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.