Author: Maryanne Daly Doran

Managing Final Exam Stress

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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-6-10 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!!

 

Thank You Graduating Library Student Employees!

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As this semester concludes, we want to pay tribute to our graduating library student employees! They have been instrumental in keeping the library services running!  Our students staff the desk on weekends, nights, and during finals. They assist students with course reserves, printing, scanning and library computers and are a terrific source of information about the library and law school. In the words of Anne Rajotte, Associate Director of Research, Instruction, and Scholarship:

Student workers are vital to the library. They help us stay open on nights and weekends, assist at the main desk, and do a lot behind the scenes too. We are going to miss our graduating students and all of the great work they’ve done

To all of our graduating 3L’s, thank you!  We wish you all the best and hope you stay in touch as you embark upon your legal careers!   We will miss you all!

 

Earth Day 2024

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Earth Day  was first observed on April 22, 1970.  Originally a grassroots demonstration, this day is now celebrated worldwide.

Senator Gaylord Nelson promoted Earth Day, calling upon students to fight for environmental causes and oppose environmental degradation. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was formed later that year and legislation was passed to increase recycling and conservation efforts.

For ideas on what you can do to protect the environment check out the Earth Day page at the EPA. Check out the Earth Day toolkit as well. In the meantime, enjoy the weather and UConn Law School campus!

 

National Library Week: Ready, Set, Library & The Game of Life

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National Library Week (April 7-13, 2024) is a celebration of libraries and library workers. The theme for this year’s library week is “Ready, Set, Library” which “illustrates the idea that in our always-online world, libraries give us a green light to something truly special: a place to connect with others, learn new skills, and focus on what matters most…. no matter where you find yourself on the roadmap through life’s journey—preparing for a new career, launching a business, or raising a family—the library provides an inclusive and supportive community where everyone belongs.”  

The same is true for our law library, no matter where you find yourself on your legal journey, the UConn Law Library has resources to assist as well as provide an inclusive and supportive community. Much like the iconic board game of life, the journey is an adventure filled with discovery, knowledge, and endless opportunities for growth. 

Ready: Legal Research Help

The law library is here to offer everyone legal research assistance. Every member of the Connecticut community, alumni, law students, students of all ages, are encouraged to ask us reference questions. If you are experienced or new to legal research, or someone in between, contact us via phone (860-570-5200), email (refdesk.lawlib@uconn.edu) or visit us in person and we will help you.  

If we are not available, our Research Guides are a great place to consult and provide information on many topics including on Connecticut Law, Free Online Legal Research and a Student Toolkit.  

Set: Navigating the Legal Landscape 

As we set foot in the library, amidst the shelves lined with books, online resources, and digital archives, we have the power to expand our horizons, deepen our understanding, and transform in profound ways. Even though you will face unexpected twists and turns, we can assist you overcome those obstacles with specialized resources and knowledge.  

For all researchers we have specialized legal databases. These include HeinOnline, which has many resources including bar journals, complications of state laws, and government documents as well as Westlaw, which is a comprehensive full-text legal database that includes primary and secondary legal materials, legal news, and law related documents. We will help you find the right resource for your question.  

Library: The Heartbeat of Community  

Much like the game of life, the practice of law is an ever-evolving adventure, filled with twists and turns, challenges and triumphs. Our library serves as a hub of community engagement and information exchange. Like gathering around the game of life board with friends and family, we come together in the library to connect and exchange ideas. 

Join us this week in celebration of Library Week. Check out our Game of Life Book display for the variety of resources available to you at any stage of your journey! Play the game, ‘UConn Law Library: How Do we Help You?’ and come to the main desk to collect your prize!  

April Fools’ Day! When Media Mischief Means Litigation!

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Next Monday is April 1st, a.k.a. April Fool’s Day! If you are thinking about pulling a prank or see something suspicious in a media outlet, remember what starts out as a practical joke sometimes ends up with legal trouble.  

In Connecticut, a joke went too far when April Fools’ Day story published by a local newspaper parodying a commercial developer struck a nerve and led to a lawsuit. The case,  Victoria Square, LLC v. Glastonbury, brought forth claims of defamation, invasion of privacy by false light and violation of the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act (CUTPA). The Superior court held that the newspaper article discussing a planned development with a huge Wal-Mart, a Hooters facing a church and school, and a helicopter launching pad, was clearly a parody of the newspaper’s usual content and not defamatory. 

Other media outlets such as radio stations should remember that broadcasters need to be careful with any practical jokes or pranks prepared especially for the day.  The FCC’s rule against broadcast hoaxes, Section 73.1217, prevents stations from running any information about a “crime or catastrophe” on the air, if the broadcaster (1) knows the information to be false, (2) it is foreseeable that the broadcast of the material will cause substantial public harm and (3) substantial public harm is in fact caused.  

Bottom line: think before you prank and if a story sounds too good to be true, take a deeper dive!

Online Exhibit! We March On: 100 Years of Women’s Suffrage

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UConn Law Library is highlighting Women’s History month by showcasing resources focusing on women and the law.

