Exploring the World through your laptop

Foreign Governments: Constitutions, Laws and Treaties, Oh my!  Managed by the University of Michigan Library Documents Center, an annotated compilation of reference resources for international government documents, guides, treaties, and law is comprehensively available to the public, including students.  As a hint, new users may wish to use the “no-frames” option to facilitate orientation , as many of the link point to outside resources.  For example, subtopics of the annotated list link to actual documents and guides in Constitution Finder at the University of Richmond and EcoLex for Environmental Law.

CharlotteLaw subscribes to the United Nations Treaty Series, which contains the texts of over 158,000 bilateral and multilateral treaties and subsequent treaty actions in their original language(s), along with a translation into English and French, as appropriate.

-Liz McCurry-

Expedition Africa

Two members of the CharlotteLaw community are embarking on a journey to Africa within days.  To be more specific, Professor Sheryl Buske and Carol Fletcher begin their summer adventure to Tanzania and South Africa July 12th.  Luckily, we will “virtually” be able to tag along with them. Ms. Fletcher and Professor Buske will be blogging daily about the sights, sounds, and life in Africa on the Charlotte Law in Africa blog.

For more information on the legal culture of Tanzania, South Africa, Angola, Kenya, and many more check out the Southern African Legal Information Institute (SAFLII).  For more information on South Africa and Tanzania, check out these resources:

Constitutional Law In South Africa (A Westlaw Title)

Africa at a turning point? growth, aid, and external shocks

Access to justice in Africa and beyond : making the rule of law a reality

Family law in Asia and Africa.

Global issues in family law

African Legal Research Guide by Tom Hemstock

-Liz McCurry-

Deadwood: Law in the “Wild West”

HBO’s popular dramatic series Deadwood depicts the transition from mining camp to town in the Dakota Territory Black Hills, circa 1877. Though the series is a work of fiction, its creators have rooted it in American history, including legal history.

How do you research the law of the Dakotas? What legal themes are explored in Deadwood? This guide will answer those questions as it highlights the variety of resources available at the Charlotte School of Law Library.

I. Territorial South Dakota Law Resources

Northwestern Reporter

Location: Compact Shelving, KF 135 .N7 N62

Territorial cases were reprinted in the Northwestern Reporter and can be located using the digest to that series. Alternatively, cases from the Dakota Territory Supreme Court can be ordered via Interlibrary Loan (ILL).In the future, territorial documents may be available via the LLMC Digital database.

Prestatehood Legal Materials / Michael Chiorazzi, Marguerite Most

Location: Reference, KF 240 .P688 2005

This two volume set provides detailed bibliographies and historical legal essays for all 50 states. The amount of coverage varies by state, but each entry includes both primary and secondary sources. South Dakota’s entry alone covers nearly 100 pages.

South Dakota Legal Research Guide / Delores A. Jorgenson

Location: Reference, KFS 3075 .J67 1999

In addition to explaining current legal research methods, this book also contains historical information about territorial legal issues. For example, there are sections on the Supreme Court of the Dakota territory, the history of the territorial government, and Indian law. Each section also includes a bibliography. Items not found in the CharlotteLaw collection can be ordered via ILL.

II. Legal Themes of Deadwood

Law in the “Wild West”

HeinOnline is an excellent resource for finding electronic copies of journal articles that are not in the physical collection of the library. Articles on Hein are reproduced in the original print format in PDF files.

Robert Aitken, Wild Bill Hickok: The Two Trials of Jack McCall, 25 Litigation 51 (1999)

Not only is the shooting of Wild Bill Hickok a major plot point in the first season of Deadwood, it is also an interesting footnote in the history of the double jeopardy doctrine.  Aitken’s article discusses the both the events of the shooting and the criminal procedure involved in the two subsequent trials.

Nicci Lovre-Laughlin, Note, Lethal Decisions: Examining the Role of Prosecutorial Discretion in Capital Cases in South Dakota and the Federal Justice System, 50 S. Dakota L. Rev. 550 (2005)

Location: HeinOnline: Charlottelaw.edu –> Law Library –>  Library Databases --> Hein Online –> Law Journal Library

-Tom Hemstock-

Research Guides from A to Z

Sure the library has research guides on common legal research like statutes, cases, and administrative law. But there are also many research guides on some obscure topics such as:

Scientific Evidence

Deadwood (Remember the HBO series filled with. . colorful language? Who would have guessed there were so many legal resources associated with the show and available at CharlotteLaw Library.)

Predatory Lending

Browse all of our research guides here.

