Pulitzer-Prize winning Greenhouse (Becoming Justice Blackmun) who has covered the Supreme Court for nearly 30 years; together with Yale Law professor Siegel (Processes of Constitutional Decision Making) discuss their new book, "Before Roe v. Wade: the voices that shaped the abortion debate before the Supreme Court's ruling." Bringing to light key voices that illuminate the case and its cultural context, the authors look back and recapture how the arguments for and against abortion took shape as claims about the meaning of the Constitution—and about how the nation could best honor its commitment to dignity, liberty, equality, and life.   The book is available at the Law Library  and you may watch the video online in our catalog.

The Law Library's list of new acquisitions for November 2010 are now available:

• All Acquisitions
• German, French and Italian Language Acquisitions
• Spanish Language Acquisitions
• Movies and TV Programs
  

Or, as always, you can visit the library's new acquisitions web page: http://www.law.yale.edu/library/acquisitions.asp.

The Yale Law Library is happy to announce an exciting book publishing event connected to our library, and an engaging web site created by our library related to the book.  The book is the long-awaited "Representing Justice: Invention, Controversy, and Rights in City-States and Democratic Courtrooms" by Judith Resnik and Dennis Curtis, two of our faculty members.  It is the third book in the Yale Law Library Series in Legal History and Reference, published by Yale University Press with Yale Law Librarian Fred Shapiro as the series editor.  Resnik and Curtis trace the development of public spaces dedicated to justice, and how this development has reflected and shaped the evolution of adjudication itself and the intimate relationship between the courts and democracy.  The book is visually stunning, with over 200 magnificent color illustrations.

To support "Representing Justice," Camilla Tubbs, Jason Eiseman and Mike Widener of the Yale Law Library have created a website, the first component of our Document Collections Center:  <http://documents.law.yale.edu/representing-justice>.    This website brings the work of Resnik and Curtis to life by connecting readers to fascinating images from the book and from related rare volumes in our library collection, links to library events and videos, and information about a "Representing Justice" course being taught this spring by Resnik and Curtis at the Law School.   

This project is one of many developed in the wake of the Yale Law Library's Strategic Plan to increase the importance of the library in the digital age.  Faculty and students here are deeply engaged in scholarship which requires library support, and in turn, the Law Library benefits from the expertise and knowledge base of the researchers who use, identify and support our collections.  The Yale Law School Library Document Collection Center will publish discrete collections of research material collected by the library.  Some collections are related to faculty publications the library worked on, some collections come from in-house digitization projects, and others have been collected as part of other law school projects.   All digitized collections are intended to make our unique content available to a wider audience.  We look forward to adding additional collections and enhancements in the future, including a powerful cross-collection search. 

You may also view faculty and student publications in the YLS Scholarship Repository.

Responding to requests from law students, we will restrict non-law student access during
undergraduate and Law School reading/exam periods. 
 
Effective the evening of Friday, December 3 and continuing through the afternoon of
Wednesday, January 19, admission to the Law Library will be limited to Law School affiliates,
University faculty, and Law Library pass holders. 
(Passes will be given to non-law students doing legal research and presenting a letter from a faculty member or college dean.) 
 
During this restricted period, law students must show their ID card with the Law School sticker
every time they enter the library to gain admission to the Law Library. 
 
The library monitors will be intending conscientiously to enforce this policy so please help them
by having your card when you come to the library.  If for some reason you do not have the Law School sticker
on your card, you can get one from the Registrar's Office.  In general, we ask for your cooperation with staff
who will be implementing the rules in the stressful environment that exams create for all of us. 
 
Restrictions must always be implemented with caution because we are committed to participating in the University community. 
If you have suggestions about these policies, please feel free to communicate them to me. 
 
Fred Shapiro 
Associate Librarian for Collections and Access 
Lillian Goldman Law Library 
Yale Law School 

Linda Greenhouse and Reva Siegel 
Before Roe v. Wade:  Voices that Shaped the Abortion Debate Before the Supreme Court’s Ruling
Thursday, December 9, at 6 p.m 
Labyrinth Books
290 York St., New Haven, CT

The Lillian Goldman Law Library invites you to a discussion of an important new book by Professor Reva Siegel and Linda Greenhouse, with critical commentary by Professor Jack Balkin.    

Before Roe v. Wade offers compelling review of the societal conditions, incidents, and cases that led to the Supreme Court's historic decision legalizing abortion, which recaptures how the arguments for and against abortion took shape as claims about the meaning of the Constitution—and about how the nation could best honor its commitment to dignity, liberty, equality, and life.

Reva Siegel is the Nicholas deB. Katzenbach Professor of Law at Yale Law School and Professor of American Studies at Yale University. 

Linda Greenhouse is a Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist and long-time Supreme Court reporter who is the Knight Distinguished Journalist in Residence and Joseph Goldstein Lecturer in Law at Yale Law School. 

Jack Balkin is the Knight Professor of Law and the First Amendment at Yale Law School.

Douglas Kysar and Robert Verchick
Vision, Values and Environmental Law 

Thursday, December 2, at 6 p.m. 

Room 120, Yale Law School 

The Lillian Goldman Law Library invites you to a discussion of two new powerfully sweeping books by Professor Douglass Kysar and Professor Robert Verchick. 

In Regulating from Nowhere: Environmental Law and the Search for Objectivity   Professor Kysar examines a wide array of sources to propose a new theoretical basis for understanding environmental law and policy.  He concludes by advocating a movement toward environmental constitutionalism in which allowing life to flourish is always considered a priority.

In Facing Catastrophe: Environmental Action for a Post-Katrina World Professor Verchick draws on the experience of post-Katrina New Orleans to sound a wake-up call for environmental action and argue that government must assume a stronger regulatory role in to limit and manage the consequences of future natural disasters.

Douglas Kysar is the Joseph M. Field ’55 Professor of Law at Yale Law School, where his teaching and research areas include torts, environmental law, and risk regulation.

Robert Verchick is the Gauthier-St. Martin Eminent Scholar and Chair in Environmental at Loyola University Law School, in New Orleans.

Jacob Hacker 
Winner Take All Politics: How Washington Made the Rich Richer and Turned Its Back on the Middle Class
Wednesday, December 1, at 5 p.m.  
Labyrinth Books
290 York St., New Haven, CT 

The Lillian Goldman Law Library invites you to a discussion of an important book by Professor Jacob Hacker, with commentary by Professor Robert Shiller.    

Winner Take All Politics is a ground-breaking work demonstrating how the U.S. political system was hijacked by the super-rich over a series of both Democratic and Republican led administrations and showing a path for taking it back.  The authors are lauded for their insights in featured reviews ranging from the New York Times* to Mother Jones, and famed consumer advocate Elizabeth Warren calls this book must reading.  Learn more from the author with commentary provided by Professor Robert Shiller at the upcoming book discussion being held at Labyrinth Books and sponsored by the Lillian Goldman Law Library.

The Acquisitions & Continuing Resources Department obtains library materials from worldwide sources - from Bemidji to Beijing, from New Haven to New Delhi, from Saint Louis to Saint Petersburg. MORRIS, our on-line library system, currently tracks 996 vendors – and we are adding new business partners every year.

Book sellers, print and electronic serial subscription agents, rare book specialists, and film sources have all played a role in the growth of our collections. In a way, every item's journey to us tells a story. These days, acquisitions information is viewable in MORRIS. But long before on-line library systems, records of titles added through purchase or gift were kept through diary entries.

From January 21, 1948

Dr. Ernst Sauer, Nordrhein-Westfalen, British Zone, GERMANY sent us the two books listed below and asked that in return we send him soap and fat.  Two cans of Crisco and six bars of soap were sent him with instructions that they be given to “Care” if they could not be delivered to him.

Kipp – Mensch, recht und staat

Sauer – Grundlehre des völkerrechts

In May 1948 we were notified by Yale Station that Dr. Sauer had not been located so we authorized the Post Office in Germany to turn the box over to CARE.

