Author: Maryanne Daly Doran

Welcome Back to the Stacks!

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Bird's eye image of inside of library with students studying at desks.

Welcome to the UConn Law Library! We are eager to get to know the ILs as you become begin your law school journey and are thrilled to welcome back the 2 and 3L students!  The library staff are here to aid in a successful transition to law school and excel in your academic year.  We offer a variety of services and resources to support you in your learning and research:

Study Rooms

Our study rooms are available for group study! Students can reserve a seat at  s.uconn.edu/lawlibstudyrooms, by scanning the QR code outside the room you want to use, or by clicking the quick link on the Law Library homepage. Each student can reserve a room for up to two hours per day.  We ask that you please cancel your reservation if you no longer need it so that other students can use the space. You can always reschedule for another time that day as long as the time block is available. View the entire study room policy here.

Library2Go

Library2Go is a free book and article retrieval service. Simply request a book from the library’s collection and it will be retrieved and checked out to you. Need a book chapter or an article from a print journal? We will scan and email material that falls within our copyright guidelines.  For more information on UConn’s Copyright Policy, click here. Please allow for 5 business days to fulfill your requests. Learn more about Library2Go here.

Interlibrary Loan (ILL)

Need a book, chapter, or article that the Law Library doesn’t own? Law students, faculty, and staff can request these items using our ILL system, tILLapia. Staff will do their best to obtain the item from libraries all around the world. Just like Library2Go, scans will be emailed, and physical items will be made available across from the Circulation Desk. To learn more about ILL or to submit a request, click here.

Reference Services

The Reference team is here to answer your research questions. While they can’t do your homework for you or give legal advice, they can show you the ropes and help you when you get stuck in your research.   You can schedule a research consultation or find them at the reference desk on the main floor of the library. You can also email them at refdesk.lawlib@uconn.edu, call (860) 570-5200, or chat with them online.

Course Reserves

The Law Library keeps one copy of each required textbook that can be checked out at the Circulation Desk on short-term loan.   Please be mindful that we only have one copy to share with you and all your fellow classmates!  The Law Library also has study aids that will cater to a variety of different learning styles. For more information, check out the Study Aids section in our Student Toolkit.

The law library is a welcoming space to research, study and relax.  More questions?  You can find us at the Circulation Desk on the main floor of the Law Library, by email at lawlibrary@uconn.edu, or by calling (860) 570-5012.  Stop by with any questions or just to say "hi"!  We can't wait to see you all!

 

Summer Reads at UConn Law Library!

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Book next to beach

Looking for a summer read before returning for Fall semester? Did you know that the law library has popular reading materials available for check out to law students?   

The reading lounge collection located right by the access services desk features entertainment and leisure reading. Examples include literary fiction, pop culture, and popular legal titles.  

A recent perusal found such titles as The Partner Track, now a limited series on Netflix.  Read here how this book made the transition to a Netflix Series.

book cover The Partner Track
Netflix The Partner Track Image

A quick scan resulted in titles such Hillbilly Elegy, and Maid also adapted to film on Netflix! (can we pick them, or can we pick them?)  

Also available are the timeless  Harry Potter series and a variety of titles by John Grisham. No matter what your preference is, you are bound to something to read for pleasure before the semester begins.  

Current students can borrow circulating items for 90 days and items can be renewed once.  Plenty of time to read your summer book AND check it out on Netflix before the semester returns! Enjoy!

book on movie set

Pride Month 2023!

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June is LGBTQI+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex) Pride Month! Originally celebrated as Gay Pride Day on the last Sunday in June to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York City, Pride Month gradually became a month-long event.

The Stonewall site was declared a National Monument by Presidential Proclamation. The Stonewall uprising is regarded by many as the most important catalyst for the dramatic expansion of the movement to outlaw discriminatory laws and practices against LGBTQI+ Americans.

