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!

Legal Fiction Writing Contest

 

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

December at the Law Library

November in the Law Library

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.

Updates to Computer Lab and Printers

Please take note that the Computer Lab located in the lower level of the Law Library is currently undergoing renovation. The renovation involves inclusion of lounge seating as well as a limited number of new desktop computer systems.

During the renovation, the desktops, the multifunction copier/UPrint station, the Lexis printer, and the Pharos printer will be unavailable. The computers and printers have been temporarily disconnected and removed to allow for the installation of carpeting and furniture in the room. We regret any inconvenience.

If you require a multifunction machine/UPrint station, an identical unit is located on the main floor of the Law Library. Also, the Law School has acquired a new printer which accepts both students' pre-loaded Pharos funds as well as Coyote Cash. This printer is located to the right of the multifunction machine on the main floor. To print to this printer, select "LS128" as the printer in Print options.

Summer Access to Legal Research Platforms

Law students often ask us about whether or not they are able to use their access to WestlawNext, Bloomberg Law, and Lexis Advance over the summer, at an internship, or after graduation.  Each platform has its own policy regarding summer, employment, and post-graduation use.  See below for details!

WestlawNext:

Continuing Students: WestlawNext may only be used under certain circumstances over the summer or outside of regular academic use.  Those circumstances include:

• Summer Law School Classes
• Law Review and Journal Work (including write-on competitions)
• Project for a Professor
• Moot Court
• Unpaid Non-Profit Public Interest Internship/Externship or Pro Bono Work that is Required for Graduation 

If you meet one of these circumstances, you must register for summer access, and can do so here.

Graduating Students:  You may register for access to WestlawNext for 6 months after graduation (until November 30, 2015) through the GradElite program. 

Lexis Advance:

Continuing Students:  Any law student with a registered Lexis Advance ID will automatically have summer access and can use that access for either educational or commercial purposes.

Graduating Students:  Lexis offers graduating students a complimentary ID that provides access through December 31, 2015.  However, you must sign up for the ID using your student credentials here.  

Bloomberg Law:

Continuing Students:  Law students with Bloomberg Law accounts have full access over the summer with no restrictions on use.

Graduating Students:  Students automatically receive an additional 6 months of access after graduation without having to register. 

Free Coffee For Finals!

The Law Library and Law School are pleased to again provide free coffee at the Circulation/Reference Desk during the finals period.  The coffee will be available from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. weekdays throughout the finals period (Monday, April 27 through Friday, May 1, and Monday, May 4 through Friday, May 8).

Please stop by for a caffeine boost!  Styrofoam cups, sugar and coffee creamer are provided, but feel free to bring the container of your choice.

Thanks for Celebrating National Library Week!

The Law Library would like to thank all the faculty, students, and staff who participated in National Library Week by sending in their "shelfies" for the electronic bulletin boards!

We would also like to congratulate Liz Chrisp, the winner of the Law Library's M&M counting contest.  Liz's guess of 2155 was the closest to the actual total of 2272 candies in the jar.

The Law Library appreciates your continued support!

News About the Law Library's E-Books Program

The Law Library has launched a new e-books program this semester for law students and faculty. The e-books are available to law users via the Law Library’s Research Databases page and the collection includes over 5,000 legal titles (varies slightly each month), all of which can be “checked out” for a 7-day period.

The Law Library has prepared an E-Books LibGuide to assist users in searching for and reading/downloading e-books. We are also offering informal, drop-in demonstrations and training on the e-books program and the Law Library's new mobile devices during the week of January 19. More information is available below. Of course, the Law Library staff is also happy to answer any questions about the e-books program at the Circulation/Reference Desk as well as by email or phone.

Check Them Out: iPads, Kindles, Nooks, and Laptops

The Law Library is pleased to announce that several mobile devices and laptop computers are now available for checkout. The Law Library has acquired 4 iPad Airs, 2 Kindle Fire tablets, 2 NookHD tablets, and 4 Dell laptop computers. An Apple TV is also available to check out and can be used to display the iPads (or other Apple devices) to the monitors at the Technology Learning Centers. (Display adapters for the Kindles and Nooks are forthcoming.)

All of these devices can be checked out by law students for single day use, provided they are returned by the end of the service day (by 9:00 p.m. Monday, Wednesdays, and Sundays; by 6:00 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays). The devices are all configured for download of the Law Library’s e-books and also have several legal research apps loaded on them. Other downloads on the devices are currently limited. A complete equipment use and checkout policy is available on the McKusick Law Library LibGuide, at the lower left, along with other library-related law school policies. 

The Law Library is offering informal, drop-in demonstrations and training sessions for the mobile devices (as well as our new e-books program) during the week of January 19.  Two sessions will be available for law students, staff and faculty -- one on Wednesday, January 21, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., the other on Thursday, January 22, from 10:00 a.m. to noon.  The sessions will be held at the Technology Learning Centers on the main floor of the Law Library.  Free coffee will also be provided.  Please join us! 

Extended Service Hours for Law Students This Semester

The Law Library is pleased to announce that we will be extending our service hours to law students this semester.  Two of our student workers, Ryan VanVugt and Warren Berry, will be staffing the Circulation/Reference Desk on Monday and Wednesday nights, and Sunday afternoons/evenings.  Mondays and Wednesdays the Desk will be staffed from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m., as well as on Sundays from 12:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.  These hours are in addition to our normal hours of staffing at the Circulation/Reference Desk of 7:45 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays and 7:45 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Fridays. 

Ryan and Warren are both trained to provide circulation assistance (check-in/check-out) as well as ready reference help.  They can also contact a member of the full-time Law Library staff with more in-depth or detailed questions.

We hope that law students will take advantage of these extended service hours.  The Law Library will continue to remain open to the public 7:45 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. only.

