Due Process: The Georgetown Law Library Blog - Research

UN Member States: On the Record

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:40:00 -0500

The United Nations has released a research tool, UN Member States: On the Record , which aggregates UN members states' documentation in a really helpful way, and in a manner more substantive than the kind of research that young students often perform for their "Model UN" exercises and the like. Susan Kurtas of the Legal Branch Library of the Dag Hammarskjöld Library describes its purpose as follows:

"It links to selected UN databases, websites, and other information resources to make the record of Member States' activities at the UN more accessible. There are no new resources here-- just links to exisiting resources that have been dispersed around the UN website for years. Information available for each Member State includes: the key documents related to its membership in the UN; statements made before the principal organs; draft resolutions sponsored; periodic reports submitted on Human Rights conventions, and more. Running behind this new research tool are pre-set searches on multiple databases maintained by the UN Libraries and other Secretariat departments. A single click links to the most accurate, up-to date results, and yet also includes extensive historic coverage. Full text documents are linked in all official languages of the UN."

So for example if you select member state Nigeria, you bring up a page with links to the full texts (unless not available electronically anywhere at the UN yet; if not it gives one a bibliographic record) of the original resolutions granting the country UN membership, statements their representatives made in plenary meetings (from the Index to Speeches database), their participation in the Security Council (which rotates over time) , draft resolutions they sponsored, periodic reports to the human rights treaty bodies, and biographies of their credentialed representatives. It save a huge amount of time over searching it all oneself.

Free case law searching through Google Scholar

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:10:00 -0500

Through Google Scholar's advanced search page, it is now possible to limit your search to case law and law journals available on the web. This includes law journal articles contained in select subscription databases. It is also possible to search journal articles and legal opinions combined, just federal case law, or just case law from a state of your choosing. The Internet for Lawyers web site has more information.

While this is an exciting and useful development, it is important to remember that not all law journals or case law is searchable through this interface at this time.

To be able to access journal articles in subscription databases when you are off campus, be sure to edit your Google Scholar Preferences to add Library Links for "Georgetown University Law Library."

HeinOnline Now Includes Bar Journals

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:08:39 -0500

Members of the Georgetown Law Community can now retrieve bar journals through our HeinOnline electronic database subscription. These PDF files provide access to the journals back to their inception. The database features over 60 bar journal titles, including:

ABA Journal (Vols. 1-94, 1915-2008)
Federal Lawyer (Vols. 1-56, 1953-2009)
Los Angeles Bar Journal (Vols. 1-53, 1925-1977)
Los Angeles Lawyer (Vols. 1-32, 1978-2009)
Record of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York (Vols. 1-63, 1946-2008)
Virginia Bar Association Journal (Vols. 1-35, 1975-2009)

Articles can be retrieved with a BlueBook citation, by browsing the Bar Journal library or by simply searching HeinOnline.

New Database for DC Municipal Regulations and Register: CITE TO THE OFFICIAL!

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:48:02 -0500

The Office of Documents and Administrative Issuances has released their new database for finding current DC Municipal Regulations (DCMR) and copies of the DC Register (DCR). The DCMR and DCR are available in PDF format which make citation much easier. In fact, when citing to the DCMR or DCR, you must use the official DC version available on this website and not Lexis or Westlaw. Lexis and Westlaw's versions of the DCMR are not current nor up to date because of the many changes that have been made in compiling the new official online version. In compiling the DCMR for its new release, many inconsistencies and mistakes were found in prior versions of the DCMR and are still found in the Lexis and Westlaw versions. The new online version of the DCMR is the only source that contains the most up to date, official versions of the regulations. Many inconsistencies exist between the DC government version and versions found on Lexis and Westlaw. Be safe with citation, and in this instance, Lexis and Westlaw are not currently created equal to the official government source.

USPTO Issues the Sixth Edition of the Trademark Manual of Examining Procedure

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:10:00 -0500

On October 12, 2009 the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued the sixth edition of the Trademark Manual of Examining Procedure (TMEP). The TMEP, provides USPTO trademark examining attorneys, trademark applicants, and trademark attorneys with detailed information about the practices and procedures for prosecution of applications to register marks in the USPTO.

The sixth edition incorporates USPTO trademark practice and relevant case law reported prior to September 1, 2009. The policies states that this revision supersede any previous policies stated in prior editions, examination guides, or any other statement of USPTO policy, to the extent that there is any conflict.

The TMEP may be viewed or downloaded free of charge from the USPTO Web site at: http://tess2.uspto.gov/tmdb/tmep/.

The Leadership Library on the Internet replaces the Yellow Books

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:47:00 -0500

Members of the Georgetown law community who used to rely on the print Yellow Books for detailed directory information should now try the dynamic electronic resource which replaced them called the Leadership Library on the Internet. Whether you're searching for a job, preparing for an interview, networking with alumni of your alma mater or tracking down subject specialists, the Leadership Library can provide you with brief biographies of attorneys, judges and corporate executives, as well as federal, state and municipal government employees, association executives and members of the news media.

Researchers can use the Leadership Library to "Find a Person", "Find an Organization" or search by keyword. Individual entries provide the best contact information, often including e-mail addresses, as well as career and educational history.

Feel free to stop by the Reference Desk if you have any questions about this invaluable resource.

Federal Court Rules Research Guide updated

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:46:00 -0500

Our Federal Court Rules Research Guide has just been updated. The guide describes resources for finding both common (e.g., Federal Rules of Civil Procedure) and obscure (e.g., Rules of the Courts of Military Criminal Appeals) federal court rules. It also briefly explains the rule-creation process and describes sources for researching the legislative history of the rules. Finally, it recommends secondary sources that help with rule interpretation and practice.

