Professor Pommersheim Publishes New Book, "Tribal Justice: 25 Years as a Tribal Appellate Justice"

University of South Dakota School of Law professor Frank Pommersheim has published a new book entitled Tribal Justice: 25 Years as a Tribal Appellate Justice. The work provides an in-depth review and survey of tribal appellate court jurisprudence, including jurisdiction over non-indians, enrollment and disenrollment, civil rights, elections and political participation, criminal law and procedure, rights of juveniles, tribal constitutions, and tradition and custom.  The book focuses on the procedure and substance of tribal court appellate decision making as revealed in the text of actual court opinions. A full news feature is available here on the Law School's website. 

The book includes references to a LibGuide authored by Professor Pommersheim with the assistance of the Law Library staff.  The LibGuide, available here, includes copies of tribal court opinions authored by Pommersheim, organized both by subject and by tribal court. 

Professor Pommersheim has also recently released a new poetry chapbook titled "Local Memory and Karma: The Buddha Correspondence, Vol. 2." 

The Law Library currently has both books on display on the Main Floor of the library.

Happy Holidays!

Happy holidays from the McKusick Law Library!

Winter Break Hours

Congratulations to all our December graduates!  Now that the Fall finals exam period is over, the Law Library will be adjusting its service hours for the Winter Break.  The Law Library will no longer be offering extended service hours to students during the Winter Break.  From Monday, December 14 through Thursday, December 17, the Law Library will provide circulation and reference service from 7:45 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., our normal hours of operation to the public.

From Monday, December 21 through Wednesday, December 23, the Law Library will only be open to the public from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  The Law Library closes at noon on Thursday, December 24 and will be closed Friday, December 25.

From Monday, December 28 through Thursday, December 31, the Law Library will only be open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  The Law Library is closed on Friday, January 1.

The Law Library will resume its normal schedule the week of  January 4.  Spring law classes begin on Wednesday, January 6.

Law students will continue to have 24/7 access throughout the Winter Break using their University ID cards.

Happy Holidays!

Paul Otlet - Lawyer, Father of Information Science, Grandfather of Search Engines

Otlet (far left) looking like he wants to get back to work already

Today marks the 70th anniversary of Paul Otlet's death. Responsible for the standardization of the 3" x 5" index card for the card catalog, creator of the Universal Decimal System, inventor of analog Google (Repertoire Bibliographique Universel), and pioneer in microfilm's use in the library, Otlet is kind of a big deal. His vision of what a library would and could be has changed the way we research, gather, and store information. Thanks to him, you could do a quick Wikipedia search and learn more about this lawyer turned information scientist!

Legal Fiction Writing Contest

 

Call for legal fiction writing . . . just in case anyone is interested.

iPad Apps for Lawyers - Part VII: Trial Evidence Prep and Presentation

PowerPoint and KeyNote are popular go-tos for presentations, but there are other, more courtroom oriented ways of presenting your case.

ExhibitView: Useful for organizing case exhibits and presentations. ExhibitView enables users to organize, create sub folders, take notes and create white boards. Presentation tools include call-out features, highlighting, a freehand pen tool, laser pointer, and control of your output to TV or projection device. Additionally, there is a PC version! This is particularly nice, for creating presentations on your PC and saving to an iPad come trial time.

TrialDirector: With TrialDirector you can create a case folder, add exhibits to your case through OneDrive, Box, Dropbox, WebDAV or iTunes, and interact with evidence using annotation and presentation tools. As with ExhibitView, tools include call-out, freehand writing, highlighting, and laser pointer. For being FREE, it's a really powerful app and comparable to some of pricier apps that do the same thing.

TrialPad: TrialPad, obviously works very similarly to TrialDirector and ExhibitView; call-out sections of documents, highlight text, compare documents side-by-side, edit and show video clips, add exhibit stickers to documents, and search document text. File formats supported include PDF, JPG, PNG, TIF, TXT, and all audio/video formats that are supported by iPad. You can import multiple files at once, keeping file and folder structures intact, via Box, Dropbox, Citrix ShareFile, Transporter, WebDAV.

Timeline 3D: Different from the above apps, this one focuses on timelines. Enter events and images, movies, or PDFs, then Timeline 3D does the rest for you. Notes, weblinks, and tags can also be added to timelines. There's a variety of backgrounds or styles to choose from, and timelines can be exported to PowerPoint and Keynote.