On June 8, 1948 we received a postal from Dr. Sauer notifying us that he had received the package and was sending us another book since the value of the gift was greater than the value of the books he sent.

Turegg – Deutschland und das völkerrect, 1948

We do not know the name of the law library staff person who recorded the acquisition details of these three German monograph titles – but we are thankful for the historical look back.

 -- Jo-Anne Giammattei

Patrick Weil
How to Be French: Nationality in the Making Since 1789
Tuesday, November 16, at 6:15 p.m.
Labyrinth Books
290 York St., New Haven, CT 

The Lillian Goldman Law Library invites you to a discussion of an important book by Professor Patrick Weil, with commentary by Professor Timothy Snyder.    

How To Be French is an award winning book in which Patrick Weil employs comparative techniques to dissect the history of French nationality laws from 1789 to the present.  Originally published in France, in 2002, this masterful English language translation offers important lessons for discussing contemporary issues of nationality in France and other western nations, including the U.S.  Learn more from the author and commentary provided by Professor Timothy Snyder at the upcoming book discussion being held at Labyrinth Books and sponsored by the Lillian Goldman Law Library.

Patrick Weil is Visiting Professor of Law and Robina Foundation International Fellow at Yale Law School and a senior research fellow at the French National Research Center in the University of Paris, Pantheon-Sorbonne. 

Timothy Snyder is a Professor of History at Yale and an expert in modern East European political history. 

The Law Library's list of new acquisitions for October 2010 are now available:

• All Acquisitions
• German, French and Italian Language Acquisitions
• Spanish Language Acquisitions
• Movies and TV Programs
  

Or, as always, you can visit the library's new acquisitions web page: http://www.law.yale.edu/library/acquisitions.asp.

Due to popular demand, the library will be offering three more sessions of the brief-formatting workshop for first-year students this Wednesday, November 3rd.  This program will give students the tools to properly format briefs in Microsoft Word, including how to create a table of contents and a table of authorities.  Students will also learn how to find applicable briefs and other court documents to aid in research.  To register for a workshop, please go here.

If you have any questions, please contact Camilla Tubbs.

The library has just unveiled a new exhibit, The 50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1960 (1960-2010)/ Congress Advances Voting Rights in an Era Marked by Bold Citizen Activism. The exhibit was curated by librarian Margaret Chisholm, and can be viewed in the third floor reading room. Additional material is available on reserve from the circulation desk.

The poster for this new exhibit is available below.

Bruce Ackerman 
The Decline and Fall of the American Republic
Wednesday, October 20, at 6:00 p.m. 
Labyrinth Books
290 York St., New Haven, CT

The Lillian Goldman Law Library invites you to a discussion of an important and alarming new book by Professor Bruce Ackerman, with commentary by Professor Stephen Skowronek.    

In The Decline and Fall of the American Republic, Bruce Ackerman shows how institutional dynamics of the last half-century have transformed the American presidency into a potential platform for political extremism and lawlessness and proposes a series of reforms that will minimize the risks going forward.   Learn more from the author and commentary provided by Professor Stephen Skowronek at the upcoming book discussion being held at Labyrinth Books and sponsored by the Lillian Goldman Law Library.

Bruce Ackerman is the Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science at Yale and the author of numerous books that have had a broad influence in political philosophy, constitutional law and public policy.

Stephen Skowronek is the Pelatiah Perit Professor of Political and Social Science and Acting Chair of the Yale Political Science Department.  He is the author of numerous books and an expert on the American presidency.

Learn how to construct effective search queries and update research with Lexis. Pizza will be served and Lexis points rewarded.  This 30 minute session will take place on Friday, October 8th at 12:10 p.m. in SLB120.

The Law Library's list of new acquisitions for September 2010 are now available:

• All Acquisitions
• German, French and Italian Language Acquisitions
• Spanish Language Acquisitions
• Movies and TV Programs
  

Or, as always, you can visit the library's new acquisitions web page: http://www.law.yale.edu/library/acquisitions.asp.

If you were unable to attend Professor William N. Eskridge, Jr.'s discussion of his new book, A Republic of Statutes on October 5th - you may now view the lecture online here.

The Law Library opens now at 8:00 a.m. Monday thru Friday via L3 – Reading Room entrance.
Level 2 opens at 9:00 a.m. as usual, and the rest of the hours stay the same, including weekends.
For other library hours and services please visit http://www.law.yale.edu/library/about/hours.asp

Cesar Zapata, Collections & Access Coordinator

 The library is now offering SMS text alerts for all circulation notices. After you submit your cell phone information, you will receive all library notices via text message, including:

• - Items you requested that are ready to be picked up
• - Items you've borrowed that are due to be returned
• - Any other notices

You can opt into our new text messaging service now.  Stop by the Circulation desk and give us your cell phone number, and we will start text messaging you to let you know when a hold has come in or when you have items coming due. Alternatively, you can send your name, cell phone number and cell phone carrier (e.g. Verizon, AT&T) to lawcirc@pantheon.yale.edu, with a subject heading of 'Sign up for text alerts.'

The Law Library's list of new acquisitions for August 2010 are now available:

• All Acquisitions
• German, French and Italian Language Acquisitions
• Spanish Language Acquisitions
• Movies and TV Programs
  

Or, as always, you can visit the library's new acquisitions web page: http://www.law.yale.edu/library/acquisitions.asp.

Academic Library Hours and Access 2010 - 2011

 http://www.law.yale.edu/library/about/hours.asp

Over the summer we made some changes to the arrangement of our collection. What follows outlines those changes. 

Note:  The location of books can also be ascertained by looking the title up in the MORRIS catalog.

Now in Reading Room 

A – E call numbers (Philosophy, History, etc.)

United States Code, United States Code Annotated, United States Code Service, Statutes at Large, 
USCCAN, Code of Federal Regulations are now in low bookcases near Reference Desk

Moved from Reading Room to L5

United States Reports (additional copies are at Library Shelving Facility)
Supreme Court Reporter
Lawyers’ Edition
United States Supreme Court Digest
Landmark Briefs and Arguments
Federal Reporter
Words and Phrases

Moved from Reading Room to Lower East Side

English Reports
Halsbury’s Laws of England
Halsbury’s Statutes

Moved from Reading Room to L1

International Court of Justice reports and pleadings

Moved from Reading Room to Library Shelving Facility (move still in progress, ask at Circulation Desk)

Federal digests
ALR (but digests and indexes are in Reference Collection)
Corpus Juris Secundum

Moved from L5 to Library Shelving Facility (move still in progress, ask at Circulation Desk) 

North Eastern Reporter
North Western Reporter
Pacific Reporter
Southern Reporter

The Law Library's list of new acquisitions for July 2010 are now available:

• All Acquisitions
• German, French and Italian Language Acquisitions
• Spanish Language Acquisitions

Or, as always, you can visit the library's new acquisitions web page: http://www.law.yale.edu/library/acquisitions.asp.

 The Lillian Goldman Law Library in memory of Sol Goldman at Yale Law School has just finished its new strategic plan.

Below Law Library Director Blair Kauffman introduces the strategic plan:

This is an exciting time of change in libraries, and it’s a time in which Yale is seizing opportunities to maintain its leadership role.   To this end we recently released the library’s new strategic plan.  This is a document that articulates a direction for the library to follow over the next 3- 5 years, and I commend it to anyone who’s interested in the future of libraries in the digital age.

This is the third strategic plan the Yale Law Library has adopted over the past decade. Our prior plans helped steer us in important and innovative ways.  For example, our earlier plans led us to redefine our public services and add an instructional services component to our reference department. They also led us to make the library a more active partner in the Yale Law School’s pulsating intellectual culture, so that we now sponsor a film series where graduate students select films for discussion about foreign cultures, a faculty scholarship series where faculty members discuss recent scholarship interests and a new book talk series where faculty and students talk about recently published books.  Practice makes perfect, and our newest strategic plan promises to be the best one yet.   This plan was drafted over the course of the past year by our strategic planning task force and reflects the input of Yale Law School faculty, students and staff. 

