Due Process: The Georgetown Law Library Blog - Database News

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.

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.

LII and Justia Announce New Lawyer Directory

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:36:00 -0500

The Legal Information Institute, in partnership with Justia, has launched a free lawyer directory. The LII Lawyer Directory contains listings for lawyers who have "claimed their profile" in Justia’s directory.

The LII Lawyer Directory can be searched by legal issue or lawyer name or browsed by practice area, state, or metropolitan area. Lawyers who donate to the Legal Information Institute can receive a "Cornell badge," which results in a higher, more visible ranking in the directory. For more information on the LII Lawyer Directory, please see LII's announcement and FAQ as well as an announcement on Justia's blog.

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.

Resources to help with Judicial Clerkship Applications and Interview Preparation

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:54:00 -0500

We've blogged about this before, but it's worth mentioning again since Early Interview Week and judicial clerkship hiring season is just around the corner.

The Library's recently updated Job Searching Research Guide covers everything from "how-to interview" to biographical resources for investigating potential employers of all types.

A frequently-used resource listed in our guide is the Leadership Library database, which includes the Judicial Yellow Book. Search or browse for judges' contact information, service dates and staff. There are also photos and biographical information for selected courts, as well as email addresses. The Judicial Yellow Book is one of the most convenient and up-to-date sources of judicial phone numbers, addresses and contact information.

Georgetown Law Students should consult the Law Center's Office of Career Services site to access job search tools, interview tips, and a specific section highlighting Early Interview Week 2009. This includes a list of important dates to remember. Students pursuing opportunities in the public interest community should review information from our Office of Public Interest and Community Service (OPICS).

Georgetown students may contact the Reference Desk with questions about how to use our databases or other online resources by contacting the reference desks in the Williams or Wolff libraries or via LiveHelp from the Library's website.

California Lawyers challenge Westlaw's and Lexis's posting of their briefs

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 08:50:00 -0500

A group of lawyers in California are challenging the California Supreme Court's practice of giving briefs to Westlaw and Lexis for uploading. Lexis and Westlaw charge fees for their users to search and use the briefs, and the lawyers who write them receive no payment. This is a copyright violation, according to the California lawyers. For more information, see Legal Research Plus Blog.

West Annouces New Resource for Displaced Attorneys

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:32:00 -0500

Between Cases is a new website designed to help out-of-work attorneys keep up with legal developments, network, and look for legal employment. It even has tips on starting your own practice. It also seems to offer free Westlaw for Pro Bono work and job searching.

Read more in the press release or register.

Infrastructure Investment & Policy Report Added to our BNA Subscription

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:07:00 -0500

The Infrastructure Investment & Policy Report has recently been added to our BNA subscription. This daily publication tracks infrastructure news and regulation including the oversight and use of stimulus money.

Recent articles covered

the revival of a low-emissions coal-gasification project,
details of an agreement to plan and design the Alaska Natural Gas pipeline,
the impact of the stimulus money on False Claims Act investigations by DOJ,
Maryland regulations on considering stormwater runoff in building design, and
the impact of green infrastructure investments on construction jobs

The Infrastructure Investment & Policy Report is available to Georgetown Law faculty, staff & students both on and off campus.

Georgetown Law faculty, staff & students can sign-up to receive this BNA newsletter via email. Just follow the instructions provided online.

Westlaw password changes

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:47:00 -0500

Westlaw is moving away from the use of lengthy, alphanumeric passwords that don't require user names, to the new "OnePass" system of custom user names and passwords. A timeline for this transition is available at http://lawschool.westlaw.com/shared/marketinfodisplay.asp?code=MI&id=327.
Alphanumeric Westlaw passwords will no longer be active after September 29, 2009. If you now log in to Westlaw with your Westlaw password, please create a OnePass username and password or update your exisiting OnePass accounts prior to September 29.

New Judicial Nominations Database on the Web

Thu, 28 May 2009 15:01:00 -0500

Yale Law School has created a new, web-based judicial nominations database, available at http://judges.law.yale.edu. The database covers nominations from the 103rd Congress onward, and provides nominee names, nomination dates, nominating President, hearing dates, and nomination result. The database also provides RSS feeds of new nominations. Currently biographical information is provided only for nominees who are Yale graduates.

New English Legal History Materials

Tue, 26 May 2009 11:09:00 -0500

The Law Library has acquired a new database of English legal history materials from HeinOnline called Selden Society Publications & the History of Early English Law.

The Selden Society is devoted to the study of English common law and its legal system. Since the 19^th century, the Society has published original source materials, many which were previously unpublished, in its Annual Series. These materials include case reports, judges’ notes, treatises, and other legal documents, all published in full, along with translations to modern English.

The database contains all volumes of the Annual Series, from 1887 to 2000. It also contains the Society’s Supplementary Series (from 1965-2000), which includes legal history bibliographies, as well as some original source documents that were not published in the Annual Series.

Along with these official publications of the Society, the database also contains a collection of scholarly articles about English legal history, as well as the English Reports and Statutes of the Realm. We encourage members of the Law Center community to take a look at this valuable new resource.

LexisNexis offers free access to law grads working in public service

Fri, 15 May 2009 10:52:00 -0500

LexisNexis's new Associates Serving Public Interests Research (ASPIRE) Program provides free Lexis access to recent graduates working in public interest positions, including those deferred from law firm jobs and those who elect public interest work as a permanent occupation. Under this program, eligible gradutes may extend their Lexis access until September of 2010. To read the eligibility requirements and apply, see http://www.lexisnexis.com/lawschool/registrationdeferredfalls.aspx.

Rumor has it that Westlaw has a similar program in the works, so we will provide additional information on it once more details are released.

Library of Congress launches free historic newspaper search in beta

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 13:19:00 -0500

The Library of Congress today announced the beta launch of its free Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers database, available at http://www.loc.gov/chroniclingamerica/home.html. The database allows users to search and view American newspapers from 1880-1910, and to find basic publication information (e.g., title, publisher, place and dates of publication) about newspapers dating from 1690 to the present.

New Database offers Statistical Information on Status of Women Worldwide

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 11:25:27 -0500

The WomanStats Project is designed to be the most complete online source for statistics on the status of women around the world. The database is available free of charge and compiles over 260 variables and indicators of the status of women for 175 countries. By registering for the site, researchers are able to construct their own tables of data by tailoring a search of variables to specific countries. Variables include a variety of indicators, such as indicators of violence against women (ex: instances of rape and sexual assault), women's economic well-being (ex: employment restrictions based on gender), women's legal security (ex: citizenship laws), security for maternity (ex: social acceptance for breastfeeding), and health (ex: differential access to health care based on gender).

The website and database are maintained by a group of scholars from three universities (Brigham Young University, University of Minnesota-Duluth, and University of California-Santa Barbara) who also have the goal of "assessing the linkage between the security of women on the one hand, and the security, stability, and behavior of nation-states on the other." To provide users with more information both on new information and statistics available on the website as well as broader research findings, the organizers of the website also maintain a blog.