

South Dakota KIDS COUNT is an organization funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and located in the Beacom School of Business on the University campus. The South Dakota KIDS COUNT was started in 1993 to assemble data on children in the state as it pertains to their health, economics, safety and education. Each year they publish a book with the current data. The law library has 11 years of the factbook in its collection under the call number HV742.S8 S693. These books can be found on the lower level of the library.

The 2012 edition of the book can be found in online at this link.

(This entry was originally written and posted by Candice Spurlin)

2013 Thurgood Marshall Program - The Honorable Romonda D. Belcher, Keynote Speaker

Update: Due to inclement weather, the 2013 Thurgood Marshall Program has been cancelled. Please visit the display in the Law Library to view resources related to the cancelled presentation.

On Thursday, April 11th at noon, the Honorable Romonda D. Belcher, Iowa District Court Judge, will present the keynote address for the 2013 Thurgood Marshall Program, hosted by the Black Law Students' Association, in the University of South Dakota School of Law Courtroom. Judge Belcher, a native of Plymouth, North Carolina, received her B.A. from Howard University in 1990 and her J.D. from Drake University Law School in 1995. From 1995 to 2010, she was an Assistant County Attorney for Polk County Iowa. In August 2010, she was appointed as an Iowa District Associate Judge. Judge Belcher's presentation is entitled "The Making of Justice Thurgood Marshall: A Road Paved by Racial Discrimination."

The most recent display in the McKusick Law Library highlights resources related to Judge Belcher's presentation. It contains Judge Belcher's full biography and her portrait, as well as biographies of Thurgood Marshall and a book about Justice Marshall's most celebrated case, Brown v. Board of Education. An excerpt from the brief filed by Justice Marshall's team in that case also is included in the display. Briefs filed in United States Supreme Court cases may be found at Lexis.com (log in required) Lexis.com >Legal>Cases-U.S.>U.S.Supreme Court Briefs and WestlawNext (log in required) >Briefs>Federal>U.S. Supreme Court>Briefs>Advanced Search.

(This entry was originally written and posted by Marsha Stacey)

N Y Times Online Front Page Features South Dakota's Need for Rural Attorneys

South Dakota Supreme Court Justice Gilbertson and a newly passed South Dakota law, which creates monetary incentives for lawyers who are willing to practice in a rural area, are featured on the front page of the New York Times online edition today (April 9, 2013). According to the article, other states including Arizona, Texas, and Georgia, face the same problems as South Dakota regarding insufficient attorney representation in rural areas . Most of the attorneys in these states are located in populated areas, leaving the rural areas without lawyers.

The new law offers graduates an incentive to practice in rural areas of South Dakota. The governor recently signed HB 1096 into law. The bill creates a four year pilot program aimed at recruiting attorneys to rural counties with populations of less than 10,000.

The incentive pay offered to the attorney would offset 90% of the student's resident tuition at the University of South Dakota School of Law. The graduate would need to work in a rural area that meets the established criteria for 5 years to collect all the incentive money. The incentive pay is covered by the State Bar, the State of South Dakota and the county that the attorney serves.

(This entry was originally written and posted by Candice Spurlin)

Vermillion City Council Bans Texting While Driving

Municipal Ordinances greatly impact our daily lives. Most cities, even small towns, publish their ordinances on-line so they can be easily accessed by the inhabitants of a city. Vermillion is no exception. Click on the ordinance link in the next paragraph to access Vermillion's ordinances.

A new law was passed by the City of Vermillion's council this month that will be of interest to all students. This ordinance bans texting while driving within the city limits. Vermillion joins Sioux Falls, Brookings, Watertown and Huron in banning texting while driving. The city of Mitchell's council passed an ordinance to ban texting on April 15th, adding them to the growing list of cities that view texting as a hazard. The attempt to pass a similar bill by the state legislature failed in the last session.

The penalty for texting while driving in Vermillion is $54 in addition to court costs amounting to $60. The ban will be enforced beginning May 2, 2013.

(This entry was originally written and posted by Candice Spurlin)

May, Adam, Gerdes, Thompson Writing Competition

May, Adam, Gerdes, Thompson Writing Competition for 2013 has announced the winners of this years writing competition. The first place winner, carrying a $400 prize, is Andrew Twinamatsiko for his paper on the Government-Speech Doctrine. The second-place winner with a $200 prize is Aaron Pilcher, who examined the solar power industry. Recipient of the third-place $100 award is Kelsea K. Sutton, whose paper focuses on antitrust issues in the meat packing industry.

Two of the winners have worked in the Law Library. Aaron Pilcher has worked as a student library assistant for the past two years and Andrew Twinamatiko worked as a student library assistant for one year.

