Tag Archives: research

4/11/2024: National Library Week Presentation in BLS Library on Free Sources for Legal Research

This Thursday (April 11) at 1 pm on the first floor of BLS Library, BLS Reference Librarians/Adjunct Professors of Law Loreen Peritz and Sue Silverman will offer a program on free sources for legal research. To accompany their program, Loreen Peritz also created this publicly-accessible research guide: Sources of Free Legal Research. Knowledge of reputable free sources can help you to conduct cost-effective research. Refreshments will be served at this program!

Also, our staff noticed that the two bulletin boards for student announcements of BLS events (located outside of BLS Library’s Nash reading room, by the third floor main elevators) were often overflowing with notices.  So, there are now additional bulletin boards for your announcements.  There are signs on the two center bulletin boards stating: This Week: Events.  BLS students can place announcements about the current week’s BLS events on these two central boards.  Students can place signs about BLS events occurring farther in the future (or events that might not have a specific date) on the additional bulletin boards.

Happy National Library Week!

Happy Valentine’s Day: BLS librarians love to support your work!

Today we are highlighting new and updated library research guides to support our patrons’ work during the spring 2024 semester:

Animal Law – updated to support students’ research in Prof. Rodriguez’s Animal Law course.

Housing Justice – developed to support the BLS Housing Justice clinic and seminar, supervised by Prof. Barry.

Law and Capitalism – created to support students’ research in Prof. Winsberg’s Law and Capitalism in U.S. History course.

Native American Law – created to support students’ research in Prof. Benally’s Native American Law course.

Pension Benefits and Executive Compensation – updated to support students’ research in Prof. Neumark’s Pension and Executive Compensation course.

Researching Mass Incarceration and Prison Abolition – updated to support students’ research in Prof. Hoag-Fordjour’s course: Abolition: Imagining a Decarceral Future.

Note: BLS librarians have created 50+ research guides to support your work, and we encourage you to submit your research questions through email: askthelibrary@brooklaw.edu and text: 718-734-2432.

Recording of Library Presentation on Preparing for Remote Work During Winter Recess

Occurred on December 5 @ 12 pm

We understand that some students will be working remotely during the BLS Winter Recess (Dec. 22 – Jan. 2). We recorded our BLS Library presentation on how to prepare to access digital books, encyclopedias and databases from remote locations. The recording of this presentation is now available in Canvas (within BLSConnect). The Canvas “course” is: Librarians’ Research Presentations > see module: Material From Librarians’ Alcove Academy Presentations > click link: Librarians’ Presentation: “Preparing for Remote Research During Winter Recess.” A key point was: email: askthelibrary@brooklaw.edu or text: (718) 734-2432 soon for help identifying and collecting sources to use during Winter Recess.

During the presentation, we noted that there is now a new BLS research guide: Constitutional Law Research. We recently enhanced the guide: United States Supreme Court Research. We also stated that during the next month, librarians and Library Fellows will be editing guides that support spring 2024 courses, such as Animal Law and Researching Mass Incarceration and Prison Abolition.

Thank you to those who attended! We always appreciate your feedback on the library/our services, and we look forward to providing you with research suggestions.

Recognizing National Native American Heritage Month by Highlighting the Work of Lenape Center & Providing Our Patrons with a New Database

The website of Lenape Center describes Lenapehoking as “homeland of the Lenape.” Lenapehoking includes the land on which our school currently stands.  See: Brooklyn Law School, Programs on Creating a Living Land Acknowledgment Held with the Lenape Center.

Lenape Center is a nonprofit organization that states it is “[c]ontinuing Lenapehoking through community, culture and the arts” and “[w]orking towards the creation of a cultural center.”  Lenape Center’s work includes curating exhibitions (including the virtual exhibit Lenapehoking), developing educational programs, and creating Lenapehoking: An Anthology. Brooklyn Law School Library, Brooklyn Public Library and New York Public Library provide multiple copies of this insightful and powerful book. On p. 14 of the Introduction, Joe Baker (Co-Founder/Executive Director of Lenape Center) states: “This anthology of essays and interviews features leading Indigenous scholars, culture bearers, and artists offering important new scholarship and knowledge of Lenape culture and history that is not readily available to the general public.” On March 6, 2023, there was a “Live from NYPL” event at which contributors to Lenapehoking: An Anthology “explore[d] the personal journeys of people seeking welcome in their ancestral homeland while pushing back against their erasure.” This event video is available here.