A standard starting point for strategic planning is to initiate a SWOT analysis, looking at the institution’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.  Without delving into each of these, it’s worth noting that the Yale Law Library’s strengths are enviously substantial: First, we have the best team of library staff ever assembled here.  These include some of the very best people in every field of librarianship, from library acquisitions, cataloging, systems and rare books, to reference and instructional services and foreign and international law.  This is hugely important, because these are the experts who provide access to our information resources.   Second, we have access to an array of information resources that are literally mind blowing, ranging from historically rich special collections of print materials, including a 50,000 volume rare book collection and a 250,000 volume foreign and international law collection to contemporary collections focused on law and the social sciences.  These are supplemented by access to an ever more amazing array of online and digital materials, as well as the very rich collections of the other Yale University libraries. And lastly, we draw on the support and continuing generousity of the Law School and the library’s own dedicated endowments, which exceed the endowments of all but one or two law school libraries in the world.

The threats faced by so many libraries today do not appear to be the same for Yale.   Economic hardship has led to what appears to be a race to the bottom in terms of support for libraries at too many law schools.  There is a common misapprehension among some academic administrators that libraries are no longer important in the current digital age, despite all the evidence to the contrary, including the increase in library use by the current born digital generation of law students and the ever increasing complexity in navigating the maze of information resources made available in multiple formats.  Fortunately, Yale Law School is different in this respect.  Faculty and students here are deeply engaged in scholarship which requires library support, and in turn, the Law School supports the library, so that they have helped the library make up for a short fall in its endowment income by supplementing the library’s budget from other Law School revenues.   This has enabled us to view the current economic downturn as an opportunity for re-envisioning what we do; thus, we’ve cut out activities and programs that no longer make sense and are aggressively seeking to continue building and developing our staff, collections and services to be an even better library in the second decade of the 21st century.   To learn more about how we plan as we continue to move forward, take a look at our strategic plan and let us know what you think. 

In the video below, Blair and I discuss the new strategic plan as well:

Blair Kauffman talks about Yale Law Library Strategic Plan from Yale Law Librarians on Vimeo.

The Law Library's list of new acquisitions for June 2010 are now available:

• All Acquisitions
• German, French and Italian Language Acquisitions
• Spanish Language Acquisitions
• New Movies and TV Programs
  

Or, as always, you can visit the library's new acquisitions web page: http://www.law.yale.edu/library/acquisitions.asp.

Learn how to use the new library equipment like the Nook, iPad, Kindle, etc. at the Tech Workshop.  Librarian for Emerging Technologies, Jason Eiseman will demonstrate all of these eReader devices and answer your questions.  This event will take place on Thursday, July 22nd from 10:00 am - 11:00 am in the Computer Classroom on L2.  This event is open for Law Library staff, but will be repeated in the future for the Yale Law School community.  If you are staff, please register for this event here.  To learn about other library events, please check out our new Program Calendar.

The Law Library's list of new acquisitions for May 2010 are now available:

• All Acquisitions
• German, French and Italian Language Acquisitions
• Spanish Language Acquisitions
• New Movies and TV Programs
  

Or, as always, you can visit the library's new acquisitions web page: http://www.law.yale.edu/library/acquisitions.asp.

Monday - Friday
8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. (Level 3)
Level 2 Entrance CLOSED - June 1st - August 16th
Reference Desk: 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. & 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Circulation Desk: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. & 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Saturdays
10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
No Reference or Circulation Desk Services

Sundays
CLOSED – No Services

The Law Library's list of new acquisitions for April 2010 are now available:

• All Acquisitions
• German, French and Italian Language Acquisitions
• Spanish Language Acquisitions
• New Movies and TV Programs
  

Or, as always, you can visit the library's new acquisitions web page: http://www.law.yale.edu/library/acquisitions.asp.

Thank you to all the students who took our survey. A selection of graphs from the responses received are published below.  We appreciate the helpful suggestions some of you made for improving our services and facilities. We will strive to implement those changes that are feasible and provide an update by the beginning of the Fall semester.  

Have a wonderful summer!

Responding to requests from law students, we will restrict non-law student access during undergraduate and Law School reading/exam periods. 
 
Effective the morning of Monday, April 26 and continuing through the afternoon of Friday, May 21, admission to the Law Library will be limited to Law School affiliates, University faculty, and Law Library pass holders.  (Passes will be given to non-law students doing legal research and presenting a letter from a faculty member or college dean.) 
 
During this restricted period, law students must show their ID card with the Law School sticker every time they enter the library to gain admission to the Law Library. 
 
The library monitors will be intending conscientiously to enforce this policy so please help them by having your card when you come to the library.  If for some reason you do not have the Law School sticker on your card, you can get one from the Registrar's Office.  In general, we ask for your cooperation with staff who will be implementing the rules in the stressful environment that exams create for all of us. 
 
Restrictions must always be implemented with caution because we are committed to participating in the University community.  If you have suggestions about these policies, please feel free to communicate them to me. 
 
Fred Shapiro 
Associate Librarian for Collections and Access 
Lillian Goldman Law Library 
Yale Law School 

On Wednesday, April 21, from 3:10-5:10pm in room 122, the Law School hosted the program: Lawyering Skills, A Crash Course in Legal Writing, Research, and Practice.   The schedule was:

3:10-3:40:  Research: practice pointers for avoiding false starts, dead ends and stress.
3:40-4:10:  How to succeed in a firm setting, with guest speakers from large and small firms
4:10-4:40:  How to succeed in judicial clerking, with three panelists
4:40-5:10:  Writing tips and time management skills

Light refreshments and snacks were served courtesy of the Law Library.   This event was cosponsored by CDO, the Yale Law Library, Student Affairs, and Academic Affairs. 

Materials from the event will be posted to the New Job Skills Site.  Please contact Camilla Tubbs if you have any questions.

Public MORRIS and Encore will be down from approximately 4:00 -  7:00 pm today (Monday) for maintenance.

Book Talk featuring Chesa Boudin ’11 discussing GRINGO: A COMING OF AGE IN LATIN AMERICA, in conversation with Carlos Barrezueta ‘06 , at Labyrinth Books, on Wednesday, April 21, at 5:30 p.m.   Sponsored by the Lillian Goldman Law Library.   Wine, cheese, etc. provided by Labyrinth Books.

Learn the top ten cost and time effective Lexis and Westlaw legal research strategies on Friday, April 16 from 12:00-1:00pm, in YLS library computer lab on L2.   No preregistration required.   This is one of many programs being offered in April by the Law School to help students prepare for work and life after law school.  There will be a repeat session of the "Top Ten" in early May.

The next Movie Night @ YLS is scheduled this coming Thursday, April 15, at 6:20pm in SLB Room 127.  The movie we will screen is La Lengua de las Mariposas (Butterfly).

For Moncho, it is an idyllic year: he starts school, has a wonderful teacher, and makes a new friend. But it's also the year leading up to the Spanish Civil War and tensions are high between the leftist Spanish Republic and forces on the right. Moncho's father is a Republican as is the aging teacher, Don Gregorio. As the village divides and power falls clearly to one side, the forces of fear, violence, and betrayal alter profoundly what should be the pleasure of coming of age.

Food & Drink Policy for Law Library

Effective Spring Semester 2010

The Lillian Goldman Law Library’s Food & Drink Policy is intended to preserve our library materials, computer equipment, and furnishings, and to maintain a pleasant and comfortable environment for our readers and staff. Your help in this effort is greatly appreciated.

Food is not permitted in the library. Beverages are permitted only in containers with spill-proof lids. Soda cans are not permitted.

Food found anywhere in the library (including carrels) will be discarded. Patrons found eating in the library will be asked to remove the food from the library.

