Have You Checked CSL’s On-Line Catalog?

Purpose:

• The on-line catalog can provide you with resources on a particular subject or topic for research.
• You can find out if an item is available or unavailable. (If it’s unavailable, it will provide you with the due date or the time it is due).
• It provides you with the listing of our movie collection (go to ‘subject’ and type ‘featured films’ and click on the ‘feature films’ title).
• It provides the item call number and location. (If you need help from Circulation/Reference, please have the call number written down so we can assist you faster).
• You can find out what Academic Success Supplemental Materials we have in our CPAS/Academic Success Collection.
• You can check to see what items you’ve checked out and when they’re due by clicking the ‘My Library Record.’
• You can find out what textbooks your professor is using in class by clicking ‘Course Reserves’ and you can choose either by course or instructor’s name.
• The on-line catalog can be used on or off campus.
• If you’re viewing from home, you can look-up an item to see if it’s available or unavailable before leaving home. The next time you need to know if a book, movie or supplemental is available or unavailable, just check the on-line card catalog.

- Monica Alston-Carr -

Law school dispelled

Welcome, Fall 2010 students!  Here are answers to some of your unspoken questions.

“Law school is like a new language…HELP!”

Don’t worry, we’ve listed below a couple glossaries that break down commonly used law school terminology:

• A Glossary of Terms for First Year Students by George Mason School of Law
• Legal Glossary by University of Denver, Sturm College of Law
• Glossary of Terms used in Legal Research by Westlaw (West Thomson)

“What should I be reading?”

We’ve compiled some reading lists created by law professors and other commercial vendors that might interest you:

• A Real Law School Reading List by Amazon.com (The Dilettante Dilly!)
• Suggested Reading for Future Law Students by MSU Law
• Suggested Readings Prior to Law School prepared by Prof Sam Jacobson
• Suggested Reading for Law Students prepared by UDC David A. Clarke School of Law, Office of Admission

And if you see any books that you’re interested in reading, see if it’s available in our online catalog.

“Can I come visit before school?”

Sure, stop by any time between 9-5 during the week.  We would love to meet you and give you an individual library tour.  Just swing by the reference desk.

“What is TWEN?”

The West Education Network® (TWEN) is an online extension of the law school classroom and is similar to Blackboard (which some of you may be familiar with from your undergraduate programs). You use TWEN to access your course materials (such as your syllabus and reading assignments for the 1st day of class), participate in class discussions, receive and submit online assignments, complete quizzes, exchange e-mail messages with your instructors and classmates, and more. To participate in TWEN, you need a Westlaw password (which you will receive during Pre-Orientation) and you need to add a course created by one of your professors. For more information review the Student’s Guide to TWEN.

-Liz McCurry-

Managing Your Charlotte School of Law Library Account Online

What can I do online?

Using the account management features of the Charlotte School of Law Library catalog, you can do any of the following online:

• View a list of the items currently checked out to you and their due dates

• Renew eligible items

• Check the status of hold requests

• See a summary of unpaid fines and bills

• Access and edit your list of saved searches, which can include e-mail alerts

Navigating to Your Record

The catalog is accessible from the Charlotte School of Law’s home page (http://www.charlottelaw.edu). From the links on the left side of the page, click the “Law Library.”  When the menu expands, select the “Library Catalog” link.  When you click on this link, you will arrive at the Charlotte School of Law online catalog home page (http://catalog.fcsl.edu/search~S3/). You can also go directly to the online catalog page, by bookmarking the preceding URL. To get to your account management tools, select the “My library record” link on the right hand side of the page.

Once you click on the “My library record” link, you will open a patron verification screen.  Please enter your name and library barcode (found on the flip side of you student ID).  Submit the entry.

You will then arrive at your account summary page.

How to Renew Online

• Once logged in, click on the link “# items currently checked out” to view a list of them. If you wish, click the button for “Sort by Due Date.”

• Click “Renew All,” or check individual items and then click “Renew Selected.”

