Meebo Chat Reminder

Are you working on a final paper and have a research or citation question? Use Meebo to start a chat session with one of the reference librarians to obtain assistance with your query.

To access Meebo, go to the library's homepage, www.tourolaw.edu/library/, and under the Student Services category, click on "Meebo Chat with the Reference Staff."

A reference librarian is available for online chat sessions:
Monday through Thursday, 9 am to 9 pm
Friday, 9 am to 2:30 pm
Sunday, 11 am to 5 pm

Past Exams Available Exclusively Online

The Gould law Library has migrated all "Past Exams" on reserve to its website: www.tourolaw.edu/library. The exams are located on a password protected page, under the first box of the Student Services section of the website (lower left hand corner). Simply click on that link and you will be prompted for your password. The password is the same that you use to log onto your terminal when at school. If you have any questions, please contact the library at libraryreference@tourolaw.edu or at 631.761.7160.

Study Room Reservation Policy

The Gould Law Library has a selection of study rooms available, which vary in size and capacity. Three of the rooms contain televisions equipped with DVD and VHS players for use with media placed on reserve at the circulation desk by professors. Many rooms also are equipped with erasable white boards and erasable markers for use by study groups. Reservations for study rooms are highly recommended and may be arranged in person at the library’s circulation desk, up to one day in advance of the booking. A group may reserve one room for a maximum of two hours each day. Individuals may not reserve rooms, except for two small rooms intended for individual students (L309 and L310). A group may continue past a reserved time, provided no other group has made a reservation for the next time slot. The room must be relinquished, however, if another group later makes a reservation (even if the reservation was made after the non-reserved students occupied the study room). Reservations will be held for 15 minutes and two group members must be present to hold a reservation, except for the two individual study rooms. Please ask a staff member at the circulation desk for details about study room reservations and policies.

Try CALI for Exam Preparation

Have you tried CALI (Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction)? CALI is a great way to test your knowledge as you prepare for law school exams. The CALI web site has hundreds of online exercises written by law professors and by professional reference librarians to help you hone your legal knowledge. CALI is free and may be accessed via a link on our library's web page at http://www.tourolaw.edu/library or by clicking directly to http://www2.cali.org/. Activation codes may be retrieved from the Reference Office on the main floor of the Gould Law Library. Then, you will use your activation code to create a personal ID and password for free CALI access as a Touro law student. Registration is easy, and the CALI exercises are invaluable. Check out CALI today!

Looking ahead: Intersession Library Hours

The library will be open during intersession to accommodate students studying for the February bar exam, as well as for other members of the greater Touro community and Friends of the Library. The intersession library hours and study hall hours have been posted on the library's web pages at: http://www.tourolaw.edu/library/hours%20and%20calendar.asp. Scroll to the bottom of the "Library Hours" page for intersession information.

The library staff extends good wishes to all Touro alumni preparing for the February 2009 bar exams...

Library Hours During Final Exam Period

Beginning on Monday, December 1 and extending through the evening of Monday, Dec. 22, the Gould Law Library will be open as a study hall around the clock, except for Friday afternoon – Saturday evening, in observance of the Jewish Sabbath. The library will close as usual at 2:45 p.m. on Fridays, but will reopen on Saturday evenings at 6:00 p.m. With this exception, the library will remain open 24 hours a day. Students using the library after midnight must sign in at the security desk. Library services will not be available during the overnight period, although a security guard will be on duty.

The Gould Library also will expand its “quiet zone” for the final exam period. Effective on December 1, the entire library (with the exception of the circulation desk, the reference office, and enclosed study rooms) will become a quiet zone to maximize available study space. After exams, the soft seating area on the main floor will resume its status as a quiet conversation area, in accordance with student requests.

As always, drinks in enclosed containers are welcome in the library. Please enjoy light snacks (such as candy and chips), but consume other food (sandwiches, salads, hot meals) outside of the library.

The library staff extends its support and best wishes to students as the final exam period approaches.

Spring Semester 2009: A Course Offering Entitled "Foreign and International Legal Research"

Foreign & International Legal Research Seminar
Spring 2009

Taught by Roy L. Sturgeon, J.D., M.L.S., LL.M. (Chinese Law)
Foreign & International Law Librarian, Library Liaison to the Public Advocacy Center,
& Library Faculty

*** This course tentatively is scheduled to be taught in the spring semester of 2009 -- on Thursdays from 3:30 p.m. - 5:10 p.m. Any 2d or 3d year law student may register for this one-credit course.