A  Proclamation on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Pride Month, 2023 was issued by President Biden to launch Pride month, “calling upon the people of the United States to recognize the achievements of the LGBTQI+ community, and to celebrate the great diversity of the American people…”

Stonewall Inn Johannes Jordan/Wikimedia Commons

Today, LGBTQ Pride Month events attract millions of participants around the world and has grown to a month-long series of events such as parades, picnics, parties and concerts, including some great events to check out right here in Connecticut:  https://www.ctvisit.com/articles/pride-month-celebrations-2023

Many legal changes for the LGBTQI+ community have been made since the police raided the Stonewall Inn nearly fifty years ago. However, continuing LGBTQ+ civil and equality rights issues remain relevant today.  HeinOnline features a LGBTQ+ Rights database.  This collection charts the gay rights movement in America, showing the civil rights codified into law in the 20th and 21st centuries, as well as the inequalities that still exist today.  To learn more about the newest database check out HeinOnline’s blog here and for additional research, check out UConn Law’s Research Guide, Sexuality, Gender Identity and the Law.

Westlaw, Lexis & Bloomberg Summer & Post-Graduate Access

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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, 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!

Westlaw

Returning Students

You may use your Westlaw account through the summer for noncommercial research, such as law school activities, research assistant assignments, work for a nonprofit, or in an unpaid internship.

Graduates

Graduates can register for Westlaw’s Graduate Elite Program, which provides for six months of access after graduation.  Graduates also have access to the Knowledge Center eLearnings and tutorials for 18 months after graduation.

In order to extend access you will need to opt into GRAD ELITE by logging into  www.lawschool.tr.com. Use the drop-down menu by your name to go to GRAD ELITE Status or go directly to https://lawschool.westlaw.com/authentication/gradelite.

Lexis

Returning Students

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

Graduates

You will have access to Lexis until December 31, 2023 with no registration required, or restrictions.  Use the same Lexis account log on credentials you used in law school.  If you are working for a nonprofit organization, you may be able to extend your access even longer through the ASPIRE Program.

Bloomberg Law

Returning Students

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

Graduates 

2023 graduates have continuous access for six months following graduation, through November 30, 2023. 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 our 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.

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!

 

Public Laws and Proclamations – Asian American, Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month

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Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, celebrated in the month of May, 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.”

Pursuant to Pub. L. 102-450, American Presidents have annually issued proclamations designating May as “Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month.  On April 28, 2023, President Biden issued A Proclamation for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, 2023.  

Presidential Proclamations are policy statements issued by the president to the public. Although often ceremonial, they can have legal effect (examples are proclamations regarding national emergencies, foreign policy, and federal land management). An example of this would be President Biden’s Proclamation 10315 (revoked on December 28, 2021) which suspended entry of certain individuals in countries where the Omicron variant of COVID-19 had been detected.

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.  Also by CRS, the publication, Presidential Directives: An Introduction, discusses the differences between presidential directives.

The Law Library display features an assortment of academic and leisure reading books selected in honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month for 2023.  Be sure to stop by and check one out for summer reading!  Have a great summer!

West Academic Study Aids – Now Online!

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Long commute? Want to “study” while cooking or exercising? Audio and video content is just one of the many features of our newly acquired Online West Academic Study Aids.

UConn Law Library now offers online access to over 500 study aids, including Hornbooks, Nutshells, and Gilbert Law Summaries, as well as Sum and Substance and Law School Legends Audio Content. Also included are case briefs, practice exams, and other material designed to supplement coursework.

West Academic Study Aids may be accessed at through our catalog here:  https://uconn-law.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01UCT_LAW/1694lnv/alma99394402802433.  Students can create a free account allows you to add and save notes and highlight text. Use your @uconn.edu email account when creating your account.

A good starting point are the dropdown menus immediately below the search with 1L subjects and 2L/3L subjects.

West Screen

There are numerous print study aids that can be checked out for four hours at a time on Course Reserve. For more information on study aid and a list of resource by topic – visit our research guide here: https://libguides.law.uconn.edu/c.php?g=345453&p=2327743#s-lg-box-7093685!

Introducing Westlaw Precision!

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Westlaw homepage

As you are returning for the Spring semester, you may notice some changes when you log into Westlaw.  Westlaw Precision is now integrated right into Westlaw Edge.  Your account will automatically convert to this update and will include a new interface and 6 new features.  The underlying content of the subscription (secondary sources & primary law) will remain the same. 