Members of the BLS community now have access to HeinOnline’s searchable database: Indigenous Peoples of the Americas: History, Culture & Law:

This database includes: the subcollection Indigenous Peoples Treaties (400+ full-text treaties) and treaty-related publications; each edition of United States Code Title 25 and Code of Federal Regulations Title 25; the Indian Law Reporter (published: 1974-2013) and additional serials; a subcollection of tribal codes (published: 1981 and 1988); a subcollection of constitutions, acts and by-laws; selected Native Nations Law & Policy Center publications such as The Need for Confidentiality within Tribal Cultural Resource Protection and Tribal Implementation Toolkit; Model Tribal Probate Code; nearly 50 federal legislative histories; Congressional hearings; scholarly articles; other related works (books and pamphlets); and a bibliography. This database is accessible on campus through the BLS network or off campus through a web browser that communicates with the BLS proxy server. The library team hopes this database will assist BLS students in the spring 2024 seminar: Native American Law. Feel free to email: askthelibrary@brooklaw.edu or text: (718) 734-2432 for help in using this new resource.

Visit LibraryFest this afternoon!

Meet BLS librarians & vendor representatives + Enter a raffle to win prizes (including a $100 gift card) for learning about BLS Library’s resources

Today from 1-5 pm in BLS Library’s Nash Reading Room (3rd fl.), we are proudly hosting LibraryFest!

Enjoy a snack while

  • Receiving a few database tips – this qualifies you to enter the Library’s raffle for gift cards and other prizes
  • Discussing your class paper, note topic or other research interest with a friendly BLS librarian
  • Greeting our two Library Fellows (who are currently editing research guides to help you)

We look forward to seeing you today in the Nash Reading Room!

Trying to Research/Develop an Int’l. Law Topic? BLS Library Provides 4 Fab Online Overviews

Note: BLS students, faculty and administrators can access the sources below on campus, in BLS housing, and elsewhere off campus if one has implemented the BLS proxy instructions.

Cambridge Compendium of International Commercial and Investment Arbitration

  • In BLS Library’s SARA catalog record, click: ACCESS ONLINE VERSION – CAMBRIDGE.
  • Preface states: “Like an encyclopedia, the Compendium contains [67] entries for most of the foundational principles and concepts underlying arbitration.”  Each Compendium entry provides an overview of key issues.  Footnotes in an entry highlight many more sources. 
  • Either search this Compendium by keyword(s) + link to search results or skim the table of contents + link to a potentially useful entry.
    • Re. the “Related content” to the right of each Compendium entry: BLS researchers will need to search SARA catalog (by a book’s title) or SARA catalog’s “Find a Source” tool (by a periodical’s title) to determine if BLS Library provides a related source.  (Contact askthelibrary@brooklaw.edu for help.)
  • Publication of this online Compendium occurred in Feb. 2023.  

Elgar Encyclopedia of Environmental Law

  • In SARA catalog record, click: ACCESS ONLINE VERSION – ELGAR.
  • Comprises 12 reference volumes organized around “top level” subjects (e.g., water, energy and climate change).
  • Expand the table of contents to identify pertinent chapters.  Chapter authors are “international experts.”
  • Publication of this Elgar Encyclopedia occurred on Mar. 30, 2023.

Elgar Encyclopedia of Human Rights 

  • In SARA catalog record, click: ACCESS ONLINE VERSION – ELGAR.
  • Includes 340+ entries on the study and practice of human rights.  Entries include bibliographies.
  • Click a letter of the alphabet in the table of contents or use “Search within Book” feature (on right).
  • Publication of this Elgar Encyclopedia occurred on Sept. 6, 2022.

Max Planck Encyclopedias of International Law

  • In SARA catalog record, click: ACCESS ONLINE VERSION – OXFORD.
  • Provide 1,700+ peer-reviewed articles on key international law topics.  Contain articles from both Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law and Max Planck Encyclopedia of International Procedural Law.  Articles highlight many primary legal sources and include bibliographies.  
  • Tab: Subject lists articles arranged by topic.  Also, use the search box (top right).
  • Tip: Be aware that articles have different dates.  Example: article Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (1969) states: “last updated: March 2023.”

