Library Information

Welcome from the Library Director

On behalf of the Mendik Library, I want to extend my welcome to the Class of 2021-22.  We are all looking 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 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 includes ten professionals with master’s degrees, six 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

Supreme Court Watch

On Monday, July 9, 2018, President Donald Trump nominated Brett M. Kavanaugh of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy on the United States Supreme Court. This nomination has given President Trump his second nomination in his first two years in office. Many legal observers opine that this might be one of the most crucial nominations to the Court and could portend a fundamental shift in the court. The resources below will help you learn more about Judge Kavanaugh and the Senate confirmation process.

Law Library of Congress: Resources: Brett M. Kavanaugh
Summary: Articles, books, congressional materials, and web resources by and about the Supreme Court nominee.

SCOTUSblog: Nomination of Brett Kavanaugh
Summary: SCOTUSblog provides comprehensive Supreme Court coverage and commentary.

SCOTUS Watch
Excerpt: SCOTUS Watch tracks the public statements made by United States senators about how they plan to vote on the Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, and tallies them into a likely vote count.

Food For Fines 2018

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.

Donations must be made prior to May 30, 2018.  Note:  this offer does not apply to fines for lost or damaged materials.  We donate all food collected to the Salvation Army.

Celebrate Law Day 2018

Each year on May 1st, the United States celebrates Law Day. First designated in 1958 by President Eisenhower, Law Day celebrates the rule of law and its contributions to Americans’ many freedoms. This year’s theme is Separation of Powers: Framework for Freedom.

The Law Library of Congress has a Law Day Research Guide, with links to legislative and executive documents as well as books, journal articles and speech transcripts. Additional information on Law Day and materials relating to this year’s theme are on the ABA’s Law Day web page.

#LawDay

The theme for this year’s observance is Framework for Freedom. Additional information on Law Day and many downloadable resources relating to Miranda can be found on the ABA’s Law Day web page.

Celebrate Earth Day!

Sunday April 22, 2018 is Earth Day.

This year’s Earth Day Network campaign focuses on ending plastic pollution. You can sign the End Plastic Pollution Petition or make a pledge to reduce your use of plastic.

You can also drink your coffee, tea, or other beverage from a spill-proof, reusable mug, which will go a long way towards helping to reduce the volume of plastic, Styrofoam, and paper cups piling up in landfills or requiring energy for recycling. At the same time, you’ll be complying with the Library’s food and drink policy and earning our thanks!

If you don’t have a spill-proof mug, pick one up at the Circulation Desk for $5.00. For every one purchased through the end of this semester’s exam period, librarians will contribute $1.00 to Earth Day Network, which works with over 50,000 partners in nearly 195 countries to broaden, diversify and mobilize the environmental movement.

For complete information about Earth Day, visit Earth Day Network.

Selecting Your Courses for Next Year: Why You Should Consider Legal Research

Among the most important skills all lawyers rely upon is the ability to do legal research– to find what’s needed to to interpret and analyze legal issues. Legal research is an integral part of the “competencies” that NYLS and the ABA require of law students. Effective research skills are vital to students engaged in any type of legal writing, to those who are clerking or participating in externships, and to those entering legal practice.

To help you prepare for the realities of law practice, we offer a number of courses that build upon skills learned in the first year and will make you a more efficient, confident and successful researcher.

Legal Research: Practical Skills (1 credit)
Builds on fundamental research skills through refining students’ techniques, introducing shortcuts and new approaches, and developing effective strategies. The course focuses on finding legislation, administrative materials, and related cases; using the secondary sources relied on by practitioners; attaining greater proficiency and comfort with Lexis, Westlaw, Bloomberg BNA, and other online research tools, including reliable free and low-cost sources. We also offer this class with a focus on a particular substantive practice area, including Corporate & Business Law; Criminal Law; Family Law; Foreign and International Law; Intellectual Property Law; Labor and Employment Law; and Real Estate Law.

