A final note on Final Exams

Congratulations! You've made it through to the end of this semester. Just a few things more thing about Final Exams.

The Law Library has extended hours, until 2 PM Wednesday May 4th through Wednesday May 18th. What would be exam time without treats? The Law Library staff is providing treats and coffee from 9 AM until 5 PM during these extended hours. Please enjoy a treat and thank a Law Library staff member during this time.

If you are interested in using one of the Law Library study rooms you must reserve a room in the sign-up book at the Circulation Desk. The rules are in the book and you are expected to follow them. We know that this is a very stressful time so please be courteous to your fellow students.

OK, you know about the food and drink and where to study -- here are some study aids that can help you during this time!

We have many study aids on Reserve. Ask for them at the Circulation Desk. You can find Sum and Substance CDs, flash cards and the popular Understanding series. There are also valuable study aids for first-year courses! And there is more! Look at these web sites: On-line and hard copy exams - you can look at becoming familiar with Hamline Law school exams:
Books about successful exam-taking:

Want still more advice for studying and writing law school exams? Look at these web sites for Law School Exam-Taking Tips, Closed Book Law School Exam Preparation Tips and Preparing for Exams.

And don't forget the valuable resources available from CALI.There are many exam-taking tips and podcasts. Sign into CALI using the password you created. If you haven't yet created a password, you may do so by clicking the link that says "Create new account." The Hamline law access code is available for any librarian or at the Circulation Desk.

I know your time is valuable -- if you want to stop and chat my door is open! Good luck!

Brief history of law libraries

Today Hamline's law school library is rich in print and electronic resources that takes up two floors of the law school building, but it actually started in the trunk of Professor Biernat's car. The collection then spent some time on shelves in the basement of Drew in the then law library, until it found its way to its new home,the current law library,in the early 1980's.
The first Library of Congress included legal materials along with everything else. It wasn't until January 20, 1832 that New York senator William L. Marcy introduced a bill to "increase and improve the Law Department of the Library of Congress." The bill was passed and signed by President Andrew Jackson on July 14, 1832. A sum of $5,000 for the "present year" was given to purchase law materials, with an additional $1,000 annually for the next five years. The titles to be purchased were selected by the Chief Justice. Over 2,000 law books were transferred from the general collection of the Library of Congress and were the beginning of a collection in the Law Library of Congress that now exceeds two million volumes.
The Minnesota State Law Library was created by an act Congress on March 3, 1849. They were also given an initial sum of $5,000 to start their collection. In the 1870's the Supreme Court took responsibility for selecting titles to be purchased for the library, which emphasized books on law and the theory of law.
Law libraries have endured through the centuries with the support of people like Thomas Jefferson, Congress, Presidents, and the American Bar Association. They are here to help you make the best of your education!

Nervous about “Real World” Legal Research?

Whether they are part-time, temporary, or permanent gigs, you need to shine in your initial legal employment experiences before and after graduation. To assist in this endeavor, the library has prepared several practice-related research guides. They include Practice Materials, Practice Forms, Legal Research Bootcamp, and Verdicts, Awards and Settlements. So don’t hesitate to consult these resources for a research refresher, and feel free to continue contacting us with your questions even after you leave campus this spring.

A Career in Climate Change and Sustainability?

Legal observers view climate change as an emerging practice area in its own right or at least the “next big thing” in environmental law. Some large firms advertise entire practice groups focused on climate change and related matters. To get an idea of the legal issues underlying this growing practice area, stop at the library circulation desk for a look at Climate Change and Sustainable Development Law in a Nutshell (2011). To find other readily available books on climate change, do a subject search on the phrase climatic change. To find suggestions for career-related library materials, see our post on job searches and career quests.

Printing Tips.....

April 22nd is Earth Day! Lets protect our environment and save paper.

Did you know you can print on both sides from the printers in the law library?

All you have to do is select a printer before printing a document and click on properties. Select duplex and print. More detailed instruction is here. You can also staple and punch holes to your document using these printers.

Minnesota Online CLE Library

Did you know that Hamline students and faculty members can access the Minnesota CLE Online Library for free?

The Online Library is the electronic version of CLE course materials offered by the Minnesota Bar Association. Use the online library to find full-text outlines, chapters on the most recent developments in Minnesota Law, forms, checklists and other practice help.

This is a great tool that supplements Hamline Law Library's hardbound CLE collection. Stop by the library to pick up your code to access the Online Library today!

FDsys: America's Authentic Government Information

Did you know that everyone has free online access to the Federal Register, CFR, Congressional Hearings, and many more government publications? For more than 15 years, GPO Access was our source for Government information online. The next generation of Government information is now online with GPO's Federal Digital System (FDsys).

You can browse by collection, for instance the Congressional Record Index, or by committee. There is also an advanced search option for searching by full text or you can retrieve a document by citation.

Eventually all of the publications on GPO Access will be available on this new, more robust, site. When you are in need of a government publication, remember that FDsys is available to you.