Law School Nightmare

The freight train’s whistle blasts out of the darkness, jerking you away from your mental recitation of IRAC for your upcoming Civ Pro exam. You quickly glance behind you to see the train bearing down on you, rapidly closing the space between you and it; the vibration of the tracks from the thundering engines turns your legs to rubber. You run. Your heart races. Can you get off the trestle in time? Will you be forced to jump into the dark raging river beneath? Can you swim with your backpack full of law books? Will the suit you bought for your moot court appearance be ruined? Did you assume the risk? As the train whistle blares and you feel the heat of the engines on your back you take a step off the trestle. The weight of your backpack sends you headlong into the water and you...wake up! A nightmare. Ah, final exam season!

Don’t worry, the law library can help you ease the stress and be well prepared for exams. Here’s what can help:

Exam archive: The library has an archive of old exams. Hard copy exams from 1978 – 2002 are found in the reference collection on the first floor of the library (KF 292 .H35A24). Exams since 2002 are online. You can access the electronic archive through the Hamline Law Library’s website at lawlibrary.hamline.edu/ or http://lawlibrary.hamline.edu/content.php?pid=60281&sid=447196

Study aids: On reserve you will find study aids for almost any law school subject. In addition to books we have Sum and Substance CDs of all the major subject areas. Check at the Circulation Desk, or look for a specific Sum and Substance in CLICnet.

Study rooms: Reserve a study room at the Circulation Desk. Study rooms have a two hour limit on them. Check with Selva if you have any questions.

Late hours: Starting December 7 and continuing through December 20, the law library will be open until 2 a.m.

Coffee Cart: The law library staff provides free coffee and treats from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from Noon – 5 on Sundays during the final exam period (Dec. 7 – 20).

General peace and quiet: During finals, you can find a quiet space to study without too much trouble. Remember, the second floor of the library is a designated Quiet Zone—no talking, no cell phone use, no noise. On the first floor of the library, we ask that you be thoughtful of your fellow students and keep your conversations quiet and your cell phones turned off.

Check out these new books

Come to the library and check out these and other new books that have been added to our collection:
Acting skills for lawyers / Laura Mathis. New Book Area KF8915 .M374 2011
“For the lawyer, research and written communications are only half the battle. In this innovative book you’ll learn how to develop and use stage presence, use an actor’s voice and gestures, develop different characters for different audiences, deliver effective speeches, adopt the role of talk-show host for depositions, improvise in unprepared situations, incorporate the skills of great storytellers, be the acting coach for your witness, use monologue skills in your closing arguments, and even take the perfect professional photo!” – publishers description
Job quest for lawyers : the essential guide to finding and landing the job you want / Sheila Nielsen. New Book Area KF297 .N54 2011
“Job Quest for Lawyers provides step-by-step guidance that finally makes networking inspiring instead of a chore. The "quest" motif applies to each stage of the job search, and is used to help readers understand how to create a positive and effective networking experience. The book demystifies networking by including illustrations from the author's own experiences and from the stories of her clients that provide examples of the real world do's and don'ts of how to conduct a productive job search. Unlike so many other career books, Job Quest for Lawyers is a process-focused book that is eminently applicable to attorneys at all phases of their careers, from new graduates to senior lawyers. Lawyers at all stages of practice will benefit from reading this book.” – publishers description
The lawyer-judge bias in the American legal system / Benjamin H. Barton. New Book Area KF8776 .B37 2011
“Virtually all American judges are former lawyers. This book argues that these lawyer-judges instinctively favor the legal profession in their decisions and that this bias has far-reaching and deleterious effects on American law. There are many reasons for this bias, some obvious and some subtle. Fundamentally, it occurs because - regardless of political affiliation, race, or gender - every American judge shares a single characteristic: a career as a lawyer. This shared background results in the lawyer-judge bias. The book begins with a theoretical explanation of why judges naturally favor the interests of the legal profession and follows with case law examples from diverse areas, including legal ethics, criminal procedure, constitutional law, torts, evidence, and the business of law. The book closes with a case study of the Enron fiasco, an argument that the lawyer-judge bias has contributed to the overweening complexity of American law, and suggests some possible solutions.” – publishers description
Should you really be a lawyer? : the guide to smart career choices before, during & after law school / Deborah Schneider and Gary Belsky KF297 .S36 2010 Available at Circulation Desk
“Schneider and Belsky's book is the first to help you decide whether to become a lawyer ... or whether to remain one ... and how to find the right career for you.” – publishers description
Writing shorter legal documents : strategies for faster and better editing / Sandra J. Oster New Book Area KF250 .O848 2011
“In a legal document, in accordance with federal, state, and local court rules, every letter and space is important. Writing Shorter Legal Documents is a concise, practical handbook that explains how to quickly, efficiently reduce the length of your legal documents. It's a collection of advice written to keep you within grammatical and court rules, for both length and construction, while preserving and even clarifying your argument.
The author, a lawyer with a Ph.D in linguistics, has divided 35 precise strategies into five chapters:
--An Approach to Shorten Legal Documents
--Revising Terminology
--Revising Lists, Phrases, and Sentences
--Changing the Appearance of Text on the Page
--Cutting Content
When you're on a deadline with the court and are over the maximum word count in your document, this book provides the fast, easy editing tricks you'll need.” – publishers description