Book Talk featuring Rhonda Joy McLean '83, Deputy General Counsel, Time, Inc. discussing  THE LITTLE BLACK BOOK OF SUCCESS:  LAWS OF LEADERSHIP FOR BLACK WOMEN  at Labyrinth Books, on Friday, April 9, at 5:30 p.m.  Co-sponsored by the Lillian Goldman Law Library.  Wine, cheese, etc. provided by Labyrinth.

Book Talk featuring James Kwak ’11 discussing 13 BANKERS: THE WALL STREET TAKEOVER AND THE NEXT FINANCIAL MELTDOWN,  with commentary by Professor Jonathan Macey, at Labyrinth Books, on Thursday, April 8, at 6 p.m.  Co-sponsored by the Lillian Goldman Law Library.  Wine, cheese, etc. provided by Labyrinth.

Learn the top ten cost and time effective Lexis and Westlaw legal research strategies on Wednesday, April 7 from 3:00-4:00, in YLS library computer lab on L2.   No preregistration required.   This is one of many programs being offered in April by the Law School to help students prepare for work and life after law school.  There will be a repeat session of the "Top Ten" on Friday, April 16 from 12:00-1:00pm.

The Law Library's list of new acquisitions for March 2010 are now available:

• All Acquisitions
• German, French and Italian Language Acquisitions
• Spanish Language Acquisitions
• New Movies and TV Programs
  

Or, as always, you can visit the library's new acquisitions web page: http://www.law.yale.edu/library/acquisitions.asp.

Congratulations to Lindsey Trachtenberg and Stephanie Keene, both 1Ls, who won the raffle for our two iPods.

Thank you to all the students who entered the raffle by filling out our student survey. Your responses will go a long way towards helping us improve library services.

There are a number of events particularly geared to 3Ls coming up over the next two months that we encourage you to attend.  These programs cover a range of topics to help you prepare for work and life after law school, from financial planning to enhancing your research and writing skills.  The Library is sponsoring two different events:

Top Ten Time and Cost Effective Legal Research Strategies with Lexis and Westlaw

Wednesday, April 7 from 3:00-4:00 and Friday, April 16 from 12:00-1:00pm.  In Library computer lab on L2. No preregistration required.

Lawyering Skills: A Crash Course in Legal Writing, Research, and Practice

Wednesday, April 21, 3:10-5:00pm, Room 122
Cosponsored by CDO, the Yale Law Library, Student Affairs, and Academic Affairs

This two-hour program will give students vital information to help them succeed in their first jobs or their summer jobs, including: how to approach assignments, cost-effective research skills, project management, and navigating the billable hour.  Light refreshments and snacks will be served courtesy of the Law Library.

Please also see the New Employment Survival Skills organization page on the Inside site which contains handouts from presentations, an events calendar for all of the "prepare to practice" events, and helpful links, as well as the basic Summer Survival Skills website.

The next Movie Night @ YLS is scheduled this coming Wednesday, March 23rd, at 6:20 PM in the Foreign and International Law Reading Room on L1 of the Law Library.

We will be screening Richard Attenborough's award-winning Gandhi, a biographical film about Mahatman Gandhi who led the nonviolent resistance movement against British colonial rule in India durign the first half of the 20th Century. The event, cosponsored by the Lillian Goldman Law Library and the YLS Graduate Programs, will be presented by Kalyani Ramnath and Madhav Khosla, LLM 2010.

If you’re working on a paper, this event may interest you.

Room 127 will be reserved for the entire day--on Saturday, March 27--so that YLS students can work on their academic papers.  The event (known as SATURDAY’S AWESOME WRITING SESSION) will run from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., making it a great opportunity to tame your SAWs, substantials, or course-papers.

The event will provide you with a supportive, quiet workspace and the company of other writers.  And food.  And, if you want it, advice:  writing advisers (Harrison & Messing) and research experts (Eiseman, Harrington, Nann & Tubbs) will take shifts to help you organize, write, hone, explore, and substantiate your ideas.  Associate Deans Megan Barnett and Sharon Brooks will also be available for part of the day to offer advice and support.

Room 129 will serve as the break-room where you can rest, unwind, talk about your paper, and grab some food.

One graduate student who attended a similar program for dissertation writers commented that this event "got all of the elements just right: The atmosphere was quiet, people were really focused, there was plenty of space to spread out, and drinks and snacks were provided. Also, there's something to be said for being around other people who are writing too: If everyone else is concentrating hard, you get caught up in your work."  Another student said, "I left encouraged and excited to continue with my work--and with a sense of accomplishment."

Almost sixty law students attended this event last year.

You can come for all or part of the day.  Bring a laptop and whatever research-materials you need.  And brace yourself to be amazed by how much progress you can make in one day of focused work.

If you want to attend all or part of “SATURDAY’S AWESOME WRITING SESSION” on March 27, please R.S.V.P. to patricia.spiegelhalter@yale.edu, so that we can order the right amount of food.
 

                    Library Hours

                             http://www.law.yale.edu/library/about/hours.asp

On Monday, March 8th,  the law library will host a lecture by George Mason University Law School’s Professor Ross Davies - “The Last Word,” in room 122  of the Law school at 1 PM.  Professor Davies graduated from the University of Chicago Law School in 1997 where he was Editor-in-Chief of the   University of Chicago Law Review. Since 1997, he has been Editor-in-Chief  of The Green Bag, An Entertaining Journal of Law  (www.greenbag.org)


Once in a great while a member of the Supreme Court of the United States tries to get the last word. “Last word,” that is, in an official sense – a late-breaking opinion issued by a Justice acting as a Justice. Not informal last words such as anonymous stabs at colleagues via the press, or extemporaneous ejaculations from the bench, or post-retirement changes of heart.

House of Fins came today to empty the tank of all our fish.  This is the first step in a three step process to convert the tank to freshwater.  We should have the fish back in the tank within 30 days.  

The tank is temporarily out of commission but will be back and beautiful as ever in 30 days.

*Update* 3/3/10

THE FISH ARE BACK!!   We have converted to a freshwater tank, with new freshwater fish, that include Congo Tetras, gold Gauramis and blue Gauramis, with more fish to come.

The Law Library's list of new acquisitions for February 2010 are now available:

• All Acquisitions
• German, French and Italian Language Acquisitions
• Spanish Language Acquisitions
• New Movies and TV Programs
  

Or, as always, you can visit the library's new acquisitions web page: http://www.law.yale.edu/library/acquisitions.asp.

Please join us Thursday, February 18 at 6:20pm in the Law Library's Foreign and Int'l Reading Room on L1 for the screening of The Story of Qiu Ju.

Directed by internationally renowned Chinese director Zhang Yimou, The Story of Qiu Ju is one in a series of his one-woman cresade movies depicting women of different socio-economic backgrounds confronting constraints of contemporary Chinese society.

Qiu Ju, a peasant's wife, takes justice into her own hands when her chilli farmer husband is hospitalized as a result of groin injuries inflicted by a village leader during an argument.  The pregnant Qiu, incensed and humiliated, rejects cash compensation. Instead she travels from the countrysideto the provincial capital and navigates her way up the labyrinthine bureaucracy to seek a simple apology.

Co-sponsored by the Lillian Goldman Law Library & the YLS Graduate Programs

The Law Library's list of new acquisitions for January 2010 are now available:

• All Acquisitions
• German, French and Italian Language Acquisitions
• Spanish Language Acquisitions
• New Movies and TV Programs
  

Or, as always, you can visit the library's new acquisitions web page: http://www.law.yale.edu/library/acquisitions.asp.

Meredith, our LexisNexis representative will be hosting workshops in February to teach students how to efficiently search in LexisNexis.  The first workshops will be on February 17th, starting at 3:00 p.m.; the second series with be on February 24th starting at 3:00p.m.  Each workshop will last 40 minutes.  For more details, and to register, go to the LexisNexis MySchool page.

The Law Library's list of new acquisitions for December 2009 are now available:

• All Acquisitions
• German, French and Italian Language Acquisitions
• Spanish Language Acquisitions
• New Movies and TV Programs
  

Or, as always, you can visit the library's new acquisitions web page: http://www.law.yale.edu/library/acquisitions.asp.