And that, wraps it up! I hope that this was helpful, if even just a little. Please, feel free to borrow an iPad from us and give these apps a whirl.


Be Aware: While the apps discussed in this series are helpful tools, they are in no way meant to replace official law sources. Please, rely on your McKusick Law Library or certified government websites for reference.

iPad Apps for Lawyers - Part VI: The Jury

Gentlemen of the Jury by John Morgan

Darlings of USD,

Jury selection apps - they make collecting juror information and jury selection a little more organized.

iJuror: It has an intuitive, simple interface. You can navigate your jury either by seating arrangement or name. Adding and dismissing jurors is as easy as "dragging-and-dropping," because that's exactly what you do; drag, and then drop. iJuror allows you to share and email information with colleagues, add notes throughout the trial, and store all your trials in one location.

iJury: Provides you with metrics (graphs) based on how you score each jurors questionnaire responses and demographic information. This can alert you to potential gender, race, wealth bias to help you pick your best jury.

JuryTracker: This is where we deviate from jury selection to jury observation. JuryTracker uses gestures and emoticons to streamline note taking observations. Typed notes can also be added to the report. All notes are time stamped so they can be cross referenced with the transcript to better understand what jurors were reacting to. JuryTracker includes reports that can be saved for later review, or emailed. Reports include juror responses sorted by juror, by party presenting, by type of response and in chronological order.

I don't need to preach to you about the importance of preparation, but as a friendly reminder - keep them tech skills sharp. Learning about and using apps like these can only help as technology in the courtroom changes.

In our next, and final installment of the iPad apps for lawyers series we'll talk about evidence preparation and presentation. Move over PowerPoint!


Be Aware: While the apps discussed in this series are helpful tools, they are in no way meant to replace official law sources. Please, rely on your McKusick Law Library or certified government websites for reference.

December at the Law Library

iPad Apps for Lawyers - Part V: Research Tools

USD Law Library circa 1934

Because for the rest of forever, you'll be doing research, here are some mobile options for your information gathering needs. 

LexisAdvance: If you've already got a subscription with LexisAdvance, you'll probably want the app as well. As always, you can annotate and highlight to your hearts content, but you can also work online or remotely, and sync documents with your other devices. You'll also have access to Shepard's through this app, ensuring "good law" research on the go.


WestlawNext: Basically the same thing as LexisAdvance, but with WestlawNext. (You'll also need to have an account with Westlaw already to use this app.)

LawStack: A FREE LEGAL LIBRARY! LawStack comes with the U.S. Constitution, Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure, Federal Rules of Evidence, Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure. However, should you want even more resources, they offer an embedded collection of  the Code of Federal Regulations, United States Code, and multiple codes from individual states as well. It provides offline access to downloaded doc.s, highlighting capabilities, and "killer full-text search" (their words not mine).

LawLibe: Brought to you by the Legal Information Institute [LII] at Cornell Law School, this app is also a legal library like LawStack. It's free and fully offline. It comes loaded with the U.S. Constitution, and then you can pick and choose what other references to add. One drawback for this app (which is currently being worked on) is that it has limited state code offerings, with only California, New York, and Texas being available thus far.

Fastcase: Is a searchable library of cases and statutes from all 50 U.S. States. One of the features they highlight and that I particularly appreciate is that you can search effectively in Boolean keyword, in natural language, and by citation. It's free, and updated daily.

Fed Courts: Full text of all of the federal rules of procedure and the local rules for every federal court in the country and provides access to PACER. Not a lot of bells, whistles, and features; just basic access to information.




Be Aware: While the apps discussed in this series are helpful tools, they are in no way meant to replace official law sources. Please, rely on your McKusick Law Library or certified government websites for reference.

iPad Apps for Lawyers - Part IV: Depositions

Law Scholars,

Deposition of George Rheims from the National Archive

It's time to get down to brass tacks. Below is a modest compilation of deposition apps, and some of their features. As always, if you know of, or are using something you can (or cannot) recommend, please share.

TranscriptPad: Automatically organizes by deponent name and date, making it easy to locate a transcript. Import and highlight, notate, markup, and review transcripts. And you can send along entire case reviews to other TranscriptPad users in PDF, TXT and Excel.

