Month: May 2025

Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2025

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Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, (AANHPI) is celebrated throughout the month of May.  It originated in 1978 when Congress passed a joint resolution that became Pub. L. 95-419.  This law directed the President to issue a proclamation designating the week beginning on May 4, 1979 as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week. Pub. L. 95-419 was amended in 1990 by Pub. L. 101-283  which expanded the observance of Asian/Pacific American Heritage week to the month of May in 1990.  Finally, in 1992, Congress passed Pub. L. 102-450 which permanently designated May of each year as “Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month.”

This informative CRS Report Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month Speech Resources: Fact Sheet provides excellent summary of both Public Laws and Proclamations pertaining to Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month.  Although May is the designated month to commemorate Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, it is not meant to be the only time of year. Find resources to learn, teach, experience, and reflect on AANHPI history and heritage beyond May.

 

Image courtesy of the Smithsonian

Memorial Day 2025- In Honor of the Fallen

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UConn Law Library will be closed Monday, May 26th, in observance of Memorial Day.  Memorial day became a federal holiday in 1971 , and is intended to honor those who have died during the performance of their military duties. Connecticut General Statutes Section 1-4 designates the last Monday in May as Memorial Day or Decoration Day.

Memorial Day, originally known as Decoration Day, was first celebrated after the Civil War, to commemorate both the Confederate and Union soldiers who fought and died in the war. Over the years, as Decoration Day became Memorial Day, it came to include American military personnel who perished in all wars.

President Lyndon Johnson proclaimed Waterloo, New York as the Birthplace of Memorial Day. This proclamation noted that the patriotic tradition of observing Memorial Day began one hundred years ago in Waterloo, New York. Boalsburg, Pennsylvania also claims to have held the first observance, dating back to October 1864. Several other towns also declare they were the first to hold an observance.

Curious to see when exactly Connecticut first declared Decoration Day a legal holiday. I turned to HeinOnline’s Session Laws Library.

Narrowing the jurisdiction to Connecticut, I searched for “Decoration Day” in italics, and found the answer in the index: Decoration Day- Made a Legal Holiday. From here, I found the Public Act quickly after this search. The answer? 1874!

For more information on Memorial Day, check out this blog from In Custodia Legis from the Library of Congress, as well as this blog from UConn Today, Memorial Day and UConn: War and Peace Through the Decades showing a University of Connecticut’s connection to the holiday

Memorial Day is commemorated in many ways in Connecticut, ranging from community parades to backyard cook-outs, fireworks and formal ceremonies. No matter how you spend this day, remember those who’ve lost their lives to preserve our freedom. It bears mentioning that this blog and the freedom to publish it would likely not be possible without the sacrifices of those who died fighting for our country.

 

Summer & Post-Graduate Access to Westlaw, Lexis and Bloomberg: What You Need to Know

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Summer is upon us!  Whether you are preparing for a summer internship or post-graduate plans, there are online resources available to you.  Here’s what you need to know about access to Bloomberg Law, Lexis Nexis, Westlaw and library databases. Need a dose of research help?  Research & Instruction librarians are available  throughout the summer to assist with job or internship questions!

 

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Westlaw

Returning Students

You can use Thomson Reuters products, including Westlaw®, Practical Law, and CoCounsel over the summer for non-commercial research. You can turn to these resources to gain understanding and build confidence in your research skills, but you cannot use them in situations where you are billing a client. Examples of permissible uses for your academic password include the following:

  •  Summer coursework
  • Research assistant assignments
  • Law Review or Journal research
  • Moot Court research
  • Non-Profit work
  • Clinical work
  • Externship sponsored by the school

You do not have to do anything to gain access to these tools over the summer. If you have any questions, please contact your Thomson Reuters Academic Account Manager.

Graduates

You can use Thomson Reuters products, including Westlaw, CoCounsel and Practical Law, for 6-months after graduation. Your “Grad Elite” access gives you 60-hours of usage per month to gain understanding and build confidence in your research skills. While you cannot use it in situations where you are billing a client, Thomson Reuters encourages you to use these tools to build your knowledge of the law and prepare for your bar exam.