The Law Library's hours during the recess and holiday period will be as follows: 

December

    19-20, Sat - Sun, 12:00 noon - 5:00 p.m.

    21-23, Mon - Wed, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

    24-27, Thurs - Sun, Closed

    28-31, Mon - Thurs, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Access only, no services.

January

    1, Fri, Closed

    2-3, Sat - Sun, 12:00 noon - 5:00 p.m., Access only, no services.

Regular hours resume on Monday, January 4th, 2010.

Reference questions can be sent to lawref@pantheon.yale.edu, during this time. Reference Librarians will periodically check this e-mail account on weekdays only.

Please Note: Level 2 entrance will close on Saturday, December 19^th at 5:00 p.m. and will re-open on Monday, January 11^th, 2010 at 9:00 a.m.

The Reading Room entrance (L3) will be the only access point to the library.

For further library hours & announcement updates please visit: http://www.law.yale.edu/library/about/hours.asp

Cesar Zapata
Collections & Access Coordinator
Cesar.Zapata@Yale.edu

The Law Library's list of new acquisitions for November 2009 are now available:

• All Acquisitions
• German, French and Italian Language Acquisitions
• Spanish Language Acquisitions
• New Movies and TV Programs
  

Or, as always, you can visit the library's new acquisitions web page: http://www.law.yale.edu/library/acquisitions.asp.

Responding to requests from law students, we will restrict non-law student access during undergraduate and Law School reading/exam periods. 
 
Effective the evening of Friday, December 4 and continuing through the afternoon of Wednesday, January 20, admission to the Law Library will be limited to Law School affiliates, University faculty, and Law Library pass holders.  (Passes will be given to non-law students doing legal research and presenting a letter from a faculty member or college dean.) 
 
During this restricted period, law students must show their ID card with the Law School sticker every time they enter the library to gain admission to the Law Library. 
 
The library monitors will be intending conscientiously to enforce this policy so please help them by having your card when you come to the library.  If for some reason you do not have the Law School sticker on your card, you can get one from the Registrar's Office.  In general, we ask for your cooperation with staff who will be implementing the rules in the stressful environment that exams create for all of us. 
 
Restrictions must always be implemented with caution because we are committed to participating in the University community.  If you have suggestions about these policies, please feel free to communicate them to me. 
 
Fred Shapiro 
Associate Librarian for Collections and Access 
Lillian Goldman Law Library 
Yale Law School 

Book Discussion with YLS Professor Daniel C. Esty '86 with commentary by Visiting Lecturer in Law, Stephen D. Ramsey on Tuesday, December 8, 2009 6:00 p.m. at Labyrinth Books, 290 York Street, New Haven, CT

The Yale Law Library and Labyrinth Books invite you to a conversation with Daniel Esty about the ways in which forward-thinking business leaders who see the Green Wave coming can profit from it.

This book explores what every exectuive must know to manage the environmental challenges facing society and business. It shows how companies genearte lasting value, cutting costs, reducing risks, increasing revenues, and creating strong brands, by building environmental thinking into their business strategies.

Daniel Esty is Hillhouse Professor of Environmental Law and Policy at Yale University with appointments in the Environmental and Law Schools. He is also a former top official with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and has advised companies across the world on corporate environmental strategy. 

When: Wednesday, December 2nd, 3:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Where: Library Computer Classroom on L2
Event Details:  Foreign and International Law Librarian Teresa Miguel will discuss where to find foreign and international law on the web and how to identify which of these sources are authoritative and authentic.  This is a very useful introduction to the sources of international law for those students who are considering studying foreign affairs, international or transnational law.  No registration required, all are welcome to attend!

November 25, Wed, 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m., reduced staff
November 26, Thur, Closed (Thanksgiving)
November 27, Fri, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., reduced staff
November 28, Sat, Regular Hours 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
November 29, Sun, Regular Hours 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 Midnight

Directed by Pantelis Voulgaris, the award-winning and beautifully filmed Brides is set in 1922 aboard the SS King Alexander.  Niki is a mail order bride from Greece bound for her new husband in Chicago. Norman is an American photographer on his way home to a failed marriage.  Niki and Norman befriend one another and share more than a transatlantic journey, changing their lives forever.

Co-sponsored by the Lillian Goldman Law Library & the YLS Graduate Programs

November 25, Wed, 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m., reduced staff
November 26, Thur, Closed (Thanksgiving)
November 27, Fri, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., reduced staff
November 28, Sat, Regular Hours 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
November 29, Sun, Regular Hours 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 Midnight

 The Law Library's list of new acquisitions for October 2009 are now available:

• All Acquisitions
• German, French and Italian Language Acquisitions
• Spanish Language Acquisitions
• New Movies and TV Programs
  

Or, as always, you can visit the library's new acquisitions web page: http://www.law.yale.edu/library/acquisitions.asp.

The Yale Journal of International Law (YJIL) announces the launch of its new website, www.yjil.org, featuring unique online content for the first time in its thirty-five year history.  YJIL Online provides authors a forum for short analytical essays relevant to both scholarship and practice. The first issue includes a co-authored essay by State Department Legal Adviser Harold Hongju Koh, and a short article by Yale Professor W. Michael Reisman and Brad Tennis.  The third feature essay, by practitioners Eddan Katz and Gwen Hinze of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, analyzes the potential impact of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement under consideration by the U.S.

Trade Representative. The new website also highlights information about the 35th Anniversary YJIL Conference (Government Lawyering and International Law) and how to subscribe to the Journal.

Westlaw has rolled out its OnePass password security change since November 1st.  It is a new sign on process where Westlaw users are to create their unique usernames and passwords.  OnePass security change will be implemented in phases and users can convert to the new system over time.  Here are resources to assist you with customizing your OnePass username and password:

Introduction to OnePass

OnePass Step-by-Step Demo

OnePass FAQs

Quick Reference Guide: Registering Your Westlaw Password

Accessing West Products with OnePass

When: October 26th from 4-4:30, repeats on Oct. 28th from 3:00-3:30 and Oct. 30th from 11:00-11:30 am.
Place: Computer Classroom, L2
This program will give 1L students the tools to properly format briefs in Microsoft Word, including how to create a table of contents and a table of authorities.  Students will also learn how to find applicable briefs and other court documents to aid in research, as well as how to verify research with a citator.

Scanners at the Law Library – Announcement

There are three options for you to scan documents/pictures here at the Law Library:

1. Level 1, Foreign & International Area.
   You must log in with your Yale Net ID and Password to be able to scan and email documents to yourself (instructions are located next to the machine)
   
   
2. Level 2, Computer Cluster Area
   Yale Law School Community use only. You must log in with your Net ID and password in order to use this flat scanner
    (instructions are posted next to the machine)
   
   
   
3. Level 3, Reading Room Area, Carrel # 347
   This is a portable scanner that must be checked out from the Circulation Desk with your Yale ID. The scanner’s software is already installed in the computer workstation located in carrel # 347, but if you’d like to upload the software onto your own laptop, please contact Cesar.Zapata@yale.edu
    (instructions are posted next to the computer)
   

As of July 2009, Yale tightened security for online access all over the campus.   To access the wireless network at the Yale Law School, laptop users can log on through VPN, Yale Secure (with netID), or Yale Guest.  VPN and Yale Secure wireless connections allow full access to all licensed e-resources; however, people who log on as Yale Guest will not be able to access any licensed resources.  For members of the Yale Law community, instructions for configuring laptops can be found on YLS Inside under Department Documents -> Wireless Networking.  Instructions for Windows Vista also work for Windows 7, see instructions here.  If you have problems connecting to the wireless network, Law School ITS User Support is available to help.   Located on L2 of the Law Library in the ITS Computer Cluster, the computer help desk is open Monday - Friday, 8:30am - 5:00pm to address your concerns.  You can also reach them by email or phone (203-432-0821).

