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.

De-stress

Your stitched eyebrows, frown lines, and neck-aches need a break! The Law Library is once again offering a mini de-stress station (located in front of the "Reserve Room") to help you veg out. Coloring books, Play-doh, and neck massagers are all available. Please be courteous though, and return all items to the de-stress station so your fellow Law Scholars can ease those brows, and turn frowns upside down.

Also, we have some featured study aids at the same display. But, if what you're looking for is nowhere to be found, come to the circulation desk and we'll be happy to connect you with what you need.

Good luck on finals all!

Mark Your Calendars . . .

Thursday, April 14, 2016 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM at Ferber Hall Old Main, Sarah Deer will be presenting on her book "The Beginning and End of Rape: Confronting Sexual Violence in Native America".
 

Sarah Deer is a Lawyer, Law Professor at William Mitchell College, and 2014 MacArthur Fellow. In her discussion, she will go over the cultural and legal reforms of the Violence Against Women Act. She has written numerous books and articles (many of which are on display in the Law Library this month and available through HeinOnline), and has been instrumental in the Violence Against Women Act and Tribal Law and Order Act.

This event is presented by USD Native Studies, Women and Gender Studies and Criminal Justice Studies.

APRIL!

Image courtesy poets.ca

Dearest Law Scholars and Burgeoning Bards,

To celebrate National Poetry Month and National Library Week, the Law Library is hosting a poetry writing contest - with a legal twist of course!

The Details:

• For your poem, select a major case covered in one of your 1L classes (think International Shoe, etc.) and rewrite it as a poem. The format is up to you; limerick, verse, prose, haiku, whatever. It must however, fit on the one page submission form.
• Professor Pommersheim has agreed to serve as the juror and will select the top 5 submissions. (The Law Library staff will redact student names before sending the poems off to Professor Pommersheim in Oregon, so it will be a blind review.)
• The top 5 will each receive $10 in Amazon gift cards courtesy of Lexis, as well as a signed copy of "Local Memory & Karma," Professor Pommersheim’s most recent poetry chapbook.
• Forms can be picked up at the Circulation Desk and must be placed in the submission box at the desk by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 22.  We will then send the poems off for review and the winners will be announced on Friday, April 29.

Need some inspiration? Visit our display on the Main Floor of the Law Library, which includes case citations to some actual legal opinions written in poem form (yes, they exist!), as well as some of Professor Pommersheim’s poetry chapbooks and other literary titles from our collection.   

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!

Spring Break

Dear Law Scholars,
Your much needed study break has arrived! Whether you'll be donning a bikini or flannel pajamas all week, we hope that you will come back bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready to wrap up this semester.

In addition to spring break, this March brings with it Women's History Month and Saint Patrick's Day. To celebrate, we are featuring both Irish women and women that call The Great Plains home, who've shared their talents with the world. We also have some suggested reads that are on topic via HeinOnline.

AND, for you more artistic types, you might want to veg out to House of Cards while filling these and/or these in.

The Father of Black History

By David from Washington, DC (Carter G. Woodson  Uploaded by AlbertHerring) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

While the history of black Americans certainly does not begin with Carter Godwin Woodson, its realized importance is in large part thanks to him.

Carter Woodson was a teacher and historian who was concerned about the preservation of his culture, and convinced that African American history, and the history of other cultures was either overlooked or misrepresented. In 1915 he founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (later the Association for the Study of African American Life and History). It was in 1926, that he and the Association for the Study of African American Life announced that the second week of February was Negro History Week (which, not so coincidentally, coincided with both Abraham Lincoln's and Frederick Douglass' birthdays) and would place emphasis on the education of African Americans contributions to history.

Negro History Week would eventually grow into Black History Month in 1970, but became officially recognized by the U.S. government in 1979, as part of the United States Bicentennial.

And thus concludes this very, very brief history lesson on the history of Black History Month. Stop by the Law Library to see our Black History Month display, and get some suggested readings on other notable people and moments in African American history.

Febrrrrrrary

We're kickin' off February with blizzards! Aside from that though, February is a pretty big month, what with groundhogs, and love, and birthdays, and it's a leap year.

Be sure the check out this month's displays and learn some fun facts about our nation's leaders in this book, remember that Valentine's Day isn't always for lovers, and discover notable achievements by African American pioneers in history.

It's an exciting, albeit short month. Before you know it, SPRING BREAK!!!!!!!!!

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.

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.

So it Begins

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division

Welcome returning students and class of 2018! As summer draws to close and the fall 2015 semester begins, the McKusick Law Library wants to help you start out the new semester with a bang. To this end, we are showcasing some of our services, tools, and study aids throughout the library. The lower level features a display offering information on study aids for 1L courses. On the main floor you'll find titles covering academic success and study tips for Law School students.

