Author: dustinkwilson

The Haunted Halloween Info Hunt Returns!

Happy soon-to-be-Halloween from the Mendik Library!

As an early Halloween treat, here’s your opportunity to WIN great study aids, law dictionaries, faculty books, pre-loaded OneCards, NYLS swag, and who knows what else!  Just answer the 6 Haunted Halloween Info Hunt questions. Your answers don’t need to be perfect—just close!

Click here to access the questions.  Each slide includes just one question, along with step-by-step instructions that will get you to the answer.

Print this answer sheet (or pick up a copy at the Reference Desk) and drop it the Raffle Drum on the Reference Desk by 5 p.m. on Thursday, October 31, and then join us outside the library at 5:45 p.m. for some sweet treats and the drawing.

More on First Monday in October

Over on the SCOTUSblog, Prof. Stephen Wermiel offers a quick review of the debate dividing the justices about when to overrule constitutional precedent and when to follow it.  It’s a debate he describes as certain to continue when the Court begins its new term on Monday.  Read the post here.

First Monday in October 2019

The new Supreme Court term is set to begin this year on Monday October 7, 2019.

For previews of arguments scheduled for this term, visit the SCOTUSblog. Cornell’s Legal Information Institute (LII) also offers a comprehensive preview of the upcoming term.

You can listen to oral arguments at the Supreme Court’s Oral Arguments link, where the audio is posted at the end of each argument week. You can access the parties’ briefs at the Supreme Court’s web site. (Under Case Documents click the link for Docket Search.)

Happy Constitution Day!

Constitution Day is observed each year on September 17 to commemorate the date on which thirty-nine delegates to the Constitutional Convention, held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, signed the United States Constitution in 1787. The Convention was convened as a result of dissatisfaction with the Articles of Confederation, the first constitution of the United States.

In celebration of Constitution Day (and Citizenship Day) this year, a number of federal judges have been conducting naturalization ceremonies for hundreds of new citizens at a dozen major and minor league ballparks across the country. The effort will continue through September 20.

For deeper coverage on the world’s longest surviving written charter of government, download the Library of Congress’s free app containing the official, annotated version of the United State Constitution, U.S. Constitution: Analysis and Interpretation.

The original Constitution is held at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. but you can pick up your own pocket-copy at the library’s reference desk!

Need A Quick Boost?

Does your phone or laptop need a charge? Stop by the Library’s Circulation Desk and the juice is on us; no charge to charge – it’s free! Charging is limited to 30 minutes if another student needs the charger too. Otherwise, you can fill ‘er up.

Win… and Learn!

Win… and Learn!

Have you submitted your Legally Clueless Info Hunt entry?

The drawing takes place this Thursday August 22 at 5:45 pm, just outside the Library. We plan to award many prizes, including OneCards (with pre-loaded cash values), First Year course study aids, legal dictionaries, NYLS swag, and who knows what else!

All 1Ls should have received (and worked on) the gray and blue-colored entry form during the First Week Foundations/Finding the Law class. If you need another copy pick one up at the Reference Desk. Spend a few minutes learning more about research and the library’s resources. You don’t even need to get the right answers, and you should always feel free to ask one of the reference librarians for help.

Good luck to all!

Welcome from the Library Director

On behalf of the Mendik Library, I extend my welcome to the incoming Class of 2019.  We all look forward to meeting you as you embark on this challenging and exciting journey. 

We have worked hard to make your library a comfortable study and learning environment.  The Mendik Library is a vibrant and dynamic information and research center. You can be assured that you are getting the benefit of an outstanding collection of information and technology resources, an extensive offering of services, and an excellent and dedicated library staff.

We describe our resources and services in great detail on our web pages and in the handouts in this folder. 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 includes ten professional librarians with master’s degrees, five of whom also have J.D. degrees from law schools around the country. They have been where you are going. Your librarians have many years of experience working in law libraries and teaching legal research.  Many also have years of legal practice experience. They can help you with your library and research needs, of course, but their value to you goes far beyond that. Do not hesitate to ask us 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.  

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.  

Welcome!  We hope the library will quickly become your second home.

Sincerely,

 

 

Professor Camille Broussard

Library Director & Associate Dean

Law School 411

The study and practice of law can encompass both the scholarly and popular aspects of culture. The Mendik Library’s Law School 411 LibGuide provides an online portal to books, movies, television shows and websites addressing many facets of law.

Take a moment to explore the Guide’s offerings, from inspiring stories about social justice, to ways in which students can maximize their law school experience.