Due Process: Georgetown Law Library Blog

In collaboration with Georgetown's undergraduate library, the law library provides access to Credo Reference, featuring electronic access to hundreds of encyclopedias, dictionaries, biographical sources and other reference resources from 80 publishers. Some of the ebooks featured include:

• Dictionary of Spanish Law
• Business German Dictionary
• Financial Times World Desk Reference
• Ripples of Hope: Great American Civil Rights Speeches
• Marquis Who's Who in America
• National Gallery Image Collection

Credo Reference is searchable by keyword, subject, phrase and date. If you need any assistance making use of this resource, please contact a reference librarian.

This entry was posted on January 12, 2012 at 9:23 AM and has received 693 views. Print this entry.

In 21st century America, we all know that New Year's Day is January 1st. But, did you know that this wasn't alway so?

From 1582 until 1751, England refused to adopt the 'new' Gregorian Calendar on the grounds that it was steeped in Roman Catholic 'superstitions' and not at all proper for a Protestant country. This resulted in almost two centuries of dual and/or contradictory dating of legal documents, governmental proclamations, newspapers, and other printed materials. Sometimes the document would follow the practice of every other European nation, including Protestant Scotland, and use January 1st as the start of each new year. Sometimes the document would follow the English practice of starting each official new year on March 25th. Sometimes the document would list both years for any date between January 1st and March 25th, as in 'January 1, 1700/01'. You can easily imagine the potential for confusion and complications this ongoing situation led to in England and its dominions and colonies.

The latest exhibit in the Williams Library Atrium illustrates this cultural anomaly of Early Modern English governance with facsimiles from books held by Georgetown Law Library's Special Collections.

This entry was posted on January 6, 2012 at 5:42 PM and has received 989 views. Print this entry.

The Library has added an electronic subscription to Tax Notes Today. Tax Notes Today has daily coverage of Federal tax law changes and policy shifts, special reports, analytical articles, and news concerning Congressional, Treasury, and IRS actions. 

Current faculty and students may subscribe to receive a daily email of Tax Notes Today. Archives of Tax Notes Today are also available --- coverage goes back to 1987.

Tax Notes Today is accessible from the Tax Analysts database.

To set up an email subscription to Tax Notes Today, select "Edit my email profile", then click on "E-Mail Profile" on the following screen. Once you enter your email address, you will have the option of subscribing (or unsubscribing) to Tax Notes Today.

You can also set up daily or weekly email alerts to Tax Notes Today that will notify you of articles discussing particular Code sections or subject areas. 

This entry was posted on January 5, 2012 at 12:21 PM and has received 987 views. Print this entry.

220 years ago today Virginia became the 11th state to ratify the first 10 amendments to the US Constitution. Almost half of the original 13 states had either conditioned their ratification or outright refused ratification of the 1787 Constitution upon a demand to add a Bill of Rights. Although originally opposed to these calls for a Bill of Rights, James Madison had become the leading proponent of adopting a Bill of Rights by the time the First Congress met in April of 1789. The various state ratification conventions had by this time sent along 210 proposed amendments, which were sorted through and consolidated down to 12 by September 1789. The original first and second amendments failed to gain enough support (although the original second amendment would become the 27th Amendment - limiting the ability of Congress to raise its own salary - in 1992), leaving amendments three to twelve to become the first 10 amendments to the Constitution as the Bill of Rights we celebrate today.

Georgetown Law Library has numerous books on the Bill of Rights in our collection, including: The Bill of Rights and American History (Paul Murphy ed., 1990); Bernard Schwartz, The Great Rights of Mankind: a history of the American Bill of Rights (1977); Eric T. Kasper, To secure the liberty of the people : James Madison's Bill of Rights and the Supreme Court's interpretation (2010); Richard Labunski, James Madison and the struggle for the Bill of Rights (2006); Leonard W. Levy, Origins of the Bill of Rights (1999); and, Birth of the Bill of Rights: encyclopedia of the Antifederalists (Jon L. Wakelyn ed., 2004).

There are also a number of excellent online resources available to explore the history and influence of the Bill of Rights, including: The Bill of Rights Institute; Today is Bill of Rights Day; The Bill of Rights at the National Archives; and, at The Library of Congress.      ;; ;;    ??

