Happy Holidays from UConn Law library!
The library will be closed from Saturday, December 23rd, 2023 through Monday, January 1st, 2024.
The library hours for January Interterm are as follows:
January Interterm
Tuesday, January 2nd, 2024 - Friday, January 12th, 2024
| Monday - Thursday | 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. |
| Friday | 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. |
| Saturday & Sunday | Closed |
Looking forward to seeing you all in 2024!!
Last year’s holiday blog post featured the beloved film, It’s a Wonderful Life, a movie that has fallen in and out of copyright several times. The elements of Christmas and copyright appear to be connected often, leading to more curiosity about all things copyright Christmas.
Done with finals and care to go caroling? Want to bottle your own Christmas spirits with the image of Santa? Planning to use holiday songs in some holiday-themed bingo? If caroling or holiday music bingo (holiday spirits optional) are on your agenda, know that not all festive tunes performed at Christmas are all free use for us to enjoy. While it is true that a neighborly sing along or family gathering doesn’t rise to the level of a public performance, requiring permission to use, it is interesting to note the songs which have entered the public domain, and which are under copyright and require permission.
Perennial favorites such as Deck the Halls, The Twelve Days of Christmas, and Jingle Bells are all in the public domain. However, songs such as Frosty the Snowman, created in 1950 by Steve Nelson and Jack Rollins remains protected by copyright.
For a list of Christmas songs in the public domain, check out the list from PD Info or ChoralWiki. The United States Copyright Office Public Catalog shows all the copyrights registered with the US copyright office from 1978 onwards.
Although some festive songs are covered by copyright, it’s not widely known that the character of Santa himself is not copyrighted at all! The image of Santa Claus was designed for Coca Cola in 1931 by illustrator Haddon Sundblom and although Coca Cola owns the rights to the images produced by Sundblom, the character of Santa himself remains copyright free. While Coca-Cola played a role in making that version of Santa the one everyone recognizes, it did not invent it and holds no rights to it.
Speaking of Santa images, if you are interested in crafting your own brew, with Santa Claus’ image, in both Ohio and D.C., it’s illegal to use Santa Claus’ image in advertising for alcohol, so keep the distribution amongst friends.
If you are interested in more interesting facts and laws about Christmas, check out HeinOnline Blog for the Holidays with their blog post: The 12 Bizarre Laws of Christmas and Happy Holidays from UConn Law!
Many law students have commented on the adorable, crocheted animals on display at the reference desk. Created by librarians and staff at UConn Law through the library’s inaugural Crafting Club, we have fielded many questions on these creations and requests to learn to do the same!
Want to make one of your own? 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.
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 to learn how to crochet an mini octopus ( adorably coined "Octopup" by librarian extraordinaire and newly minted crocheter, Tanya Johnson) to take home with you!
Check out the image below of the two crocheted “Octopups”. All supplies will be provided and no experience necessary! Stop by during Reading Period on December 11, and enjoy the therapeutic benefits of crocheting!
Thanksgiving has origins in New England where it was centered and observed in various local and provincial celebrations. Some sources state that Colony of Connecticut is given credit for initially adopting an annual day of general Thanksgiving. The first proclamation was called for September 18, 1639, and two others were on record in 1644 and 1649. These are significant because civil authorities proclaimed this day of thanksgiving and focused on general blessings and thanks for well-being which was a step toward the holiday we know today.
Attempts to verify these claims of the Colony of Connecticut's role by locating and verifying primary sources initially proved to be challenging. General "Googling" and trusted databases failed to bring up any primary sources supporting this assertion. What's a law librarian to do? Head to HeinOnline!
Alongside many offerings, HeinOnline features Prestatehood Legal Materials – a one-stop source of information about the primary sources of law during the colonial and territorial periods of states. The first proclamations of its sort were found in
The Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut, (1850-1890).
Here it was astounding to see the earliest records all the way back to August 16th, 1639 (and multiple variations of our present day spelling of “public”) where the Colony of Connecticut decided to name a day of Thanksgiving for general blessings:
"It was concluded that there be a publique day of thanksgiving in these plantacons uppon the 18th of the next month."
