Author Archives: Linda Holmes

UPDATE: LexisNexis Digital Library Training Webinar & Live Session

lexisnexis-digital-libraryThe BLS Library is offering a webinar and a live training session to introduce students & faculty to the LexisNexis Digital Library.  As described in Reference Librarian Rosemary Campagna’s blog of October 15, 2016, the Library recently acquired a subscription to the LexisNexis Digital Library which gives students access to treatises, practice guides, and study aids in eBook format.

In order to formally introduce students and faculty to this important new resource, the Library is offering both a webinar and a live training session for the LexisNexis Digital Library.  Both sessions will cover the following topics:

  • How to access (both on-campus and off-campus)
  • Our library’s collection
  • Tools and functionality
  • Locating a title/volumes
  • Borrowing volumes
  • Bookmarks/highlights/annotations
  • Archives
  • Linking on-line research with “print” research
  • Recent and forthcoming enhancements

These sixty minute sessions will be offered on the following dates/times:

UPDATE:  THE PREVIOUSLY SCHEDULED WEBINAR FOR THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3rd WILL BE REPLACED BY A LIVE TRAINING SESSION ON THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2016, 11AM-12NOON IN LIBRARY ROOM 113M.  SPACE IS LIMITED.  EMAIL to: linda.holmes@brooklaw.edu, if you would like to attend.

WEBINAR:  Monday, November 7, 2016, 4:00PM-5:00PM.

The instructor for both training sessions is Damian A. Burns, LexisNexis Digital & Print Sales Engineer, Damian.A.Burns@LexisNexis.com

Please follow this link at the time of the November 7th webinar to participate:

www.LexisNexisNow.com/Damian

 

 

BLS Library Databases Research Fair: September 29, 2016

fair-balloonsThe Fifth Annual Library Databases Research Fair will be held on Thursday, September 29th, 2016.  The Fair will be held in the Student Lounge from 3:00pm to 6:00pm.

Representatives from the following legal research companies will be here to demonstrate their databases:

  • Bloomberg Law
  • Ebsco
  • Fastcase
  • Lexis Digital
  • Lexis Nexis
  • ProQuest
  • Westlaw
  • Wolters Kluwer
  • The Library will showcase our E-Book Collection
  • Brochures/Pens/Post-Its provided by Hein Online

Come and learn how these databases will help you with your legal research.

There will be handouts, light refreshments, and a raffle drawing for gift cards.

Save the date:  Thursday, September 29th, 2016, 3:00pm – 6:00pm, Student Lounge.

Welcome to the Library!

welcome back to schoolThe BLS Library staff welcomes new and returning students to school for the 2016-2017 academic year.  We are here to help in whatever way we can with your print and electronic use of the Library.

You may borrow reserve and circulating books from the first floor Circulation Desk and you can ask for reference and research assistance at the first floor Reference Desk.  There are now more ways than ever to reach the Reference Librarians.  See below:

Call us:  718-780-7567

Text us:  718-734-2432

Chat with us:  Visit the library homepage & the library page in BLS Connect

Email us:  askthelibrary@brooklaw.edu

Visit us at:  askthelibrary.brooklaw.edu

The Fall Semester Hours, beginning August 29, 2016, are:

Monday – Thursday:  8:00am – 12:00am

Friday:  8:00am – 10:00pm

Saturday:  9:00am – 10:00pm

Sunday:  10:00am – 12:00am

Good Luck in the fall semester!  We’re looking forward to seeing you in the Library!

For the Beach: A Little, Legal Book to Read

beach-reads-logoWhile the current issue of New York Magazine, July 11-24, 2016, has an article on “The Best 100 Beach Reads,” at pages 86-87, I would like to provide a shorter list of seven little, legal books that can offer both enlightenment and enjoyment at the beach or wherever your pleasure happens to be.

The American Bar Association has published a series entitled the “ABA Little Book Series” with currently nineteen titles.  The BLS Library has a number of these books cataloged, shelved in the main collection in the cellar and available for loan.

Herewith is a summary of seven of these titles:

The Little Book of Boating Law by Cecil C. Kuhne III:  KF 2558 . P5 K84 2012

boating lawThis book covers cases involving boats and alcohol, the party barge, a youthful driver and a high-speed motorboat, rescues of swimmers, kayaking, tubing, winds/waves & storms — anything can happen on the water, and does.

 

 

The Little White Book of Baseball Law by John H. Minan and Kevin Cole:  KF 3989 .M563 2009

baseballThis book discusses cases that involve game rules, antitrust, stadium construction, baseball memorabilia, injured spectators, TV contracts, fantasy baseball, etc.

