Winter Intersession Hours

Are you finished with exams and ready to start preparing for next semester?! If so, please be sure to note the library's hours.

December 11 - 12, 2010 - CLOSED
December 13 - 17, 2010 - 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
December 18 - 19, 2010 - CLOSED
December 20 - 22, 2010 - 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
December 23 - January 2, 2011 - CLOSED
January 3 - 7, 2011 - 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
January 8, 2011 - CLOSED
January 9, 2011* - 1 p.m. to 10 p.m.
*regular library hours resume for the spring semester

Examples and Explanations Available through Google Books

Thanks to Jamie Sommer for pointing this out.

You can now get extensive previews of the Examples and Explanations series through Google Books! This is great if you are studying at home, an other library, or the book you would like is checked out.

The law library also carries Examples and Explanations in hard copy, which may be checked out from our Reserves Collection at the Circulation Desk.

For a recommendation on other study aids, please see a reference librarian.


Happy studying!

Chillax Time !!!

Want a Break!!!!!!... Need a Snack!!!

The Law Library will be hosting the Chillax Room!!!

December 7th & 8th from 8:00pm to 11:00pm in the Library Conference Room.

Food....Snacks.....and Games!!!!

Looking for on-the-go study-aids?

Try the Law in a Flash Cards mobile app!

Use these e-flashcards now to study for exams and save them for bar prep...even if bar prep is years away (once you purchase the app, the flashcards are yours to keep). You can even make notes on the cards and/or shuffle them to quiz yourself.

Subjects currently available: Civil Procedure I, Civil Procedure II, Constitutional Law I (National and State Powers), Constitutional Law II (Individual Rights), Contracts, Corporations, Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Evidence, Future Interests, Professional Responsibility, Real Property, Torts, and Wills & Trusts.

For more information or to purchase the app, go to the iTunes store, Mobihand or Crackberry.

Looking Too Young for the Part

Law students and new attorneys face many challenges: graduating from law school, passing the bar, finding employment, etc. Many of these challenges can be compounded by looking too young for the part of trusted attorney (or summer associate) even when you are fully qualified. In a recent ABA newsletter, an ABA Young Lawyers Division article was highlighted offering advice on just this issue. The full article, When Lawyers Look Young - Building Credibility with Clients, Jurors, and Judges, by Daniel G.P. Marchese offers advice to new practitioners who look too young for the part.

• Distinguish yourself from other attorneys. Marchese took the time a get Civil Trial certification from the New Jersey Supreme Court. Look into ways you can distinguish yourself from others within your areas of interest.
• Use your youth to your advantage when possible. Younger attorneys are often more comfortable with technology than older ones. If you can use that to your advantage and better serve your clients, you’ll gain their confidence much easier.
• Embody the traits of successful older attorneys. If you know an attorney who is well respected by other members of the bar and their clients, figure out what positive attributes they possess and work to build and refine those attributes in yourself.
• Be prepared for court and client meetings. Marchese notes that often times, judges suspect younger attorneys will be “wisenheimer[s]” during court. Be professional and prepared both in court and with your clients.

You can’t change your age or youthful appearance, but you can control your reputation. Develop your practice skills and be as professional as possible. If you do that, looking or being young won’t be a problem.

Use CALI to help you study

If you need additional study help or you would like to test your knowledge in a particular subject, try using CALI lessons. CALI activation codes and discs are available at the reference desk. If you have registered with CALI previously, click on the "forgot my password" link to retrieve your custom password. If you need help selecting a lesson, please see a reference librarian. Happy studying!

Planning for Success: Preparing a Finals Plan

Tomorrow marks the last day of classes before finals. For some of you, this might be your first set of law schools exams - take a deep breath, you will survive. For others, you are familiar with the stress of exams and have some ideas about how to study. However, no matter what your comfort level is when studying for exams, you can benefit from a finals preparation plan. If you are wondering how to create one, the Lawyerist recently posted a few useful tips for how to prepare for finals. It’s a short, but valuable article to read.

How to Create a Plan for Finals

Good luck!

The Legislative History of Thanksgiving

President George Washington issued the first Presidential Thanksgiving Proclamation in 1789 but he didn’t issue another Thanksgiving Proclamation until 1795. President John Adams issued proclamations for a "Day of Fasting & Humiliation” in 1798 and 1799; and President James Madison issued Thanksgiving Proclamations 1814 and 1815. However, between 1816 and 1862, there were no Presidential Thanksgiving Proclamations issued.

In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln’s Thanksgiving Proclamation declaring the last Thursday of November “as a day of thanksgiving and praise.” Although Lincoln didn’t issue the first Thanksgiving Proclamation, his proclamation is significant because it marks the beginning of Annual Thanksgiving Holidays.

In 1939, President Franklin Roosevelt thought that moving Thanksgiving forward a week would create more Christmas-related profit for businesses and help the Nation’s economy. Many people were against this idea and in August 1941, the House passed a bill designating Thanksgiving as the last Thursday in November. However, in October 1941, the Senate decided on a compromise, making Thanksgiving the 4th Thursday of the month. Roosevelt signed the bill on December 26, 1941, and since then Thanksgiving has been observed on the 4th Thursday of November.

To see the legislative history for yourself, search for “P.L. 77-379” or “55 Stat. 862” in LexisNexis Congressional.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of our patrons!!!!