First Monday in October

The new Supreme Court term will begin Monday October 3, 2022, and the Court will again be open to the public. The Court has an active term ahead, particularly with two controversial affirmative action cases on the docket, both to be argued on October 31st.  The Harvard College case and the University of North Carolina case will look at whether these institutions may use race as a factor in admissions and whether their efforts at racial balancing violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

You can find detailed information (including case summaries) for the upcoming Supreme Court term at the SCOTUS Blog . 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 set up your Bloomberg, LexisNexis and Westlaw accounts

All 1L students—If you haven’t already done so, please set up your Bloomberg, LexisNexis and Westlaw accounts. You’ll need them later in the semester for legal research and citation checking.

The information necessary to retrieve your registration codes and create your accounts can be found at: https://nyls.libwizard.com/f/2022_BL_Lexis_Westlaw

If you need any help, please contact the Reference Desk (reference@nyls.edu or via MS Teams).

Anniversary of the Death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg

This Sunday, September 18, 2022, marks the two-year anniversary of the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.  Justice Ginsburg was the second woman to serve as a justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.  She left behind an enormous legacy – one that includes not only her signature lace-collar but the transformation of women’s rights in the United States. “The Notorius RBG” visited NYLS a few times in her long and illustrious career.  In 2018, she gave the Sidney Shainwald Public Interest Lecture.  At the lecture, she was interviewed by NYLS Professor Nadine Strossen.  In 1999, Justice Ginsburg spoke at the NYLS Law Review Dinner.  Visit our NYLS Digital Commons repository to find more information and pictures.

Celebrate Constitution Day

September 17 marks Constitution Day, commemorating the 1787 date on which thirty-nine of the Philadelphia Convention’s delegates signed the new Constitution.

Stop at the Reference Desk in the Mendik Library to pick up a free pocket-size constitution (while supplies last!).

ConstitutionFacts.com has put together a variety of fun ways to test/expand your Constitutional knowledge.

Which Founding Father are you?

“Expert” level quiz.  Harder than you think!  This librarian only scored 43 out of 50.

Crossword puzzles.

Real or fake?

Famous quotes.

If you are interested in further reading:

The Constitution Today: Timeless Lessons for the Issues of Our Era by Akhil Reed Amar.

Welcome from the Library Director

On behalf of the Mendik Library, I want to welcome everyone back for another exciting year. And, in particular, welcome to the entering Class of 2022-23!  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 guides. What you might not realize from these publications is the outstanding quality of the Mendik Library Staff and why that is important to you.  Your librarians have many years of experience working in law libraries and teaching legal research.  Many have J.D. degrees from law schools around the country and years of legal practice experience.  They have been where you are going.  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.

Welcome!  We hope the library will quickly become your second home.  To our new 1L community members, we recognize that law school is a new experience for each of you, and we are committed to making that experience a rewarding one.  We look forward to the opportunity to work with you throughout your law school career and thereafter as alumni.

Sincerely,

Professor Camille Broussard
Library Director & Associate Dean

New LGBTQ+ Database

Although not in time for Pride month, we wanted to let you know about a new database on LGBTQ+ rights available on HeinOnline! The LGBTQ+ database, part of the broader Social Justice Suite,  charts “the gay rights movement in America, showing the civil rights codified into law in the 20th and 21st centuries, as well as the inequalities that still exist today.”

Divided into 15 subtopics, the database makes it easy to identify potential resources relevant to your chosen topic.   It also includes an interactive timeline covering the LGBTQ+ rights movement from 1950 to the present.  Finally, each topic includes relevant scholarly articles and a list of further reading if you want to learn more.

Prioritizing or Multitasking?

A Firm Perspective is written by Martha Goldman, a retired Big Law firm library manager who then returned to the NYLS Mendik Library where her career began…

So, you’ve started your summer job or externship. Got lots to do and feeling overwhelmed? It’s likely that you are confronting a heavy workload and multiple deadlines, all of which seem to need attention at the same time. But when you multitask, you must prioritize! Here are a few tips about prioritizing:

  • Decide which tasks are most important or urgent
  • Create a to-do list that reflects the tasks in order of their priority
  • Place the deadlines for all tasks in your calendar
  • Set realistic timelines for each task
  • Add time for distractions
  • Review and revise your timeline constantly, even throughout the day

 

You will succeed!