Hundreds of additional resources to support international law paper topic research and development appear in these two publicly-accessible BLS Library guides:

Paper Topic Selection: International (focus: sources to identify new developments)

Paper Topic Development: International (focus: tools to identify articles, books, treaties, UN documents, jurisprudence and other sources)

BLS librarians want to help!  Contact us to obtain more information about library sources and services:

Researching Copyright Law or Trademark Law? BLS Library Offers 2 Online Guides to Help!

This summer, attorney and BLS Library volunteer Grace Pickering worked with BLS librarians to substantially revise Researching Copyright Law and to create Researching Trademark & Unfair Competition Law.

The home pages of these two guides feature introductory sources in guide boxes Copyright 101 and Trademarks 101. The home pages also highlight sources (examples: podcasts, hearings, case trackers and books) on selected hot topics. Moreover, these guides feature: casebooks, study aids and legal encyclopedia entries; treatises and practice guides; current awareness sources to help law students choose paper topics; sources of scholarly articles; starting points in Bloomberg Law, Lexis+ and Westlaw Precision; and WIPO’s resources.

Tip: Both guides link to key BLS subscription sources like: The Fashion Law (TFL) and Law360.com > topic: Intellectual Property. (In BLS Library’s SARA catalog records, click: ACCESS ONLINE VERSION.) BLS students: remote access to these sources requires implementation of the BLS proxy server instructions for one web browser. BLS librarians recommend the instructions for Firefox.

Tip: BLS librarians are happy to support your paper topic research–feel free to email us at: askthelibrary@brooklaw.edu or to text us at: (718) 734-2432.

Thank you, Grace Pickering, for your hard work!

Note: If you are an MLIS student who wishes to learn about BLS Library’s fellowship program, please contact Associate Librarian for Public Services/Adjunct Professor Kathleen Darvil at: kathleen.darvil@brooklaw.edu.

Preparing for Remote Work During the BLS Winter Recess  

If you need to conduct remote research during the BLS Winter Recess (Dec. 23–Jan. 3), these are our suggestions:

  • NOW is the time to email askthelibrary@brooklaw.edu or to text (718) 734-2432 and state: “My [professor/journal editor] encouraged me to find additional articles and treatises to support [assertion X].  Can you help me?”  A reference librarian can recommend searches in our SARA library catalog to find e/books and “advanced searches” in our OneSearch discovery platform to find articles.
  • NOW is the time to implement the BLS proxy server instructions for off-campus access to many ebooks, ejournals and databases.  Prior to Winter Recess, you can still troubleshoot implementation problems with our library tech staff, accessible through: library.lab@brooklaw.edu  Librarians recommend either the Firefox (Mac) Proxy Instructions or the Firefox (Windows) Proxy Instructions. 
  • Check out needed print sources in BLS Library by Dec. 22.
  • If you find cites to articles or books unavailable through BLS Library, as of Dec. 15, 2022, you still have time to place requests for scans of articles and book chapters through the BLS interlibrary loan process. 
    • To place an ILL request, access SARA library catalog and click tab: ILL, enter your BLS username [format: firstname.lastname] & password, then click: Create Request. 
      • Fill out the appropriate template: Article, Book or Other (choose Other to request a scan of a single book chapter).
    • Feel free to email askthelibrary@brooklaw.edu or to text (718) 734-2432 to learn more about making an ILL request. 
    • If you place an ILL request, please monitor both your BLS “In” box and “Clutter” folder for replies from lenders. 
    • Note: ILL requests will not be processed from Dec. 23-Jan. 3. 
  • For further information, BLS patrons can access the Canvas page: Librarians’ Research Presentations > under heading: Materials from Librarians’ “Alcove Academy” Presentations, click: PowerPoint: “Effective Remote Research.”

We hope our tips will improve your research during Winter Break.  Remember: Right now, we are here to help! 

Finding Casebooks & Study Aids in BLS Library

Questions & Answers, Torts
by Prof. Anita Bernstein

In its first-floor Reserve collection, BLS Library provides current editions of casebooks/textbooks that are required for classes.  There also are current editions of many treatises, hornbooks and other study aids in the Reserve collection.  Note: Study aids are only supplements to required course readings.  These print books circulate for two hours.  You can search for a specific source by title, author or keywords in SARA catalog.  Feel free to email askthelibrary@brooklaw.edu or to text (718) 734-2432 if you have questions about finding or accessing specific sources.