We March On – Celebrating 100 Years of Women’s Suffrage Exhibit was designed to commemorate the 100th anniversary of this achievement.  The online exhibit features a historical narrative, recognizes the efforts of the suffrage movement in Connecticut, and showcases contributions to women’s equality by women at UConn School of Law.

Originally produced as six large banners, which were on display at the UConn Law Library,  We March On was intended as a traveling exhibit. The online version was created during COVID so that more people could learn about these important individuals and events. Accompanied by stunning period photos and powerful quotes, it’s a riveting view of this movement.

The We March On research guide contains additional information about women at UConn Law, the Equal Rights Amendment and a multitude of resources dedicated to this subject.

Database Spotlight! Women and the Law (Peggy) from Hein

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March is Women’s History Month and UConn Law Library is celebrating by highlighting some of its resources focusing on women and the law.

Women and the Law (Peggy), is a collection on HeinOnline that brings together more than 3,600 fully searchable books, biographies, and periodicals dedicated to the role of women in society and the law.

This collection provides a platform for users to research the progression of women’s roles and rights in society over the past 200 years.  It also includes titles from Emory University Law School’s Feminism and Legal Theory Project which provide a platform to view the effect of law and culture on the female gender.

HeinOnline has created a LibGuide with more information on the collection.

And if you are wondering why the collection is also called Peggy, take a look at the collection’s homepage for the story!

How do I access Women and the Law (Peggy)?

  1. Go to the Library website
  2. Click on Databases A-Z under the Top Library Tools section on lower right
  3. Scroll down to  HeinOnline Women and the Law (Peggy)

Women’s History Month Display at UConn Law Library

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Women’s History Month has been recognized in the United States since President Reagan issued Presidential Proclamation 5619 on March 16, 1987, with all the succeeding presidents following suit on an annual basis.  In 2024 President Biden’s Proclamation  urged us to recognize “the long, storied history of great women helping to realize our Nation’s founding promise and highest aspirations.”  Biden’s Proclamation also called upon Americans to celebrate International Women’s Day, celebrated within Women's History Month on March 8th every year.

The first International Women’s Day gathering was in 1911 and is now celebrated by more than one million individuals.  Read more about the history here.  Be sure to stop by the library to check out our print resources in honor of both Women’s History Month, and International Women’s Day.  Also check out UConn Law Library's own research guide, We March On, which features an online exhibit highlighting the women's suffrage movement, UConn Law women and Connecticut's role in the movement.

Leap Year and the Law

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2024 is a Leap Year, where an additional day (the 29th!) is added to February every four years.  

For leapers, born on February 29th, there are annoyances and medical challenges in their lives. On the legal front, complications caused by that extra day affect areas such as age determination disputes, statutes of limitation, and criminal sentencing.  

In the Nutmeg state, a quick search resulted in several cases that reflect the myriad of logistical and legal problems associated with this extra day. In Lorusso v. McClain the plaintiff argued that she commenced her action in a timely manner due to the definition of the word “year” which is not limited to 365 calendar days during a leap year (2016), thus permitting the plaintiff to deliver the writ, summons and complaint to the marshal on the 366th calendar day. The court determined that in the context of computing the statute of limitations and unless expressed otherwise, the 29th day in the month of February during a leap year is to be counted with the 28th day of February of the same leap year. 

To learn more about the leap year and the law, check out this blog post from Thomson-Reuters: 

Database Spotlight! NAACP Papers

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This February, in honor of Black History Month , UConn Law Library is featuring 3 important digital resources: the NAACP Papers as produced by ProQuest.  The collection is organized into the following groups:

NAACP Papers: The NAACP’s Major Campaigns – Education, Voting, Housing, Employment, Armed Forces

Major campaigns for equal access to education, voting, employment, housing and the military are covered in this module. The education files in this second module document the NAACP’s systematic assault on segregated education that culminated in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954. Files from 1955 –1965 focus on the NAACP’s efforts to implement the Brown decision as well as to combat de facto segregation outside of the South.  Click here to go to the LibGuide page for this module

This NAACP module consists of the working case files of the NAACP’s general counsel and his Legal Department staff for the period from 1956 to 1972. The files document the NAACP’s aggressive campaign to bring about desegregation throughout the United States, particularly in the South.  In total, this module contains over 600 cases from 34 states and the District of Columbia. The cases in this module pertain to school desegregation, abuses of police procedure, employment discrimination, freedom of speech, privacy, freedom of association, and housing discrimination.  Click here to go to the LibGuide page for this module

One of the highlights of this NAACP module are the records on the Scottsboro case, one of the most celebrated criminal trials of the 20th century. This module also contains the key NAACP national office files on the campaign against lynching and mob violence, and NAACP efforts to fight against discrimination in the criminal justice system. Click here to go to the LibGuide page for this module

The NAACP Papers contains excellent material to support the law school community’s research projects on social justice and civil rights topics. If you have any questions about this content, contact our reference team!