A major difference you will notice on the homepage is the Precision Research feature.  Otherwise, you will see the same content categories available. 

Westlaw Precision allows you to search and filter by legal issue and outcome, fact pattern, motion type and outcome, to quickly find a core set of highly relevant cases.  

 Other highlights include: 

  • KeyCite Cited With: Shows related cases that have a pattern of being cited together even if neither cites the other.  
  • KeyCite Overruled in Part: Indicates, via a new red-striped flag, that a case has been overruled in part and enables navigation directly to the language in the case discussing the point of law that has been overruled. 
  • Graphical View of History: Displays a graphical visualization of research history, mapping out each step and highlighting the searches and documents with more research interaction.  
  • Keep List/Hide Details: Allows users to save cases of interest and hide cases they have determined are not relevant to current research.   
  • Outline Builder: Enables users to organize research by dragging and dropping text into a customizable outline. Linked and formatted citations and KeyCite information integrate automatically, and the outline can be exported to begin drafting a brief.  

      Want more info?  Check out the YouTube tutorials below: 

        Let us know if you have any questions at refdesk.lawlib@uconn.edu, and happy researching! 

        It’s a Wonderful Life….How a Copyright Glitch Created a Christmas Cult Classic

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        It's a Wonderful Life movie posterThe 2022 holiday season marks the 76th Anniversary of It’s a Wonderful Life.  Based on Philip Van Doren Stern’s short story The Greatest Gift, the 1946 Frank Capra film tells the tale of a despondent man (James Stewart) who contemplates suicide on Christmas Eve.   His guardian angel grants him a chance to see what life for his friends and family would be like if he had never been born.   Although a now a holiday favorite, the film was a box office flop and a major blow to director Frank Capra’s reputation.

        Indeed, this movie might have been a forgotten footnote in film history if not for a filing error with the U.S. Copyright Office.  Then-copyright owner Republic Pictures missed filing the renewal application, causing the film to lapse into the public domain.  This oversight enabled TV networks, who were looking for cheap holiday-oriented content, to program it heavily for more than two decades without paying any royalties to its producers. It was during this near-constant airplay that the film was rediscovered by the American public – earning its status as a holiday classic.

        So how did this happen? The The US Copyright Act of 1909 governs copyrightable works created before 1964. The Act created two distinct copyright terms for each individual work: a 28-year initial term and a 28-year renewal term. The initial term applied automatically, but the copyright owner had to file a renewal application with the U.S. Copyright Office to acquire the second term. If the owner failed to file a renewal application before the first 28-year term expired, the work automatically entered the public domain. This was the case in 1974, when 28 years had passed, Republic Pictures failed to file a renewal for the film’s copyright protection. The upshot of this was that since the film was in the public domain,  anyone could show the film without obtaining permission or paying royalties.

        However, in 1993, Republic Pictures claimed that although they had failed to renew copyright over the film in 1974, they still retained rights to the original story, The Greatest Gift, (available in most public libraries) upon which the screenplay for It’s a Wonderful Life is based.  As a backup, in 1993, it purchased the rights to the film’s musical score by Dimitri Timokin from his family, which had been copyrighted separately.  Relying on the Supreme Court case Stewart v. Abend, 495 U.S. 207 (1990), which held that only the copyright owner of a story has the right to exploit derivative works such as films, Republic Pictures regained control of the picture.

        Equipped with the Supreme Court decision concerning the underlying story and with the copyright in the music for the film’s soundtrack, Republic Pictures alerted all television networks to stop playing It’s a Wonderful Life without the payment of royalties. They then entered an licensing arrangement with NBC, where It’s a Wonderful Life is shown a few times each December.  Others may also license the film for broadcast. On the local front, you can catch a viewing on the big screen at Cinestudio, located on the campus of Hartford’s Trinity College from December 19th – December 24th.

        The film’s days of 24 hour free programming may be over, but thanks to the film’s revival from those those decades of repeated airplay, It’s a Wonderful Life gained a new cult status.  It is now available for streaming on Amazon Prime, making it poised to capture the next streaming video audience.  The film’s message of kindness, community and hope is timeless. Thankfully, a new generation can now receive Capra’s message anytime, on demand.

