Advice to 1Ls

What do you do if you get called on and find yourself unprepared? Orin Kerr, law professor and blogger at the Volokh Conspiracy, offers some sage advice to 1Ls.

Thanks to Heafey Headnotes from Santa Clara Law.

Political Conventions

Find out the latest from the Democratic and Republican conventions. Most major television networks such as ABC, NBC, CBS, and PBS are also covering the events.

Webcasts From the Law Library of Congress

Watch webcasts from programs presented at the Law Library of Congress. Some of the topics include extraordinary rendition, terrorism, and Native American Heritage month.

Top Five Things to Know About the Library

1. Bathrooms are on the lower level, second floor, and third floor. Vending machines are on the lower level.
2. To see if the library owns something and where to find it use the catalog.
3. To access library databases go to the databases page.
4. Email your reference question to us if you are off-campus and do not want to call.
5. Check out permanent and course reserve materials at the circulation desk. To see if your professor has placed something on reserve, check your syllabus.

Laptop Security Anchor Points and Locks

Laptop anchor points are installed throughout the law library. You will find these in every study room and at various tables and carrels in each wing of the law library. To use the anchor points follow these steps:





1. Pass the loop end of the cable lock through the anchor point.





2. Pass the lock end of the cable lock through the loop end of the cable lock.






3. Secure the lock end to your laptop's security slot by pushing in the button on the back of the lock. Most laptops have security slots.





The cable lock needed to secure your laptop to the anchor point is inexpensive (around $25) and can be purchased at many local stores (Best Buy, Wal Mart etc …). The law library has several cable locks available for checkout from the circulation desk. These are available for use inside the law library only.



It is never a good idea to leave valuables unattended in the law library. Anchor points and cable locks are not a 100% guarantee against theft but they make it much more difficult for a thief to make off with your computer. Several laptops were stolen last year from the computer lab. In an informal survey conducted last week library staff counted 41 unlocked and unattended laptops at different times in the law library. Hopefully, these anchor points and laptop locks will help prevent future thefts.

Do You Need a Laugh?

Stressed out already? Here are some resources that take a humorous look at the legal profession.

Lowering the Bar-A blog dedicated to legal humor.

LegalHumour.com-Web site with articles, quotes, and a blawg.

Washburn University-List of legal humor resources.

Tracking Lobbyists

OMB Watch reported that both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate have established searchable databases with information about lobbyists and their contributions. This makes it easier for citizens and researchers to follow the money trail between lobbyists and politicians.

Thanks to beSpacific for this news.

AudioCaseFiles: Audio Opinions and Trial Video

AudioCaseFiles offers downloadable MP3 files of court opinions as well as streaming trial video. Search by course or casebook to find audio material from 1L classes and 2L and 3L subjects. Sample audio from People v. Zackowitz. Watch seasoned practitioners argue cases on products liability, antitrust, mergers and acquisitions, and more.

To register, go to http://www.audiocasefiles.com/register/. You must use your law school email address.

Welcome 1Ls

Welcome 1Ls

If you would like to review some resources on how to succeed in law school, see the display outside the Reference Offices.

Zotero

Zotero is a handy tool that helps collect and manage your citations. Moreover, it can export citations in a variety of styles.

Thanks to Bonnie Schucha from WisBlawg.

Legal Analysis Reading for 1Ls

If you have not already registered your Westlaw password and registered for the Legal Analysis class, please do so today. Once you register for the class you will find more information and reading.

Word to the wise-be prepared and do the reading before the first day of class!

Background Checks

Now you can take advantage of the free service, Criminal Searches, to check a person's background. While still in its Beta version, this service offers a preliminary look at someone's record.

Hat tip to Abbie Mulvihill from AbsTracked .

Justia's Regulation Tracker

Now you can add Justia to your list of free resources for finding and tracking regulations. While the content only goes back to 2005, it gives researchers an excellent way of keeping updated on new regulations.

Thanks to the Valpo Law Blawg.