Library Hours during Intersession

OVER INTERSESSION the Library is open Reduced Hours, and from 12/20 to 1/19 the Library space on the 14th Floor is CLOSED.

 

Friday, December 19 (last finals day) . . . . . . . . . . . . open 9 am to 6 pm

Saturday & Sunday, December 20 – 21 . . . . . . . . . . . LIBRARY CLOSED

Monday & Tuesday, December 22 – 23 . . .  . . .  . . . . open 9 am to 6 pm

Wednesday – Sunday, December 24 – 28 . . . . .  . . . . LIBRARY CLOSED

Monday & Tuesday, December 29 – 30 . . . . . . .  .  .  open 9 am to 6 pm

Wednesday – Sunday, December 31 – January 4 . .  .  LIBRARY CLOSED

Monday – Friday, January 5 – 9 . . . . . . . . . . . .  . .  open 9 am to 6 pm

Saturday & Sunday, January 10 – 11 . . . . . . . . . . .  LIBRARY CLOSED

Monday – Friday, January 12 – 16 . .  . . . . .  . . . . . . open 9 am to 8 pm

Saturday & Sunday, January 17 – 18  . . . . .  . . . . . .. open noon to 8 pm

Monday, January 19 (Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Day) . .LIBRARY CLOSED


NY’s New Rules of Professional Conduct

From today’s New York Law Journal:

Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye and the four presiding Appellate Division justices have formally adopted a new set of attorney ethics rules that proponents say brings New York lawyers in line with their counterparts in most of the rest of the country.

The Rules of Professional Conduct align ethics standards in form and numbering sequence with the American Bar Association’s Model Rules of Professional Conduct. That change will make it easier for New York attorneys to reference ethics rules and advisory and legal opinions nationwide when researching issues, supporters of the new rules say.

“It is a tremendous relief to now speak the same language as the rest of the country,” said Steven C. Krane, chairman of the New York State Bar Association’s Committee on Standards of Attorney Conduct, which proposed the revisions. “The code is dead. Long live the rules.”

Starting April 1, 2009, the Rules of Professional Conduct will replace the New York Code of Professional Responsibility.

Here is the link to the full story (free).


Quiet, Please

During this final exam period please keep in mind the importance of abiding by the Quiet Study Rules in Mendik Library reading rooms.  Even if you are the type of student who can study well in noise and commotion, remember that not everyone else feels the same way.  At this time of year, the volume of student noise complaints always rises dramatically.  Making noise – even a little noise for a short time – around your fellow students who are trying to study for finals is the height of rude behavior.

Please take note that all reading rooms and stack areas in the Library are Quiet Study Zones.  The only exception is the reading area next to the 4th floor Reference Desk.  Within Quiet Study Zones:

• Never engage in conversation.  A few words at a whisper should always suffice.  If you must engage in conversation, take it to the Library stairwells or outside.

• Don’t ever use your cell phone, and don’t put it on vibrate – mute it completely or turn it off.  Even a humming cell phone can disrupt your neighbor’s study.  If you’re waiting for an important call, you can study someplace else until you receive it.

• Cell phones aren’t the only electronics that make noise.  If your laptop has a sound card, don’t forget to mute it.  If you’ve got an IPod, make sure to keep the volume at a level that others can’t hear.

• When you enter or leave a Group Study Room, remember to close the door behind you.

• If you become aware of a noisy facilities condition – a squeaky door, a thumping photocopier, a rumbling equipment room – report it immediately to the Library staff at ext. 2332, or to Maintenance at ext. 2820.

During the finals period the Library gets very crowded, and tensions can mount.  The only way to maintain an appropriate study atmosphere is through student cooperation under these simple rules.  Please keep this in mind always, and especially at this time of year.

Best of luck with finals.



Exam Prep Resources

Remember, the Library’s Exam Preparation Resources web page offers a variety of resources to help you prepare for upcoming exams.  In addition to an archive (requires your network login and password) of previous years’ exams, you can find links to CALI lessons and podcasts on preparing for and taking exams, online tips from faculty and student groups, and a variety of print resources offering practical advice and strategies.


Library Hours for Thanksgiving Break

The Library will be open reduced hours during the Thanksgiving break:

Wednesday, November 26   –  8:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.

Thursday, November 27   –  CLOSED

Friday, November 28  –   9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, November 29  –   10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Sunday, November 30   –  10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

These hours apply to all Library areas at 40 Worth St.  During Thanksgiving break, there are no extended Study Hall hours.  Study Hall resumes on Monday December 1.


Temperature Control in Library Study Areas

On autumn days when the outdoor temperature becomes unseasonably warm, it may be difficult to keep the indoor temperature comfortable in library study areas at 40 Worth St. This is because 40 Worth St. does not have year-round air conditioning.  In mid-October the building’s central air conditioning system is turned off for the season, and cannot be turned back on. Once the central air conditioning is off, the only way to cool our study areas is to open windows and turn down radiators.  And these tactics are not always completely effective, particularly on warm autumn days.

If the area where you are studying becomes uncomfortably warm, you should report this to the library staff (in person or at ext. 2332) or to NYLS maintenance (at ext. 2820.) But please keep in mind that, under the circumstances, we do not have complete control of the situation. There are a few library areas that have window air conditioners, and there are some parts of the library that are simply cooler than others.  You may wish to move your studying to a more comfortable part of the library, at least until the temperature outside becomes more seasonal.


Law Student Writing Competitions

The Research and Writing Program at the University of Arkansas School of Law maintains a blog that highlights writing competitions for law students.  Many of these competitions offer cash prizes but all offer recognition!  The blog also provides links to other writing competition web sites hosted by various law schools.  Something to keep in mind for your winter break . . . and thereafter.


CRS Report on Presidential Transition Issues

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) has just released a Report titled Presidential Transitions: Issues Involving Outgoing and Incoming Administrations.  The report discusses and analyzes a broad array of issues arising as a result of a Presidential transition.  Among other things, the report addresses national security, Presidential records, and personnel and political appointments.  You can access a PDF copy of the 35-page report here.

 

 


CALR Refreshers Offered

The Professional Staff of the Mendik Library is offering all students a chance to brush up on their Computer Assisted Legal Research Skills before the end of the semester.  If you are interested, please sign up for one of the 50-minute sessions listed below.  You can sign up in person (4th Floor / 40 Worth), by phone (212 .431.2332) or e-mail (reference@nyls.edu).

Thursday, November 13th: 5:00 – 5:50
Sunday, November 16th: 1:00 – 1:50
Tuesday, November 18th: 5:00 – 5:50
Wednesday, November 19th: 5:00 – 5:50

All sessions will be held in the Mendik Library Computer Lab (4th Floor of 40 Worth / Room 403).