        LGBTQ+ Rights: New Hein Database!

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        In honor of Pride Month, head over to HeinOnline to see its LGBTQ+ Rights database, the newest addition to the Social Justice Suite. This collection charts the gay rights movement in America, showing the civil rights codified into law in the 20th and 21st centuries, as well as the inequalities that still exist today.

        All titles in this collection have been assigned one or more title-level subjects relating to their scope, and are further divided into six subcollections, whose areas of focus constitute Marriage and Family, Employment Discrimination, Military Service, AIDS and Health Care, Public Spaces and Accommodations, and Historical Attitudes and Analysis. The database includes an interactive timeline, as well as court cases, scholarly articles, books, pamphlets, and reports.

        To learn more about the newest database check out HeinOnline’s blog here and for additional research, check out Uconn Law’s Research Guide, Sexuality, Gender Identity and the Law.

        screenshot of a webpage introducing HeinOnline's LGBTQ+ Rights

        Summer and Post-Graduate Access to Westlaw, Lexis, Bloomberg, and Other Library Databases

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        Bloomberg Law, LexisNexis and Westlaw all have summer access provisions and usage policies for continuing and graduating students.  Read below for more information!

        Westlaw

        Returning Students

        You may use your Westlaw account through the summer for noncommercial research, such as law school activities, research assistant assignments, work for a nonprofit, or in an unpaid internship.

        Graduates

        Graduates can register for Westlaw’s Graduate Elite Program, which provides for six months of access after graduation.  Graduates also have access to the Knowledge Center eLearnings and tutorials for 18 months after graduation.

        In order to extend access you will need to opt into GRAD ELITE by logging into www.lawschool.tr.com. Use the drop-down menu by your name to go to GRAD ELITE Status or go directly to https://lawschool.westlaw.com/authentication/gradelite.

        Lexis

        Returning Students

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

        Graduates

        You will have access to Lexis until December 31, 2022, with no registration required, or restrictions.  Use the same Lexis account log on credentials you used in law school.  If you are working for a nonprofit organization, you may be able to extend your access even longer through the ASPIRE Program. 

        Bloomberg Law

        Returning Students

        Bloomberg access continues through the summer subject to yearly individual Docket allowance.

        Graduates

        2021 graduating students will have unrestricted access to Bloomberg Law for 6 months with no special registration required (if students register for Bloomberg Law access before graduation)

        Other Library Databases

        Returning Students

        Returning students have full access to all of our databases, such as Hein and Proquest throughout the summer.

        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.

        Bloomberg Law, LexisNexis and Westlaw all have summer access provisions and usage policies for continuing and graduating students.  Read below for more information!

        Westlaw

        Returning Students

        You may use your Westlaw account through the summer for noncommercial research, such as law school activities, research assistant assignments, work for a nonprofit, or in an unpaid internship.

        Graduates

        Graduates can register for Westlaw’s Graduate Elite Program, which provides for six months of access after graduation.  Graduates also have access to the Knowledge Center eLearnings and tutorials for 18 months after graduation.

        In order to extend access you will need to opt into GRAD ELITE by logging into  www.lawschool.tr.com. Use the drop-down menu by your name to go to GRAD ELITE Status or go directly to lawschool.westlaw.com/authentication/gradelite.

        Lexis

        Returning Students

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

        Graduates

        You will have access to Lexis until December 31, 2022, with no registration required, or restrictions.  Use the same Lexis account log on credentials you used in law school.  If you are working for a nonprofit organization, you may be able to extend your access even longer through the ASPIRE Program. 

        Bloomberg Law

        Returning Students

        Bloomberg access continues through the summer subject to yearly individual Docket allowance.

        Graduates

        2021 graduating students will have unrestricted access to Bloomberg Law for 6 months with no special registration required (if students register for Bloomberg Law access before graduation)

        Other Library Databases

        Returning Students

        Returning students have full access to all of our databases, such as Hein and Proquest throughout the summer.

        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.