If your materials are eligible for renewal, the Status column will update to read “Renewed, now due mm/dd/yy.”

Hold Requests

• If you have placed a request for a new item or a checked-out item, you will see a link to “# requests (holds).” Click on it to view more information.

• The Request List will show the items and their current status. You may either “Cancel All” requests at once, or check individual items and click “Cancel Selected.”

Fines & Bills

• If you have any unpaid fines and fees, you will see a link to “$x.xx in unpaid fines and bills” on the account summary page. Click on it to view more information.

• The next screen will show a list of the charges and the items for which they were incurred. At this time, there is no capability to pay fines and fees online. Please check with the Circulation Desk for methods of payment.

-Gloria Zinky-

Buying Books and Dressing the Part

I’m sure by now, you’ve realized that CharlotteLaw does not have a bookstore.  Don’t worry there is a bright side!  Law Books for Less is an online vendor that sells law books at a discounted price, and we have negotiated free shipping for all orders over $49.00 for incoming and returning CharlotteLaw students.  Of course the shipping is nothing fancy, but it is FEDEX Ground, so the turn around shouldn’t be too long.

Here are a few other sites to check out for order books for class:

25% off online orders for a select time

Qualified free shipping on order over $25.00

Searches all major book-selling sites to find you the best deal on books

If you’re not having any luck ordering your books, check out the Library Catalog (go to the side link to do a search in our Course Reserves collection).  We are working on getting 1 copy of each required textbook on Course Reserves as we speak.  So, if you don’t have your books by Day 1, come on up to the second floor and check out some of the books on our shelves!

Looking for some CharlotteLaw gear?  Go check out the CSL Online Store for hot new deals!

-Liz McCurry-

Welcome, Fall 2009 students!

The Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges once said:  “I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.”  OK, maybe the CharlotteLaw Library is not paradise, but it will be a vital part of your law school career.

Where is the library?  When is it open?  What are its features?  Read on to find out . . .

Where is the library and when is it open?
The library is on the 2nd floor of the law school building.  Regular hours are as follows:

7:00am – 11:00pm          Mon – Fri
9:00am – 10:00pm          Sat
9:00am – 11:00pm          Sun

Library hours will change during mid-term exams, final exams, and holiday periods.  For complete library hours for the fall semester, click here.

How do I use the library collection?
You can locate books, journals, databases, DVDs, and other resources by searching the library catalog.  To borrow items from our collection, see our circulation policy.  To borrow items we do not own, see our interlibrary loan policy.

Does the library charge fines for overdue or lost items?
Yes.  See the circulation policy for details.

Does the library have all my textbooks?
Yes!  One copy of every course textbook is on reserve in the library.  Copies of certain study aids are also on reserve.  Course reserves are available at the circulation desk, and they may be checked out for a 3-hour period.

Where can I study in the library?
The library has 11 group study rooms that can accommodate 2-6 people.  The rooms may be reserved for 2-hour periods, up to 24 hours in advance.  Rooms must be reserved before they can be used.  To reserve a room, contact the library circulation desk.

In addition, there are numerous carrels, work tables, and plush chairs throughout the library.  In all, the library can seat roughly 300 people.

How do I photocopy or print from a computer?
The library has three photocopiers, each of which requires a user name and password to operate.  (These are the same as your e-mail user name and password.)  All copies count against your student quota.

In addition, there is a 23-terminal computer lab in the library (room 217).  To print in the lab, you’ll need the same user name and password needed for the copiers.  Lab print jobs count against your student quota.

For Westlaw or LexisNexis print jobs, there are dedicated Westlaw and Lexis printers in room 215, beside the computer lab.  Print jobs sent to these printers do not count against your student quota.

What is the policy regarding noise?  Food and drink?
The noise policy is here.  The food & drink policy is here.