Westlaw Case Notebook Portable E-Transcript: This is a fairly popular app, though it's been a while since its last update, which is needless to say, the cause of some complaint. This app is most useful for those who are using Westlaw Case Notebook, but it would be handy should a .ptx file come your way - immediate access to transcripts without needing access to a PC.

eDepoze:Though eDepoze can do some limited doc review, it really is made specifically for depositions. Users can mark and share exhibits in real time, and those being shared with can review, annotate, and save their own personal copies to their private accounts. You can also chat with team member through eDepoze and view live feed transcription from the court reporter.

iCVNet: Is a bare-bones app for viewing transcription from the court reporter in real-time. There is the ability to mark and highlight within the transcript, but as far as I could tell, no way to annotate. Attorney's gain access to it via a secure WiFi network that is password protected and controlled by the court reporter.

And here's a thing I know nothing about: edepo. If you by chance request and receive an invite, tell us how it is.


Be Aware: While the apps discussed in this series are helpful tools, they are in no way meant to replace official law sources. Please, rely on your McKusick Law Library or certified government websites for reference.

iPad Apps for Lawyers - Part III: Reading & Reviewing Files

Alright guys! This is the last of the "these apps are good for everyone not just lawyers," posts. Today/tonight, whenever it is that you are reading this, we will review reviewing files.


Read & Review

How I've forgotten to mention we have this in our collection, I do not know

PDFExpert 5: Read, annotate, edit, merge, sign, and fill out PDFs not only with relative ease, but the site says it will in fact be a "joy" to do all these things using their app. One of its more intriguing features is that PDFExpert 5 enables you to review and edit PDFs with in a mode not entirely unlike MS Word, and its preview mode allows you to see the final version of an edited document.

GoodReader: Touted as THE FIRST app every lawyer should get according to americanbar.org/younglawyer. It supports PDF, TXT, MS Office .doc, ppt, .xls, HTML, ZIP and RAR archives, and audio/video. It is capable of a lot of really cool functions, and has gotten rave reviews. Check out their website for more details, otherwise I'm gonna start sounding like a salesman.

EzPDF:  This basically has all the bells and whistles, cogs and pulleys, that the others have, but this app is the only one bragging about embedded multimedia in PDFs (or maybe I'm just not that observant, and all of them do this). Anyhow, this reader is good not only for regular plain old boring non-moving PDFs, but is great for things like children's books, PDF multimedia EBooks, and other jewels of information that include instructional, animated video.

And this my friends, wraps up the basic useful apps. Next time, we are going to dive into the world of deposition apps! Until then, keep on truckin' but take a break once in a while. . . it's good for ya'!
 
Be Aware: While the apps discussed in this series are helpful tools, they are in no way meant to replace official law sources. Please, rely on your McKusick Law Library or certified government websites for reference.

Happy Veterans Day!

"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them."

- Laurence Binyon
from For the Fallen

While doing research for this Veterans Day blog post, I was surprised by the number of poems that are an integral part of Armistice/Veterans Day observances. Dr. Stuart Lee, Oxford University English Lecturer, notes that this was "one of the seminal moments of the twentieth-century in which literate soldiers, plunged into inhuman conditions, reacted to their surroundings." 

In honor of our veterans and this year Veterans Day observances, I'm going to drop a link in here, for the Poetry Foundations curated collection of WWI poems. 

We hope you enjoy your brief rest from classes and/or work. See you back at the Law Library on Thursday!

iPad Apps for Lawyers - Part II: Saving & Retrieving Files

Greetings and Salutations, Law Scholars,

Edison's Electric Pen. Fun facts here and here.

Last we met, we looked at handy note taking apps. This time around, we'll be talking about utilizing apps to save and retrieve these documents in their various formats.

Dropbox: I think DropBox has been a "go to" for a while now; you can save any file format, share it easily with all your other devices no matter the operating system, and your files are available on your devices even when you're offline. It's simple and intuitive, plus 2GB storage = Free.

SpiderOak: While similar to Dropbox, the most notable difference is that it has "Zero Knowledge Privacy." All files and their meta-data are encrypted with your password before it is even saved. The password you use is never stored on their servers, thereby making it impossible for SpiderOak or anyone else to decrypt your information. To quote the website, "To us, your files are simply containers of encrypted data."

Box: Super easy to use, great for sharing, but not as inter-operable as Dropbox, and the prices are not competitive for the amount of storage you get when compared to Dropbox or SpiderOak. However, for a personal account, you can get 10 GB of free storage. Not too shabby!

