Category Archives: 1Ls

Law School Lowdown

Brooklyn Law School Library’s latest New Books List  with its 55 items is now available thanks to the efforts of Cataloging Librarian Jeff Gabel. The titles on the list cover a wide range of subjects from abortion law and legislation to corporation law, from criminal justice to labor law, and from social media to  rent control in New York.

Law School LowdownOne title of practical interest to law students is Law School Lowdown: Secrets of Success from the Application Process to Landing the First Job (Call # KF283 .S37 2013) by Ian E. Scott. The author, a New York attorney and graduate of Harvard Law School, successfully completed the New York and New Jersey bar examinations and worked at Cleary Gottlieb’s litigation and corporate groups. Since then, he opened his own law practice, Scott Legal Services, P.C., which specializes in new business setup and business immigration.

This practical guide for success has tips on pitfalls to avoid and serves as a blueprint for legal accomplishment on a number of topics including:

  • The law school application process and tips on taking the important Law School Admission Test (LSAT)
  • Selecting a law school, applying for scholarships, and deciding between top-ranked and lower-ranked schools
  • Making the grade during that vital first year at law school
  • The best courses to take in second and third years
  • The advantages of publishing papers while in law school
  • Seeking out summer positions at law firms
  • Taking and passing state bar exams
  • Finding employment at a law firm after graduation
  • Other post-law school options, including judicial clerkships

The book’s useful appendices has yet more advice, and includes a completed model law school application form, effective résumés, and a model brief of a case for class. Based on his own law school experiences, Law School Lowdown addresses both the rigors and satisfactions that comprise the law school experience, offering the advice to will pave the way to a successful career in law. A companion blog called Law School Lowdown: The Site for Practical Law School Success Tips offers additional advice.

How to Write Legal Seminar Paper

A seminar is a course offered for a small group of advanced law students.  A seminar paper is a record of what you say to the group about a topic you have studied.

How to Write Legal Seminar Paper: Brooklyn Law School Library is co-hosting  a workshop on February 2, 2011, at Brooklyn Law School,  Room 504 from 4:00 to 6:00 PM.

The workshop focuses on finding topics, researching topics, developing theses, and avoiding plagiarism. Led by  Elizabeth Fajans, Associate Professor of Legal Writing and Kathleen Darvil, Reference Librarian and Adjunct Professor of Law, this workshop will help improve and sharpen your skills.

Professor Fajans is the winner of the 2011 Association of American Law Schools (AALS) Section on Legal Writing, Reasoning & Research Section Award. The award is given to an individual who has made a significant lifetime contribution to the field of legal writing and research. Professor Fajans has been Brooklyn Law School’s writing specialist since 1984. She is a co-author of the seminal book, Writing and Analysis in the Law, now in its 5th edition, and the more recent Writing for Law Practice, as well as the publication, Scholarly Writing for Law Students: Seminar Papers, Law Review Notes, Law Review Competition Papers, co-authored by Fajans and BLS Professor Mary Falk.

Law Students and Seminar Papers: Here are five great reasons to write a legal seminar paper:

1.       Opportunity to publish, develop professional reputation

2.       Writing product for jobs, especially judicial clerkships

3.       Opportunity to specialize in area of interest and to learn substantive law

4.       Self-fulfillment achieved from producing a truly independent scholarly writing

5.       Enter and win a legal writing competiton

Legal Writing Competitions: Entering a legal writing competition helps you hone your legal research and writing skills, which increases your attractiveness to potential employers.  You’ll have a superior writing sample which you’ll be proud to discuss and show others.  Moreover, the odds are excellent that your paper will be published, you’ll win a monetary prize, or you’ll be invited to present your paper at a conference of practitioners in your area of interest.

Locating Legal Writing Competitions:  Unless specifically noted, all contests listed are open to students at all ABA-accredited law schools.

Summer Research Fun!

During the summer months, many of our students gain practical experience, interning or working in law offices around New York.  Frequently, their employers ask them to conduct legal research.  Often our students feel inadequately prepared to conduct the research requested.   In response to a need for advanced research training, two one credit specialized legal research courses are being offered this summer.  Reference Librarians Harold O’Grady and Kathleen Darvil are teaching the courses.  Prof. O’Grady is teaching Advanced Legal Research: Securities Law and Prof. Darvil is teaching Advanced Legal Research: New York Civil Litigation.  Next year, the library hopes to continue and expand this specialized instruction to meet the needs and interests of our students.  Descriptions of the courses are listed below.  Both librarians have also created research guides in these specialties, which all students can access.  Those links are provided below the course descriptions.

Advanced Legal Research: Securities Law

This course focuses on research methodologies and strategies relating to a securities law practice. The class will review the structure of the SEC regulatory environment and develop a familiarity with the various publications issued by, and required to be submitted to, this agency. Students will undertake a review of the primary law, standard treatises, practice materials, and specialized databases to solve securities law research problems presented in class and stay current in this area of law.

http://guides.brooklaw.edu/FederalSecuritiesLaw

Advanced Legal Research: New York Civil Litigation

Students will study the tools of legal research, research techniques and strategies specific to New York civil practice. Students will learn to be proficient in the use of both print and online resources. Among the subjects to be covered are: New York State and City case law, statutory law and administrative regulations relevant to the New York civil practitioner, New York reference materials and treatises, New York form books, pre trial, trial, and appellate practice aids, and New York current awareness resources.

http://guides.brooklaw.edu/newyorkcivil

Take Me Out to the Ball game!

On Saturday night, law librarians and professors Karen Schneiderman and Vicki Szymczak joined Professor Anita Bernstein and SBA president Paul Molina in a fun, 1L mixer at Coney Island sponsored by the SBA. The Cyclones game has become a tradition during convocation weekend, attracting larger and larger crowds of upper class and 1Ls. This year, we were a group of about 30 people. We tried to pay attention to the game (which the Cyclones ended up losing in the 10th inning, 2-1), but used the beautiful summer night on the shores of NYC to get to know each other better.

We learned that people came from faraway places like Michigan, and really local places like Sheepshead Bay. Many people had Macs and were sorry to learn Lexis and Westlaw are not really Mac friendly. We all hoped that Lexis and Westlaw would grow up soon.

We also learned that at least one of the new students hated research. Naturally, that student will become a personal project for librarians Schneiderman and Szymczak. I can’t really blame the student. He hasn’t yet had the opportunity to take an Advanced Legal Research class with the librarians yet. If he did, he would know how much fun research can be. And how useful. He is just a 1L. He’ll learn.

Adding to the fun were the “Survey” people. We aren’t sure what they were trying to learn, but if you took their survey, you received all kinds of food – fried chicken, french fries, etc. So, we were a well fed crew and were quite chatty after a few beers. When we weren’t eating or talking, playing with our thunder sticks (thanks Paul) and made lots of noise to cheer on our teams (not everyone was supporting the home team).

The night ended with a spectacular display of fireworks! We ooohed and aaahd at the sparks and colorful streamers. Part of the group headed over to the Cyclone roller coaster for more thrills! Others decided to walk the boardwalk and try their luck at the arcades. It was a fun night and I would like to thank the SBA for inviting the librarians! We’ll see the other 1Ls during orientation next week.