This month marks the 65th anniversary of the signing of the Charter of the United Nations which took place on June 26, 1945, at the San Francisco Opera House when the UN Charter and the Statute of the International Court of Justice was adopted unanimously at the end of the United Nations Conference on International Organization. Four months later, it entered into force when the required number of nations ratified the Charter on October 24, 1945 (officially United Nations Day) and the United Nations was established.

The Brooklyn Law School Library reference desk has the two volume Encyclopedia of the United Nations by John Allphin Moore, Jr. and Jerry Pubantz (Call #KZ4968 .M66 2008), a comprehensive guide to the UN’s institutions, procedures, policies, agencies, historical personalities, initiatives, and involvement in world affairs. Alphpbetical entries direct readers to additional references for further reading and relevant Web sites. Graphics include captioned black-and-white photographs with charts and graphs. There is a list of acronyms used throughout the text along with appendixes that include the Charter of the United Nations and Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a list of the 192 UN member states, important resolutions, a chronology, and UN Web sites. There is also a topically divided selected bibliography and a comprehensive index.

For more on the history of the UN, click on the Procedural History tab of the Historic Archives of the Audiovisual Library of International Law. There is also a video resources link to several films including an 11 minute documentary about the San Francisco Conference produced by the US Information Agency.

One hundred years ago, on June 19, 1910, religious leaders in Spokane, Washington designated the first Father’s Day at the suggestion of 16 year old Sonora Smart Dodd, the “Mother of Father’s Day”. For more history, see the release issued by the Spokane Regional Convention & Visitor Bureau. This year, continuing the tradition of Presidential Proclamations begun by Lyndon Johnson in 1966, the White House issued a Presidential Proclamation for Father’s Day 2010. Father’s Day officially became an American holiday on April 24, 1972, to be celebrated the third Sunday in June, after passage of the Father’s Day Act, Public Law 92-278 . The law was codified at 36 U.S.C. §109.



USA.gov has some interesting facts about fathers. For example, the US Census Bureau estimates that there are 67.8 million fathers across the nation and that 25.8 million of them were part of married-couple families with children younger than 18 in 2009. Of the total number of fathers, 22 percent were raising three or more children younger than 18 (among married-couple family households only) and 3 percent lived in someone else’s home. There were 1.7 million single fathers in 2009 and 15 percent of single parents were men.

As “nontraditional” family structures become more common, Father’s Day is a day to honor any nurturing man – a “big brother,” a brother-in-law, an uncle, a neighbor or perhaps another special man who is “like a father”. To all of them, Happy Father’s Day!

The American Association of Law Librarians (AALL) has awarded Robert Malesko, Brooklyn Law School Class of 2011, one of its scholarships from the LexisNexis/John R. Johnson Memorial Scholarship Endowment as part of AALL’s effort to assist individuals to become law librarians. The endowment’s 2010 scholarships went to three recipients: Ronald Fuller of Layton, Utah for a Library Degree for Law School Graduates; Jennifer Ekblaw of Indianapolis, Indiana for a Dual Library Degree and Law Degree and Robert Malesko for a Law Degree for Library School Graduates. See here for more information on the Scholarship Committee. Before attending Brooklyn Law School, Malesko worked for almost five years as a Law Librarian for the California Judicial Center Library in San Francisco. CJCL is the law library of both the California State Supreme Court and the California First District Court of Appeals.

In July, AALL will present the scholarships along with awards and grants at the 2010 Annual Meeting in Denver as part of the AALL Awards Program which was established to recognize the achievements of law librarians based on service to the profession and contributions to legal literature and materials.

Brooklyn Law School provides graduates and current law students summer access to the big three legal research services:

Bloomberg Law Summer Access:

Bloomberg Law is a legal, regulatory, and compliance research platform, with global coverage, offering a suite of news, data and analytics to the legal and compliance community. Bloomberg Law integrates comprehensive legal content, company and client information, and news all in one easy to use interface. In December 2009, it officially launched its comprehensive, Web-based service. Bloomberg Law database includes:federal and state cases: legislative and regulatory materials; unlimited access to dockets; sample agreements, Edgar filings, and forms; and Bloomberg Law Reports, their proprietary current awareness publications. If you have any questions please contact Pamela Haahr, our Bloomberg Law Representative, or contact Bloomberg Law at 212-318-2800.

• Graduates for Bar Exam Preparation:

  Bloomberg Law offers free access to BLS graduates. You will continue to receive access to Bloomberg Law for up to six months after graduation.

