Happy Chanukah!

Tonight begins the celebration of Chanukah! Also called the Feast of Rededication or Feast of Lights, this Jewish festival “reaffirms the ideals of Judaism and commemorates in particular the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem by the lighting of candles on each day of the festival.”1 

Our Associate Director of the Gould Law Library & Special Collections Curator Beth Mobley has created an interesting Chanukah exhibit in our Judaica room. As you are studying for finals, consider using the quiet and beautiful space in the Judaica room on our third floor, and while you’re there, take a look at this exhibit. The exhibit features the traditional celebration activities and foods:

Among the items on display are those displayed above, an art deco menorah and a traditional menorah with the blessings and the holiday song Ma’oz Tzur. There are also several draydls, chocolate gelt for the pot, and an illustrated latkes recipe for you to view. You can also peruse books about Chanukah from the Abraham Goldstein and Lillie Goldstein Judaica Collection, which are part of the display:

Chanukah continues for eight days and nights. Here at the Law Center, the menorah will be lit each night in the Atrium at 5:30 PM, except for Friday, when the menorah is lit before sunset in honor of the Shabbat. Please join in the nightly lighting of the menorah, and then visit our library to study. We wish you all a Happy Chanukah and a Happy Thanksgiving!

1Hanukkah (2013). In Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. Retrieved November 27, 2013. This resource can be accessed by Touro Law Center Students only. Click here and scroll down to Encyclopaedia Britannica Online to access this resource.

Library Now Open 24/6+ for Finals Reading Period

In order to maximize your opportunities for quiet study, Gould Law Library is open as a study hall almost around the clock through the end of final exams (December 20th). These special hours are for Law Center Students ONLY. There are only a few exceptions to this round the clock availability through the end of finals, which are:

Thursday, November 28th, 2013:
The library is closed for observance of Thanksgiving.  No entry to the library is available.

Friday, November 29th, 2013:
The Library will open as a study hall only from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Library services are not available during this time.

EVERY Friday from 2:45 p.m. to Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m.:
This closure is in observance of the Jewish Sabbath. Saturday access is subject to special conditions: You may use the 1st floor only; you must have your Touro ID and use the special access door to enter; and you cannot bring any food.

Please note that library services will not be available during the overnight periods and on Saturdays, although a security guard will be on duty. Students using the library during this time must sign in and out at security.

The entire library (except for the Circulation Desk, the Reference Office, and enclosed study rooms) is now a quiet zone to maximize available study space. In order to keep the quiet zone as quiet as possible, please take care to remember:

* No cell phone use is allowed in the library at any time.

* Conversation should be taken outside the library to the atrium.

* If you encounter any noise issues, please see a member of the library staff.

We’ll be back to post again soon.

In the meantime, keep calm and read on.

Election Law – Voting Rights and Electoral Conflict

Today we will be highlighting some of our newer print resources on the dynamic field of law that has arisen from election day conflicts and issues. Often, legal conflicts concerning the parameters of election contests arise even before a vote is cast. The right to vote, and what that means and entails, is an important topic that is debated frequently in this legal field.  We have many resources in our collection, in print and digital, that address this topic.

Here are two of our newer secondary sources on this burgeoning area of law:

Bending Toward Justice : The Voting Rights Act and The Transformation of American Democracy (2013)
Written by Gary May

The history of the Voting Rights Act, from the events leading to its conception to its present day fate, are discussed in this text.

Inside Bush v. Gore (2013)
Written by Charley Wells

Written by the former Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court, this book is a historical account from the author’s perspective of the vote recount in Florida after the 2000 Presidential election.




Election Day is next week! If you're registered and able, remember to vote on November 5th.

This is the last post in our series about election law. Check back next month for our series on a new topic.

In the meantime, keep calm and read on.

Election Law – Free State Law Resources

 In this post, we are highlighting some free resources to study New York State election law.

Election law is a complex byzantine of rules and regulations at every level of government. Election law in New York State is only further complicated by the many levels of government that exist as governing authorities. “There are 1607 general purpose local governments in New York State, each with its own governing body and taxing authority.”*

To start to familiarize yourself with New York State election law, you can start at the New York State Board of Elections website: http://www.elections.ny.gov/. The New York State Board of Elections has a page specifically devoted to setting forth the New York statutes and regulations in effect for this upcoming election day: http://www.elections.ny.gov/ElectionLaw.html   At this website, you can find:

• A copy of New York State 2013 Election Law, current through Laws 2012, Chapter 504, together with selected provisions of the New York State Constitution and rules and regulations: http://www.elections.ny.gov/NYSBOE/downloa/law/2013NYElectionLaw.pdf 

• Formal Opinions of the NY State Board of Elections, 1974 to Present: http://www.elections.ny.gov/NYSBOE/download/law/Opinions07292013.pdf

• Advisory Opinions of the NY State Board of Elections: http://www.elections.ny.gov/NYSBOE/download/law/advisory.pdf

You can, of course, explore more about election law in subscription databases, but free resources are great to know about and keep handy. Check back soon for our next blog post to highlight resources on this topic.