The competition is unique in that it allows the students to have their papers read and scored by judges and attorneys from throughout the state. The judges for the competition are as follows:
David Gerdes, Chair, May, Adam, Gerdes & Thompson LLP — Pierre
Timothy M. Gebhart, Davenport, Evans, Hurwitz & Smith, LLP — Sioux Falls
Tara L. Glasford, Adj. Prof., Bus. Admin., University Center/DSU — Sioux Falls
Melissa E. Neville, Bantz, Gosch & Cremer, LLC — Aberdeen
Doug Hoffman, Judge, 2nd Judicial Circuit — Sioux Falls
Jane Pfeifle, Lynn, Jackson, Shultz & Lebrun, PC — Rapid City
Justin Bell, May, Adam, Gerdes & Thompson LLP — Pierre

(This entry was originally written and posted by Candice Spurlin)

South Dakota Law Review Honors Professor Randall Gingiss at Annual Banquet

The South Dakota Law Review Board is honoring Professor Randall Gingiss at their annual spring banquet which is being held on the Neuharth Center on the USD Campus on April 3rd. The Law Review board has dedicated volume 58 of the South Dakota Law Review to Professor Gingiss who will be retiring from USD School of Law in May of 2013. Randy has taught classes in Trust and Wills, Estate and Gift Tax, Estate Planning, Property, and Financial Analysis for Lawyers for the past 17 years.

For more information on Professor Gingiss and his publications see the SelectedWorks site and the law schools website. Also on the SelectedWorks site is the dedication of Volume 58 of the South Dakota Law Review to Professor Gingiss.

(This entry was originally written and posted by Candice Spurlin)

Legal Professional Development and Career Services Resources LibGuide

The Law Library has published a Legal Professional Development & Career Services Resource LibGuide. The Guide suggests resources on career development and career choices, including information on the Rural Practice initiative recently passed through the Legislature. The guide is linked via the Law Library webpage or you can go to it directly at http://libguides.law.usd.edu/content.php?pid=443079.

(This entry was originally written and posted by Darla Jackson)

Surplus Reporter Sale

Are you looking for legal publications to add to the decor of your new law office or some raw materials for a craft project? Old reporters can fit many uses. See http://legalblogwatch.typepad.com/legal_blog_watch/2010/03/dont-throw-those-law-books-away-just-yet.html for some creative ways of repurposing old law books. The much anticipated sale of the California Reporter and the N.Y. Supplement will begin April 3, 2013. The surplus reporters are located on the East side of the back shelving range on the main floor of the library. They have been stamped as Withdrawn from the Law Library Collection. If you pick up a volume that is not stamped as withdrawn, it is NOT one of the surplus volumes and is not available for purchase. The cost of individual volumes is ten cents ($.10). You may purchase the volumes on a cash and carry basis by submitting a cash payment to Gordana Filipovic in Room 132A. If you desire to purchase 20 or more volumes, after payment, the Law Library will mark the volumes as reserved and hold them for you until April 10. Failure to pick up reserved volumes by 5 p.m. on April 10 will result in forfeiture and the reporter volumes will be returned to the sale shelves.

(This entry was originally written and posted by Darla Jackson)

Summer Associate Legal Research Refresher Training - April 17

On April 17 at Noon in Room 101, Marsha Stacey, the Asst. Director of the Law Library, will be offering a brown bag legal research refresher training session designed to assist students who will be serving as clerks or engaging in internships and externships this summer.

(This entry was originally written and posted by Darla Jackson)

Senator Tim Johnson, Graduate of USD Law School, Announces Plans to Retire

South Dakota Senator Tim Johnson has announced that he will not be running for re-election to the U.S. Senate in 2014. In December 2006 Johnson suffered bleeding in his brain resulting from a congenital defect, the bleeding resulted in slower speech and difficulty with mobility. Senator Johnson successfully ran for re-election to the Senate in 2008 and has never lost any of the 12 elecion races he has been in during his public service career.

Johnson made his announcement at the Neuharth Center on the USD campus on Tuesday, March 26th. He stated he will be 68 at the end of his term, and he has decided it is time for this native Vermillion Senator to retire from public service and to turn his attention elsewhere.

This announcement leaves one of South Dakota's two senate seats open for election in 2014. Speculation has already begun in both parties as to who might seek to fill the vacant seat.

Whoever replaces Mr. Johnson must, by law, be at least 30 years old, a U.S. citizens for at least nine years and must--at the time of their election--be a resident of this state. Primary election information for the state of South Dakota may be found on the Secretary of State's website. South Dakota laws governing Primary Elections are found at SDCL 12-6 .

(This entry was originally written and posted by Candice Spurlin)

5th Annual Peeps in Law

For some April Fool's fun, here are the winners of the 5th Annual Peeps in Law contest from the ABA Journal.
To view all of the entries for this year, go to the gallery.

If you didn't have enough sugar this weekend, here are some more "peep" sites.
The Official Peep Website
The Food Network's Peep Cake
The Washington Post Peeps Show VII contest
The Pioneer Press Peeps Diorama Contest

(This entry was originally written and posted by Marsha Stacey)