Microsoft OneDrive: If you do everything from managing your calendar, email, report, and records using the Microsoft Office suite, OneDrive if for nothing else but sheer convenience. It also offers more 5GB of free storage while Dropbox offers only 2GB, and SpiderOak only offering free trials

Clearly, I am glossing over a lot of information and doing some serious name-brand-dropping. Hopefully though, this opens you up to some resources and options to help you discover what will work best for your current needs, and perhaps the future ones too.



Be Aware: While the apps discussed in this series are helpful tools, they are in no way meant to replace official law sources. Please, rely on your McKusick Law Library or certified government websites for reference.

iPad Apps for Lawyers - Part I: Note Taking

Token Picture of a Dude Using an iPad that isn't an iPad, Bein' All Productive with His Cup of Black Coffee

Dear Readers,

The McKusick Law Library has iPads available to borrow. "Why would I borrow an iPad?" you may or may not be questioning. Well - I'm glad you asked. This is the first in a series of blog posts about iPads, their apps, and how lawyers are using them in their practice.

Firstly, libraries are more than book repositories. They are information centers with the goal of helping you succeed in your endeavors. Information comes in many formats, and to meet our changing needs, librarians want to make as many of these formats as available as is possible.

Enter the iPad as information source and tool.

After scouring other blogs, LibGuides, app stores, presentations, and papers, I have compiled a humble list that I encourage you to add to, because heavens knows I haven't used them all; there's like a trillion of those things!

EverNote: Jot down handwritten notes or typed, take snapshots, and record; everything from lectures, to meetings, to business cards, to clipped web articles organized in one place. Notes and reminders are easily navigable on the device or your desktop when the device is synchronized to the desktop.

OneNote: Works much like EverNote, but is wholly integrated into the Microsoft Office suite.

UPad: Great for those who prefer handwritten notes to typed ones. Word on the street is that its closer to the real thing than other apps for handwriting.

AudioNote: It's super cool. Look back at synced notes and audio recording! At the same time! So if you can't remember why you jotted something down, you'll have the audio to help jump your memory. Of course you can also go back and note or highlight your notes and share them as well.

Scanner Pro by Readdle:  Remember these things? They're basically obsolete now because your phone is a scanner.

Come back next time when we discuss apps for saving these doc.s you keep making.


Be Aware: While the apps discussed in this series are helpful tools, they are in no way meant to replace official law sources. Please, rely on your McKusick Law Library or certified government websites for reference.

Stressed is Desserts Spelled Backwards

Because sometimes it is easier to be impatient and restless than it is to relax, we here at the Law Library are attempting to persuade you to de-stress. As you enter the main floor of the library, to your left you will find agents of mass de-stressation (mass relaxation? Doesn't matter, bad dad-joke either way). Color away your frustrations with crayons - go ahead, it's okay to color an entire page in red crayon. Squeeze and shape Play-doh into fun shapes that you may vanquish them with a satisfying"splat." Get in a preemptive strike against head and neck pains with a quick massage (the tag on the neck massager says no longer than 20 minutes . . . so, do what you will with that information).

In any case, please take advantage of this opportunity to take a break - they're important too. And please be mindful of your colleagues stresses as well - return the de-stressors that others may de-stress.

Witch and Warlock Find Themselves in a Salem, MA Court

It wasn't a dispute over anything exciting though. Really, the only thing to chortle about is, you know, Salem's history with witchcraft, and the fact that this hearing took place 3 days before Halloween.

November in the Law Library

It's Wednesday

I know it is only 8:30 p.m. but hang in there sleepyheads. Only 5 more weeks until finals!

Rogue Lawyer

Image courtesy amazon.com

If you're itching for a fictional law read, John Grisham's latest novel, Rogue Lawyer, just hit shelves. Its mixed reviews may leave you feeling mixed about reading it but, from a "glass half-full" perspective, the chances of enjoying it are at least 50%. And  you'll never have to wonder, "I wonder if that book is any good?"

P.S. We only have one J. Grisham novel - The Street Lawyer - in the whole entire Law Library, so you won't find it here. But, it does not mean it isn't available through our library. Stop by circulation and we can see about borrowing it from another library, or even purchasing a copy for our own library!

P.P.S. If you're not interested in this book, but would like to read a different title, the same still applies: stop by and talk to your librarians about the books you want to read.