In the meantime, keep calm and read on.


* NYS Government. NYS Division of Local Government Services. Retrieved October 28, 2013, from http://www.dos.ny.gov/lg/localgovs.html

Election Law – New Digital Resources

Digital resources are great for a fast-changing field of law such as election law, and you can find those in our collection, as well.

To keep up-to-the-minute informed about legal issues where politics and finance intersect, such as campaign finance, lobbying, and government ethics issues, consider BNA’s e-newsletter, The Money and Politics Report.  You can access this database by clicking here and scrolling to the link for Money and Politics Report.

You can also find digital resources in our collection by searching our online catalog. For example, just after last year’s Election Day, a hearing was held before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, entitled: “The State of the Right to Vote After the 2012 Election.” You can view the transcript of that hearing online here.

In January 2012, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report detailing the results of its study about the feasibility of holding federal elections over a weekend instead of on the traditional Tuesday. You can access that report here.

Our reference librarians and circulation staff can assist you in finding more digital resources – we’d be happy to help! Check back soon for our next blog post to highlight resources on this topic.


In the meantime, keep calm and read on.

Election Law – New Print Resources

In this post, we are highlighting some of our newer print resources on general election law.

Election law has become increasingly complex, as our politics have become more partisan and our electorate more diverse. There are several, newer print resources in our collection that are a great introduction to this field of law:

Goldfeder’s Modern Election Law (2013)
Written and edited by Jerry H. Goldfeder ; Additional Contributors: Daniel M. Burstein, et al.

This resource is frequently consulted by experts in the field, and it is a hot commodity in libraries around this time of year. We have the most recent supplement (2013) on the shelves. 





America Votes!: A Guide to Modern Election Law and Voting Rights (2012)
Edited by Benjamin E. Griffith

This guide, published by the American Bar Association, addresses the election law questions which are currently or imminently about to be addressed by the courts.

Election Law In a Nutshell (2013)
Written by Daniel P. Tokaji

Part of the popular “Nutshell” series published by West, this book provides introductory insight to the growing and complex field of election law.




These resources are just the latest of the print resources you can consult in our collection to introduce yourself to election law. Check back soon for our next blog post to highlight resources on this topic.

In the meantime, keep calm and read on.

Election Law – The New York City 2013 Electoral Race

As many of you are aware, the New York City electoral race is a hot ticket right now. The Office of the New York City Mayor is up for election, with a new mayor to be elected to succeed Mayor Michael E. Bloomberg, a three-term holder of that position. The two candidates in the running are Mr. Bill deBlasio, a Democrat, and Mr. Joe Lhota, a Republican.

The candidates squared off for the first of three Tuesday night debates earlier this week, and you can see a live fact checking chat that the New York Times ran simultaneously with the debate here. The New York Times is also offering e-mail alerts as news occurs in the New York Mayoral contest. You can sign up and follow the election race here: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/nyregion/trailside-to-go.html#step0

Residents of New York City will also have the opportunity to elect a new New York City Comptroller and New York City Public Advocate, all five Borough Presidents, and seats on the New York City Council.

If you are a resident of New York City, you can find out exactly who’s on your ballot by visiting the "Who's on Your Ballot?" website: http://whosontheballot.org/ and entering your address. (Your address will not be stored.) The site is under the auspices of a not-for profit project of the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University. It also provides updates on the election contest and useful links to election resources, including the New York City and New York State Board of Elections.

Check back soon for our next blog post to highlight resources on this topic.

In the meantime, keep calm and read on.

