The Pocket Part Blog

Love and the Law

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Love…..it plays a driving force in many aspects of our lives….it also comes with its own set of rules and regulations.  This Valentine’s Day, we are featuring HeinOnline’s blog post titled:  The Fine Print of Love: Uncovering the Not-So Unwritten Rules, which explores some unusual and little-known love laws.

All of the facts uncovered are available on HeinOnline including The U.S. Supreme Court Library, Session Laws Library, National Survey of State Laws, and Law Journal Library, all available through the UConn Law Library’s website.

Read on…and Happy Valentine’s Day!

 

 

Law Library Event! “Honor Bound” Coming Out in the Military – Feb. 13

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Join us for “Honor Bound: Coming Out in the Military” featuring Law School alum Joseph Steffan, hosted by UConn Law Library, Law Library Archives,  in collaboration with LAMBDA and VALOR. 

Joseph Steffan, a 1994 graduate of the Law School, has a remarkable and inspiring story. Before attending law school, Steffan was a midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD, where he was considered a rising star. However, just weeks before his graduation, Steffan was outed and forced to resign. Determined to fight back, he sued the Department of Defense for reinstatement. While Steffan initially won his case, the decision was later overturned on appeal.

In 2000, Steffan generously donated his personal papers, which document his legal battle, to the Law School.  Archivist Rebecca Altermatt curated these documents detailing his journey and created the exhibit on display.

On February 13 at 12:30 PM, Steffan will join us for a discussion of his case and its lasting impact. The event will be moderated by Paul Chill, Clinical Professor of Law Emeritus, and Darcy Kirk, Distinguished Professor of Law Emerita, and former Dean of the Library, who was instrumental in accepting Steffan’s materials. The session will include a discussion followed by a Q&A. The event will be hybrid.

Don’t miss this powerful conversation! We look forward to having you join us for this event.
Event page link and registration form:

https://events.uconn.edu/law-school/event/603860-honor-bound-coming-out-in-the-military

 

Saturday 2/1- Take Your Child to the Library Day

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Feeling stuck indoors? We’ve got the perfect cure!

On Saturday, February 1st, the Law Library will host a morning of fun from 9:00am-Noon. Join us and explore the law library! We’ll have an obstacle course, coloring, reading nook, crafts, scavenger hunts and games. It’s a morning filled with laughter, creativity, and adventure—right here in the library! We hope kids and the young heart will join us and enjoy the library space.

This day is part of a nationwide initiative that encourages families to take their children to the library and raises awareness of the importance of libraries for children and families. “Your local library is an ideal place for children to play, discover, make friends, and have fun. And Take Your Child to the Library Day is the perfect time to discover some library magic.” – https://takeyourchildtothelibrary.org/

We hope you’ll join us!

 

Take Your Child to Library Day

Honoring Martin Luther King Jr.

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Martin Luther King Jr. Day will be observed Monday, January 20th.  The Law Library will be open.  As we pause to reflect on the incredible contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. this January, it’s an important moment to remember the enduring impact of his advocacy on our legal landscape. His work helped lay the foundation for landmark legislation that reshaped American legal frameworks, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

In a recent post, we explored the path towards recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. day as a federal holiday and of King’s summers working in Simsbury Ct.  His later writings speak of his experiences in Connecticut and how it increased his awareness of segregation.

To continue your understanding of how MLK Jr.’s work was influenced by his experiences in Connecticut and the ultimate road to federal recognition, we invite you to revisit our previous blog post: “Martin Luther King Jr. Day – Connecticut’s Connection”.

Read the full post here: https://library.law.uconn.edu/2025/01/13/honoring-martin-luther-king-jr/

As we reflect on his legacy, we encourage those in the legal profession and beyond to consider how King’s philosophy of justice, equality, and nonviolence can continue to inform and inspire the law today. Let’s continue to honor Dr. King’s vision by advancing justice in the legal field and beyond.

Student Blogger Dominic Bellido: “Reflections from 1L First Semester”

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Winter break flew by and Spring semester starts Tuesday, January 21st. The 1L’s are back in action, and there are likely a multitude of emotions that arise after those intense first months as a 1L. There were likely unanticipated challenges, but also growth in ways unimagined.

Returning 1L Dominic Bellido reflects on some of the key lessons he learned as a returning 1L:

After finishing my first semester at law school, I am grateful for the support I’ve found. I’ve learned a lot from the resourcefulness of my friends, and talking about our lives outside the classroom has given me a new perspective to look at my own experience here. Each new person I meet comes from a different background, and their unique skills contribute to the culture and diversity of our campus.