To answer the most frequently asked question of the week....

The fish are back!

right next to (but not to be confused with) the fiche, on the UES.

The fish tank on L1 will be dismantled for some work over the long weekend. It will be re-assembled sometime next week.

***UPDATE*** 9/23/2009
The arrival of the new fish tank has been delayed. We are expecting it to be set up again in a few weeks.

If you are a 1L and were either unable to attend a Lexis/Westlaw training session this month, or if you do not have one scheduled for your small group and are still interested in learning about these databases, please attend this session on Friday, September 25th from 11:00 AM-12:00 PM in Room 128.  At this joint research session, the Lexis and Westlaw representatives will collaborate to teach students how to find a database, customizing tabs, finding by citation, downloading/printing/emailing results, research trails, and where to find additional help.

Sign up now for a First Year CaseMap session scheduled next week.  All sessions will take place in the Computer Classroom in the Law Library.  You will receive 400 points for attending and we will raffle off a $50.00 Starbuck’s card at the end of each session.  Sign up via the Yale Myschool at www.lexisnexis.com/lawschool.

Monday, September 14^th

4:00 PM-5:00 PM

Wednesday, September 16^th

4:00 PM-5:00 PM

5:00 PM-6:00 PM

Friday, September 18^th

11:00 AM-12:00 PM

CaseMap provides a central repository for all the critical information in a case, allowing you to easily organize the key facts, characters, issues, evidence, and legal authorities. CaseMap's linking feature makes it simple to evaluate relationships and draw critical connections between different components of your case: for example, identifying the facts and case law to support a claim or issue.  CaseMap also allows the user to send quotes directly from Lexis to your CaseMap file.  The authority name and citation info will automatically export to your EXTRACTS spreadsheet along with your quote and accompanying details. Your AUTHORITIES list will automatically be populated with the name, jurisdiction and citation info as well.  A link to the case will also appear in both spreadsheets.

Labor Day Weekend

Saturday, September 5th, 2009
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. (L3 Access)
10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. (L2 Access

Reference Desk: 12:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Circulation Desk: 12:00 – 5:00 p.m.

We sent out an earlier announcement about the new Westlaw password security change.  The gist of the new security change is that Westlaw will not support log-in with the alphanumeric Westlaw password (e.g."5922679noql") and will switch to only accepting log-in with a customized personal username and a password (also known as "OnePass" account) sometime in the fall. 

However, Westlaw has just delayed implementation of the change so please DO NOT do anything now. You will not be able to comply with the new requirements until further notice from Westlaw.  In the meantime you will still be able to log-in with your Westlaw password or existing OnePass username and password.  Please stay tuned and apologies for the confusion.

 The Law Library's list of new acquisitions for May 2009 are now available:

• All Acquisitions
• German, French and Italian Language Acquisitions
• Spanish Language Acquisitions
• New Movies and TV Programs
  

Or, as always, you can visit the library's new acquisitions web page: http://www.law.yale.edu/library/acquisitions.asp.

Westlaw is transitioning away from using the Westlaw password and moving to the web standard of "OnePass" username and password for log-ins to their different portals (lawschool.westlaw.com, TWEN and Westlaw). See here for the timeline for implementing the password security changes and requirements for creating a strong OnePass log-in.

Please note that alphanumeric Westlaw passwords will no longer be active after September 29th 2009. If you now log-in to Westlaw with your Westlaw password, please create a OnePass username and password or update your exisiting OnePass accounts during the grace period.

 Monday - Friday
8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. (L3 Access)
7:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. (L2 access)
Reference Desk: 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. & 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Circulation Desk: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. & 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Saturdays
10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
No Reference or Circulation Desk Services

Sundays
CLOSED – No Services

4th of July weekend - CLOSED (Fri-Sun, July 3-5)

LexisNexis Associates Serving Public Interest Research (ASPIRE) Program provides complimentary LexisNexis access to deferred fall associates pursuing public interest work this coming year.

Eligibility is expanded to all 2009 graduates pursuing verifiable public service (non-profit or charitable) work.  This includes:

1.      Deferred fall associates pursuing public interest work during their deferral periods,

2.      2009 graduates who elect to pursue public interest work while searching for law firm employment, and

3.      Those 2009 graduates who pursue public interest work as a continuing profession.

Complimentary LexisNexis access will be provided throughout these graduates' public interest employment periods, up until September 2010 maximum.

Further details and registration requirements are available now at www.lexisnexis.com/aspire.  Please contact our Lexis representative Meredith Shuman Casale if you have any additional questions about this program.

Meredith Shuman Casale
Senior Account Executive
meredith.shuman@lexisnexis.com

Mobile (860) 392-8715
Customer Service (800) 45-LEXIS

The Law Library's list of new acquisitions for April 2009 are now available:

• All Acquisitions
• German, French and Italian Language Acquisitions
• Spanish Language Acquisitions
• New Movies and TV Programs
  

Or, as always, you can visit the library's new acquisitions web page: http://www.law.yale.edu/library/acquisitions.asp.

Responding to requests from law students, we will restrict non-law student access during undergraduate and Law School reading/exam periods.

Effective the evening of Monday, April 27 and continuing through the afternoon of Friday, May 22, admission to the Law Library will be limited to Law School affiliates, University faculty, and Law Library pass holders.  (Passes will be given to non-law students doing legal research and presenting a letter from a faculty member or college dean.)

During this restricted period, law students must show their ID card with the Law School sticker every time they enter the library to gain admission to the Law Library.

The library monitors will be intending conscientiously to enforce this policy so please help them by having your card when you come to the library.  If for some reason you do not have the Law School sticker on your card, you can get one from the Registrar's Office.  In general, we ask for your cooperation with staff who will be implementing the rules in the stressful environment that exams create for all of us.

Restrictions must always be implemented with caution because we are committed to participating in the University community.  If you have suggestions about these policies, please feel free to communicate them to me.

Fred Shapiro
Associate Librarian for Collections and Access
Lillian Goldman Law Library
Yale Law School

Our very own Zachary D. Kaufman, YLS JD Candidate '09, will be giving a book talk this Friday, April 17, 2009, at 4:00pm, in the Law Library's L3 Periodical Reading Room.  Zach, an Olin Fellow and editor-in-chief of the Yale Law & Policy Review edited After Genocide: Transitional Justice, Post-Conflict Reconstruction, and Reconciliation in Rwanda and Beyond with Philip Clark, research fellow at the Centre for Socio-Legal Studies, University of Oxford, and co-founder of Oxford Transitional Justice Research.

In After Genocide, published by Columbia University Press, ". . . leading scholars and practitioners analyze the political, legal, and regional impact of events in post-genocide Rwanda within the broader themes of transitional justice, reconstruction, and reconciliation."

The book includes ". . . chapters from Rwandan academics and practitioners, such as Tom Ndahiro, Solomon Nsabiyera Gasana, and Jean Baptiste Kayigamba—all of whom are also survivors of the 1994 genocide—and draws on their personal experiences. After Genocide constitutes the most comprehensive survey to date of issues related to post-genocide Rwanda and transitional justice."  Read a more complete description of the book.

After Genocide is not on our shelves yet, but it will be very soon!

On Thursday, April 16, 2009, at 5:30 pm, Labyrinth Books and the Yale Law Library invite you to a discussion about election reform with Heather Gerken in honor of her new book, The Democracy Index.  The book talk will take place at Labyrinth Books, 290 York Street, New Haven.

Despite howls for reform, the only thing separating us from another election disaster of the kind that hit Florida in 2000, and that almost struck again in Ohio in 2004, may simply be another close vote. In this lucid and lively book, Heather Gerken diagnoses what is wrong with our elections and proposes a radically new and simple solution: a Democracy Index that would rate the performance of state and local election systems. A rough equivalent to the U.S. News and World Report ranking of colleges and universities, the Index would focus on problems that matter to all voters: How long does it take to vote? How many ballots get discarded? How often do voting machines break down? And it should work for a simple reason: no one wants to be at the bottom of the list.