New Exhibit: Paula Isenberg ~ A View into the Holocaust

An inspirational exhibit was recently opened at the Gould Law Library, entitled: “Paula Isenberg ~ A View into the Holocaust.” Using original artifacts, books, and documents from Mrs. Isenberg’s life, the exhibit shows how a brave young woman directly participated in the trial of 31 defendants accused of committing war crimes at the first and the largest concentration camp in Germany, called the Buchenwald Camp. During the Holocaust, this camp housed thousands of alleged political prisoners and over 4,000 Jews, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel. After enlisting in the Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps in 1943, Paula was assigned as a court reporter to the 7708 War Crimes Group in 1947. As a court reporter, she directly witnessed the criminal trials of 31 officers of the Buchenwald Camp. After returning to the United States and retiring from her civilian career as a court reporter, Paula shared her experience at programs and presentations for children and adults, so the memory of her experience would not be lost. At the exhibit, you can see many original artifacts and documents from Mrs. Isenberg’s service to the 7708 War Crimes Group and her presentations and programs made long after her service.

Please take some time to explore the important history of Paula Isenberg, at the Third Floor Exhibit case, next to the Rare Books Room. You can also explore an article about Mrs. Isenberg published in Verve magazine in 2010 here, or register to view Mrs. Isenberg’s video testimony provided to the Survivors of Shoah Visual History Project here. In addition to seeing the original artifacts provided to the exhibit, you can view online artifacts that Mr. and Mrs. Isenberg donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum here.


Article Consulted for this Post:

Verve-acious (2010, July 29). For the Record. VERVE Magazine | Asheville's Magazine for Women | News | Fashion | Food | Events - Current Issue. Retrieved October 16, 2013, from http://www.vervemag.com/august-2010/2010/7/29/for-the-record.html

Want to Win a $25 Gift Card to iTunes? 2013 Legal Trivia Contest Open!

Want to Win a $25 Gift Card to iTunes?

Enter the 2013 “Ghouls and Gould” Law Library Trivia Contest!

The Gould Law Library is offering all students a chance to win a $25 iTunes gift card!

To win, all you have to do is come to the Law Library Circulation Desk and pick up an official entry form. There are three legal trivia questions to answer. For every question correctly answered, your name will be entered as an official entry into a drawing. You only need to answer one question to enter, but if you answer all three, you get three entries to win! Each answer equals one entry.

Return your entry to the Circulation Desk. The contest closes at 8:59 p.m. on October 30, 2013. On October 31, 2013, a winner will be selected by the Gould Law Library Staff through a lottery drawing of official entries. The prize awarded will be a $25 gift card to iTunes.

Have fun! Good luck!

Election Law – The New York State 2013 Judicial Election Race

Although it is considered an off-year election, several important races are taking place in our area.

In addition to the proposal on the ballot to raise the mandatory retirement age of state judges, which would allow them to serve to the age of 80, many of the seats of our state judges are also up for election. A list of the candidates for Supreme Court has recently been released by New York State, which you can view here: http://www.elections.ny.gov:8080/reports/rwservlet?cmdkey=Candidat_32

Considering the number of judicial seats up for election, if you are interested in the history of the judicial election process, you might consider reading this newly published book: 

  

The People's Courts : Pursuing Judicial Independence In America (2012)

Written by Jed Handelsman Shugerman

Mr. Shugerman of Harvard Law School has published a well-researched and readable book on the history of the appointment and election of judges, and how those contests have become increasingly challenged over the years.
 

 

Check back soon for our next blog post to highlight resources on this topic.

In the meantime, keep calm and read on.

Election Law – The New York State 2013 Ballot

Welcome back to our series on Gould Law Library resources! In this month’s posts, we will be highlighting some of our resources on election law, in recognition of Election Day, November 5th, which is just around the corner.

It’s always important in this field to know what issues and elected positions are at issue in any given election year.

This year, there are several proposed amendments to the New York State Constitution. You can learn about them here: http://www.elections.ny.gov/ProposedConsAmendments.html. These proposed amendments would, if enacted by the people of New York, allow for:

• Legalized gambling in New York State and the establishment of up to seven casinos
• Veterans with combat-related disabilities to be granted extra points in their application for civil service job promotions
• Municipalities to continue exceeding their debt limits for sewage facilities
• The resolution of a land dispute and a land exchange in the Adirondack forest preserve
• The mandatory retirement age of all state judges to be raised to 80 years old

No matter your stance on these amendments, it is important to exercise your right to vote if you hold that right. For reference, you can check if you are registered to vote in New York State here: https://voterlookup.elections.state.ny.us/voterSearch.aspx.

For information about registering to vote in New York State, visit: http://www.elections.ny.gov/VotingRegister.html. A mailed application must be postmarked no later than October 11th (just three days away) in order to register to vote in this year’s general election.

Check back soon for our next blog post to highlight resources on this topic.

In the meantime, keep calm and read on.

Legal Process Students: It's Westlaw and Lexis Training Time!