Be sure to check out the Law Library's LibGuides as well! Curated by our Law Librarians, these guides provide additional research assistance and resources to help you reign triumphant over the first semester of the school year. And of course, always come see your librarians with any questions and/or suggestions. 

Again, welcome! We look forward to meeting you, and assisting you with your information and legal research needs. 

New Books Display and Summer Reading

With long summer days, road trips, and (hopefully!) a chance for a little bit of down time, now is the perfect time to pick up a new book from the Law Library.

The Law Library has recently acquired many new titles and we have rotated them into our new books display on the main level of the Law Library.  We are also featuring displays on both the main level and the lower level which include titles recommended by the Law School faculty as summer reading for incoming students (but the titles will undoubtedly be of interest to upper-class students as well!)

If you are able to visit the Law Library over the summer, please take a moment to visit these displays and check out any title that interests you.  Almost all of the books on the displays may be loaned for four weeks by law students, and can also be renewed.

Not able to stop by and see us this summer?  Don't forget about our e-books collection!  All the titles are available for download to law students and faculty for 7-day loans to your computer, tablet or e-reader.  Find the e-books database from our Research Databases & Resources link under Online Research on the Law Library's website (log-in with your USD network username and password).

With over 6000 titles, there's sure to be something that interests you.  While also serving as a valuable research resource, the e-books collection includes some lighter reading fare, including biographies, true stories, and insider accounts, all with a legal twist.  Try search terms such as: biography, true story, or "behind the scenes."

Some books that piqued the staff's interest for summer reading:

You Be the Judge : 20 True Crimes and Cases to Solve / by Judge Norbert Ehrenfreund

Six Women of Salem : The Untold Story of the Accused and Their Accusers in the Salem Witch Trials / by Marilynne K. Roach

Full Circle : A True Story of Murder, Lies, and Vindication / by Gloria Killian and Sandra Kobrin

Dangerous Odds : My Secret Life Inside an Illegal Billion Dollar Sports Betting Operation / by Marisa Lankester

Law Library Resources on the Bar Exam

Congratulations to all of the new graduates of the University of South Dakota School of Law! 

As you set your sights on that last exam - the Bar Exam - the Law Library is ready to help you tackle the preparation process.  The Law Library is currently featuring a display which highlights some of the Law Library's resources on preparing for the bar exam.  Featured titles include:

The Bar Exam In a Nutshell / By Suzanne Darrow-Kleinhaus

Strategies & Tactics For the MBE2 / By Steven L. Emanuel

Scoring High on Bar Exam Essays / By Mary Campbell Gallagher

The display also includes a copy of the 2015 Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admissions Requirements, as well other information available from the Law Library's LibGuide on topics related to the Bar Exam, available here.  The LibGuide provides links to bar exam preparation resources, as well as information on the South Dakota bar exam and bar admissions, the bar exam and bar admissions in neighboring states, as well as the Uniform Bar Exam and reciprocity information. 

Also, recent graduates with a carrel in the Law Library may keep their carrel to study for the Bar Exam.  Please let a member of the Law Library staff know that you desire to remain in your carrel over the summer.  

Looking Forward to a Summer Internship/Externship?

Law students with summer internships/externships are strongly encouraged to check out the Law Library's new display on the main floor of the Law Library.  The focus of the display is preparing students for success at their summer jobs, not only in terms of legal research, but other important professional skills, as well! 

The display features information about our Summer Interns and Associates LibGuide, which covers topics such as preparing for your first day, planning and presenting your research, and specific skills such as docket research.  The display also offers resources from our Career Services Collection that discuss legal practice skills and on-the-job success strategies.  Featured titles include:

Practicing Law in Small-Town America / Richard L. Hermann

The Lawyer’s Career Management Handbook: Your Bridge to a Satisfying Career / Marcia Pennington Shannon, editor

Advice for the Lawlorn: Career Do’s and Don’ts From One of the Most Successful Legal Recruiters in the Industry / Ann M. Israel

Learning From Law Firm Leaders / Susan G. Manch (with Michelle Nash)

Essential Lawyering Skills: Interviewing, Counseling, Negotiation, and Persuasive Fact Analysis / Stefan H. Krieger & Richard K. Neumann, Jr.

Maximize Your Lawyer Potential: Professionalism and Business Etiquette for Law Students and Lawyers / Amee R. McKim

The display also offers current issues of The Student Lawyer, a publication of the American Bar Association Law Student Division.  Recent issues are also available online.  Many of the recent articles provide great tips for law students and new attorneys navigating new positions in the legal field.

