Law Day

Justice Earl Warren via Wikipedia

2016 marks the 50th anniversary of one of our most famous court cases, Miranda v. Arizona. In recognition of this historic case, the ABA has announced that the theme for this years Law Day is "Miranda: More than Words."

The opinion of the Supreme Court was delivered by Chief Justice Earl Warren and ruled that police had violated Ernesto Miranda's 5th and 6th Amendment rights. Referencing the existing practices of the FBI and the Uniform Code of Military Justice which required notifying a suspect of their right to remain silent, and a right to counsel, the Court stated, "As with the warnings of the right to remain silent and of the general right to counsel, only by effective and express explanation to the indigent of this right can there be assurance that he was truly in a position to exercise it."

The Miranda Warning has become a fixture in law enforcement and popular culture since the court decision was made in June, 1966. The ABA is encouraging us to reflect on not just the words of the warning itself, but the meaning of the words and the rights we safeguard and preserve through them.

Also, you can listen to the original oral arguments here, courtesy of Oyez. It's pretty awesome.

The South Dakota Law Review Symposium - Asset Protection and Trust Innovations

The South Dakota Law Review will hold its annual symposium tomorrow, April 1st. This year's topic "Asset Protection and Trust Innovations: South Dakota’s Role in Paving the Way for Innovations Nationwide" will feature keynote speaker, Jay Adkisson of Riser Adkisson LLP. Additionally there will be a "Hot Topics" panel and "Asset Protection" panel featuring practitioners and professors from across the nation.

Events start at 9 a.m. and will conclude at 5:30 p.m. For more information and further reading, you can check out our LibGuide here.

NALSA Symposium Tomorrow!

The 14th Biennial Indian Law Symposium will be held March 30 and 31. This year's topic is ICWA: Old and New Challenges. For this symposium, the McKusick Law Library has created a LibGuide for you that includes the schedule, some additional materials about or relating to the Indian Child Welfare Act, and materials from the Dillon Lecture and past symposiums. You can check it out here. We also have a small display featured in our Native American Collection providing easy access to materials on ICWA.

And as always, if you have any questions or would like more information, feel free to visit us up at the Circulation/Reference Desk!

The Hammer, The Gorilla, and YOU

Robert "Tito" Meyer billboard via duhaime.org

It's getting to be that time as we close in on graduation where the big question is on the tip of everyone's tongue... It's the cause of many a sleepless night, sweaty palms… the key decision that will be all important to your future… what will YOUR lawyer nickname be?  What reputable esquire worth their weight in affidavits is going to hire someone with the nickname "The Quarter Pounder?" Or worse yet, no nickname at all.

Additionally, and maybe (probably) more practically speaking, marketing you and your skills is more important than your sweet new moniker. Lucky for you USD Law Scholars, the McKusick Law Library can help guide you to your best sobriquet AND suggest resources for supporting and running a law practice. From navigating specializations, to interviewing, to developing leadership skills, we have you covered. Some suggested reads:

Reinventing the Practice of Law by Luz Herrera
The Lawyer as Leader, by Dr. Artika R Tyner
Advice for the Lawlorn by Ann M. Israel
Tomorrow's Lawyer: an Introduction to Your Future by Richard Susskind
Thrive: A New Lawyer's Guide to Law Firm Practice by Desiree Moore

All of these titles plus more can be found in our Career Resources Collection, which we've moved out of the reserve room and onto the main floor, to the left of the computers. We can suggest and help you locate other titles of interest too, and would be happy to serve as a sounding board for all your potential nicknames!

Legal Fiction Writing Contest

 

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

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.

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. 

September in the Law Library: Constitution Day and Banned Books Week

Constitution Day is September 17 and Banned Books Week is September 27 through October 3.  Both present a great opportunity to highlight our resources on free speech and the First Amendment. On our first floor display, in addition to selected reads brought to you by HeinOnline, we also have a handpicked assortment of books centered around human rights, free speech, and the First Amendment. "Freedom From Speech" by Greg Lukianoff, "Finding Jefferson" by Alan Dershowitz, and "Saving Our Children from the First Amendment" by Kevin Saunders, are just a few of the titles for you to peruse and/or borrow.