One of the ironies of the law school experience is that while you have unlimited access to Westlaw and Lexis as a law student you will  likely much more limited access once you enter the working world.  LoislawConnect is an alternative which you may find useful in practice—or this Summer while clerking!

The Pappas Law Library has just recently added this database to our extensive collection.  The collection includes primary law as well as secondary sources and Massachusetts and various other states’ Bar publications. It also has a LawWatch alert service as well as GlobalCite, a citator tool.   To download the Quick Reference card to get started, click here.

Last week, the Supreme Judicial Court decided Melia v. Zenhire, Inc., 462 Mass. 164 (2012).  The plaintiff, a Massachusetts resident employed in Massachusetts, argued that the forum selection clause in his employment contract, which designated Erie County Court in New York, was an “illegal special contract” that violated the Massachusetts Wage Act.  The Court held that this particular forum selection clause was not an illegal special contract under the statute because under New York choice-of-law principles, Massachusetts law (the Wage Act) would be applied.  The Court did, however, describe when a forum selection clause would violate the Massachusetts Wage Act:

1. the employee’s claim was covered by the Wage Act
2. the forum state court would not apply Massachusetts law and
3. the law the forum state court would apply would deprive the employee of a substantive right guaranteed by the Wage Act.

For more information on this case, see this post by Constangy, Brooks & Smith, LLP.

As finals and papers come to a close, you might actually have some time to get around to reading those interesting books you saw during the semester.  In case you’re not sure what to read, I’ve provided some suggestions below.  Some are law-related, but there are many titles that are not.  Reading non-legal books can actually improve your law school performance because when you read a book you’re really interested in, you are increasing your attention span and in-depth reading skills (two things we all need to work on to counteract the effects of our online reading habits).

To see the list,  Continue Reading »

The winners of the National Library Week turn your favorite opinion into a poem contest are in: Max Lee and Priya-Alika Elias.

The Ballad of Robert L. Brock

by Maximilian Lee

based on Brock v. Angelone, 105 F.3d 952 (4th Cir. 1997).

Locked away in a Virginia prison,

With all the time to complain in derision

Robert Lee Brock did just that, bringing dozens of 1983 suits

The trial judges ruled the cases were frivolous

They cried what a crock!

But this would not deter the unique Mr. Brock.

No extra meat meant cruel & unusual punishment, he maintained!

Poisoned by pancake syrup is just another one of his claims,

Which included a suit against himself!

For violating his own civil rights and religious beliefs

By drinking too much and committing bad deeds.

It sounds like a hug is all he needs.

Schmerber v. California, 384 U.S. 757 (1966), in the style of P.G. Wodehouse by Priya-Alika Elias

You know the tale. A drunken feller

(who went by the unfortunate name of Schmerber)

got into a rather gory

car crash – long story –

but the chappie said he was sober!

So the jolly old doc at the hospital took

A blood sample to see if they were mistook –

And by Jove, it turned out

There never was a doubt -

That S was soused, the crook.

“ Hold on,”  he yelped.  “I RESENT

This violation of my 4^th Amendment

Rights! The 5^th, too…

YOU BETCHA I WILL SUE!”

…he lost. Remember, kiddies, cops can do anything. THE END.

Whether you’re filling in the blank with securities, health care, or foreign, the library’s got you covered.  Our research guides include information not only on the primary law in a given area, but the invaluable secondary sources as well.  Find out the title of the main treatise in your area, and the table of contents will provide you an outline of the major issues.  You might also want to check out the ABA’s Blawg Directory to find blawgs that will alert you of the latest developments in an area of law.

Best of luck this summer, and remember that if you run into trouble, don’t be afraid to ask a librarian (here or at your place of employment) for help!

Can I access Lexis and Westlaw this summer?  What if I need to use the library but can’t come during summer hours?  These and other questions about using library resources over the summer are answered in this FAQ.

Although texting has led some to question whether we need to be concerned with correct spelling, in the legal world, words and their usage matter.  Although it is unlikely you will slip abbreviations into your work product, remember that e-mails, both internal and external, are professional communications.  Don’t be the summer associate whose casual e-mails include sentences where the first word is not capitalized or excessive use of emoticons.  If you find yourself in a situation where you need to consult a grammar guide, the Purdue Online Writing Lab (affectionately known as OWL), is a great resource.  The site includes tips for Workplace Writers.  If you scroll past the advice on resumes and cover letters, there are sections on e-mail etiquette, using appropriate language, comma usage, and much more.  You can also e-mail the OWL staff if you do not see an answer to your question.

Dale Carpenter’s new book, Flagrant Conduct: The Story of Lawrence v. Texas tells the story of the case, 539 U.S. 558 (2003), that struck down remaining state laws that criminalized consensual same-sex sexual activity and overturned Bowers v. Hardwick, 478 U.S. 186 (1986).

It is a remarkable story: how the unlikely 1998 arrest of two men for having anal sex in a private bedroom–an act that, Carpenter shows, the defendants almost certainly didn’t commit– resulted in the most important gay rights victory in American legal history.

The book has been compared to other classics that provide a definitive account of other landmark cases: Anthony Lewis’ Gideon’s Trumpet (Gideon v. Wainwright) and Richard Kluger’s Simple Justice (Brown v. Board of Education). The comparison seems appropriate, as it is hard to imagine another book telling this story in a fuller or more compelling way. Continue Reading »

Please remember that there are important access restrictions associated with the use of our subscription-based  electronic databases.  As Summer approaches I thought a timely reminder might be helpful.

Bloomberg Law subscription remains active throughout the Summer and can be used to research federal and state cases, statutes, rules and regulations.  Bloomberg Law also includes foreign and international law databases, U.S. congressional information, federal and selected state court dockets, news and corporate information.  Bloomberg encourages law students to use their academic access to Bloomberg Law as much as possible, even when working for law firms. (For those of you graduating, BL is available for 6 months following graduation.) Sign up here if you have not yet done so.

Lexis Summer use begins on June 1st and is restricted to Lexis Advance. (This is a change from previous years’ policy.) If you have not yet registered for your Advance ID and PW, check your email(s) for notice from Lexis, and if you don’t see it – contact michael.campion@lexisnexis.com, to obtain your Advance temporary ID and PW.( Graduating students have access through August 31st on Advance.) Access restrictions include these points:

Lexis Advance:

• Summer course preparation and assignments
• Research associated with Moot Court, Law Review, or Law Journal
• Research associated with pursuing a grant or scholarship
• Service as a paid or unpaid research assistant to a professor
• An internship, externship or clinic position for school credit or graduation requirement
• Study for the bar exam
• Research skill improvement for educational purposes

Westlaw Summer access begins on June 1st and ends on August 1st.

You are eligible to register for a Summer extension if you are:
· enrolled in summer classes,
· working for a law review/journal or moot court,
· working for a faculty member as a research assistant, or
· working in an unpaid public interest internship/externship (excluding court and government settings).  Unpaid means ANY form of compensation (including stipends, fellowships, or expense reimbursements) invalidates the qualification.
The link for requesting extensions is here.

If you do not qualify to request an extension as explained above, your access will be limited to 40 hours of access in each of the months of June and July.

Graduating Students may apply to extend their passwords beyond May 31st for 5 hours of access per month in June and July.

Join me today in Room 334 at 1pm for a class on cool tools that lawyers use to keep connected with their clients and office while on the run. I will demonstrate various productivity tools for tablets and other mobile devices.

Tags: Certification Class