English Legal History Research

Abstract

Questions about English law that require some historical research are not uncommon.This article will discuss the sources that can be found in a typical U.S.academic law library to answer these queries.     

Teaching Civil Procedure in the 21st Century: An Annotated Bibliography of U.S. Books and Articles, 2000–2019

Abstract

An annotated bibliography of articles and books on teaching civil procedure published in the United States from Winter 2000 through Spring 2019.     

The Corpus Juris Civilis: A Guide to its History and Use

ABSTRACT

The Corpus Juris Civilis is indispensable for Roman law research. It is a vital pillar of modern law in many European nations and influential in other countries. Scholars and lawyers still refer to it today. This valuable publication, however, may seem impenetrable at first, and references to it can be hard to decipher or detect. This guide provides a history of the Corpus Juris Civilis and the forms it has taken, states why it is still an important resource today, and offers some tips and tools for research using it.     

A Resource Guide to Tax Law Careers

Abstract

This Guide is designed to assist law students and attorneys in the pursuit of careers in tax law. It is also intended for librarians and career counselors to readily find tax law career information so that they can assist their clients effectively. It includes resources in both print (for example, books and articles) and electronic formats (for example, Web sites). Each item included has a brief annotation so that the user can quickly decide the relevancy and value of that item.     

Cost Effective Legal Research

Abstract

Legal researchers need to be able to efficiently retrieve information in a cost effective manner. To do this, they must be familiar with the various information formats and be able to evaluate these formats. This article reviews the various information formats, discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each format, suggests research strategies, and reviews Internet sites that provide legal information.     

Should We Care If the Case Digest Disappears?: A Retrospective Analysis and the Future of Legal Research Instruction

ABSTRACT

This article begins with a brief history of the West key number digest system. Next, it reviews some of the prominent literature discussing the shift from case digests to full-text searching (including the sole user study on this topic). Then, this article examines how the paradigm shift is reflected in law library collections and current trends in legal research instruction. Finally, the author presents four lessons gleaned from this discussion that may help shape future legal research instruction and proposes a user study to better inform future discussion.     

I Am the Cheesehead

Abstract

A law librarian describes her humorous route to law librarianship and a reference position at the University of Wisconsin.     

Resources on Animals and the Law

SUMMARY

Animals have been viewed, by the laws of societies, simply as “things” throughout recorded history. Only recently have books been written promoting or simply discussing the possible granting of legal status to animals. The author presents a thorough list of these materials, with brief reviews.     

Researching Initiatives and Referenda: A Guide for Oklahoma

SUMMARY

Researching initiatives and referendums in Oklahoma requires looking at Oklahoma history, becoming familiar with the constitutional and statutory requirements and procedures, and finding pertinent print and Web resources.     

Research Guide to Mexican Law*

ABSTRACT

Carrying out effective and efficient research on Mexican law presents special challenges. Some of these are structural because they condition the entire research process. This guide covers all aspects of Mexican legal research, providing a contextualized overview of the subject. The guide is organized into three main sections: Primary Sources, Secondary Sources, and Online Resources. The reader of this guide will gain a solid foundation in how to do research on Mexican law.     

South Pacific Law Materials Bibliography

Abstract

The South Pacific is an area of emerging importance to lawyers in North America and throughout the world. Dr. Care's bibliography provides a comprehensive introduction to the legal materials of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia.     

Robots,Blockchain, ESI,Oh My!: Why Law Schools Are (or Should Be) Teaching Legal Technology

Abstract

The author explains the important of introducing legal technology into the law school curriculum. At a time when innovation in law is happening at a rapid-fire pace, the need for these courses is indisputable.     

Selling to the Legal Market

Abstract

Most law libraries used to remove the covers from law reviews before binding them. This is unfortunate, because the covers often printed advertisements suggesting the tastes and habits of old-time lawyers and law students. Covers from the first years of the Harvard Law Review (1887-1900) are examined here to show the sort of information law periodical covers could provide.     

Legal Publishing: Establishing Context through the Lens of Disruptive Innovation

ABSTRACT

As legal research tools come and go, an understanding of the continuing changes in legal publishing can provide a better understanding of those developments. One way in which law librarians can gain insight into the dynamic legal publishing world is by looking through the lens created by the innovative disruption model as proposed by Clayton Christensen almost 20 years ago. This article suggests that the Christensen model can provide valuable context to what is happening and may happen in legal publishing in the future.     

Comparison of Research Speed and Accuracy Using WestlawNext and Lexis Advance

ABSTRACT

In 2010, Thomson Reuters released a new search engine to the legal academy called WestlawNext. WestlawNext's single-search-box approach revolutionized the legal research process. LexisNexis followed with its own next-generation search engine, Lexis Advance. This study compares the speed and accuracy of WestlawNext and Lexis Advance for basic legal research questions. Fifty-five participants answered five legal questions in each system. We reviewed their results and research trails to determine how the systems compared on speed and accuracy. Our results indicate few significant differences between the two systems for basic legal research tasks utilizing keyword searches.     

A Comparative Citation Analysis of Seven Mid-South Law Reviews

Abstract

Several studies have compared the frequency of citation to law reviews, comparing citation rates for all or most law reviews being published at the time of the study. This article compares the citation rates of general law reviews published by seven public law schools in close geographic proximity. The results show that citation rates are influenced by several factors, including whether articles published by the journals have a state or national focus, the subject matter of the articles, and whether articles are published as part of symposia.     

Strategic Planning for Distance Learning in Legal Education

SUMMARY

Distance learning technologies will be used increasingly by law schools both to enhance learning within their existing residential programs and to reach new audiences. For law librarians, the questions involved in serving distance learners are a subset of the questions about the future of the law library that arise from changes in the legal information environment. This article discusses current distance learning alternatives for law schools, and the impacts of distance learning and other technological innovations on the future role of the academic law library in legal education.     

Creating and Using Web Resources to Train Attorneys

Summary

The experience of producing a web-based CLE program is shared by two academic law librarians who teamed with a practicing attorney to deliver the training. The focus is on teaching lawyers to effectively find and use materials on the Internet using a hands-on web-based CLE. The insights gained from taking web-based legal instruction “on the road” are explored along with the challenges presented by well-intentioned administrators and those wishing to profit from CLEs who may thwart good planning and organization. Dependable technical support and control of the process and environment are not only desirable but necessary. Selected web site URLs used in training are included and future directions for this type of training are examined.     

Access versus Ownership

SUMMARY

This paper discusses changes in the ownership models of intellectual property and how they are shifting the way libraries provide information. The author argues that the main change in intellectual property is the way that owners distribute information, not in the sense of new media, but in the sense of new legal constructs governing distribution. The article discusses the impact on libraries of a move toward viewing information as a service that must be licensed, not bought. The potential effects of protecting intellectual property with contract law instead of copyright and property law are detailed.     

Theirs Not to Reason Why,Theirs but to Make Law Review or Die

Abstract

The following annotated bibliography seeks to provide a quick research tool for people interested in understanding and, of course, improving legal scholarship in the United States. In Part I, we provide a brief introduction to the law review system. In Part II, we evaluate various articles that critique the law review system. In Part III, we examine law review articles that critique law review students themselves. In Part IV, we summarize some of the articles that recount the history of law reviews. In Part V, we compile several articles that look at citation trends for legal scholarship. In Part VI, we discuss miscellaneous articles about law reviews.