Welcome from the Library Director

On behalf of the Mendik Library, I want to extend my welcome and congratulations to the entering classes of 2017/18. We are all looking forward to meeting you as you embark on a challenging and exciting journey.

For most law students, the library quickly becomes a constant feature of their lives, a second home if you will. We have worked hard to make our home a comfortable study and learning environment and you can be assured that you are getting the benefit of an outstanding library collection, an extensive offering of services, and an excellent library staff.

We describe our collections and our services in great detail on our web pages and handouts. What you might not realize from these publications is the outstanding quality of the Mendik Library Staff and why that is important to you. Our staff of eighteen includes eleven professionals with master’s degrees, seven of whom also have J.D. degrees from law schools around the country. Your librarians have many years of experience working in law libraries and teaching legal research. Many also have years of legal practice experience and most have been at New York Law School for ten years or more. They can all help you with your library and research needs, of course, but their value to you goes far beyond that. Do not hesitate to ask your librarians questions about the law school, particular courses, or any of the extracurricular activities available.  We can help you, or we will direct you to the best person to give you the help you need.

We all realize that law school is a new experience for each of you, and we are committed to making that experience a rewarding one. We welcome the opportunity to work with you throughout your law school career and thereafter as alumni.

Sincerely,

Professor Camille Broussard
Library Director & Associate Dean

 

Library Resources for Alumni

Congratulations to the Class of 2014!  We’ve really enjoyed working with you throughout your years here and hope that as alumni you continue to take advantage of the many library resources that are available to you.

In addition to our print collection, you can still access the large and growing number of our online databases.   Alumni always have access to our wireless network and the PC workstations in the Library’s computer labs.  Our dedicated Alumni Research workstations provide access to a generous selection of WestlawNext databases, including cases, statutes, and secondary sources.  Graduates also retain access, for a limited time after graduation, to Lexis Advance, WestlawNext and Bloomberg Law.  Visit our website for details.

Finally, our reference librarians are here seven days a week and always happy to help you with your research questions and strategies  For more information, please visit the Alumni section of our home page.

We hope to see you back this summer !

Make The Library Your Home Office

Summer’s finally here! Wherever you may be working or studying this summer, think of the Mendik Library as your home office.  Reference librarians are available all summer, including most weekends, to help with any research projects.  If you’re having difficulty with a particular research question, don’t hesitate to call, e-mail, or visit the library.  Our schedule is always posted on our home page.

All library resources remain available to you during the summer.  Be sure to take advantage of our online databases, including HeinOnline and Bloomberg BNA.  These resources can be found in the Electronic Resources quadrant on our home page.  Looking for a good treatise?  Check out our Treatises by Topic page for top treatises organized by subject.  Be sure to review our Current Awareness research guide to help you stay informed about current legal developments.

Visit our website for special summer access provisions and usage policies for Westlaw, Lexis and Bloomberg Law.

We’re looking forward to working with you this summer!

Back to Carnegie Hall!

Congratulations to the graduating class of 2014 and their upcoming Commencement Exercises—the Law School’s 122nd—on May 21st!

This year’s ceremony is particularly meaningful because it marks a return to Carnegie Hall, site of the Law School’s first Commencement, on June 7, 1892, and those for the following twenty-one years (through 1913).  

Commencement ceremonies enable us to celebrate our new graduates and to honor previous ones.  It’s always fun to view this slice of our history by looking back at our Commencement Exercises Programs. The Library has created two exhibits of NYLS Commencement Programs spanning three centuries!  We invite you to visit both.

•           In The Honorable Roger J. Miner ’56 Reading Room display case (L302) you’ll find programs from 1950, 1975, 1985, 1991, and 1997.

 •           In the display case near the Event Center (second floor of 185 West Broadway) you’ll find programs from 1892, 1894, 1899, 1900, 1903, 1906, 1913, and more . . . .

 Enjoy the Law School’s rich history!

 

Black’s is the New . . . Black’s

Thomson Reuters has just published a new edition (the tenth) of Black’s Law Dictionary, the well-known and highly regarded legal dictionary.  Check this blog post from Dewey B Strategic for a great photo of all ten editions with an annotated timeline.  The post also provides a brief history of Black’s and summarizes some of its new features.

Westlaw Classic is Going Away

Some important news for those of you who still use Westlaw Classic:  As of July 1, 2014, Westlaw Classic will no longer be available on academic contracts.  You will need to use WestlawNext for all of your Westlaw research.

Your current One Pass credentials (Username and Password) give you access to both Westlaw Classic and WestlawNext.  This Username & Password will continue to be your login for WestlawNext.  You don’t need to make any changes before July 1, 2014.  Over the next week or so, if you sign on to Westlaw Classic, you will begin to see a reminder message of its upcoming demise.

The librarians are available if you have any questions or would like help using WestlawNext.

Food for Fines

If you are graduating this year and you owe any library fines, here’s a chance to save some money and do some good.  For every can or unopened package of food (no glass!) you donate at the Circulation Desk, the Library will reduce the amount you owe by $2.00.  So, for example, if you owe $10 in fines, bringing five cans of food would reduce your fine balance to zero!  You can’t beat a deal like that.  (We donate all food collected to the Salvation Army’s Chinatown Corps., which helps more than 700 senior citizens in the nearby neighborhood.)

Donations must be made prior to May 20, 2014.  Note:  this offer does not apply to fines for lost or damaged materials.

The Real Cinco de Mayo

Yesterday was Cinco de Mayo (the 5th of May), and we hope you all found at least some time to celebrate and enjoy the day amidst all the hard-core studying.

Often mistaken for a celebration of Mexican independence, Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican army’s victory in the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War.  On May 5, 1862, General Lorencez and 6,000 French troops marched towards Puebla, Mexico.  Greatly outnumbered, the Mexicans fought and improbably defeated the French army at Puebla.

Now, Cinco de Mayo is widely celebrated in the United States as a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage.  Even Congress has officially recognized the holiday, passing a number of resolutions entitled “Recognizing the historical significance of the Mexican holiday of Cinco de Mayo.”  For example, S. Res. 128, 111th Cong. (2009),  H. Res. 230, 111th Cong. (2009), and H. Res. 347, 110th Cong. (2007).   This year, President Obama held a reception at the White House to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.

Check out these links from the Law Library of Congress for more information.

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