Legal Research: Skills for the Digital World (3 credits)
Continues to build on the fundamentals described in Legal Research: Practical Skills. Students concentrate on more advanced techniques and strategies and learn to evaluate online and print materials in order to choose the best and most cost effective source for particular projects. Some assignments are geared to students’ individual subject interests. Take-home assignments test and enhance students’ ability to perform various research tasks and strengthen their understanding of important research process and strategy considerations.

Want more information? Contact Prof. Camille Broussard or Prof. Michael Roffer

Congratulations to our Valentine’s Day Info Hunt Winners!

Thanks to everyone who participated in this year’s Valentine’s Day Info Hunt!

We want to thank ALL of you for putting your research skills to work and joining us in what we hope you all found to be a great learning experience. Here are the 22 winners drawn from our renowned Raffle Drum:

Those winners who haven’t claimed their prize, please drop by the Circulation Desk to pick it up.

Celebrating Black History Month

Did you know that NYLS’s 57 Worth Street building encompasses the site (236 Church Street) that was once home to Freedom’s Journal, the first newspaper published in the United States by and for black Americans? Founded in 1827 to provide a voice against racism and intolerance, it denounced slavery and lynchings and advocated for black suffrage. The surrounding neighborhood was once home to a large number of free northern blacks who, at that time, constituted a small minority in the city. Just steps away from 236 Church Street a plaque commemorates the site of the Mother African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, which occupied the space from 1800-1864. The church was the first church built for and by black Americans, and had strong ties to Freedom’s Journal.

To learn more about Freedom’s Journal, seek out a copy of the Fall/Winter 2010 issue of New York Law School Magazine, which contains a more in-depth article regarding NYLS’s connection to the newspaper. You can also access a copy of the article here.

 

 

Pizza Survey Results Delivered- 2017 First Week Pizza Survey Results

For the eleventh consecutive year, the Mendik Library surveyed 1Ls during First Week about some of their digital inclinations. For the complete survey results (along with the questions) and how they compare to results over the past ten years, here.

Spoiler alert—pepperoni once again repeated as the most popular pizza topping, this time based on the preferences of 347 members of the classes of 2020/21. These students also responded to questions about:

• their preferred platforms for electronic communication;
• their usage of Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Twitter, Blogs & Podcasts;

• the digital devices they owned and used, including Macs v. PCs, Smartphones, Tablets and E-Book Readers.

Here are some of the highlights:

Communication

• Email remained decidedly less preferred as a means of electronic communication, with only 19% of the class preferring it over text messaging (72%). Social media apps were the preferred means of electronic communication for just 9%.

Social Media

• For the first time in ten years, Facebook is no longer the dominant social networking platform for these students. Instagram was the choice of 36%, up from last year’s 27% figure. Only 29% of this class labeled Facebook as the social networking platform they used most often.

• Snapchat also continued to gain ground over Facebook, increasing from 15% in 2016 to 18% this year.

Preferred Devices

• Continuing the previous ten-year trend, the popularity of Mac laptops versus PC laptops increased to 73%, up from last year’s figure of 68%.

• Ownership of iPhones increased to 86% of the class, with 14% owning Android phones.

E-Books

• Students are taking advantage of e-books using a variety of devices, though the large majority (79%) have done so on a computer (desktop or laptop), nearly twice as many as those using iPads (43%) and nearly four times as many as those using Kindles (20%). Only 10% of respondents indicated they had not read or viewed any e-books.

• Perhaps most significantly, students continue to manifest an aversion to the use of e-books for classes. Asked whether they had used an e-textbook for classes, only 41% said yes, a steep decline from last year’s 58% figure.

• When those who had used an e-textbook were asked if they preferred it to a print textbook, 86% said “no,” a slight increase over last year’s 85% figure.

Pizza

• Pepperoni continues to reign supreme as students’ favorite pizza topping, pulling in 29% of the vote, up from last year’s 22% number. The only other toppings in double figures were Extra Cheese at 17% and Mushrooms at 12%.