Attention all Legal Process students: It is time to start signing-up for your mandatory Westlaw and Lexis training sessions. To view session times and sign-up, you must access the West and Lexis Training Calendars.

WESTLAW TRAININGS:

Westlaw sessions are available Monday, September 30th – Sunday October 6th. For West, on your homepage after logging-in, click the “Training Calendar” link on the left side of the page. 

LEXIS TRAININGS:

Lexis sessions are available Monday, October 7th - Sunday, October 13. For Lexis, on your homepage after logging-in, click the “Training at my School” button on the left side of the page. 

Please consider signing up soon, as the sessions tend to fill up quickly! As always, if you ever have any questions about using any online database, please stop by the Reference Office.  We're happy to help!


 - Isaac Samuels, Reference Librarian, Contributor

Register Your Passwords - Fall 2013

Welcome, welcome, welcome!  We are so excited to introduce our 1Ls to the world of legal research.  

Alexander Graham Bell is remembered for once saying: "Before anything else, preparation is the key to success."  In law school, there are two keys to success:  preparation and passwords.  You cannot hope to succeed without either one.

After our Library Orientation sessions, the Librarians will be offering password registration assistance to 1Ls. At each session, we will walk you through registering your passwords for Westlaw, Lexis, and Bloomberg Law, and we can assist you with any technical difficulties you may be having with any registration process.

Each session will take place in the Library Computer Lab (Room 308) on the third floor of the Library. Once you exit the elevator or stairs, turn right, and the Lab will be on your left.

The sessions will take place as follows:

• Tuesday, August 13th at 6:30 p.m.
• Monday, August 19th at 12:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, August 20th at 9:30 a.m.
• Wednesday, August 21st at 9:30 a.m.
• Thursday, August 22nd at 12:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m

There is no need to pre-register, so simply come when you can.  

Please consider attending one of these sessions.  We're happy to help!

Literature for Law Students II – Summer’s Subject

How is your summer going? We hope our graduates are doing well and taking care of themselves as they successfully prepare for the bar exam next month. We know you’ll do great! We also hope all of our students are having a wonderful and educational summer.

Have you heard of the The Law School Guys? They run a website that is made for those going through the exciting yet stressful process of applying to law school, and for those in the equally exciting yet equally stressful process of getting through law school.

One of the resources they offer is a list of recommended books to read before you get here. Even if you’re a 2L or a 3L, many of these books are well worth a read. Two of the books on the list were written by Touro Law Center faculty, who clearly know their stuff. They are:


Mastering The Law School Exam : A Practical Blueprint For Preparing And Taking Law School Exams By Professor and Director of Academic Development Suzanne Darrow-Kleinhaus

Call No. KF 283 .D37 2006 

The law school exam can be a daunting prospect. Professor Kleinhaus takes the uncertainty out of the process by guiding you in “how to do it,” and “how to write it.” Her book will help you along the way to learning how to “think like a lawyer” and also how to successfully bridge the gap from class to exam.




Bridging The Gap Between College And Law School : Strategies For Success By Touro Law Assistant Dean Charlotte D. Taylor & Ruta K. Stropus

Call No. KF283 .S77 2009

Wondering how you can step up your game and translate your success in college to further success in law school? Look no further. This definitive guide will help you successfully navigate the educational terrain of law school, including how to take notes differently, prepare for class differently, and prepare for exams differently than you did in college.


We’ll post again soon with some more interesting reads about the study and the practice of law.

In the meantime, keep calm and read on.

Literature for Law Students – Summer’s Subject

Welcome to the summer! It’s a busy time here at the Gould Law Library. We’re getting ready for orientation for our new 1Ls and looking forward to welcoming all of our students to the library in the Fall with legal research instruction and library services that will help all of you succeed in law school.

No matter where you are in your legal education and preparation for entry to the bar, you may be curious about what your future career in the law has in store for you. Here are two fairly new, very popular books that provide insight on what to expect in your career:

 

Tomorrow’s Lawyers: An Introduction to Your Future  

Author:                        Richard Susskind

Call Number:              K120 .S87 2013

Publication Date:      2013

 

The New Lawyer's Handbook : 

101 Things They Don't Teach You In Law School 

Author:                           Karen Thalacker

Call Number:                KF300 .T48 2009

Publication Date:        2009

 

Tomorrow’s Lawyers has been especially well-received and is recommended by many. After you’ve read it, come by and ask us what we think about the book, or talk to our Dean and our faculty about it. You’ll find that many of us have read it, too.

We’ll post again soon with some more interesting reads about the study and the practice of law.

In the meantime, keep calm and read on.