For a process that is supposed to be all about counting, U.S. elections yield few reliable numbers about anything--least of all how well the voting system is managed. The Democracy Index would change this with a blueprint for quantifying election performance and reform results, replacing anecdotes and rhetoric with hard data and verifiable outcomes. A fresh vision of reform, this book shows how to drive improvements by creating incentives for politicians, parties, and election officials to join the cause of change and to come up with creative solutions--all without Congress issuing a single regulation.

In clear and energetic terms, The Democracy Index explains how to realize the full potential of the Index while avoiding potential pitfalls.

Heather K. Gerken is a professor at Yale Law School, where she teaches election and constitutional law. She is a frequent media commentator on elections and has written for the New Republic, Roll Call, Legal Affairs, and the Legal Times.

This event is free and open to the public.
Not wheelchair accessible.

290 York Street
New Haven, CT
203.787.2848

 The Law Library's list of new acquisitions for March 2009 are now available:

• All Acquisitions
• German, French and Italian Language Acquisitions
• Spanish Language Acquisitions
  

Or, as always, you can visit the library's new acquisitions web page: http://www.law.yale.edu/library/acquisitions.asp.

When: Friday, May 1, 2009 from 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. 
Where: Room 122

This two-hour program will give students vital information to help them succeed in their first jobs or their summer jobs.  The program is comprised of four 30-minute workshops that cover the following topics: legal writing; legal research; how to succeed at a law firm; and how to succeed in a clerkship.  Students will also be informed on how to connect to Yale Law Library resources over the summer.

Learn the Top Ten Time and Cost Effective Research Strategies on Lexis and Westlaw by attending an hour-long, joint session in the Library's Computer Lab on L2.  Class will be held on Wednesday, April 8th, from 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. with a repeat session from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m, and again on Wednesday, April 22nd, from 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. with a repeat session from 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.  All law students are welcome, no registration is required.

Representatives from CCH will be providing training sessions on their database on Wednesday, April 1st from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. and again on Wednesday, April 29th, from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m.  CCH is a practitioner-oriented database used by private law firms practicing in tax, business, e-commerce, and employment law.  All law students are welcome, no registration is required.

Effective Monday, March 16, 2009 the Law Library is pleased to announce the abililty of University Library patrons to request law library books to be delivered to a library of choice on this campus.  Participating Yale libraries include Sterling, Bass, Divinity, Drama, Engineering, Epidemiology and Public Health, Forestry, Geology, Kline Science, Medical, Seeley Mudd, Music, Social Science.

For assistance with requests for delivery of Law Library materials, e-mail laweli@pantheon.yale.edu.

The Law Library's list of new acquisitions for February 2009 are now available:

• All Acquisitions
• German, French and Italian Language Acquisitions
• Spanish Language Acquisitions
  

Or, as always, you can visit the library's new acquisitions web page: http://www.law.yale.edu/library/acquisitions.asp.

The Law Library is testing procedures that will allow patrons to have law books delivered  to other libraries on the Yale campus. Please note this feature is not yet working. Please stay tuned for more information!

 The Law Library's list of new acquisitions for January 2009 are now available:

• All Acquisitions
• German, French and Italian Language Acquisitions
• Spanish Language Acquisitions
  

Or, as always, you can visit the library's new acquisitions web page: http://www.law.yale.edu/library/acquisitions.asp.

The Law Library's list of new acquisitions for December 2008 are now available:

• All Acquisitions
• German, French and Italian Language Acquisitions
• Spanish Language Acquisitions
  

Or, as always, you can visit the library's new acquisitions web page: http://www.law.yale.edu/library/acquisitions.asp.

• All previous Yale Law School Exams can be found online by going to: http://morris.law.yale.edu/search~S2/a
• Hardcopy volumes are located at the Upper East Side (UES) opposite side of the copy machine.
• Hardcopy volumes do not circulate during the exam period. "Library Use Only."
• If you need further assistance, please email Cesar.Zapata@Yale.edu
  

Responding to requests from law students, the Law Library will again be open 24 hours a day during Law School reading/exam period (January 5 through January 20) and we will restrict non-law student access during this period and undergraduate reading/exam period.

Effective the evening of Friday, December 5 and continuing through the afternoon of Wednesday, January 21, admission to the Law Library will be limited to Law School affiliates, University faculty, and Law Library pass holders.  (Passes will be given to non-law students doing legal research and presenting a letter from a faculty member or college dean.)

During this restricted period, law students must show their ID card with the Law School sticker every time they enter the library to gain admission to the Law Library.

The library monitors will be intending conscientiously to enforce this policy so please help them by having your card when you come to the library.  If for some reason you do not have the Law School sticker on your card, you can get one from the Registrar's Office.  In general, we ask for your cooperation with staff who will be implementing the rules in the stressful environment that exams create for all of us.

Restrictions must always be implemented with caution because we are committed to participating in the University community.  If you have suggestions about these policies, please feel free to communicate them to me.

Fred Shapiro

Associate Librarian for Collections and Access
Lillian Goldman Law Library
Yale Law School

 The Law Library's list of new acquisitions for November 2008 are now available:

• All Acquisitions
• German, French and Italian Language Acquisitions
• Spanish Language Acquisitions
  

Or, as always, you can visit the library's new acquisitions web page: http://www.law.yale.edu/library/acquisitions.asp.

Did you know that you can write a review or rate books and movies in MORRIS, the Law Library catalog?

Details are here:

• Add a review
• Rate a book or movie

Legal Research in Foreign Law, Issues Using the Internet
Wednesday, November 12, 2008; 3:00 - 4:00 p.m.  Room 112.

Teresa Miguel, Reference Librarian for Foreign and International Law, will discuss where to find foreign law on the web and how to identify which of these sources are authoritative and authentic.

The Law Library's list of new acquisitions for October 2008 are now available:

• All Acquisitions
• German, French and Italian Language Acquisitions
• Spanish Language Acquisitions
  

Or, as always, you can visit the library's new acquisitions web page: http://www.law.yale.edu/library/acquisitions.asp.

On Tuesday, November 18th, 2008 at 5:30PM — Labyrinth Books NH (NH) and the Yale Law Library invite you to the store for a discussion between Daniel Markovits and David Bromwich on issues ranging from legal ethics to political philosophy. We will be honoring the publication of Professor Markovits's new book:

"A Modern Legal Ethics: Adversary Advocacy in a Democratic Age."

The Yale Law Library is a co-sponsor of this event. 

For more information, visit the Labyrinth Books website. 

There is a "portable scanner" available at the Circulation Desk for check out by patrons with a Yale ID. http://morris.law.yale.edu/record=b765327~S3a

The scanner's software is already installed in the Computer in carrel #347 (in the Reading Room, next to the Bloomberg Terminal). If a patron or staff member would like to upload this software onto their own laptop or computer, please contact Cesar Zapata.

Step by step instructions are available at the Circulation Desk, as well as by the above carrel's location.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008, from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. - Room 112

Lexis and Westlaw representatives will share the stage and demonstrate special features in their databases to help students conduct research on their SAWs.  Included in this training will be: how to develop SAW/Substantial or law journal note topics, how to track and update your research, as well as where to go for additional research assistance.  Cookies and refreshments will be provided.

On Thursday, October 2nd at 5:30pm, Labyrinth Books on York Street in New Haven will host a conversation between YLS professors Paul Kahn and Robert Post about political violence and Prof. Kahn's latest book, Sacred Violence: Torture, Terror, and Sovereignty. Labyrinth provides the following summary of the book:

In Sacred Violence, the distinguished political and legal theorist Paul W. Kahn investigates the reasons for the resort to violence characteristic of premodern states. In a startling argument, he contends that law will never offer an adequate account of political violence. Instead, we must turn to political theology, which reveals that torture and terror are, essentially, forms of sacrifice. Kahn forces us to acknowledge what we don't want to see: that we remain deeply committed to a violent politics beyond law.