Due to post-Cold War globalization, law practice increasingly calls on attorneys—particularly those in the world’s reigning financial center, New York—to possess effective skills in researching foreign and international law. With that in mind, this seminar aims to equip students with the basic knowledge and skills needed to conduct such research as well as to expose them to differences in legal systems and cultures. In addition, it should reinforce and enhance critical-thinking skills that they may have gained previously from other law school experiences (e.g., working as a research assistant or summer clerk, participating in a summer abroad program, serving on international moot court or law review). It will meet 100 minutes once per week for the first half of the semester, cover multiple jurisdictions (common, civil, and mixed; foreign, religious, and international), and be graded mostly by two out-of-class research exercises and one in-class oral presentation. This seminar should be helpful for students seeking jobs in various settings: public and private sectors, litigation and transactional, large and small firms, domestically and abroad.

Born and raised in Des Moines, Iowa, Roy earned a B.A. (1992) from Grand View College in Iowa, a J.D. (2001) from Valparaiso University in Indiana, an M.L.S. (2005) from St. John’s University in New York, and an LL.M. (2006) in Chinese law from Tsinghua University in Beijing. He also spent a year (1997-98) as a history graduate student at the University of Memphis in Tennessee. Before starting work as a law librarian at Touro in 2006, Roy worked as a secondary school teacher in America and China, a bookseller and field interviewer in Iowa, and a law clerk in South Carolina. He has published articles about American constitutional law, Chinese libraries and librarianship, information ethics, and Hong Kong legal research (with Sergio Stone). He is writing an article about free speech in China and two books about Chinese legal history. Funded generously by an Overseas Young Chinese Forum-Gregory C. and Paula K. Chow Teaching Fellowship, Roy will also teach this research seminar as a visiting professor at Wuhan University Law School in May 2009.

Coming soon: New York Legal Research

The library recently has received new copies of New York Legal Research by Elizabeth G. Adelman and Suzanne E. Rowe (Durham, NC: Carolina Academic Press, 2008). The copies should be processed and available to patrons soon.

This new book provides an introduction to the topic of New York legal research. In contrast to New York Legal Research Guide by William H. Manz, this new book provides an introduction to New York legal research with an eye to the novice researcher. The Manz book, an excellent source, provides in-depth detail, whereas the new Adelman volume states concepts in simple terms that are well-suited for law students and legal assistants. Using the two volumes in tandem, one can enjoy the best of both worlds -- a summary for quick consultation and careful detail when warranted.

Remember to Meebo the Librarian!

Don't forget about the new instant messaging capability for reaching a librarian in the Reference Office of the Gould Law Library. Just go to the library's homepage at http://www.tourolaw.edu/library. Then, click on the link that says "Chat with the Reference Staff." Wait a few moments for the Meebo box to load and, then, type into the box that says "Type here and hit enter to send a message." If the reference librarian on duty is available, she or he will respond shortly.

One-Stop Shopping for NY Court Info

The web site of the New York State Unified Court System at http://www.courts.state.ny.us offers one-stop shopping for New York court information. The site lists the various NY courts and details the types of cases handled by each. A court directory provides locations, phone numbers, and directions. Court rules, full text of recent decisions, and court administration information also is provided. The judicial directory provides short profiles of each judge. A separate section of the site provides guidance to self-represented litigants, including court forms, filing fees, and an attorney referral page. The “How Do I?” page offers further guidance, as does a selection of court publications. The site also supplies a directory of public law libraries around the state and a collection of links for further legal research. Some court information is provided in multiple languages (for example, Chinese, Russian, and Spanish).

Finding the Law

Here's another recommendation for the intrepid legal researcher:

Finding the Law (12th edition) by Robert C. Berring and Elizabeth A. Edinger
St. Paul, MN: Thomson West, 2005
ISBN: 0-314-14579-6

Call number in the Gould Law Library:
KF240 .C538 2005

Locations: Reserve, Main Collection

This popular book, now in its 12th edition, was written by two librarians from Boalt Hall at the University of California, Berkeley. It covers all the basics of legal research - reporters, codes, legislative history, administrative publications, court rules, and search strategy. Librarians commonly use this book in tandem with the previously mentioned Fundamentals of Legal Research. If a detail is missing from one of the books, the other usually fills the gap. Finding the Law is highly recommended for Legal Process students or those enrolled in an advanced legal research course.