YOU MUST OPT IN TO GRAD ELITE Access:
1) Go to www.lawschool.tr.com; Log in; Use the drop-down menu by your name to go to Grad Elite Status
2) Or Click on this link: https://lawschool.westlaw.com/authentication/gradelite

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Lexis

Returning Students

Lexis access continues through the summer with no restrictions on time or usage.

Graduates

After graduation, you will have access to Lexis until December 31, 2025 with no registration required, or restrictions.  Use the same Lexis account log on credentials you used in law school.   On July 1, 2025, graduates’ accounts will automatically switch to our graduate portal. This customized version of the Law School homepage includes graduate-specific content and choice of a graduation gift, including extended access to a selection of products from LexisNexis® such as Law360, Practical Guidance, or a LexisNexis eBook. Graduates have access to most of the same content and features available during law school, excluding public records, Protégé, Law360, and Practical Guidance.

Graduates’ Lexis Rewards points will expire on June 30, 2025; points must be spent or donated before that date.

Aspire Program

The LexisNexis ASPIRE Program provides 12 months of free access to federal and state cases, codes, regulations, law reviews, Shepard’s® Citation Service, and Matthew Bender® treatises to graduates who are engaged in verifiable 501(c)(3) public interest work.

 

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Bloomberg Law

Returning Students

Bloomberg access continues through the summer, this access is automatic (no registration required) and is unlimited and unrestricted.

Graduates 

2025 graduates have continuous access for six months following graduation, through November 30, 2025. This access is automatic (no registration required) and is unlimited and unrestricted (if students register for Bloomberg Law access before graduation).  For any questions on using Bloomberg Law, students and graduates continue to have free access to the  24/7 Help Desk at (888) 560-2529 or help@bloomberglaw.com.

 Other Library Databases

Returning Students

Returning students have full access to all of our databases, such as Hein and Proquest throughout the summer. Need help with a summer research project?  Stop by, call or chat with us, or schedule an in-person or virtual research consultation!

Graduates

Alumni are always welcome to use the library and seek research help from the reference librarians.  If you stay in the area as you begin your legal careers, remember that the majority of our electronic resources can be accessed by any patron from within the library, including Westlaw. We look forward to see you back in the library!

Congrats to our Grads! UConn Law Class of 2025!

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The UConn Law Library wants to extend our congratulations to UConn Law Class of 2025! Remember although you will be transitioning from the role of student to alumni, please remember that the law library wants to help you continue your path to that of lawyer.

We are always happy to help you find resources and many of our databases are available for in-library use – that means you will have to come back and visit!

Congratulations and we wish you the best of luck on the bar exam and your legal practice.!

 

Prioritizing Well-Being During Law School Exam Season

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The first week of May is also the start of law school finals. The Law Library, along with Student Affairs and the Mental Health Counseling team, would like to remind our law students, faculty, and staff about the importance of supporting their mental health and encourage everyone to practice wellness and self-care. The Student Wellness Research Guide contains helpful online resources and books available at the law library related to the topics of stress-relief, wellness, and mindfulness with a particular focus on law school and/or the legal profession.

Well-Being Week in Law is May 5-9 and aligns with Mental Health Awareness Month. Well-Being Week in Law (WWIL) is organized annually by the Institute for Well-Being in Law (IWIL) during Mental Health Awareness Month. Its aim is to raise awareness about mental health and encourage action and innovation across the profession all year-round to improve well-being. Check out the website for information about how to register, participate and win prizes (free)!

If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed by exam stress, remember that the law library is there to help you every step of the way. UConn law library has a team of knowledgeable reference librarians ready to assist students with their research needs. Whether struggling to find relevant materials for a paper or need guidance on navigating complex legal databases, reference librarians are there to help, reach out to us! We are passionate about connecting students with the resources they need to succeed!

Best of luck on finals!!