Law Students Studying in 90 Plus Degree Heat This Week

Law Students studying in 90 degree temperatures and above this week.

(This entry was originally written and posted by Karyl Knodel)

ABA Journal's 25 Greatest Law Novels

To add to this list, we direct readers to the August edition of the ABA Journal magazine for a list of the "25 Greatest Law Novels - Ever."  The ABA Journal article describes these novels as "the best portrayals of lawyers and the law." The list strictly limited to "novels." As a result, "true crime" sagas, such as Truman Capote's In Cold Blood were not included in the list.

We also direct you to the ABA Journal's poll (scroll down, in the right column) of your favorite law novel.  You may vote for one of the twenty-five law novels in the Journal's list or for a law novel not on the list. 

Other related book lists are set out below:
From Washington University in St. Louis Law Blog, April 8th 2013: Top Legal Books Every Lawyer Should Read
From the ABA Journal magazine, August 1, 2011:  30 Lawyers Pick 30 Books Every Lawyer Should Read
For additional suggestions, Good Reads has a list of the Best Books for Law Students.  

(This entry was originally written and posted by Marsha Stacey)

Vermillion Public Library Expansion Almost Complete

Only 10% is left to be completed on the expansion project of the Vermillion Public Library. Library Director, Jane Larson states "we doubled in size, we now have a total of 22,890 square feet and we had 11,000 square feet before."

The library was only closed for two two-week periods while books and other materials were moved.

A row of sky lights, a reading room with a fireplace and a bookstore are just a few of the new features for the public to enjoy.

With summer approaching the public library is also a good resource for law students interested in lighter reading. See the article in the May 3rd edition of Vermillion's Plain Talk.

(This entry was originally written and posted by Karyl Knodel)

Finals 2013: Studying In the Snow

This year's final exams are scheduled from April 23 to May 3, but with the snow outside, one might think it was January. Although having snow this late in the season is not unusual, it is possible to have snow even into May. The record for the latest snowfall in Sioux Falls is May 31, 1954. See the National Weather Service website here.

(This entry was originally written and posted by Gordana Filipovic)

Contracts: The Cartoon?

One might think that combining law school classes with cartoon doodles wouldn't exactly be a prescription for success. Georgetown Law grad Nathaniel Burney would beg to differ. Burney is the author of The Illustrated Guide to Criminal Law, a book which teaches the fundamentals of a first-year Criminal Law course in cartoon format. An entire series of books is planned, with each book covering one core first-year law school course. Interested in more information about this unique project? The ABA Journal recently interviewed Burney and a podcast of the interview is available here. Burney also maintains a website dedicated to the project at www.lawcomic.net.

(This entry was originally written and posted by Sarah Kammer)

Finding a Law Blog (Blawg) That's Right for You: Blawg Directories and a Directory of Legal Birds

Are you looking for a blog about law ("a blawg") in a subject that interests you? In my quest to find a quality blawg in my specialty area, I discovered numerous blawg directories. In addition, while putting together this post, I was directed to the December 2012 issue of the ABA Journal. This issue contains the ABA Journal's inaugural "Blawg 100 Hall of Fame," described as the 100 law blogs the authors "can't imagine not making our favorites list each year." Listed below are the links to the ABA Journal "Blawg 100" article and several of the "best" and "not so good" blawg directories.

1. For the ABA Journal "Blawg 100" article, click here. Many of the blawgs listed, such as "Above the Law" and "SCOTUSblog," are exemplary and valuable learning resources. It is exam time, however, so you may want to enjoy the odd legal humor of "Lowering the Bar" or Allison Leotta's analysis of the legal procedures in every episode of "Law and Order."

2.The ABA Journal has its own Blawg Directory. It is a well-maintained list organized by topic, author type, region and law school.

3. Another blawg directory, US Law Blogs, has some good features, but the ads on the site distract me. I like the ability to search for "Today's Posts" by category. After the first click on a post, however, click on the link directly to the blawg to read the post. If you click on the link to the individual post, you will be asked to log in to the blog feed reader. This directory also lets you know when a blawg was last updated and the average number of posts per day. One drawback: some of the blogs listed may be abandoned.

4. "A Taxonomy of Legal Blogs" is unique in its categorization of blawgs. You can search by law or legal event, jurisdictional scope, author/publisher type, number of contributors, topic, collection, or general legal blog. Although this directory may not be updated regularly, it is very useful.

5. Many of the blawgs listed in the directories discussed above are authored by practicing attorneys, often for marketing or networking purposes. For blawgs that focus more on legal scholarship, try the directory at Law Professor Blogs Network.

6. Last, but not least, is Justia's BlawgSearch. This site contains blawg lists by subject, state, country, and law school, as well as a list of other blawg directories. (Note that the alleged University of South Dakota School of Law blawg is written by a University of North Dakota School of Law professor.) And for those on Twitter, the site links to Justia's Legal Birds site for legal professionals who tweet.

(This entry was originally written and posted by Marsha Stacey)