Transparency in Congress via OpenCongress Site

From the OpenCongress site:

OpenCongress is a free, open-source, non-profit, and non-partisan web resource with a mission to help make Congress more transparent and to encourage civic engagement. OpenCongress is a joint project of the Sunlight Foundation and the Participatory Politics Foundation.

OpenCongress brings together, for the first time in one place, all the best data on what’s really happening in Congress:

  • Official Congressional information from Thomas, made available by GovTrack.us: bills, votes, committee reports, and more.
  • News articles about bills and Members of Congress from Google News.
  • Blog posts about bills and Members of Congress from Google Blog Search and Technorati.
  • Campaign contribution information for every Member of Congress from the website of the non-profit, non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics, OpenSecrets.org.

May Graduates: Bar Study At Other Law School Libraries

If you wish to use to another law school¹s library to study for the July Bar Exam, you must make arrangements directly with the other library. 

Most local law school libraries charge graduates of schools other than their own for a Bar study pass, and several libraries sell only a limited number of passes.  Click on this chart to see a document that details the access policies of all the law schools in the NYC metropolitan area.

Categories: Bar

Green Technologies: An Innovation Agenda for America

TechNet recommends more funding for energy research and innovation, with more visibility and more strategic thought at the federal agency level. It also proposes federal tax policy reform to provide consistency and certainty to consumers and the marketplace. In addition, TechNet supports a technology-neutral Renewable Portfolio Standards and a market-based greenhouse gas emissions system.”

For more information, click on GreenTechReport1.pdf.

Library Schedule Reductions During Intersession


The Library will be open reduced hours during Intersession, May 11 to 28.


We will close at 6 pm on the last day of finals, Friday May 11.  Weekend hours on May 12-13 and May 19-20 will be noon to 8 pm.  Weekday hours beginning May 14 will be 9 am to 9 pm.


For Memorial Day Weekend, the Library will close at 6 pm on Friday May 25, and remain closed Saturday through Monday, May 26-28.


During the entire Intersession period, May 11-28, all Library study rooms and computer lab spaces on the 14th floor will be closed.

Summer Extensions for Lexis Passwords

Follow these directions to request summer access to LexisNexis: 

Log on at www.lexisnexis.com/lawschool (Law School Home page) and click the Summer Access logo (mid-right).  On the Summer Access Program page, click the red "Summer Access Registration" link in the middle of the page.  On the final page, check the box on the upper right to certify your particular use, select a reason for use in the drop-down menu, and click SUBMIT.  You must click SUBMIT or your password will not be registered.

Important: 3Ls desiring access must formally request summer access as well.  Access will run through July 31, 2007.  Students who have changed their expected graduation date since first issued a LexisNexis ID their first year must contact customer service (800-45 LEXIS) to change their graduation date on the LexisNexis system.

Please contact your LexisNexis representative, Nejat Bumin, Esq., at nejat.bumin@lexisnexis.com with any questions or concerns.

Midtown Library Access at ABCNY

The New York City Bar will again be offering free access to the City Bar’s library from May through August for all summer associates employed by a member of the association.   The Library is located at 42 West 44th Street in Manhattan.  Summer hours beginning May 21 will be Monday – Thursday 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. and Friday 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.   For additional information, contact the New York City Bar Library at 212-382-6739 or your firm librarian.

Federal Rules Amendments Approved by Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has approved amendments to the Federal Rules of Appellate, Bankruptcy, Civil, and Criminal Procedure.  The rules will take effect on December 1, 2007, unless Congress enacts legislation to reject, modify, or defer the amendments. The amendments may be accessed here.