Jury Verdicts and Jury Instructions Research Guide updated

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:59:34 -0500

Legal researchers cannot rely on regular case reporters to locate jury verdicts and settlement decisions. However, a number of specialty publications exist which do report jury verdicts and the library's updated research guide outlines some of the resources available in the library and online through our database providers.

The guide also includes direct links to the model jury instructions available for the federal circuits and access to the American Bar Association's publications on topical jury instructions.

One new feature of the revised guide is the link to resources which research jury decision making and the jury process, such as the American Judicature Society's Jury Center and the National Center for State Courts Jury InfoCenter.

About the Law, a new tool from TRACfed

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:07:56 -0500

The TRACfed database allows Georgetown Law researchers to look at how the federal government spends its money and enforces the law. A new feature provides reports on the "lead charges" which resulted in federal prosecutions or convictions during the most recent month or most recently completed fiscal year. For example, researchers interested in federal convictions pursuant to 18 USC 554 (smuggling goods from the United States), can select that code section and retrieve a conviction report from all federal agencies in the latest month.

Online Archive of Records on Holocaust Era and Nazi Art Looting Released

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 08:56:00 -0500

The Slaw.ca blog out of Canada reports on a new online interactive archive with hundreds of thousands of records on the Holocaust Era and Nazi art looting.

The archive is available online from Footnote.com and includes records related to legal issues such as:

The Ardelia Hall Collection of records relating to the Nazi looting of Jewish possessions, including looted art
Nuremberg War Crimes Trial proceedings

The Slaw.ca entry also mentions two other collections related to the Nuremberg trials:

Yale's Avalon Project
Harvard's Nuremberg Trials Project

Another collection of Nuremberg trial materials is the University of Texas' collection of the trial notebooks of Judge Mallory Blair, one of three judges who presided over Nuremberg Case No. 3: U.S. v. Joseph Alstötter et al.

Help Us Help You, With Better Research Skills for the Workplace

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:06:00 -0500

The law library is organizing a focus group of law students to help us better understand your research experiences in your summer positions. Our interest is in both your research successes and your research failures, as your feedback will help us better tailor our offerings in legal research instruction to reflect your real-world research experiences in the workplace.
The session will be held on Monday, Oct. 5, at 12:00 noon, in Rm. 320 of Williams Library.
Lunch will be provided.
To participate, sign up at: http://www.ll.georgetown.edu/students/signupfg.cfm.

New Congressional Investigations Research Guide

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 17:16:00 -0500

The law library has created a new guide to researching Congressional investigations. The guide provides guidance on how to find relevant primary source documents, such as Congressional hearing transcripts, as well as case law dealing with the authority of Congress to conduct investigations. We have also listed some valuable secondary sources to help you get started on your research.

California Court May Order a Blog to Reveal the Identity of an Anonymous Commenter

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 09:44:00 -0500

This week the Sacramento Bee reported that a California judge ruled that a litigant may learn the identity of a person who posts an anonymous comment on a blog.

In the case Calvin Chang, a police officer for the University of California in Davis filed suit against UC, claiming discrimination and breach of a settlement agreement in a prior lawsuit. David Greenwald, who operates a blog called The People's Vanguard of Davis, wrote about the suit and people commented. Chang believes that one anonymous comment was written by a 'managing agents' of the university and contained information that would violate the agreement of the prior settlement agreement.

The California judge ruled that Chang can hire a third-party to investigate whether the author of the comment was a manging agent. If it was the court would allow Chang to request that Google, the Vanguard's former host, provide him with the anonymous poster's e-mail addresses and log-in information.

The Sacramento Bee also reported that the judge ruled that the First Amendment generally protects anonymous speech, but online anonymity may be breached. "When vigorous criticism descends into defamation, constitutional protection is no longer available."

Read more about the case in the Chronicle of Higher Education, provide through the library's subscription.

New Hein Historical Archive of Taxation and Economic Reform in America Available

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:27:34 -0500

   Georgetown University Law Library now has access to a new database from Hein Online that contains a number of already compiled legislative histories on historic tax and economic reform legislation. The Taxation & Economic Reform in America: A Historical Archive 1781-2009 database includes the historic Carlton Fox Collection, which compiles 48 years of legislative history research for major tax legislation. Additionally, the database contains many other already compiled legislative histories.

   Don't forget that Hein Online links you to many other already compiled legislative histories via the Sources of Compiled Legislative Histories Database. When completing legislative history research, it is always helpful to be aware that someone may have already done the hard work of compiling a legislative history for you.

   For more information on legislative history research, please see our Legislative History Research Guide.

Federal Court of Appeals Still Issues Unpublished Appellate Opinions

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 09:18:00 -0500

In the August 24, 2009 issue of the National Journal, Aaron S. Bayer reports on the history of unpublished federal appellate cases. The article notes that there has been general criticism of the practice since at least 1985, when Supreme Court Justice Steven's dissent in County of Los Angeles v. Kling, 474 U.S. 936, 938 (1985), and compares the practice "like the decision to promulgate a rule spawning a body of secret law - plainly wrong."

The article states that according to the Judicial Business of the United States Courts: Annual Report of the Director, tbl. S-3, between 2000 and 2008 the federal courts have not published more than 81% of all appellate opinions issued. The number is not getting smaller. In 2008 the same courts failed to publish more than 81.8% of all appellate opinions issued. See Annual Report of the Director, tbl. S-3 (2008).

Bayer's article is available through subscriptions to the National Law Journal purchased by the Georgetown Law Library. Read it either in print or online versions.