Legal Research in a Nutshell

Another helpful quick reference source is Legal Research in a Nutshell (9th edition) by Morris L. Cohen and Kent C. Olson. The Nutshell provides a solid introduction to the basics of legal research, such as primary and secondary sources, legislative and administrative research, and foreign and international sources. The book is frequently used as a reserve reading for first-year legal research classes or as a training manual for law librarians. A copy is available on Reserve at the library's circulation desk. The call number is KF240 .C54 2007.

Another Expert Legal Research Source

Fundamentals of Legal Research (8th edition) by Roy M. Mersky and Donald J. Dunn is another weapon in the arsenal of the advanced legal researcher. This volume is used regularly by the professional reference librarians at the Gould Law Library. The guide provides very detailed assistance in locating legislative history, international law, and administrative law, along with the expected cases, statutues, and constitutions. Ask for a Reserve copy at the library's circulation desk. The call number is KF240 .J32 2002.

Westlaw and LexisNexis Training for First-Year Law Students

Westlaw training for first-year law students begins on Sunday morning, September 21. Sign onto Westlaw with your personal ID and password (which you created with the activation code distributed during orientation). Then click on "Training Calendar" under the heading "Support" next to the photo of Adriana Mark, our Westlaw representative. Multiple times are available to accommodate your busy schedules. Remember to sign the attendance sheet at your session so that your Legal Process professor knows that you attended a mandatory session.

LexisNexis group training sessions ended on this Friday. To schedule a make-up session, contact our LexisNexis representative, Natasha Dasani. Just sign onto Lexis Nexis using your personal ID and password (which you created with the activation code distributed during orientation). Then, click on "My School." The contact information for Natasha will appear on the screen.

Links to the law school portals of Westlaw and LexisNexis are available on the library's homepage at http://www.tourolaw.edu/library. The law school portals will take you directly to the information you need as a law student researcher. You may wish to bookmark the library's web page or to place an icon on your desktop for easy access. Happy searching!

New York Legal Research: An Expert Tip

Do you have a question about New York legislative history? New York administrative decisions? Other hard-to-find New York legal minutiae? The experts consult Gibson’s New York Legal Research Guide (3d edition, 2004) by William H. Manz. First published in 1988, this book contains instructions for locating myriad types of New York legal information, supplemented with historical background. The Gould Law Library has copies on Reserve at KFN5074 .G53 2004. Also, remember to utilize our web page of helpful links to New York legal information at http://www.tourolaw.edu/library/internet_resources/index.asp.

Reference Office Implements Meebo Chat

The Reference Office recently has implemented Meebo chat, a new way for Touro law students and faculty to ask reference librarians for assistance with research projects. Visit the library's homepage at http://www.tourolaw.edu/library. Click on the link labeled "Chat with the Reference Staff." Then, type your query into the Meebo chat box. Reference queries will be answered through Meebo during regular reference hours. If the reference staff is unavailable, feel free to contact us by email at LibraryReference@tourolaw.edu. The next librarian on duty will respond to your question. Similarly, you may reach the Reference Office at 631.761.7160.

Law Library in a Nutshell Tours

Law Library in a Nutshell Tours

The Gould Law Library will be offering short tours for first year law students on Tuesday, September 2, and Wednesday, September 3, at 5:30 p.m. Tours will last approximately 45 minutes. Interested students will meet in front of the Reference Office on the library’s main floor. Christopher Tucker, a member of the reference team with several years of research experience, will be leading the tours. Learn the locations of New York practice materials and other sources that are integral to your law school success.

Library Information Sessions During First-Year Orientation

Reference librarians will be presenting half-hour sessions during first-year orientation on Tuesday, August 12, 2008, at the following times:

* 10:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
* 11:40 a.m. - 12:10 p.m.
* 12:50 p.m. - 1:20 p.m.
* 7:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

The sessions will cover online subscription databases, Lexis and Westlaw password registration, library policies, and reference services. Check your orientation schedules for details.

New Google Application

Google recently launched Knol, an online encyclopedia that has the potential to rival Wikipedia. Knols, much like Wikipedia entries, can be written and edited by anyone. However, unlike Wikipedia, the author’s name is featured on the Knol entry and any subsequent changes to a Knol entry must first be approved by the original author of the Knol entry.

Many of the existing Knol entries address health and medical topics as well as do-it-yourself guides/topics. Hopefully, more entries will be added as the popularity of Knol increases.

