All Blog Posts

Posted by Hala Furst
08/01/2008 at 12:00 AM
Writer’s note: I wrote this while traveling in London. I simply cannot say enough good things about the program! There are few greater thrills in life that hearing a man in a wig and a robe use something you, a mere American student, told him in chambers to question a barrister in open court. Perhaps that needs some context. For the last week and a half, I have had the privilege of sitting on the bench of the Croydon Crown Court, immediately to the left of His Honour Judge Kenneth MacRae. In front of me, I see a courtroom laid out in a similar fashion to one in the US, but with striking...
Posted by Library Blog
07/30/2008 at 12:00 AM
In addition to the major commercial websites for legal news such as the ABAJournal.com, FindLaw and Law.com , check out JURIST.  JURIST is the only law school-based website for legal news.  In 1996, University of Pittsburgh School of Law Professor Bernard Hibbitts created the website as “Law Professors on the Web.” The website was initially a clearinghouse of online legal materials authored by law professors. The website’s current name JURIST was officially adopted in 1997. Contents of JURIST include U.S. and world legal news, opinions of recently decided U.S. and foreign cases,...
Posted by Library Blog
07/25/2008 at 12:00 AM
From July 12 to July 15, several of the RWU School of Law librarians attended the 101st American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) Annual Meeting and Conference held in Portland, Oregon.  Founded in 1906, AALL has over 5,000 members from law firms; law schools; corporate legal departments; courts; and local, state and federal government agencies.  AALL was formed on July 2, 1906 during the annual meeting of the American Library Association.  The meeting that year was held in Narragansett, Rhode Island!  Twenty-four librarians responded to the call by A.J. Small, a...
Posted by Library Blog
07/18/2008 at 12:00 AM
“RWU School of Law 2008 Commencement Speaker Linda Greenhouse Retires” Linda Greenhouse, RWU School of Law 2008 Commencement speaker, recently retired from the New York Times as a correspondent covering the U.S. Supreme Court to write and teach at Yale Law School.  Her article in the July 13 issue of the New York Times is a reflection of her thirty years covering the U.S. Supreme Court. Another New York Times item written by Ms. Greenhouse is her selection of three defining opinions issued by the Court.  They are the 1992 opinion in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, the Bush v. Gore...
Posted by Library Blog
07/08/2008 at 12:00 AM
For news of legal scholarship or current legal developments in the world of sports, blogs are a great resource in addition to articles in law reviews, newspapers and magazines.  Two informative blogs are the Sports Law Professor and Sports Law Blog.  The Sports Law Professor is authored by Professor Jeffrey Standen of Willamette University College of Law in Salem, Oregon.  His blog is “Dedicated to the complete integration of sports and law (so that one day we won’t know the difference).” Also at the blog site is a great list of links, mostly non-legal, to various sports sites...
Posted by Library Blog
07/01/2008 at 12:00 AM
Check out the Bristol Fourth of July Committee’s website for information about the events scheduled during Bristol’s 223rd Annual Fourth of July Celebration.  Established in 1785, the Bristol Fourth of July Celebration is the oldest continuous celebration of its kind in the United States.  On July 3 beginning at 9:40 p.m., there will be a fireworks display in Bristol Harbor.  On July 4, Patriotic Exercises will take place beginning at 8:30 a.m. at Independence Park with the Military, Civil and Firemen’s Parade starting at 10:30 a.m.  WLNE-TV/ABC6 will be broadcasting the...
Posted by Library Blog
06/24/2008 at 12:00 AM
The American Film Institute recently aired a program on network television about its selection of the top ten movies in several movie genres. Here are the American Film Institute’s top ten courtroom dramas. • 1. “To Kill a Mockingbird,” 1962 • 2. “12 Angry Men,” 1957 • 3. “Kramer Vs. Kramer,” 1979 • 4. “The Verdict,” 1982 • 5. “A Few Good Men,” 1992 • 6. “Witness for the Prosecution,” 1957 • 7. “Anatomy of a Murder,” 1959 • 8. “In Cold Blood,” 1967 • 9. “A Cry in the Dark,” 1988 • 10. “Judgment at Nuremberg,” 1961 For more information go to the AFI: 10 Top 10, Courtroom Dramas.
Posted by Library Blog
06/17/2008 at 12:00 AM
Lawyer and award-winning journalist Ross Guberman offers 12 writing tips for summer associates in a recently published article in the National Law Journal. His writing tips include: • Do not agonize over every word. • Check the draft carefully for typos, citation errors, spelling mistakes and formatting glitches. • Obtain information about format, final length of the document, length of time to spend on the document, existence of a document within the firm that can be used as a template, and what will be done with the document once it is submitted to the supervising attorney. • Find out how...
Posted by Library Blog
06/11/2008 at 12:00 AM
With the recent merger of publishing giant Thomson and international news agency Reuters, the Thomson website FindLaw for Legal Professionals was revamped with a new look, easier navigation, and additional content.  Major categories of content consist of primary legal research materials, resources for managing one’s career and practice, and legal news and in-depth commentary provided by leading legal scholars. Click on “Research the Law” tab to access federal and state cases & codes, case opinion summaries, and sample business contracts. One can also research an attorney or law firm...
Posted by Library Blog
06/03/2008 at 12:00 AM
For those who are devotees of legal news, check out the ABA Journal website!  The ABA Journal is the publication of the American Bar Association and as stated on its website:“The ABA Journal is read by half of the nation’s 1 million lawyers every month. It covers the trends, people and finances of the legal profession from Wall Street to Main Street to Pennsylvania Avenue.” Content from the current ABA Journal and previous issues back to January, 2004 is available along with daily postings by the ABA Journal staff reporters on the latest legal stories.  Click on the Topics tab to...