• Unemployed Graduates for After Bar Exam:

  Any graduate who has not secured a full-time position may contact Pamela Haahr, our Bloomberg Law Representative, or contact Bloomberg Law at 212-318-2800 regarding extensions your one year after graduation access.

• Current Students and Summer Associates:

  Receive complimentary access through graduation including over the summer. Go to Bloomberg Law and elect Request a Trial.

LexisNexis Summer Access: Please review the options below. If you have any questions please contact Thomas Daniel, our LexisNexis Representative.

• Full Access to LexisNexis for Current Students or Graduates:

  • Class preparation and assignments
  • Research associated with moot court or law review / law journal
  • Research associated with pursuing a grant or scholarship
  • Service as a research assistant to a professor (either paid or unpaid)
  • An unpaid internship/externship or clinic position for school credit
  • Bar Review
  • Clerkship for credit
  • Research skill improvement for educational (non-commercial) purposes
  • The Register Now button from the sign-on page:
    1. Click Register Now to the right of the LexisNexis Custom ID and Password fields.
    2. Enter your 7 character activation code and click Next.
    3. Click to check the Summer Access Sign Up box to certify that you need your ID for a legitimate summer use.
    4. Select your qualifying use.
    5. Click Next.
  • The Register Now link on the “Need to do research over the summer?” scrolling information banner:
    1. Click to check the Summer Access Sign Up box to certify that you need your ID for a legitimate summer use.
    2. Select your qualifying use.
    3. Click Next.
  • The Update Registration Information on the “Get Help” tab after you sign on:
    1. Click the Register Now link on the Need to research over the summer? banner.
    2. Click Register for Summer Access.
    3. Click to check the Summer Access Sign Up box to certify that you need your ID for a legitimate summer use.
    4. Select your qualifying use.
    5. Click Next.

You can obtain full access to the LexisNexis services for the summer only by participating in one of the following qualifying summer activities:

To register for Full Access to LexisNexis:

Launch the LexisNexis Law School website and use one or more of the following registration methods are available to you, select either:

• LexisNexis Aspire Access to Current Law Students and Graduates:

  • LexisNexis Aspire Coverage

    : Federal and state cases, codes, regulations, law reviews, Shepard’s®,and Matthew Bender® treatises. All other materials will not be visible.

  • LexisNexis Aspire Eligibility Requirements:

    • All spring 2010 graduates who pursue verifiable public interest work, including:
      • Deferred fall associates pursuing public interest.
      • 2010 graduates pursuing public interest work while searching for employment.
      • 2010 graduates who pursue public interest work as a continuing profession.
    • Rising 2Ls and 3Ls who pursue verifiable public interest work. You must work directly for a non-profit or charitable organization.

  • LexisNexis Aspire Eligibility Exclusions:

    • Government work (even if unpaid).
    • Work for a law firm (even if it represents a non-profit organization).
    • Solo practice (even if it encompasses non-profit work).
    • Pro bono work that is not non-profit or charitable in nature.

  • LexisNexis Aspire Registration Process:

    If you meet the eligibility requirements below, please go to the LexisNexis Aspire web site to register. You will need to provide documentation verifying your public interest position, preferably a letter from the organization. This documentation must clearly state that the work you will be doing is for a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization. Students who apply after June 1st will receive their ID within 5 business days. Rising 2Ls and 3Ls: Access begins June 1 and continues to August 1, 2010.

If you are providing public service may apply for LexisNexis Aspire Access access a limited version of LexisNexis services free of charge.

Westlaw Summer Access:

Please review the options below. If you have any questions please contact Stefanie Efranti, our Westlaw Representative,
or contact the Westlaw 24 hrs. hotline for help at 1-800-850-9378.

• Graduates for Bar Exam:

  The students in the class of 2010 can request a password extension on Westlaw for extended access through the end of July while they study for the bar exam. To extend, the students need to sign on to the Westlaw Law School site and select the “Need Westlaw This Summer” icon with the clock on the right side of the site. Select the option to request an extension for graduates and their request will be submitted. Summer access for graduates expires on 8/1/2010. Access is available for 5 hours for June and July. If students don’t complete the summer extension form then they will have limited Westlaw access in June and July beginning on June 1, 2010. Note: all BLS graduates will have access to the job search databases on Westlaw for a year from their graduation date.