Library Tour

Recently, a new feature was added to the Library’s webpage-a photo slide tour of the Gould Law Library! The slide contains pictures of many of the librarians and library staff members at work within the library.
To view the tour from the Library’s homepage, click on the “Library Slide Tour” link located in the section entitled “About the Library.”

Lifehacker Blog and Google Search Tricks

Lifehacker Blog is a daily blog that contains tips and tutorials on how to use your computer to efficiently complete tasks. This blog features an entire section devoted to Google and offers search methods which can result in a more efficient use of Google. This section, entitled Google School, has postings which discuss obscure Google search tricks, finding webpages, and filtering Google results.

Law School Statistics

The July 2008 edition of the Young Lawyer, a publication of the American Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division, contains an article which offers several eye-opening statistics on the rise of law school accreditation, law school tuition, and student debt. According to Andrew P. Morriss and William D. Henderson, The New Math of Legal Education, 12 Young Lawyer 1 (July 2008), the ABA has accredited “20 additional schools since 1990”; “[s]ince 1987, law school tuition rose…224 percent at private institutions”; and the “average amount of law school debt owed at graduation soared 431 percent between 1987 and 2005.”

Recent Supreme Court Decisions

The Supreme Court has handed down several interesting decisions in the past week. Two such decisions, both of which are split 5-4 decisions, are District of Columbia v. Heller, No. 07-290, and Kennedy v. Louisiana, No. 07-343. In District of Columbia, Justice Antonin Scalia, writing for the majority, found that the Second Amendment provides individuals the right to own a firearm and that gun ownership is not limited to those persons engaged in military service. The Supreme Court’s entire opinion in District of Columbia can be accessed at http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/07pdf/07-290.pdf

In Kennedy v. Louisiana¸ Justice Anthony Kennedy, writing for the majority, held that the death penalty is unconstitutional as punishment for the rape of a child. The Supreme Court’s opinion in Kennedy, can be accessed at http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/07pdf/07-343.pdf

Summer Associates

The June edition of the New York Law Journal Magazine is dedicated to topics pertinent to summer associates. The magazine provides guidelines on how to succeed as a summer associate, tips on writing business appropriate e-mail messages, a discussion on the business aspect of law firms, and tips from four former summer associates on how to gain the most from the summer associate experience.

A copy of the New York Law Journal Magazine, volume 7, number 3, June 2008, is on reserve in the library behind the Circulation Desk.

Library Summer Hours

The Gould Law Library will be open for Touro Law Center students from now through Sunday, July 27:
Sunday: 9 am to 2 am*
Monday-Thursday: 7 am to 2 am*
Friday: 7 am to 2:45 pm*

*From 7 am to 8 am Monday through Friday, and 11:45 pm to 2 am Sunday through Thursday, the library is open to Law Center students for study only. Circulation and reference services are not available during these times.

Below are special hours and closings for the summer:
Sunday, June 8 (Shavout): 9 am to 2:45 pm
Monday, June 9-Tuesday, June 10: Closed
Friday, July 4: Closed

From Monday, July 28 through Sunday, August 10, the Library will be open for students:
Sunday: 9 am to 10:15 pm*
Monday-Thursday: 7 am to 10:15 pm*
Friday: 7 am to 2:45 pm*

*From 7 am to 8 am Monday through Friday, the library is open to Law Center students for study only. Circulation and reference services are not available during these times.

Library hours are subject to change. To verify these hours, please call (631) 761-7150.

Summer Bar Access

Recent Touro graduates may use the Law Library to study for the July 2008 bar exam. However, for those Touro graduates planning to study for the bar exam at a law school other than Touro, there is no guarantee that another law school will allow you free access to use the Law Library to study, even if you are taking a bar review course there. Different law schools maintain different policies on access to the library for bar study. Many law schools require that a bar study student purchase a bar pass in order to use the library. For a list of bar access policies, please see: http://www.tourolaw.edu/library/PDFs/Summer2008BarAccess.pdf.

Welcome!!

Welcome to the Gould Law Library Blog! The purpose of this blog is to provide details about events, special hours, and activities going on within the Law Library as well as information about free legal resources and other library-related information. In addition, this blog will contain postings about current news items, academia, the law and any other information that might be of significance to the Touro community.
Reader feedback is greatly appreciated! Questions and comments can be sent to cmorton@tourolaw.edu.