-Tom Hemstock-

World Trade Week (May 18-22)

“When the world’s consumers fly in a U.S.-manufactured airplane, eat a steak from America’s heartland, watch a Hollywood movie, or visit the Grand Canyon, they are helping to create and maintain good jobs for Americans.  World Trade Week is an opportunity to reaffirm the benefits of trade and to emphasize America’s commitment to a global marketplace that creates good jobs and lifts up American families. The United States and our trading partners stand to gain when trade is open, transparent, rules-based, and fair, showing respect for labor and environmental standards.” (Presidential Proclamation for World Trade Week 2009)

Every year, New York region’s trade and transportation community comes together to celebrate World Trade Week (May 18-22).  Today’s global economy poses new and unprecedented challenges to business growth and economic expansion, and so during World Trade Week, educational seminars and other informational resources are provided to industry leaders.

Check out CharlotteLaw’s collection on world trade including these titles:

Economic Development Through World Trade: A Developing World Perspective, Edited by Yong-Shik Lee.

The Evolving Global Trade Architecture [Electronic Resource] by Dilip K. Das.

The World Trade Organization: The Multilateral Trade Framework for the 21st Century and U.S. Implementing Legislation, Edited by Terence P. Stewart.

Free and Low Cost Research Sources

 

1.      NC Casemaker: Free to North Carolina Bar Association members. (student memberships also available.) 

Casemaker is an excellent free NC resource that contains NC and federal cases, codes, and statutes. Although not as sophisticated as Westlaw or LexisNexis, Casemaker includes all the resources needed to conduct efficient, timely and in-depth electronic legal research. 

 

2.      LoisLaw: Low-cost to attorneys, and free to CharlotteLaw students.

LoisLaw is Aspen’s alternative to LexisNexis and Westlaw. The newest of the three major electronic services Loislaw has an advantage in price. Content is comparable to LexisNexis and Westlaw but layout, searching, and updating (i.e. Shepardizing or Keyciting) are not as efficient as the two major services.

 

3.      LexisOne: Free and low cost to attorneys and students.

Lexis without the bells and whistles, but available for free or at a low cost. Like many free resources historical case law is unavailable and secondary sources are limited.

4.      Findlaw: Free resource for attorneys and students.

Just the facts ma’am. Don’t expect secondary sources, analysis, or many special features but Findlaw contains free versions of state and federal cases and codes.

 

5.      GPOAccess: Free resource for attorneys and students.

The Government Printing Office is the official source for federal statutes, session laws, and regulations. Their electronic CFR (“eCFR”) is competitive with paid products from LexisNexis and Westlaw.

Other court websites:

Most court websites contain extensive information. Often opinions are available in official pdf format. A complete listing of federal court websites is available here and state courts are available here.

            Supreme Court  

            4^th Circuit

            NCappellatecourts.org.

Briefs and records of North Carolina appellate courts are available online at no charge on this website.

Nccourts.org.

Contains official PDFs of NC Supreme Court and Court of Appeals opinions from 1996 to the present.

Celebrate Military Spouses Day with the CSL Library!

Today, the Friday before Mother’s Day, we would like to  honor our military spouses.  Not only does the CharlotteLaw community encompass military personnel but also many wives, husbands, sons, daughters, mothers, fathers and grandchildren.   We celebrate and honor the backbone of the army – their families! Happy Military Spouses Day from the CSL Library.  Thank you for all you do!

Did you know that Military Spouses Day was created by President Ronald Reagan in 1984?  Secretary of Defense Casper Weinberger established the Friday before Mother’s Day as Military Spouses Day that same year.

Want some more information?  Well, here are some of the electronic legal resources offered through the CSL Library Catalog:

GAO – VA National Initiatives and Local Programs that Address Education and Support for Families of Returning Veterans Family members can play an important role in helping and supporting OEF/OIF veterans. For example, family members may notice symptoms the veteran has, such as anxiety or difficulty sleeping, and encourage the veteran to seek care. They may also help the veteran identify health care services and ensure that the veteran receives needed services. Family members may also provide emotional support—such as encouragement and reassurance—to the veteran).

Hearing before the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections Committee on Education and Labor – The Family and Medical Leave Act – Extending Coverage to Military Families Left at Home.

Hearing before the Subcommittee on Health of the Committee of Veterans’ Affairs -Mental Health Treatment for Families Supporting Those who Support our Veterans.

Also, you can follow the US Army on Twitter!

LexisNexis Training Videos

 

If you need guided training on LexisNexis but can’t make any of the training sessions (next session March 18, 3:30 and 5:00 in 107) try viewing some videos:

 http://tinyurl.com/bxayl7  (LexisNexis password required)

 If you have any questions or have forgotten your password please stop by the reference desk.

Finding Regulations . . . and Pickles?

If you are having trouble finding regulations be sure to check out the library’s guide on the topic. So what does this have to do with pickles? Check out this recent broadcast (available in mp3) discussing the nature of regulation in the toy industry.  A yodelling pickle toy is used as an example. Jokes aside this discussion illustrates the development of regulations, the interplay between congress and agencies and the serious economic impact of regulations.

Finding Forms Online and in Print

Don’t want to reinvent the wheel? Try starting with a form and then modify it to fit your individual needs.  For more information on finding forms see the Library guide:

Finding Legal and Business Forms