For students who don't have a full-time internship lined up for the summer, check out the article by Amy L. Jarmon in the the April/May 2015 issue of The Student Lawyer titled "Making the Most of Summer Plans."  Jarmon provides excellent suggestions on "how to maximize your summer weeks for résumé potential and personal growth."  Click here to link directly to the article.

(Don't forget that Director Jackson will be providing a legal research review for students enrolled in the externship program and the Law Library staff is available over the summer for research-related questions! Our normal summer hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.  Call us at (605) 677-3930 or email us at llibrary@usd.edu.) 

Celebrating the Magna Carta at 800: Law Day is May 1

Each year, Law Day is celebrated on May 1.  Law Day is a national day set aside to celebrate the rule of law and how law and the legal process contribute to the freedoms that all Americans share. 

The 2015 Law Day theme is "Magna Carta: Symbol of Freedom Under Law" in commemoration of the 800th anniversary of the issuance of the Magna Carta at Runnymede in 1215.  Today, the Magna Carta remains an enduring symbol of liberty and the rule of law.  One of the Magna Carta's most frequently cited provisions is Chapter 39, which states that "No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions . . .  except by the lawful judgment of his equals or by the law of the land."

In recognition of Law Day and this year's theme, the Law Library is currently featuring a display which highlights many of the Law Library's materials concerning the Magna Carta.  Included on the display are the following titles:

Magna Carta: Text and Commentary / A.E. Dick Howard

Magna Carta / J.C. Holt

Magna Carta and the Tradition of Liberty / Louis B. Wright

Magna Carta and the Idea of Liberty / Edited by James C. Holt

The Road from Runnymede: Magna Carta and Constitutionalismin America / A. E. Dick Howard

For more information about this year's celebration of Law Day, visit the American Bar Association's Law Day website here. For more resources and an interactive timeline, visit the Magna Carta: Icon of Liberty website.  The Library of Congress also has a website companion to its Magna Carta: Muse and Mentor exhibition which ran from November 6, 2014 to January 19, 2015. 

New Study Aids Available for Checkout

Law school exams are right around the corner, and there's no better time than now to explore all the study aids the Law Library has to offer.

In fact, the Law Library has recently added several of the titles in the Examples & Explanations series to its collection.  These titles are available for 24-hour checkout along with the other materials in the Study Aids & Academic Success Collection, such as the Nutshell series titles.  The Examples & Explanations series is noted for its use of hypothetical questions to test your knowledge of concepts.  More information is available here from the publisher, Wolters Kluwer.

The Law Library is currently featuring a display highlighting the Study Aids & Academic Success collection.  The display also features information about CALI lessons available on exam-taking skills as well as substantive course topics.  The display also features information about the Law Library's Academic Success LibGuide, available here.   

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month - Display and Resources

Did you know:

• Nearly one in five women in America has been a victim of rape or attempted rape (from the President's proclamation of Sexual Assault Awareness Month)

• As stated in the Proclamation, many men are also sexually assaulted or abused each year.  In fact, in the U.S., about 10% of all sexual assault victims are male (from the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) website)

• In 2012 alone, 62,939 cases of child sexual abuse were reported in the United States (from the U.S. Department of Justice website)

Join the Law Library in raising awareness about sexual assault by visiting our display on the lower level of the Law Library.  The display features print and electronic resources about the topic of sexual assault and also highlights provisions of the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization of 2013 which address sexual assault.  More information about Sexual Assault Awareness Month is available from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) here. 

LibGuide and Display to Accompany Thurgood Marshall Lecture to be Held April 14

This year, the USD School of Law/BLSA Thurgood Marshall Lecture will be held on April 14, 2015 at 4:00 p.m. in the Law School Courtroom.  This year's speaker is Judge Curtis L. Collier, Senior United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Tennessee.  The title of Judge Collier's lecture is "The Lawyer: A Force for Change in Society."  The Law Library has updated its Thurgood Marshall Lecture LibGuide to include additional information on Judge Collier.  The LibGuide, available here, also features additional reading information about Thurgood Marshall, including his personal life and career, his Supreme Court jurisprudence, and his lasting impact on American civil rights and constitutional law. 

The Law Library is also featuring a display which includes many of the titles and articles included in the LibGuide, such as:

Thurgood Marshall: American Revolutionary / by Juan Williams

Making Civil Rights Law: Thurgood Marshall and the Supreme Court, 1936-1961 / by Mark V. Tushnet

Making Constitutional Law: Thurgood Marshall and the Supreme Court, 1961-1991 / by Mark V. Tushnet

Supreme Justice: Speeches and Writings - Thurgood Marshall / J. Clay Smith, editor

Dream Makers, Dream Breakers: The World of Justice Thurgood Marshall / Carl Thomas Rowan

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.