 

 

The Little Book of Movie Law  by Carol Robertson:  KF 4298 .R63 2012

movie lawThe chapters in this book are called “Reels” and cover everything from the early days of cinema to the silent era to the development of sound to the McCarthy era to the rise of independent producers to obscenity and the U.S. Supreme Court.  There are also intermission sidebars which discuss censorship, publicity, copyright & trademarks and stunt people.

 

The Little Book of Foodie Law by Cecil C. Kuhne III:  KF 3869 .K84 2012

foodie lawSince we have become a nation of “foodies,” this book delves into legal cases involving spice wars, patented desserts, poisoned mushrooms, cooking schools, Kosher food and litigation over restaurant reviews.

 

 

The Little Red Book of Wine Law: A Case of Legal Issues by Carol Robertson: K 3935 .R62 2008

wine lawEach of the twelve chapters in this book are modeled after a case of wine and examine a specific topic, such as trademarks, family feuds and the wine business, contracts between grape growers and wine producers, the changing Napa Valley, the direct shipment of wine and the U.S. Supreme Court, etc.

 

coffee lawThe Little Book of Coffee Law by Carol Robertson:  KF 1984 .C6 R63 2010

This book begins with an introduction to the origin of coffee, and goes on to cover the growth of coffee imports, franchise agreements, labeling, etc., as well as chapter “coffee breaks” that cover coffee customs, coffee brewing, coffee marketing, and the infamous McDonald’s scalding case.

 

fashion lawThe Little Book of Fashion Law by Ursula Furi-Perry:  KF 3409 .C56 F87 2013

This little book covers the fashion industry in depth and from fashion season to fashion season:  Season One is fashion law and intellectual property; Season Two is fashion law and business, trade, litigation and consumer protection; Season Three is beauty and the law and Season Four is fitness and the law.

Miranda v. Arizona: Fifty Years Later

ernestomiranda640On June 13, 1966 the United States Supreme Court handed down the decision in Ernesto Miranda v. the State of Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 (1966). This case was actually consolidated with three others: Westover v. United States, Vignera v. State of New York and California v. Stewart, however, this case has become known to be simply Miranda v. Arizona.

Ernesto Miranda was arrested in Phoenix, Arizona in March 1963 based on circumstantial evidence linking him to the kidnapping and rape of an eighteen year old woman named Mary Adams ten days prior to his actual arrest.  At the police station, after hours of interrogation, he signed a confession. During the interrogation Miranda was not told of his right to counsel.  During the trial the prosecutor entered his confession as evidence; Miranda’s attorney objected, stating that the confession was not truly voluntary and should be excluded. This objection was overruled and Miranda was convicted of rape and kidnapping at trial. The Arizona Supreme Court affirmed the trial court’s decision.

Miranda’s case and three other similar cases were appealed to the United States Supreme Court, with the Court handing down their decision fifty years ago this month.  The Miranda case has become famous because it establishes a defendant’s right to counsel and of the right against self-incrimination.  Judge Earl Warren wrote for the majority, in the 5-4 decision, that these rights were guaranteed by the Fifth and Sixth Amendments to the Constitution.

After the Supreme Court’s decision, the state of Arizona retried Miranda without the confession, but he was convicted on the strength of a witness and sentenced to 20 to 30 years in prison. He served eleven years and died in 1976, after being stabbed in a bar fight.

“Miranda Rights” have come to be known by the public through television shows and movies as the “right to remain silent” and “anything said can and will be used against in a court of law.” Hundreds of law review articles have been written about this case and a defendant’s “Miranda Rights.”  The library also has a number of books about the Miranda case, including the titles listed below:

Miranda: the Story of America’s Right to Remain Silent by Gary Stuart (2004).

The Miranda Debate:  Law, Justice, and Policing by Richard Leo (1998).

The Miranda Ruling: Its, Past, Present, and Future by Lawrence Wrightsman (2010).

Miranda Revisited by Frank Schmalleger (2001).

Summer Access (& Beyond) to Bloomberg, Lexis & Westlaw

The three legal research databases, Bloomberg Law, Lexis Advance and WestlawNext, are available to Brooklyn Law School students this summer.  May 2016 graduates will have access to these databases for six months after graduation.  See the details below:

bloomberglaw65Bloomberg Law:  Provides unlimited and unrestricted access over the summer.  Student accounts will remain active and available all summer.  Graduating students have continued access for six months after graduation.

For questions, contact Maxwell Sivin, Law School Relationship Manager, msivin@bna.com, 646-494-5244.