• Unemployed Graduates for After Bar Exam:

  Students who want to request additional access to Westlaw after the bar exam due to being deferred in their jobs or for other purposes can check out Westlaw’s Between Cases site. This is a special online resource for displaced associates seeking employment and networking opportunities. The site includes job search tools, legal education offerings from the West LegalEdCenter, information and resources for setting up a private practice, and special offers from Westlaw and other West services. The goal of the site is to help job seekers in the legal industry stay connected with their peers and prospective employers as they navigate the transition to their next assignment. Note: all BLS graduates will have access to the job search databases on Westlaw for a year from their graduation date.

• Current Law Students Not Taking Summer Classes:

  Eligible students need to sign onto Westlaw Law School website and select the “Need Westlaw This Summer” icon on the right side of the site with the clock picture.

  • Eligible Students:

    Westlaw Summer Extension access is available for rising 2ls and 3Ls who are on a BLS law journal, a BLS moot court, working with a professor, or working at an unpaid internship. Just select the appropriate category before submitting your request.

  • Scope of Access:

    Westlaw Summer Extension Access is unlimited. Access continues through July 31, 2010. All other students: You are not eligible Limited WestlawAccess is available for 5 hours for June and July for all students. If students don’t complete the summer extension form then they will have limited Westlaw access in June and July beginning on June 1, 2010.

• Current Students Taking Summer Classes:

  Eligible students need to sign on the Westlaw Law School website and select the “Need Westlaw This Summer” icon on the right side of the site with the clock picture.

  • Eligible Students:

    Westlaw Summer Extension access is available for rising 2ls and 3Ls who are taking summer classes.

  • Scope of Access:

    Westlaw Summer Extension Access is unlimited. Access continues through July 31, 2010. All students will have their full access restored on August 1,2010.

• All other students:

  You are not eligible Westlaw Summer Extension Access, you qualify for the Westlaw Limited Access.

  • Scope of Access:

    Westlaw Limited Access is available for only 5 hours for June and July for all students. Note: Effective June 1, 2010 all students who do not complete Westlaw Summer Extension process will only have Westlaw Limited Access from June 1, 2010 through July 31, 2010. All students be restored to full access on August 1, 2010.

WolframAlpha is a computational knowledge engine similar to Google. It is not a search engine but more of a fact engine that generates output by doing computations from its own internal knowledge base, instead of searching the web and returning links. For example, searching Google for “Denver” will result in a list of links to websites. However, a search of “population of Denver” in WolframAlpha provides with an immediate answer on WolframAlpha’s site. In addition to the answer (City of Denver, population 598,707 – 2008 estimate), the site offers that Denver ranks 25th in population in the US and presents a graph showing population history, the metropolitan area population (2.552 million) and the population of nearby cities (Aurora – 319,057).



A search for a date will give results that include the time difference from today in years, months, weeks or days. It will also list observances for date including births of noted persons. The daylight information for that date is given telling the time of the sunrise and sunset and the duration of daylight as well as the state of the moon for that day. Results for a date, June 25, 1951 list an event listed for that day, “CBS becomes the first to broadcast television in color.” A search for Brooklyn, NY yields not only the current population – population: 2.557 million people (2008) but also population growth: 0.4625%per year (2000-08); population density: 34723 people/mi (2000); annual deaths: 16533 people per year (2006) and annual births: 40492 people per year (2006).

Founder, Stephen Wolfram has found a way to take mathematical concepts and figure out a way to pull different types of data together and produce a rational result. He explains possible uses of the product in this video posted here.

For Legal Research, however, WolframAlpha is not yet ready according to a post at Three Geeks and Blog which reports that “legal” questions such as these did not yield results:

•Number of lawsuits filed against Exxon

•Patents held by IBM

•General Counsel of Wal-Mart

•Chairman of Skadden Arps

A NY Times article states “It is an early working version of a project that has been years in the making and will continue to evolve over years, if not decades. As such, there is much it cannot answer now.” So perhaps, one day WolframAlpha can help law students understand the rule against perpetuities.

The two-part video is here:

A NY Times obituary reports the death of Hyman Brown (July 21, 1910 – June 4, 2010), Brooklyn Law School Class of 1931, at his home in Manhattan. Brown grew up in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn and went to Boy’s High School, Brooklyn College and Brooklyn Law School. The Twenty-Ninth Annual Commencement Program in the Brooklyn Law School Library’s Archive collection lists Brown as one of the valedictory speakers at the ceremony held at the Albee Theater on June 11, 1931. The program spells his first name as Hyman – not Himan which he used in later life.

