Spring is almost here, and along with flowers and spring showers come Peeps candy!
That also means the ABA Journal is again running its annual "Peeps in Law" diorama contest. Each year, contestants submit legal-themed dioramas using the Peeps candies to represent persons or parties to a case.
This year, several famous/high-profile cases are represented, ranging from Lochner v. New York (yes, the Peeps are in a bakery) to the "Blurred Lines" copyright case to Conservation Congress v. Finley, 774 F. 3d 611 (9th Cir. 2014) (with Peeps advocating for their fellow "wildlife," the spotted owl).
Vote for your favorite here until April 5. The winner will be announced April 7.
Friday, March 27, 2015
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
USD Law Students Compete in American Association for Justice Regional Student Trial Advocacy Competition in Omaha, NE
The American Association for Justice Regional Student Trial Advocacy Competition was held March 19-22 in Omaha, NE. USD law students Jennifer Harvey, Chad Boelhower, Cullen McNeese, and KyLee Manthei participated in the competition. The team was accompanied by Professor Sean Kammer and Sarah Kammer of the Law Library staff. Congratulations to the team on a strong performance!
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| Left to Right: Cullen McNeese, KyLee Manthei, Professor Sean Kammer, Jennifer Harvey, Chad Boelhower |
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Reading in Print v. Digital: What Do You Prefer?
Whether you consider yourself a "print native" or a "digital native", it turns out you might prefer print materials for pleasure and learning. Research based on student surveys, which was recently published by Naomi S. Baron, an American University linguist who studies digital communication, reveals that may be the case.
Baron's book, titled Words Onscreen: The Fate of Reading in a Digital World, was discussed in a recent article in the Washington Post. According to the article, Baron's research found that one of the key downsides to digital reading was distraction. Baron's survey results showed that students were far more likely to "multitask" while reading on-screen (90 percent) than in hard copy (1 percent).
However, the survey results found that students do prefer digital textbooks for classes in which locating information quickly is key, and where using the Ctrl-F function can help them easily find keywords.
The Law Library continues to offer both print and digital resources. New print titles are available in the Law Library's New Book Display, directly inside the main double doors to the Library. New print titles are also added each month to the Law Library's e-book database, available from our Research Databases page.
(H/t to the WisBlawg of the University of Wisconsin Law Library for their recent post on this topic.)
Baron's book, titled Words Onscreen: The Fate of Reading in a Digital World, was discussed in a recent article in the Washington Post. According to the article, Baron's research found that one of the key downsides to digital reading was distraction. Baron's survey results showed that students were far more likely to "multitask" while reading on-screen (90 percent) than in hard copy (1 percent).
However, the survey results found that students do prefer digital textbooks for classes in which locating information quickly is key, and where using the Ctrl-F function can help them easily find keywords.
The Law Library continues to offer both print and digital resources. New print titles are available in the Law Library's New Book Display, directly inside the main double doors to the Library. New print titles are also added each month to the Law Library's e-book database, available from our Research Databases page.
(H/t to the WisBlawg of the University of Wisconsin Law Library for their recent post on this topic.)
New LibGuides and Display: 3rd Annual OUTlaws Lavender Lecture and USD Law Review Symposium: "Many Voices: A Discussion of LGBTQ Marriage Rights and Transgender Rights"
The University of South Dakota Law Review annual symposium will be held this Friday, March 27 in the School of Law Courtroom, beginning at 10:00 a.m.. This year's theme is Many Voices: A Discussion of LGBTQ Marriage Rights and Transgender Rights. The three symposium panels will feature legal scholars, professors and practitioners who have written from both sides of the debate.
The 3rd Annual OUTlaws Lavender Lecture will be held the evening prior to the symposium, Thursday, March 26 at 5:30 p.m., also in the Law School Courtroom. This year's lecture will feature Professor Ryan Scott, who teaches at Indiana University Maurer School of Law. Professor Scott's presentation will elaborate on the unsuccessful uses of the "gay/trans" panic defense and a recent ABA resolution which might lessen the effectiveness and use of the defense.
The Law Library has prepared a display to accompany the lecture and symposium. The Law Library has also published a LibGuide to accompany the Lavender Lecture available here, and a LibGuide to accompany the symposium, available here. The display and LibGuides offer additional information about the presenters and their publications as well as other information and resources relevant to the lecture/symposium topics.
For more information, see the official USD press release for the Lavender Lecture and Law Review Symposium here.
The 3rd Annual OUTlaws Lavender Lecture will be held the evening prior to the symposium, Thursday, March 26 at 5:30 p.m., also in the Law School Courtroom. This year's lecture will feature Professor Ryan Scott, who teaches at Indiana University Maurer School of Law. Professor Scott's presentation will elaborate on the unsuccessful uses of the "gay/trans" panic defense and a recent ABA resolution which might lessen the effectiveness and use of the defense.
The Law Library has prepared a display to accompany the lecture and symposium. The Law Library has also published a LibGuide to accompany the Lavender Lecture available here, and a LibGuide to accompany the symposium, available here. The display and LibGuides offer additional information about the presenters and their publications as well as other information and resources relevant to the lecture/symposium topics.For more information, see the official USD press release for the Lavender Lecture and Law Review Symposium here.
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
March Madness in the Law Library!