On October 25, 1644 the court ordered:
"Its ordered, there shalbe a publike day of thanksgiving through this Jurisdiction, uppon Wensday com fortnight."
Another order was declared on December 5, 1649:
It is ordered by this Courte, that there shall bee a publick day of Thanksgiving kept by all the Churches within this Jurissdiction that may bee seasonably acquainted therewith, uppon this day fortnight.
For more information on how Thanksgiving became an annual, national holiday as well as controversies surrounding it (albeit sans Connecticut Colony's contribution) head to the HeinOnline Blog: The History and Controversy of Thanksgiving. Regardless, we hope you take a moment to enjoy Thanksgiving and contemplate Connecticut's historic contribution to the tradition we enjoy today.
UConn Law celebrates International Education Week this November 13-17. International Education Week is a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education that is celebrated on campuses across the country.
At UConn School of Law, this week is a chance to celebrate our robust international student population, notably students in our LLM and Exchange programs, and the global perspective that they bring to the UConn Law community. UConn Law also features 16 study abroad programs this week, which give law students the unique opportunity to study law in another country.
The Law School events for International Education Week are featured below and also on the events calendar on the public calendar - all are welcome to join and see how this year's theme of “International Education Is the Future" is so relevant on our vibrant campus!
I was going to write this blog post about spooky laws, like whether or not you have to disclose that your house might be haunted when you're selling it (short version: in some states, yes, in others, no), but that seemed boring. Instead, I decided to focus on costumes. Did you know that there might be local laws about when and where you can wear your costume? For example, in Oakland, California, you need a written permit from the Chief of Police, unless you are taking part in a carnival (which may or may not be on Halloween).
In Dublin, Georgia, no one is permitted to wear “a mask, hood or other apparel or regalia in such manner as to conceal his identity,” except for “children sixteen (16) years of age and under who may participate in traditional Halloween activities on the evening of the last day in October of each year, and who may be garbed in the usual or customary children's Halloween costumes.” They have an even stricter age limit in St. Clair, Missouri, where no one over 12 is permitted to wear a mask or disguise on Halloween. Closer to home, until 2020, New York had a state law prohibiting masks that was used over the years primarily to suppress protests against injustice, but had the additional effect of preventing most people from wearing masked costumes on Halloween.
And, because I can't do anything with some fun animal pictures, here are some awesome legal-themed costume ideas for you and your pet:
Elle Woods and Bruiser from Legally Blonde
Of all the "classic" law school movies, this one might be my favorite. I saw it not long before I took the LSATs, so I didn't like it at first, but in retrospect, it was pretty funny, and I strongly support law students who are advocating for positive change, particularly if their pets will agree to wear matching clothes. So, grab a pink outfit, a blonde wig, and a UConn sweater for your pet, and off you go! This was my attempt (although my cat, Bigfoot, was unfortunately not very happy about participating):
The I'm Not a Cat Filter Lawyer
We all remember that Texas lawyer who got stuck on the cat filter on Zoom. Why not commemorate that entertaining event by creating a costume? You could wear some cat ears and put your cat in a suit. Or you could just hold your cat up in front of your face for as long as they'll tolerate it. Just make sure you say "I'm not a cat" at regular intervals. (I wanted to include of picture of Bigfoot here, too, but she was less than cooperative.)
The Supremes
Pick a justice or nine and get some robes! This costume would be especially fantastic if you have nine people/pets who can each dress up as a different Justice, but at that point, you'd have to reenact full arguments John Oliver style (and please record every minute of it!). In the alternative, it's perfectly ok to pick a favorite. This dog dressed as Ruth Barker Ginsberg (or perhaps Ruth Bader Ginsbark) will probably always be my favorite.
Make sure you check out the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund's Halloween Photo Contest, and if you decide to use one of these ideas, please send me a picture!
-Tanya Johnson
If we are sitting on all this wealth, why are we so poor? Maurice Carney
UConn Law’s Black Law Students Association (BLSA), Energy and Environmental Law Society (EELS), Human Rights Law Association (HRLA) and National Lawyers Guild (NLG) are sponsoring the first annual Congo Week from October 15-20.