Google’s Getting Fresh with You

On November 3, Google announced an algorithm update that will force more recent (“fresher”) content toward the top of search result lists. According to Google, this change will alter 6 to 10 percent of searches to the extent that an average use will notice the difference. For trending topics, content you see “might only be minutes old.” For recurring events, such as annual conferences, the results for the current or upcoming occurrence of the event should appear at the top of search results. When comparison shopping using Google, you should see results for the latest product models at the top of the list. Possible drawbacks include pushing highly valuable but less frequently updated content downward in the search results list. For example, government, educational and nonprofit websites updated weekly might lose real estate to commercial websites updated much more frequently. However, Google maintains, "This change better determines the level of freshness needed for each query and promotes fresher results accordingly." For more discussion, check the Google Blog or Government Computer News.

Moot Court or Mock Trial?

Check out these new arrivals in the library:

Korzen, John. Make Your Argument: Succeeding in Moot Court and Mock Trial. New York: Kaplan Pub, 2010.
A law school Appellate Advocacy Clinic director gives advice on almost every angle of the moot court or mock trial experience.

Mathis, Laura. Acting Skills for Lawyers. Chicago, Ill: American Bar Association, 2011.
This easy read holds special appeal for potential courtroom advocates. A working actor and legal consultant coaches you on career-enhancing skills such as stage presence, vocal variety, storytelling, and witness preparation.

New Career-Related ABA Books

Now available in your law library ...

Nielsen, Sheila. Job Quest for Lawyers: The Essential Guide to Finding and Landing the Job You Want. Chicago: American Bar Association, Law Practice Management Section and Young Lawyers Division, 2011.
A 20-year legal job coach offers suggestions and strategy for finding employment in the current challenging conditions. Learn about knights, wizards, and creative networking in this upbeat if not lighthearted offering.

Greenwald, Bart L. Rantings of a Partner: And Pushback from the Associate. Chicago: American Bar Association, Section of Litigation, 2011.
This highly readable and relevant book offers eye-opening and humorous contributions from law firm attorneys across the United States. Partners share their views on associate behavior, and associates return the favor. Some topics include research, writing, client development, marketing, and mentoring.

Mathis, Laura. Acting Skills for Lawyers. Chicago, Ill: American Bar Association, 2011.
This easy read holds special appeal for potential courtroom advocates. A working actor and legal consultant coaches you on career-enhancing skills such as stage presence, vocal variety, storytelling, and witness preparation.

Fletman, Abbe F., and Evelyn R. Storch. The Woman Advocate. Chicago, Ill: Section of Litigation, American Bar Association, 2010.
A group of seasoned female attorneys from diverse career paths share experiences and strategies in areas ranging from client development to supervision to work-life balance. Emphasis is on litigation-related careers. Perspectives from women of color are included.

Lockwood, Karen M. The Road to Independence: 101 Women's Journeys to Starting Their Own Law Firms. Chicago: American Bar Association, Commission on Women in the Profession, 2011.
Women of various ages and life circumstances narrate how they successfully launched and maintained their law firms. Contributions take the form of letters written from the attorneys to aspiring law firm owners.