The Yale Law Library is a co-sponsor of this event. 

For more information, visit the Labyrinth Books website. 

The Law Library's list of new acquisitions for August 2008 are now available:

• All Acquisitions
• German, French and Italian Language Acquisitions
• Spanish Language Acquisitions
  

Or, as always, you can visit the library's new acquisitions web page: http://www.law.yale.edu/library/acquisitions.asp.

The Law Library's list of new acquisitions for July 2008 are now available:

• All Acquisitions
• German, French and Italian Language Acquisitions
• Spanish Language Acquisitions
  

Or, as always, you can just go to the new acquisitions web page: http://www.law.yale.edu/library/acquisitions.asp.

You probably know that you can get help from a reference librarian at the reference desk. And you may be aware that you can call (432-1606) or email (lawref@pantheon.yale.edu) us for help, too. But what you probably don't know is that you can now ask questions via instant message (IM) or text message (from your cell phone).

The reference desk now has accounts on AIM (ylslibrary), Yahoo! Messenger (ylslibrary) and Google Talk (ylslibrary@gmail.com), so when you need research help, just send us an IM. Or if you have your cell phone handy, you can send a text message to 265-010. When sending a text message, be sure to type "ylslibrary" first, then your question (as illustrated in this cell phone screenshot).

Don't have an IM account or a cell phone? No problem. Just visit our Research or Reference Department web pages and use the chat box to IM a reference librarian directly from your web browser.

For best results, be sure to include your "yale.edu" email address in your message so that if we can't answer your question immediately we can still contact you later. This is particularly helpful if you send a message during non-service hours.

These new services are available to all YLS students, faculty and staff. Generally speaking, IM and text messaging reference service should be available during most regular reference service hours (see the Reference Department page for the complete schedule), but as we ramp up these services coverage may not be comprehensive.

If you have questions about these new services, please contact Tom Boone, Reference Librarian for Electronic Services.

This summer Yale Law School's Lillian Goldman Law Library took the plunge into the social web, joining both Facebook and Twitter.

If you're a member of Facebook, check out the library's page at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/New-Haven-CT/Lillian-Goldman-Law-Library-Yale-Law-School/14518877231. The page includes library information, blog posts, research links, and catalog searching. Show your support by becoming a fan.

For those of you using Twitter, you can begin following the library's updates at: http://twitter.com/yalelawlibrary. Updates will include new services and features at the library, as well as notifications every time there's an update to the library blogs.

If you have any questions about these new tools, please contact Tom Boone, Reference Librarian for Electronic Services.

Saturdays
10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
No Reference or Circulation Desk Services

Sundays
CLOSED – No Services

July 4th - CLOSED

Carrel Assignments
Carrel Assignments for this academic year end on June 11, 2008.  Please return all books to the lending library and remove all personal belongings.  Personal belongings left behind will be discarded.  If you wish to use a carrel during the summer, you may sign up in the Library Administrative Office.
Sign up for a carrel for the 2008-2009 academic year begins in early September in the Library Administrative Office.

As has been our practice, long term and overnight use of Law Library laptop computers is suspended during the Law School Exam Period. This year that begins on May 10 and runs through May 23, 2008.

Questions may be directed to staff at the Circulation Desk.

Responding to requests from law students, the Law Library will again be open 24 hours a day during Law School reading/exam period (May 9 through May 23) and we will restrict non-law student access during this period and undergraduate reading/exam period.

Effective the evening of Monday, April 28 and continuing through the afternoon of Friday, May 23, admission to the Law Library will be limited to Law School affiliates, University faculty, and Law Library pass holders.  (Passes will be given to non-law students doing legal research and presenting a letter from a faculty member or college dean.)

During this restricted period, law students must show their ID card with the Law School sticker every time they enter the library to gain admission to the Law Library.

The library monitors will be intending conscientiously to enforce this policy so please help them by having your card when you come to the library.  If for some reason you do not have the Law School sticker on your card, you can get one from the Registrar's Office.  In general, we ask for your cooperation with staff who will be implementing the rules in the stressful environment that exams create for all of us.

Restrictions must always be implemented with caution because we are committed to participating in the University community.  If you have suggestions about these policies, please feel free to communicate them to me.

Fred Shapiro
Associate Librarian for Collections and Access
Lillian Goldman Law Library
Yale Law School

Georgia Harper, Scholarly Communications Officer at the University of Texas at Austin Libraries, will give a talk in Sterling Memorial Library's Lecture Hall (130 Wall Street) on Friday, March 28 at 9:30 a.m. She will speak about areas of digital copyright that are of particular concern for libraries, such as electronic resources and digital images. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Harper was formerly Senior Attorney and Manager of the Intellectual Property Section of the Office of the General Counsel for the University of Texas System. She is a nationally recognized expert in the area of intellectual copyright and was named a Fellow of the National Association of College and University Attorneys in June, 2001. She has a B.S. and J.D. from the University of Texas at Austin and is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Information Science, also at the University of Texas at Austin.

On Thursday, March 13 there will be a panel discussion at the Sterling Memorial Library Lecture Hall on the projects related to the cultural reconstruction of Iraq. As part of the Library's Exploration and Adventure series, Charles Kolb of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) will talk about the goals, challenges, and success of Recovering Iraq's Past, the NEH's recently ended initiative to preserve, protect, and document Iraq's cultural heritage in the face of looting and destruction. Ann Okerson, Simon Samoeil, and Elizabeth Beaudin of the Yale University Library will also describe Iraq ReCollection, the Yale's Library's two-year, grant-funded effort to digitize some 100,000 pages of Iraqi humanities journals. Though a 2005 US Department of Education Title VI grant, the Library is also developing A Middle Eastern Electronic Library (AMEEL), a Web-based portal for the study of the Middle East, including its history, culture, development, and contemporary face.

Charles Kolb, National Endowment for the Humanities
Ann Okerson, Simon Samoeil, Elizabeth Beaudin, Yale University Library
Thursday, March 13, 3:30-5:00 p.m.
Sterling Memorial Library Lecture Hall, 128 Wall St.
Free and open to the public.

For information on the NEH's Iraqi projects visit: http://www.neh.gov/news/archive/20040408.html

For information on Iraq ReCollection visit: http://www.yale.edu/opa/v34.n20/story4.html

For information on AMEEL visit: http://www.library.yale.edu/ameel/

Today, the Standing Committee on Professional Awareness (SCOPA) sponsored the forum, "Race on the Stand: African American History in the Law Library's American Trials Collection," at the Sterling Memorial Library Lecture Hall. Mike Widener, the Rare Book Librarian for Yale's Lillian Goldman Law Library discussed the Library's American Trials Collection and its importance to a variety of topics in African American history.&nbsp; This collection contains some particularly significant holdings related to African American history, including various Abolitionist pamphlets and&nbsp;records of the Amistad trials (1839-1840).

Above, Mike begins his presentation to the Yale University Librarians and Staff on the Law Library's American Trials Collection. Below, Mike discusses the history of the Oberlin-Wellington Rescue, one of the key events within the Abolitionist movement leading into the American Civil War.

If you are interested in learning more about the Law Library's American Trials Collection, please visit the Paskus-Danziger Rare Book Room on L2 within the Law Library. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. During these hours, the room is used exclusively for research using rare books, the door to the reading room is locked with entrance permitted by buzzer only, and an attendant is always present. It is advisable to call ahead to make sure the collection will be available, contact Mike Widener at mike.widener@yale.edu or call (203) 432-4494. 

Last week, the Lillian Goldman Law Library launched its brand new website. In addition to a new layout, we've tried to bring you all the same library resources you expect from us in an easy to use format. In the months ahead, look for new pages and resources to be added. Also, don't forget to check out our new Library Blog. Our law librarians will use the blog to bring you up to date on what's new in the world of legal information.

If you have questions or comments about the new site, please contact Tom Boone, Reference Librarian for Electronic Services [thomas.boone (at) yale.edu].