BLS Library’s guide 1L Resources, Tips and Tools highlights 1L casebooks and study aids available through BLS Library in both print and digital formats.  The top-level guide tab: 1L Course Study Aids provides a pull-down menu of subjects.  Click a subject, like: Civil Procedure.  There are “quick links” to boxes highlighting:

  • Selected CALI Lessons (online lessons on specific legal topics created by law professors/librarians – these lessons include review questions)
  • Casebooks
  • Treatises & Hornbooks
  • Study Aids Containing Multiple-Choice Questions
  • Additional Study Aids

In the 1L guide, sources in a box appear in reverse chronological order (“newest first”).  Guide pages also include a search feature (top right).  Recently, vendor EBSCO began supporting BLS Library’s desire to circulate Reserve copies of ebooks for two hours.  So, EBSCO ebooks like Mastering Multiple Choice for Federal Civil Procedure and A Short & Happy Guide to Torts circulate for two hours.  BLS Library’s e-copies of study aids in the Q&A, Understanding and Gilbert Law Summaries series (available through Lexis Digital Library) circulate for three days. 

Additionally, the 1L guide identifies print sources and online tools to support legal research and writing.  Top-level guide tab: Research, Writing & Citation provides a pull-down menu of resource pages on:

  • Legal Research
  • Legal Writing & Analysis
  • Legal Citation

Please reload the 1L guide’s web page when you visit this guide – BLS Library frequently adds new sources.  Reference librarians are happy to help you identify BLS Library’s sources!   

Need to find and research a paper or presentation topic? BLS librarians (and their guides) can help!

BLS librarians have created 40+ publicly-accessible legal research guides. Tips: A BLS student can email askthelibrary@brooklaw.edu, text (718) 734-2432 or chat with us for help determining whether there is a guide to support research on a specific topic. Off-campus use of many subscription databases described in BLS research guides requires implementation of the BLS proxy server instructions.

Also, your librarians serve as liaisons to the BLS full-time faculty–we can tell you which librarian works most closely with a particular professor. A librarian liaison might have created research links in the Canvas page for a paper-writing course or other material to support students’ research. Note: BLS librarians can highlight resources to support any type of law student paper, article or presentation.

A useful starting point for many types of paper research is the guide: Selecting & Developing Your Seminar Paper Topic. This guide’s home page includes videos on: selecting/researching a topic; developing a thesis for a seminar paper topic; and avoiding plagiarism. Guide tab: Selecting a Topic links to: indexes of legal blogs; legal news sources; and selected legal journals and newsletters. All of these sources highlight new and developing legal topics. Guide tab: Developing an Argument through Commentary links to both full-text sources of articles and indexes of articles. Guide tab: Developing an Argument through Grey Literature includes sources to find material published by think tanks, NGOs and interested organizations.

Moreover, there are BLS guides to international law research. The broadest two guides are: Paper Topic Selection: International (highlights news/legal news sources) and Paper Topic Development: International (highlights sources of articles and primary law). If you need to find a topic for a “Rule of Law/Law of War” seminar, you could access the Paper Topic Selection guide > tab: Pull-down Menu of News: Specific Topics and choose sub-tab: Law of War. The English Legal Sources guide includes links to newly available resources in Westlaw Edge UK.

Additionally, there are many subject-focused BLS research guides. If you need to develop a topic in the “Art Law” seminar, the Art Law guide > tab: Other Resources links to websites of organizations and the searchable ArThemis database of news/case notes on art and cultural property disputes. If you need to conduct research for the “Topics in White Collar Crime” seminar, you could link to many resources through guide: White Collar Crime Research. If you are writing in the “Civil Practice Workshop,” the New York Civil Practice guide might be helpful. (This is a guide BLS librarians like to highlight to all BLS students who might wish to become litigators.) If you are writing on a tax topic, see: Federal Tax Research Guide and International Tax Research Guide. These guides include instructions to access BLS subscription databases to support tax research.

COMING IN EARLY OCTOBER: A presentation for students on selecting a paper topic and avoiding plagiarism. We will provide the date/time soon!