Category Archives: Legal
Three things to do with a case
So you found a case. First of all, one hopes that you found this case using a secondary source. Why? Why the librarian obsession with secondary sources? Because secondary sources explain the law. Judges write cases in large part to … Continue reading
The American Museum of Tort Law
How many museums in this country are dedicated to a legal cause of action? None, according to Ralph Nader, and this is one of the reasons that he recently opened the American Museum of Tort Law in his hometown of … Continue reading
The Trial of the Chicago Seven
On this date in 1969, the trial of the infamous “Chicago Seven” began in the courtroom of Judge Julius Hoffman of the Northern District of Illinois. The Chicago Seven (originally eight, before one of the defendants, Bobby Seale, had his case … Continue reading
Form Follows (Legal) Function
It’s the second week of class. You’ve met your professors, classmates, and the syllabus. You might be starting in a clinic or continuing with a part-time (or full-time) job. No matter what these two weeks have introduced you to, there’s … Continue reading
Bowdler’s Day
On July 11 of each year, we recognize the birth of the man whose name has literally become synonymous with censorship. In 1807, Thomas Bowdler, an English physician and philanthropist, published a volume titled The Family Shakespeare–essentially, a censored edition of Shakespeare’s works. … Continue reading
New Bluebook: a call for honest and accurate citation
The 20th edition of the Bluebook was just released about a month ago. There are several excellent overviews on the differences between the 19th and 20th edition from the Pace Law Library Blog (which includes a link to a chart breaking … Continue reading
Free Legislative History
Anyone who has ever had a legislative history research project knows that it can be hard work parsing through all of those documents trying to find legislative intent. It makes sense to find those legislative documents as quickly as possible, … Continue reading
The Case of Celestial Copyright
The facts of this case sound more like an argument your friends might have over a bottle of wine than the basis of a law suit. If an alien came to earth and told you the secrets of the universe and … Continue reading
A Brand New Lexis
Have you logged in to Lexis today? Don’t worry, you’re not going crazy–this is not your Daddy’s Lexis (even if he just graduated from law school in May). This morning marks the unveiling of a completely redesigned Lexis Advance interface. … Continue reading
Welcome 1L’s!
This week is the beginning of orientation for our 1L’s. For me, this August marks the 10 year anniversary of when I started law school right here at Chicago-Kent. I remember how exciting it was to be at the threshold … Continue reading