IMPORTANT NOTE:  There will NOT be Sunday hours this Sunday, January 18, due to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday on Monday, January 19.

Ryan Van Vugt (pictured left). Ryan has been a Law Library student worker for almost 2 years, joining the Law Library in Fall 2013. Ryan is a senior at USD, majoring in Health Services Administration. Ryan is originally from Northwest Iowa.







Warren Berry (pictured left). Warren joined the Law Library as a student worker in Fall 2014 and is a graduate student in Political Science at USD. Warren previously taught high school, and served as an intern for Senator John Thune and the State Legislature. Warren graduated from Northern State and is from Kadoka, SD.

Welcome Back to the Spring Semester!

USD Law School classes resume tomorrow, Wednesday, January 7.  Circulation and reference services will be available to law students from 7:45 a.m. to 6:00 p.m, Monday through Friday.  The Law Library is open to the public from 7:45 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.  Law students will continue to have 24/7 access to the Law Library using their University ID cards. 
  

Come Visit Our Holiday Book Tree and Donate to the NALSA Toy Drive

Q: How many books does it take to make a 6 foot holiday tree in the Law Library?

A:  A lot!

The Law Library invites you to come take a look at our holiday tree on the main floor of the library.  The tree is made out of books from the upper level of the library -- mostly green, with a few other colors interspersed for "ornaments"!

Also, the Law Library is happy to be partnering with the USD Law Native American Law Students Association (NALSA) to collect donations for the NALSA Toy Drive in the bins by the tree.  The NALSA Toy Drive provides gifts during the holiday season to Native American children in need.  Suggested donation items include color books, crayons, markers, nail sets, crafts, books, dolls, cars, hair accessories or toys of any kind.

Finals Are Here... And So Is Free Coffee!

The Law Library and the Law School administration are pleased to again provide free coffee at the Circulation/Reference Desk during the finals period.  The coffee will be available from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. weekdays throughout the finals period (Monday, December 1 through Friday, December 5, and Monday, December 8 through Friday, December 12).

Please stop by for a caffeine boost!  Styrofoam cups (and sugar/sweetener) are provided, but feel free to bring the container of your choice.

The "Finals" Countdown: Study Aids and Other Law Library Resources

With the Thanksgiving holiday approaching, the Law School finals period will be here before you know it!  The Law Library encourages you to utilize the many resources that are available to you as you prepare for your final exams.

The Law Library is currently featuring displays on both the lower level and the main level with items from the Study Aids and Academic Success collection.  This collection includes the most recent editions of the titles in the Nutshell series, as well as other titles that discuss study strategies, exam-taking skills, stress management, and more!  Titles in this collection may be checked out by law students for 24 hours.

The displays also feature information about using CALI as a study aid resource.  Don't forget that there are CALI lessons that cover all of the substantive courses, as well as Legal Research.  There are even CALI lessons and podcasts that cover exam-taking, outlining, and other study skills.

If you have any questions about study aid resources available through the Law Library, please ask a member of the Law Library staff!

ABA Commission on Future of Legal Services is Seeking Comments

The ABA Commission on the Future of Legal Services has recently published an issues paper in conjunction with "a comprehensive examination of issues related to the delivery of, and the public's access to, legal services in the United States."

The issues paper is available here, and identifies several topics that the Commission is seeking comment on, including: Better Service, Problems in Delivering Law and Law-Related Services, Alternative Providers and Regulatory Innovations, Underserved Communities, Policy Changes, Insights from Other Fields, Data, Legal Education and Training, and Diversity and Inclusion.

The submission deadline for comments is December 10, 2014 and submission instructions are included in the paper.

Hat tip to the Legal Informatics Blog for their post on this topic, which also links to blog posts from a Commission member and the Commission vice-chair about the issues paper. 

Happy Halloween! More Trick or Treatise Fun in the Law Library!

The Law School is celebrating Halloween a day early and the Law Library is no exception!  We are currently offering "Trick or Treatising" for candy surprises in the Law Library.  If you locate one of the following books in the Law Library's collection using our online catalog, there will be a candy treat hidden behind the book! 

1.  Moore's Federal Practice, 3rd edition, Volume 2

2.  Williston on Contracts, 4th edition, Volume 4

3.  Law of Wetlands Regulation

Happy hunting!  We will continue this event through the day on Friday, October 31 as well!

Thanks to All Who Participated in Our September Library Card Sign-Up Month Contest!

The Law Library would like to thank all the students who stopped by the Law Library during the month of September to link their Coyote Cards with their borrowing accounts.  All students who did so were eligible to enter a contest for a jar of Starburst candies.  The winner of the contest was Chad Dotson.  Congratulations Chad!

If you didn't have a chance to stop by during September, it's not too late to come by the Circulation/Reference Desk and have us link your card.  Don't forget that we can also always check out items to you even if you don't have your card with you.  Just provide the desk staff with your name and some other form of identification.

Reminder About Noise Levels in the Law Library

October is here and the fall semester is roaring right along.  However, the Law Library would like to again gently remind our students that "roaring" noise levels are not appropriate for the Law Library.

As we mentioned in our previous post at the beginning of the semester:

1.   Noise on the main floor should be kept at a conversational level.  Out of courtesy to other library users, cell phone calls should be moved outside the double doors of the Law Library and into the lobby area.

2.  Communications on the lower level should also be kept at a conversational level.

3.  The upper level of the library generally receives less traffic and provides a place for quiet study.  Please keep communications on the upper level to a minimum.

If you desire a quieter place to study in the Law Library, study rooms on both the lower level and upper level are available on a first come, first serve basis or may be reserved in the Dean's Suite.

The Law Library staff and your fellow students thank you for your cooperation!