Dominic noted the importance of mentors throughout his journey and how he intends to pay tribute to them:

The best way to honor my mentors is by ensuring more students will have the same access to support networks as we did, and more. This way, we can build upon the connections between grades and share our knowledge. I hope that, as a student body, we can continue to give back to the people who make this school what it is….What it could be.

UConn Law 1L’s….and all of UHere’s to the journey ahead!!!!

Image of students studying in the library

UConn Law Library January Hours

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Happy New Year from UConn Law library!  The library is open for January Interterm (we reopen on weekends starting Saturday, January 18th):snow man

January Interterm Hours

Monday, January 13th – Friday, January 17th
Monday – Thursday 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Friday 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Spring Semester

Saturday, January 18th – Monday, May 5th

Building Hours Reference Services
Monday – Thursday 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.* 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Friday 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Sunday 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.* Closed

*UConn Law ID required for access after 7PM on weekdays, and all-day Sunday.

Looking forward to seeing you all in 2025!!

 

 

 

See you in ’25! Happy Holidays from UConn Law Library!

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Happy Holidays from UConn Law library!

The library will be closed from Saturday, December 22, 2024 through Monday, January 1st, 2025, reopening January 2, 2025. snow man

Hours

Winter Break

Thursday, January 2nd – Sunday, January 12th
Monday – Friday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday Closed

January Interterm

Monday, January 13th – Friday, January 17th
Monday – Thursday 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Friday 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Spring Semester

Saturday, January 18th – Monday, May 5th

Building Hours Reference Services
Monday – Thursday 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.* 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Friday 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Sunday 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.* Closed

*UConn Law ID required for access after 7PM on weekdays, and all-day Sunday.

Looking forward to seeing you all in 2025!!

 

 

 

Extended Library Hours for Finals!

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UConn Law Library will be open extended hours during the exam period, December 6th – December 19th.

Cork board with details about extended exam hours at UConn Law Library.

Exams can be stressful, check out some of our Wellness Resources at the Law Library, and do not hesitate to stop by with any questions about Study Aids, scheduling research consultations or just to chat!  We are pulling for you all!

 

 

Stitching Stress Away: “Crafternoon” Workshop On Reading Day!

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Back by popular demand!  Join us for “Crafternoon”!

UConn Law’s Office of Student Affairs and UConn Law Library are partnering up to offer a mindfulness activity where you can learn to crochet, create and relax!

Come join us on Friday, December 6th (“Reading Day”) @ 12:30 p.m. in Library 413 (4th Floor Student Lounge)

Flyer Advertising Crafternoon

Did you know that in addition to being fun, that crocheting promotes mindfulness and wellbeing? Crocheting promotes a sense of calm and relaxation, mindfulness, encourages creativity and self-expression and is a form of self-care.

 

Tea cup with flower and crochet

Don’t want to crochet?  Grab a cup of tea, meditate, stretch, color or just chat with others. Anything goes, come experience the therapeutic effects of crafting to start your finals studying! Hope to see you all there!

 

 

Native American Heritage Day: Honoring Culture While Countering Consumerism on “Black Friday”

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The Friday after Thanksgiving is National Native American Heritage Day. Barely recognized or even acknowledged, the National Native American Heritage Day Act was signed into law in 2008, by which President Obama encouraged:

 …every American to join me in observing Native American Heritage Day … It is also important for all of us to understand the rich culture, tradition, and history of Native Americans and their status today, and to appreciate the contributions that First Americans have made and will continue to make to our Nation.

The Friday after Thanksgiving is more commonly referred to as “Black Friday“.  Some have criticized this coincidence, as it links a day dedicated to celebrating Native peoples and culture with the start of the holiday shopping season.

To counter the consumerism associated with Black Friday, consider reflecting on the true meaning of  this day by exploring the digital exhibits of the National Museum of the American Indian, or taking the opportunity to learn about the land you live on.

An intriguing tool is the Native Land interactive map. By entering your address, you can discover which Indigenous Peoples once inhabited the area. The map’s creators aim to foster conversation and raise awareness of Indigenous history and the diverse cultures of Native Peoples.

Below is the result from entering in the address for UConn Law Library, 39 Elizabeth Street, Hartford, Ct.:

The land on which UConn Law School and Library sits is home to a number of Indigenous nations, including the Poquonook, Sicaog (Saukiog), Wangunks, and Tunxis.

 

There was little information about Native American Heritage Day- in fact, I didn’t even know it was a “thing”. Let’s take a moment both during and after Thanksgiving to honor the contributions of the Indigenous Peoples on whose land we now work and live.