This entry was posted on December 15, 2011 at 6:25 PM and has received 2348 views. Print this entry.

Santa took a break from his busy schedule of toy-making and naughty/nice list-checking to visit the Georgetown Law Library's Oakley Reading Room today!

He was as quiet as a mouse and brought Christmas candy and smiles to a room full of hard-studying law students who are frankly busier than he is this time of year.

This entry was posted on December 14, 2011 at 3:40 PM and has received 2407 views. Print this entry.

It's that special time of year again! Yes, once again we hear the seasonal sounds of complaints about a 'War on Christmas' wafting through the blogosphere and cable news channels. Whatever one may think of this alleged suppression of all things Christmas, the current 'conflict' pales in contrast to the genuine banning of Christmas celebrations that took place in 16th and 17th century Britain and New England. The Real 'War on Christmas': 1581-1690 exhibit in the Williams Library Atrium displays facsimiles of several laws enacted during this period that outlawed the singing of carols, the holding of feasts and festivals, and other aspects of what we today cluster together under the seasonal rubric of holiday joy. These materials illuminate an easily overlooked chapter in the history of religious liberty, and give some valuable perspective to the current debate over the 'War on Christmas'.

This entry was posted on December 9, 2011 at 11:55 AM and has received 2524 views. Print this entry.

 Study aids can help you prepare for exams by supplementing your assigned readings and lectures, clarifying confusing concepts, and even providing practice questions. A variety of aids are available, and the best one for you depends on the course and your own study habits and educational needs. Most study aids are available in the Reading Room Reserve.

The library carries many study aids for first-year and upper-level courses, including:

· Examples & Explanations (practice questions and answers)

· Nutshells (a broad overview of a topic)

· Hornbooks (in-depth treatment with extensive citations)

·  Concise Hornbooks (the core principles covered in a “typical” course)

· Mastering Series (roadmaps and checklists to ensure knowledge of key concepts)

·  Understanding Series (“concise yet comprehensive”)

· Concepts & Insights (provides a good, basic theoretical foundation)

· Turning Point (a broad overview similar to Nutshells)

This entry was posted on December 1, 2011 at 8:51 AM and has received 3088 views. Print this entry.

The library's new Consumer Law Research Guide outlines the major statutory guidance for current consumer laws and regulations, as well as secondary sources to supplement your research. As regulations arising from the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Pub. L. 111-5)  are being implemented throughout the federal government, this guide identifies resources to monitor. Additionally, treatises, journal indexes and government web sites full of reports, statistics and studies, such as the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Consumer Product Safety Commission are featured.

This entry was posted on November 9, 2011 at 9:59 AM and has received 4229 views. Print this entry.

The Friends of the Georgetown Law Library invite you to the latest screening in the Law at the Movies film series:

Movie: Michael Clayton (2007)
Date:  Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Time: 6:00 pm
Location: Hart Auditorium

Michael Clayton is the story of a “fixer” in a law firm who specializes in cleaning up sensitive, high-stakes cases. The film sheds light on questionable legal and corporate ethics, and examines complex and conflicting duties of law firms and attorneys. Starring George Clooney, the film was nominated for eight Oscars in 2008 and earned one for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role.

After the program, please stay for a discussion on the ethical, legal, and cultural aspects of the film. The panel will include:

• Michael Frisch, Adjunct Professor of Law & Ethics Counsel
• Kumar Jayasuriya, Adjunct Professor of Law & Associate Law Librarian
• Roger Skalbeck, Associate Law Librarian
• Andrew Christensen, Reference Librarian

To learn more about the Friends of the Georgetown Law Library program and the benefits of becoming a member, please visit http://www.ll.georgetown.edu/friends.

This entry was posted on November 3, 2011 at 4:37 PM and has received 4473 views. Print this entry.

Eight times a year, the Federal Reserve publishes commentary on the current economic conditions throughout its regional districts and the nation as a whole. Their compilation, the Beige Book, is just one of the many publications produced by the Fed and made available on their web site. To assist researchers, FedinPrint is their comprehensive search engine which provides access to all of the Fed's reports, working papers, statistics and surveys.  It's an invaluable resource for any researcher tracking economic trends, following the financial crises throughout the world or monitoring the areas of securities law or banking.

This entry was posted on November 3, 2011 at 2:08 PM and has received 4416 views. Print this entry.