Congo Week's activities commemorate the millions of lives lost in the Congo Conflict while celebrating the enormous human and natural potential that exists in the country. The goal is to raise global consciousness about the situation in the Congo and advocate for peace, justice and human dignity in partnership with the Congolese people.
Toni-Ann Gayle is the catalyst for organizing Congo Week at UConn Law. For Gayle, the global issues related to the Congo were important enough to seek the position of Community Service Chair at BLSA. Last Semester, fellow law student Kwaku Aurelien from the NLG moderated a symposium featuring Maurice Carney, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Friends of the Congo. This event highlighted the situation in the Congo, and was what sparked Gayle's interest in bringing Congo Week to UConn Law.
The Congo holds the world’s largest deposits of coltan, an essential component for cellphones, play stations and other electronic devices. Gayle notes, “It is mind boggling for us to walk around, complicit in our lives, using our tablets, cell phones and laptops, without understanding the enormous human cost that gives us these conveniences.”
Gayle urges UConn law students to recognize there are many things they can do to affect change in the lives of the Congolese. One action item is the “Cell Out” - a digital moment of silence starting at 12 noon on Wednesday, October 18th. Gayle encourages all students to turn off their phone for at least one hour, refrain from texting and encourage those in your circle to do the same. Activities abound throughout the UConn Law campus to raise awareness of this global issue. This week of recognition exemplifies the mantra by Martin Luther King, Jr., which Gayle abides by everyday:
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
For more information on Congo week check out the following:
“If a man with a family wants a nice, quiet place to swim on Long Island Sound, he’d better buy a cottage on the shore.” 1
Our Connecticut Beaches Exhibit at UConn Law Library shines a light on the obstacles in-and out-of-towners face just to have access to the beaches that border the Long Island Sound. The exhibit notes the efforts by many to open access to the beaches.
Hartford activist Ned Coll began his struggle to open beaches to all residents in the 1970s bringing children from Hartford to see the beach and sound which, for many, was the first time. Andrew Kahrl's book, Free the Beach, available at UConn Law Library, documents Coll's crusade to open access to Connecticut's coast. In 1995, Brenden Leydon sued the Town of Greenwich challenging their coding laws regarding access to their town beach. The Connecticut Supreme Court ultimately presided over this case where Leydon v. Town of Greenwich relied on the First Amendment to the United States Constitution as well as the free speech clauses of the Connecticut Constitution. The Court held that the Greenwich Point Park was a “public forum” which must be open to “expressive activity” of any kind — and that to limit the park to non-residents would prevent them from exercising those rights.
The issue of coastal access reverberates today. As recently as 2023, the Connecticut legislature introduced Raised Bill 6650, in part, “To ensure that the development, preservation or use of the land and water resources of the coastal area proceeds in a manner consistent with the rights of private property owners and the capability of the land and water resources to support development, preservation or use without significantly disrupting either the natural environment or sound economic growth.”
Zoning and excessive non-resident fees are also part of the challenge. Non-residents and out-of-state visitors are dissuaded from coming to the beaches due to extremely high seasonal pass rates. One town beach charges a daily fee of $45 for non-residents weekday, $70 weekend, or $545 for the season. Residents pay $60 for a season pass.
On top of this, all beachgoers have strict restrictions on what is allowed on the beach: no dogs, no drinks, no floaties, no sports, among other items. This is done to avoid, as one town termed, the “Jerseyfication” of their beaches, meaning they did not want the character of their beaches and towns disrupted with the threat of “honky-tonk style” venues opening in their towns.
The reality, however, is that while their beaches aren’t being turned into such places, they also aren’t being fully enjoyed by all of Connecticut. New Journal author Paola Santos summarizes that in her article reflecting on beaches in her home state of California, “[i]n essence, too many public beaches in Connecticut have become country clubs.” Despite many attempts to change the situation over the years, little has changed.
This leaves us with a vital question: who really owns the beach? Visit our exhibit and decide for yourself.
1 Andrew. W. Kahrl, Free the Beaches: The Story of Ned Coll and the Battle for America’s Most Exclusive Shoreline (2018).
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!
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.
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!