A "Back to the Future Day" Miracle

It's probably not news to any nerds, ahem, I mean pop-culture aficionados, that today is "Back to the Future Day." But! Did you know that the lawsuit between the DeLorean Estate and the DeLorean Motor Company reached a settlement just in time for the festivities?

In 2014 Sally DeLorean sued DeLorean Motor Company for illegally using the DeLorean name to sell products. But finally, on "Back to the Future Day" eve, parties reached an agreement. Truly, this is more than sheer serendipity. . . even if they claim it's just coincidence.

Read more here.

Lavender Lecture and LGBT History Month

On Monday, October 19, at 5:30 p.m., the USD Law OUTlaws and the USD Law Veterans Legal Education Group (VLEG) are co-sponsoring this year's Lavender Lecture.  The Lavender Lecture will feature Attorney Bridget Wilson, who will discuss the implementation of the repeal of "Don't Ask Don't Tell" (DADT), subsequent events affecting LGBT service members and the anticipated demise of the prohibitions on trans service.

The Law Library has prepared a LibGuide to accompany the lecture, which includes Bridget Wilson's publications, links to legislative materials, and suggestions for further reading on the lecture topic.  The LibGuide is available here.

In light of October as LGBT History Month, the Law Library is also featuring a display on the main floor of the Law Library, which offers many resources on Sexual Orientation and the Law.

Today is Native Americans' Day

The Law Library is featuring a display for Native Americans' Day on the main floor of the Law Library.  In case you missed it, the items will remain on display on the shelves of our Native American and Indigenous Peoples Collection through the end of October. 

Law Library Hours: Oct. 10 - Oct. 12 (Native Americans' Day)

The McKusick Law Library will be closed to the public on Monday, October 12 for Native Americans' Day.  There will not be any Circulation/Reference service hours to USD law students on Sunday, October 11 or Monday, October 12.  Law students will continue to have 24/7 access to the Law Library throughout the weekend using their University ID cards.

The Law Library will reopen to the public on Tuesday, October 13, at 7:45 a.m.

Feral Poultry Law

Farm Street Chicken Sanctuary via 365bastrop.com

Beloved roosters and chickens, descendants from long abandoned farms, have found a literal sanctuary in Bastrop, Texas. However, if you are a pigeon, English sparrow, European starling, grackle, ravens, red-winged blackbird, blackbird, cowbird, feral rock dove, or crow, you're fair game. (See City Ordinance Sec. 2.01.007)

For a slew of bad chicken jokes and puns, read the article here.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

The Law Library is currently featuring a special display on our main level for Domestic Violence Awareness Month, in coordination with the USD Law Domestic Violence Legal Project (DVLP).

DVLP is hosting a fundraising event near the display from October 1st through October 14th. There are four donation boxes, one each for Professor Thatcher, Professor Pommersheim, Professor Kammer, and Professor McKey.  Whichever professor receives the most donations will either: A) wear a pair of high heels during their class or B) complete a walking “tour” around the law school with high heels on. The money raised will be going toward the purchasing of food for the "Walk a Mile in Her Shoes" event, put on by Safe Options Services, on October 14 at Prentis Park.  If funds are raised in excess of the cost of food, they will go directly to the Safe Options Services Shelter.

As part of the fundraiser/display, DVLP is also offering information about Safe Options Services, as well as featuring two of the Silent Witness silhouettes, which represent women who have lost their lives to domestic violence.

The Law Library is offering many of our resources relating to domestic violence, many of which are featured on our Domestic Violence LibGuide. 

October in the Law Library

South Dakota Supreme Court to Hold Session at Law School Oct. 5-7

The USD Law School welcomes the South Dakota Supreme Court, which will be holding session at the Law School, Monday October 5 through Wednesday October 7.

Briefs filed by the parties for each of the cases being heard are available via the UJS website on the Court’s Current Term Calendar at: http://ujs.sd.gov/Supreme_Court/currentterm.aspx.

The Current Term Calendar also provides information on the specific dates and times the cases are being heard. The case schedule is also available at http://ujs.sd.gov/uploads/sc/CaseSummariesOctober_2015.pdf, along with case summaries, information about courtroom protocol, and information about the Supreme Court process.

One print copy of the filed briefs is available in the Law Library Reserve Room. We are also featuring a display on the main floor of the Law Library that includes the case schedule, case summaries, profiles of each of the justices, and other information relevant to the Supreme Court session.

