The new Supreme Court term will begin this Monday, October 4^th, 2021.

The Court has an active term ahead with high stakes cases surrounding abortion rights, the 2^nd Amendment, religious freedom, and the Boston Marathon bombing.  While many cases have potentially wide implications, all eyes will likely be on the December 1, 2021 oral arguments set to determine the fate of Roe v. Wade.  Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization will decide whether “all pre-viability prohibitions on abortions are unconstitutional.”

You can find more information on the upcoming Supreme Court term at HeinOnline’s Preview of United States Supreme Court Cases or the SCOTUS Blog (includes case summaries).  You can also view the case briefs at the Supreme Court’s website (under CASE DOCUMENTS click the link for Docket Search and enter the docket number of the case you are interested in). The Court will again be making available to the public live audio of the arguments.  Check for the link on the Supreme Court’s web site on the day of argument.

Remember to register for your required RSW on Secondary Sources. Sessions begin on September 21.  Click this link to go to the registration page.

Even Elevator Ed is talking about secondary sources!

Constitution Day is observed each year on September 17 to commemorate the date on which thirty-nine delegates to the Constitutional Convention 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 2004, Congress changed the designation to Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, to “recognize all who, by coming of age or by naturalization, have become citizens.”

The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia offers a number of educational videos, including a virtual tour of the Center’s Signers Hall. The original Constitution is held at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. but wherever you are you can access and download your own copy of the Constitution from the National Archives. You can also download copies of the Bill of Rights (the first ten amendments to the Constitution) and all of the subsequent amendments (11-27).

Click here for a full schedule of online events being offered by the National Constitution Center.

If you haven’t already registered for your required RSW on Secondary Sources make sure you do so.  Sessions begin on Friday, September 17 and continue until Sunday, October 3. Remember that these sessions are a requirement of your LP class.  You can find the instructions for registration here.

And if you haven’t already taken the required Jurisdiction and Authority RSW, the last two sessions are on Tuesday, September 13. You can still register here.

September 11, 2021 marks the twentieth anniversary of “9/11,” the horrific terrorist attacks on America that took nearly 3,000 lives.

New York Law School sits just blocks away from what became known as Ground Zero, the site of the former World Trade Center’s “Twin Towers,” which collapsed after being struck by two hijacked jetliners.

In the weeks immediately following the attack, NYLS students, staff, and faculty—eyewitnesses all—were asked to put their thoughts about what they had experienced that day on paper. These essays and reflections were compiled and published as Eight Blocks Away: Memoirs of September 11, 2001.

A PDF of Eight Blocks Away is available on the NYLS Digital Commons.  You may access it for free here.

If you would like to pick up a free copy of the book*, please stop by the Mendik Library Reference Desk.

*While supplies last.

As we head into the third week of classes, the Mendik Library staff hopes you are finding your way around your new digs and getting comfortable in your library. Our Student Services Guide and Research Tools Guide are great starting places for finding important links to services, tools and library info.  The Finding the Law Guide from 1L Orientation is now linked from the Student Students Guide.  If you have not already, you should check out our LexisNexis Digital collection of online study aids and treatises.

The reference librarians are eager to work with you and provide support as you work toward your degree and your career.  Please don’t hesitate to stop by the Reference Desk or make an appointment with a librarian.  Whether you are in your first, third, fifth or last semester we are here for you. We can help you get familiar with library materials, course reserves, and the many services we offer.  We can also provide advice on approaches to studying, help you develop a strong research strategy, help you find the most helpful secondary sources in a subject, or help you research an employer of interest.  Who knows – we might even be able to demystify the Bluebook and help you create correct citations.

It’s your Library – Check it Out … We would love to chat with you – Stop by; Email us; Team-up with us; call us (212.431.2332); or make an appointment with one of your librarians.