How do I get library help?
Circulation desk:  704-971-8574
Borrowing or returning books, using course reserves, using study rooms

Reference desk: 704-971-8573
Research questions, Westlaw & Lexis assistance, LP I assistance

E-mail:  libreference@charlottelaw.edu

AOL Instant Messenger:  CSLReference (available 9am – 7pm, Mon – Fri)

-Anthony Aycock-

WAM: The New Web Access Management System

Recently, the law library began using Web Access Management as an authentication service.  This offers patrons simple and convenient remote use…  You may have noticed the change already when logging into our electronic databases from off campus.  If not, here’s the skinny:

Normally users accessing e-resources would be authenticated using IP authentication.  However, WAM allows you to connect to the e-resources we offer no matter what IP address you have, as long as you have a staff or student number.  With WAM, there is no client side setup: you don’t have to change any settings on your computer to use it.  Initially, you will go to the library website to access our electronic resources.  When you click on the links for a specific resource on the library website, a special URL sends a request to our server.  Then the authentication page appears, asking you for your login name and staff or student number.  After you’ve been authenticated, all your requests are sent via the server, meaning the server is IP authenticated and not the client machine.  At this point, you can browse and search our e-resources as usual.

Another fantastic feature of our new Web Access Management program is that we can produce user statistics on our e-resources…  which titles are accessed most and by whom.  This will allow us to make much more informed subscription decisions – resulting in a more effective collection for every one of you!

-Ashley Moye-

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-

Forsenic Science: Making the Important Connections

Yesterday, less than 30 miles from Charlotte, 41 year-old, Patrick Burris was shot and killed. Burris is the suspected Gaffney serial killer, and with his death authorities hope to put some fears to rest.  According to MSNBC, officers were responding to a burglary complaint on July 6th that ultimately ended in the shootout with Burris.   State Law Enforcement Division Chief Reggie Lloyd concluded that the “bullets in [Burris’s] gun matched those that killed residents in and around Gaffney over six days last week.”

Curious about the theories and methods that police officers and SBI agents use in criminal investigations?  Or, the forensic techniques used to make the connection between the bullets found in Gastonia, Burris and the Gaffney murders?

Then, check these out:

Forensic science resources

Crime and science; the new frontier in criminology / Thorwald, Jürgen.

Forensic science : an encyclopedia of history, methods, and techniques / William J. Tilstone, Kathleen A. Savage, and Leigh A. Clark.

Arrest, search, and investigation in North Carolina / Robert L. Farb.

-Liz McCurry-

The “ABCs” of Estate Planning

In light of the breaking news from yesterday of Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson’s passing, I feel as though I need to pose the following question: have you taken care of your affairs?  If not, the Charlotte School of Law Library has multiple resources on estate planning:

• Key issues in estate planning and probate in North Carolina / Mitchell C. Payne
• Woe is me, meeting the 2 “D”s : death and divorce in North Carolina /North Carolina Bar Association Foundation
• Basics of will and revocable trust drafting / North Carolina Bar Association Foundation
• Wills, trusts, and technology : an estate and trust lawyer’s guide to automation / Daniel B. Evans [Table of Contents]
• Love, money, control : reinventing estate planning : practical answers from America’s foremost estate planning advisors / Robert A. Esperti, Renno L. Peterson, Robert A. Goldman

If you are a law student interested in pursuing estate planning as part of your practice after graduation, CharlotteLaw’s academic curriculum offers advanced courses in:

• Wills, Trusts and Estates: This course examines wills and other methods for preserving and transferring wealth or property to beneficiaries in the context of death or economic planning.
• Elder Law: This course surveys the social, psychological, legal and financial concerns facing the typical elder law client when planning for long term or short term medical care, incapacity, and death. Particular emphasis will be given to the core Elder Law practice areas of Advance Care Directives, Estate Planning and Administration, Guardianships, Public Benefit planning with Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security and VA benefits, Fiduciary Representation, Elder Abuse and Nursing Home Resident’s Rights.

As a side note, here is a small tribute to Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett:

• Tribute: Top Ten Michael Jackson Songs
• Ace’s Blog dedicated to Michael Jackson (from the Ace and TJ Charlotte Morning Talk Radio Show)
• Farrah Fawcett: A Tribute to an Angel

-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-