Lexis AdvanceLexis Advance:  Students will have continuing access all summer for academic, professional, and non-profit research.   All legal and news content will be available.  Your law school ID will remain active all summer.  Summer access begins on the date spring classes end through the beginning of fall classes.

Please check with your summer employer as to their ID guidelines. Some employers may request you use a work ID instead of your student access ID for employer work.

May 2016 graduate have access to Lexis for six months after graduation.

For questions, contact Mary Beth Drain, LexisNexis Account Executive, marybeth.drain@lexisnexis.com, 845-598-3203.

99b7a752.WestlawNext_logoWestlawNext:  Students must extend their passwords for the following academic uses:

  • Summer law school classes & study abroad programs
  • Law Review and Journal, including writing competitions
  • Research assistant
  • Moot Court
  • Unpaid internship/externship

Students with summer employment in law firms, corporations, government agencies and the like should not use their academic password for research and must use their firm issued password.

Students can complete the online summer extension form on the Westlaw homepage at www.lawschool.westlaw.com.  Students will see a banner if they are a 1L or 2L that says “Using Westlaw in the Summertime?”  Then, they should click on the banner and complete the online summer extension form to extend their Westlaw accounts.

Graduates will see an extension form that says “Grads, Want More Westlaw?”  on the Westlaw law school homepage.  Graduates can extend their student accounts by clicking on the banner form and then they will have their access extended through 11/30/16 (for six months after graduation).

For questions, contact Stefanie Efrati, West Academic Account Manager, stefanie.efrati@thomsonreuters.com, 212-548-7432.

Library Hours & Study Room Reservations: April 27 – May 15

exam timeLibrary hours for the reading and exam period, April 27th – May 12th, are 8:00am – 2:00am.  The circulation desk will close at 12 Midnight every night during this period.

On Friday, May 13th the Library will be open  8:00am – 10:00pm.

During the reading and exam period study room reservations are mandatory.  All study rooms will be locked beginning at 8:00am on Wednesday, April 27th and students must go to the circulation desk at the time of their reservation to pick up the key to the room.  Please remember the following about the use of the study rooms during the reading/exam period:

  • Study rooms are for the use of groups of two or more students.
  • Study rooms may be reserved for the current day and three days ahead.
  • Study room reservations may be made in time slots of 60 minutes.
  • Students may book up to 4 time slots per day.
  • The link to the study room reservations is on the library homepage under “Related Links.”

Please note that the Library will be open 9:00am – 12Midnight on Saturday & Sunday, May 14th & 15th for the Writing Competition weekend.

Good Luck on Your Exams & Have a Great Summer!

 

The BLS Library Celebrates National Library Week

National Lib. Wk.National Library Week is a national observance sponsored every April by the American Library Association.  National Library Week was first begun in 1958 and its goal is to promote and support library use throughout the country.  Libraries, whether academic, public, school or special, celebrate this week each year.

Here at the Brooklyn Law School Library we are having a “National Library Week Quiz” from Monday through Thursday, April 11 -14. The quiz contains ten short questions about the library.  You can pick up a copy of the quiz at the first floor reference desk, fill in the answers on the quiz sheet, and then return the quiz to the “answer bowl” at the reference desk.  You have until 12:00 Midnight on Thursday, April 14th to return the answer sheet.  The winner will be drawn from those sheets with the correct answers. The winner will be announced and notified on Friday, April 15th.  The lucky person will receive a $25.00 gift card.

Since everyone can’t be a winner, Monday through Thursday afternoons of this week we’ll put a bowl of chocolates at the circulation desk.  Help yourself to some candy!

 

New Study Room Reservation System

studyroomBeginning March 30th, 2016, the Library is using a new study room reservation system.  The link to this new system is on the library webpage and in BLS Connect.

  • Study rooms are now grouped by number of seats:  Small (2-4 people), Medium (6-8 people), and Large (10-12 people).
  • You must use a BLS email address to book a room.
  • Student reservations are limited to 4 hours per day.
  • You may remain in your room after the end of your reserved time if no one else has scheduled the room.
  • During the reading and examination period, the study rooms are locked and you must obtain the key to the room at the circulation desk.

We hope you find this new system easy to use and please let us know if you have questions or comments.

Spring Break Hours: March 19 – 27, 2016

Spring-BreakThe Library hours for the BLS spring recess are:

Saturday, March 19:  9am – 10pm

Sunday, March 20:  10am – 10pm

Monday – Friday, March 21 – 25:  9am – 10pm

Saturday, March 26:  9am – 10pm

Sunday, March 27:  10am – 12am

For future Library hours, be sure to check our daily calendar which can be found on the Library homepage, in the lower right corner.

Enjoy your spring break!