Now that the NCAA tournament selections have been made, that means March Madness is about to begin in the Law Library! We are once again featuring our March Madness display highlighting many of the Law Library's print and digital resources on Sports Law. Of course, The Little Book of Basketball Law is prominently featured!E-book titles featured in the display, available directly below for authenticated law users (or by searching the EBL database through the Law Library's Research Databases page) include:
Sports Justice: The Law and Business of Sports / by Roger I. Abrams
Thursday, March 12, 2015
March is Women's History Month - Law Library Display
Each year, March is celebrated as Women's History Month. This year's theme, as designated by the National Women's History Project, is "Weaving the Stories of Women's Lives." The President's Proclamation of Women's History Month calls on us to "celebrate countless pioneering women and the victories they won, and [...]
continue our work to build a society where our daughters have the same
possibilities as our sons."
The Law Library is currently featuring a display which highlights information and resources on many of the pioneering women in the legal profession, both nationally and locally. The display offers biographies in the Law Library's collection of female attorneys and judges, including Sandra Day O'Connor, Myra Bradwell, Constance Baker Motley, and others.
The display also features information about some of the first female graduates of the University of South Dakota Law School and women admitted to practice in the state. Source material was generously provided to the Law Library last year by Professor Chris Hutton.
Please take a moment to stop by the display. For more information about Women's History Month, visit the Library of Congress's website here.
The display also features information about some of the first female graduates of the University of South Dakota Law School and women admitted to practice in the state. Source material was generously provided to the Law Library last year by Professor Chris Hutton.
Please take a moment to stop by the display. For more information about Women's History Month, visit the Library of Congress's website here.
Friday, March 6, 2015
New Resource From Bloomberg BNA: Big Law Business
This week, Bloomberg BNA went live with a new website, called "Big Law Business." The website is available here. According to a recent article by the ABA Journal, the website will "focus on the Am Law 200 law firms and the companies that they represent" and will be "dedicated to covering important issues and news relating to the business of law."
The website will be run by a full-time editorial team and is designed for those wanting to stay up-to-date on new developments in law firm management, technology and finance.
The majority of the content will be free, with premium content available to subscribers.
Interested in what others are saying about this new resource? Check out posts here from 3 Geeks and a Law Blog and here from Robert Ambrogi's Law Sites blog. Both blogs are frequently updated with news and trends in the areas of law firm management and legal technology.
The website will be run by a full-time editorial team and is designed for those wanting to stay up-to-date on new developments in law firm management, technology and finance.
The majority of the content will be free, with premium content available to subscribers.
Interested in what others are saying about this new resource? Check out posts here from 3 Geeks and a Law Blog and here from Robert Ambrogi's Law Sites blog. Both blogs are frequently updated with news and trends in the areas of law firm management and legal technology.
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
Law Library Hours During Spring Break (March 7 - March 15)
During the week of Spring Break at USD and USD Law School (March 9 - March 13), the Law Library will be open to the public from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m, Monday through Friday. Circulation and reference services will be available to students and the public during these hours. Law students will have continued 24/7 access to the Law Library using their University ID cards throughout the break.
The Law Library will not be offering extended service hours to students after 5 p.m. during the week of Monday, March 9 to Friday, March 13. There will also not be any Sunday circulation/reference service hours for students on Sunday, March 8. Circulation/reference services will be available to students on Sunday, March 15 from 12:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The Law Library will resume its normal schedule of student service hours on Monday, March 16:
Mondays, 7:45 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Tuesdays, 7:45 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Wednesdays, 7:45 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Thursdays, 7:45 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Fridays, 7:45 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sundays, 12:30 p.m to 9:00 p.m.
The Law Library will not be offering extended service hours to students after 5 p.m. during the week of Monday, March 9 to Friday, March 13. There will also not be any Sunday circulation/reference service hours for students on Sunday, March 8. Circulation/reference services will be available to students on Sunday, March 15 from 12:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The Law Library will resume its normal schedule of student service hours on Monday, March 16:
Mondays, 7:45 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Tuesdays, 7:45 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Wednesdays, 7:45 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Thursdays, 7:45 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Fridays, 7:45 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sundays, 12:30 p.m to 9:00 p.m.
ABA Acts on a Number of Resolutions at Midyear Meeting
The American Bar Association (ABA) Midyear Meeting was held in Houston, TX in February. At the Midyear Meeting, the ABA House of Delegates approved a number of resolutions regarding the following topics:
- The appointment of counsel for unaccompanied children in immigration proceedings
- The disclosure of lethal injection protocols in states using the method in carrying out the death penalty
- The provision of comprehensive debt counseling and debt management education to law students and young lawyers
- Resolutions regarding juvenile criminal offenders
- Resolution regarding standards for obtaining protection orders irrespective of an existing relationship between the parties
- Resolutions urging: the expansion of housing protections for victims of domestic and sexual violence; comprehensive laws regarding dangerous wild animals; the adoption of legal standards recommended in the 2013 Indian Law and Order Commission report; the strengthening of consumer protections regarding deceptive or fraudulent loan foreclosure rescue practices; and the imposition of death-penalty sentences only by unanimous decisions by juries
Full details with links to the individuals resolutions are available here from the ABA.
- The appointment of counsel for unaccompanied children in immigration proceedings
- The disclosure of lethal injection protocols in states using the method in carrying out the death penalty
- The provision of comprehensive debt counseling and debt management education to law students and young lawyers
- Resolutions regarding juvenile criminal offenders
- Resolution regarding standards for obtaining protection orders irrespective of an existing relationship between the parties
- Resolutions urging: the expansion of housing protections for victims of domestic and sexual violence; comprehensive laws regarding dangerous wild animals; the adoption of legal standards recommended in the 2013 Indian Law and Order Commission report; the strengthening of consumer protections regarding deceptive or fraudulent loan foreclosure rescue practices; and the imposition of death-penalty sentences only by unanimous decisions by juries
Full details with links to the individuals resolutions are available here from the ABA.
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