Acting and the entertainment business, rather than the law, was his great passion. While attending law school, he was producing and performing in live theater, Catskills revues, and on the fast growing medium of radio. Brown created a number of radio programs that became immensely popular in the 1930s and ’40s. Among his most well-known was “Inner Sanctum Mysteries.” The show opened with a signature sound effect of a creaking door. Using his legal training, Brown was the first to trademark a sound effect. His career in show business spanned eight decades from the 1920s to the 1990s directing more than 30,000 shows. Other notable series that Brown produced were The Rise of the Goldbergs, Dick Tracy, Adventures of the Thin Man, Grand Central Station, and the CBS Radio Mystery Theater.

A Founding Member of the Director’s Guild of America, he started The Radio Drama Network to propagate the spoken word. Also a member of the Radio Hall of Fame, Brown received the American Broadcast Pioneer and the Peabody Award. He taught audio drama at Brooklyn College and the School of Visual Arts and was devoted to health care causes and other issues effecting people over 50 years of age. Brown was a great friend of the BLS Library. More biographical information is available at the Walter J. Brown Media Archives & Peabody Awards Collection website.

Brooklyn Law School held its 109th Commencement Ceremony for the Class of 2010 in Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center where most of the 463 graduating students received their Juris Doctor degrees. Family and friends attending the ceremony filled the hall to capacity and heard speeches by James M. Hays II, Class Valedictorian, Law School Dean Joan G. Wexler and NYC Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, the commencement speaker. The mayor received the Law School’s honorary degree of Doctor of Laws in recognition of his service to the City of New York, his work on behalf of charitable, cultural, and educational institutions, and his achievements in business and information technology.

In his remarks, Mayor Bloomberg told the assembled guests that Brooklyn Law School members play a major role in city government including his own in-house counsel, and his chief assistant, Anthony Crowell and Bill Heinzen, who both teach a course at BLS on the law of state and local government. He also noted that the City’s Chief Attorney, Michael Cardozo, has assembled New York’s largest law firm, the Corporation Counsel’s office, with more than 600 of New York City’s top lawyers of whom one out of every seven is a graduate of Brooklyn Law School. He cited BLS as a major source of city government’s legal talent in its agencies, such as the five district attorneys’ offices and the city courts.

Explaining why so many BLS grads do legal work for the city, the mayor said “Brooklyn Law School has a reputation that just happens to be true: No other school does a better job of preparing attorneys to practice law in New York. Year after year, BLS ranks among the nation’s best schools in clinical legal education, and in public service law. And no other law school produces graduates with a more ferocious work ethic and desire to succeed.”

Among the Class of 2010, six received their degrees Summa Cum Laude: Sparkle L. Alexander, Justin W. Denton, Rachel E. Green, James M. Hays II, Rachel D. Lerner, Megan Prunella and William C. Vandivort. Twenty-six students received their degrees Magna Cum Laude and seventy-nine students received their degrees Cum Laude. The full list of students graduating with honors is here. A list of Commencement Prizes and Awards for the Class of 2010 is available here.

On Memorial Day we truly comprehend that our survival rests not upon nuclear missiles, advanced weapons systems, or international alliances, but upon our countrymen in a common defense against all enemies foreign and domestic who plot the overthrow of our great Republic.

The real meaning of Memorial Day is as clear today as it was the day it was first celebrated over one hundred years ago after the great Civil War had divided our nation. Simply stated, Memorial Day stands for the proposition that united we can survive indefinitely as a free and domestic people, and it is only through our division that we sow the seeds of our own destruction.

This week, the display case on the first floor of the library opposite the elevator contains a number of items of interest to graduating students. Brooklyn Law School Associate Librarian Linda Holmes has included these items:

Careers in Tax Law: Perspectives on the Tax Profession and What It Holds for You by John Gamino, Robb A. Longman, and Matthew R. Sontag (Call #KF299.T3 C37 2009)

Careers in Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice by James T. O’Reilly (Call #KF299.A32 C37 2010)

How to Go Directly Into Your Own Solo Law Practice and Succeed: Into the New Millennium and Beyond by Gerald M. Singer (Call #KF300 .S564 2000)

The Creative Lawyer: a Practical Guide to Authentic Professional Satisfaction by Michael F. Melcher (Call #KF300.Z9 M45 2007)

Effectively Staffing Your Law Firm by Jennifer J. Rose (Call #KF318 .E33 2009)

From Law School To Law Practice: The New Associate’s Guide by Suzanne B. O’Neill and Catherine Gerhauser Sparkman (Call #KF300 .O53 1998)

Inside The Minds: Leading Litigators: Industry Leaders Share Their Knowledge on the Art & Science of Litigation (Call # KF300 .I57 2002)