The Mendik Library wishes the very best of luck to all New York Law School graduates who will be sitting for the bar exam on July 30 and 31! You know you can do it!

This week we commemorate a significant milestone in American history: the sixtieth anniversary of the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Signed into law on July 2nd, 1964 by President Lyndon B. Johnson, this landmark legislation outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, signifying a giant step towards a more equitable society.

Beyond its immediate legal impact, the Act also symbolized a commitment to equality and dignity. The anniversary of the Act highlights both progress made and ongoing challenges, including racial inequality, economic disparity, and social justice issues that continue to influence national discourse and policy. The legacy of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 reminds us that the pursuit of equality is not a destination but an ongoing journey that requires vigilance, solidarity, and collective action.

In observance of Independence day, the Library will be closed on Thursday July 4 and will reopen on Friday July 5, at 8:00 a.m.

Beginning this weekend, the Library study space will open every Saturday and Sunday through July 28 at 10:00 a.m. instead of noon. All other aspects of the schedule remain the same. See the library’s home page for a complete schedule.

 

2024 Summer Research Challenge and Research Skills Workshops

This summer, take advantage of multiple opportunities to up your research game and learn more about tools you’ll need in practice through our popular Summer Research Challenge! Click here for details. Each virtual session begins at 6:00 p.m., with a short introduction to the research area, and then moves on to a concrete research problem where you need to efficiently identify the law bearing on your client’s situation. The sessions are two hours long and will wrap up with a discussion of results and strategies.

Attend whichever sessions most interest you, but researchers who successfully complete all four will receive a certificate signed by both Dean of Faculty William LaPiana and Associate Dean & Library Director Camille Broussard recognizing this achievement. It’s a great practical skill certification for your resume.

May 29: Researching Congressional Documents: Statutes and Legislative History
June 5: Navigating the Regulatory Maze: Research in Administrative Law
June 12: Research on the Road to Trial: Experts, Juries, Discovery and More
June 26: Legal Research for Transactional Lawyers

For more information and to register, click here. Select the sessions you would like to register for and you will be taken to the registration page.

Research Skills Workshops
In addition to the Summer Research Challenge, we will also be offering our regular Research Skills Workshops. These virtual sessions are intended to give pointers on how to handle research situations you might face this summer. The workshops are 30 minutes long and will be offered on Tuesdays & Thursdays at 5:15 p.m. from June 4 through June 27, 2024. To register, click this link. Select the sessions you would like to register for and you will be taken to the registration page.

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The Library will be closed on Saturday May 25 through Monday May 27, 2024 in observance of Memorial Day. Regular Library hours will resume on Tuesday May 28, 2024 at 9:00 a.m.

Among the most important skills all lawyers rely upon is the ability to do legal research–to find what’s needed to analyze and interpret legal issues. It’s an integral part of the Student Learning Outcomes that NYLS has adopted. Effective research skills are vital to students engaged in any type of legal writing, to those who are clerking or participating in externships, and to those entering legal practice.

To help prepare you for the realities of law practice, we offer several courses that will make you a more efficient, confident and successful researcher. Click here to read what other                  students have said about these classes.

Legal Research: Practical Skills (1 credit)

Builds on fundamental research skills through refining students’ techniques, introducing shortcuts and new approaches, and developing effective strategies. The course focuses on finding legislation, administrative materials, and related cases; using the secondary sources relied on by practitioners; attaining greater proficiency and comfort with Lexis, Westlaw, Bloomberg, and other online research tools, including reliable free and low-cost sources. We also offer this class with a focus on a particular substantive practice area, including Corporate & Business Law; Criminal Law; Family Law; Intellectual Property Law; Real Estate Law; and Labor & Employment Law.

For the Fall ’24 semester we are offering Legal Research: Practical Skills (5 remote Saturday classes) and Legal Research: Criminal Law (7 weekday classes, in-person).

For the Spring ’25 semester we are offering Legal Research: Practical Skills (5 remote Saturday classes) and Legal Research: Labor & Employment Law (7 weekday classes, in person).

Legal Research: Skills for the Digital World (3 credits)

Continues to build on the fundamentals described in Legal Research: Practical Skills. Students concentrate on more advanced techniques and strategies and learn to evaluate online and print materials in order to choose the best and most cost-effective source for projects. Some assignments are geared to students’ individual subject interests. Take-home assignments test and enhance students’ ability to perform various research tasks and strengthen their understanding of important research process and strategy consideration. This class will be offered only during the Spring ‘25 semester.

Want more information? Contact Associate Dean and Professor Camille Broussard or Professor Michael Roffer.

Below is the schedule for the Mendik Library’s hours of operation from Thursday, May 16 through Sunday August 18, 2024.

Due to stronger than expected demand for carrels this summer, we are no longer able to accommodate requests for carrels.  If you would like to put your name on a waiting list we will certainly let you know if any additional carrels become available. Please send an email to Chantelle James asking to be placed on the carrel waiting list.

Remember, there are many areas of the library that are conducive to bar study and we hope you take advantage of them.

 

The Mendik Library wishes all New York Law School students the very best of luck on your      upcoming exams. And remember that it’s never too late to check out our Exam Preparation Resources!