Service Hours Today, Monday, 9/28

Due to a staff illness, the McKusick Law Library will not be offering extended service hours to law students this evening.  The Law Library will close to the public at 5:00 p.m. and circulation and reference services will not be offered after 5:00 p.m.  Thank you for your understanding.

The "Happy Birthday" Song was Copyrighted . . .Until Now

On September 22, a federal judge in Los Angeles ruled that very specific piano arrangements of "Happy Birthday" is copyrighted, but the lyrics and melody are not. The copyright owners, Warner/Chappell, have been earning around $2 million on the song each year. 

The song (originally "Good Morning to All" with the melody later also being used for "Happy Birthday To You") was written for kindergartners by sisters Mildred and Patty Hill in 1893.

Because "Happy Birthday" had been under copyright, the public had to get creative with its celebratory singsong in movies, plays, and restaurants - hence the improvised birthday ditty you got embarrassed by at Chi-Chi's when you were 13.

Free Legal Research CLE on October 2

The School of Law will be offering a free CLE session during Dakota Days, on Conducting Free, Low Cost, and Other Electronic Legal Research.  The session will be held Friday, October 2, 2015 2:00-4:00PM at the USD Law School, Vermillion, in Room 101.

The session is free to all interested in updating their legal research skills.

Registration requested but not required for attendance. Registration will help ensure you receive copies of the handouts to accompany the training. To register please forward your name, firm or practice affiliation, and email address to Sarah.Kammer@usd.edu or Darla.Jackson@usd.edu by September 28, 2015. Please include Dakota Days Legal Research CLE in the subject line.

Topics include: · Finding Free Case Law, Using Google · Finding Case Law and Related Secondary Materials using Fastcase and Hein Online · Free First Step Case Updating using Fastcase and Case Updating Using Lexis Academic at local universities · Federal Docket Searching Using Bloomberg Law · Finding Statutes, Codes (including Tribal Codes) and Legislative History Materials · Finding Free Administrative Materials and Local Municipal Codes

If you are a person with a disability and need a special accommodation to fully participate, please contact Disability Services 48 hours before the event at 605-677-6389.

Happy Punctuation Day!

Today, September 24, is National Punctuation Day!  To celebrate, the Law Library is featuring a display offering punctuation "profiles" of all your favorite punctuation marks.  The display also includes many of the Law Library's titles regarding citation, style, and legal writing, in general. 

Two especially NPD-worthy titles on display are:

Eats, Shoots & Leaves:  The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation / by Lynne Truss

Comma Sense: A Fundamental Guide to Punctuation / by Richard Lederer and John Shore (Illustrations by James McLean)

Come stop by and check it out!  The Fundamental Legal Skills team and Law Review are also celebrating National Punctuation Day in the Student Commons with contests, prizes and treats. 

Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage Month is September 15 - October 15. This month long celebration is not picked arbitrarily - September 15th marks the anniversary of independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, Mexico celebrates their independence on the 16th, and Chile celebrates theirs on the 18th. For a brief history on the proclamation of Hispanic Heritage Week/Month, and to view Executive and Legislative documents, see the Law Library of Congress' National Hispanic Heritage Month site.

The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum have also teamed up to provide us with this special collection celebrating Hispanic Americans (I thought "The Red that Colored the World," was especially neat).

So, if you find you have a little time, change gears for a bit and learn yourself something cool about the heritage of some 50 million fellow Americans.

Happy Constitution Day!

Meet the Class of 1787, the signers of the United States Constitution.

Also, there's this sweet digital collection on the United States Constitution, brought to you by the Library of Congress.

Ralph Nader Built a Law Museum, and there is a Corvair

Image credit: The American Museum of Tort Law

Dedicated to Tort Law, America has its first law museum. At first this "tort museum" idea seems like a flop of an idea, but, they have some interesting exhibit ideas and are working with Eisterhold Associates (the people who brought you "FOOD: How America Eats, at the National Museum of American History" and "Jurassic Park Discovery Center at Universal Islands of Adventure.") It will feature precedent-setting cases and artifacts from them and other landmark cases. Basically, a museum of disaster.

So, if you are in the Winsted, Connecticut area on September 26, you could attend the convocation ceremony.

 For more info, check out their website: tortmuseum.org, and their Twitter feed at twitter.com/TortMuseum.