Among the most important skills all lawyers rely upon is the ability to do legal research– to find what’s needed to to interpret and analyze legal issues. Legal research is an integral part of the “competencies” that NYLS and the ABA require of law students. Effective research skills are vital to students engaged in any […]

If you can’t make it to the U.S. Courthouse in Foley Square to attend oral arguments before the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, next month you’ll be able to access audio recordings of them from the court’s own website.  See the court’s announcement here or here. The recordings will become available on August 15, 2016, […]

At this year’s Annual Meeting of the American Association of Law Libraries, our very own Michael H. Roffer, Associate Librarian for Reader Services & Professor of Legal Research will be honored with The Joseph L. Andrews Legal Literature Award, for his book The Law Book: From Hammurabi to the International Criminal Court, 250 Milestones in […]

There’s been a lot of debate lately about the citizenship of presidential candidates and the constitutional requirement that only a “natural born Citizen” is eligible for the Office of President.  You can find the relevant provision in Article II, Section 1, Clause 5 of the United States Constitution. It was not until 1868, however, that […]

The former director of the ABA’s Legal Technology Resource Center  recently published an e-book, Law Practice Technology: An Introduction for Law Students, that introduces law students to current law office technology.  Targeting law students interested in starting their own practice, the e-book covers cloud computing, calendaring, security, training, document management, speech input to create documents, […]

Every May 1 the United States observes Law Day, which President Dwight D. Eisenhower set aside as a day for Americans to reflect on the role of law in the foundation of our country and its importance for society.  The theme for 2012, No Courts | No Justice | No Freedom, focuses on the importance […]

The 2011-2012 term of the United States Supreme Court begins Monday, October 3, 2011, the first Monday in October.  In most terms, the Court usually completes its work by the following July 1.  Of the approximately 10,000 petitions filed with the Court each term, very few cases are granted review and receive signed opinions. Many […]

Can you name all seven dirty words?  Justice Stevens can, and did — in FCC v. Pacifica Foundation, 438 U.S. 726 (1978), decided 33 years ago on July 3. In December, 1973, the Federal Communications Commission received a letter from John Douglas, a member of Morality in Media.  He and his fifteen-year-old son had heard […]

July 26, 2010 marks the twentieth anniversary of President George H.W. Bush’s signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), thereby enacting one of the landmark laws of the twentieth century and providing important legal protection to those with physical or mental disabilities. Despite previous federal legislation that had addressed discrimination against these […]

In 1215, a group of English barons rebelled against King John out of frustration and anger over his repeated violations of feudal and common law.  Acceding to the barons’ demands on June 15 at Runnymede, the king agreed to sign the Magna Carta, now considered the foundation of English constitutional history. The Magna Carta, whose […]