Blog Archive: 2005

For the Good of the Gulf

UNC Law Winter Break Pro Bono Project

A group of UNC law students have gone to New Orleans over the break to do pro bono legal work for victims of Katrina. They are blogging about their experiences at http://forthegoodofthegulf.blogspot.com.

Over the next week or so, look in from time to time and follow their experiences. And mention it to friends and colleagues elsewhere as well! It's a remarkable thing they're doing, and the blog format allows us to follow them every step of the way.

from an email post by Eric Muller

New Display About Admiralty Law

The latest library display is a treasure to behold. Be sure to stop by to take a look at this spectacular display mounted by Megan Garton, Melvyn Brown and colleagues.

Most importantly, this display presents an opportunity to learn more about admiralty law and the legal rights of ownership to shipwreck treasures.

Enjoy!

From: Carol Nicholson

New library exhibits

November is Native American Heritage Month. From the "trail of tears" to recent gaming laws, this law library exhibit explores "An American Indian Theory of Justice" as presented by the Native American Law Students Association under the superb coordination of Beth Jacobs. Please take a little time to view this striking exhibit of legal treatises and codes with a backdrop of artifacts and thought-provoking quotes.

There is also a stimulating new exhibit on Sports and the Law. As noted in the exhibit, sports law provides protection for individual athletes, sports teams, leagues and agencies. As sports enthusiasts cheer on their favorite teams, stop by this exhibit to consider how laws and court decisions impact the games. This display was mounted by Terri Saye and Michael James, members of the law library's team!

From Carol Nicholson and Margaret Hall

Bloggger's Book Search

Blogger has mounted their initial book index. You can search for a phrase in a book and if the book is in the public domain, you can read the entire book or save portions of the text to your computer. If the book is under copyright, you will be able to read the phrase in context, but the amount of text visible is limited. Google has assured publishers that no books are currently in the database that are not either in the public domain or for which permission has been granted.

I tried a search for the phrase "Nothing matters, nothing is important" in quotation marks so the search engine knew it was a phrase and not just a collection of terms) and it actually found the source!

Take a look at http://print.google.com/ Google says there are "thousands" of books in the database. Imagine what it will be like in a few years.

Judge Alito

The Law Library at the University of Michigan has put together an extensive collection of links to information about and writings of Judge Alito. The links are conveniently categorized ("Majority Opinions," "Concurring and Dissenting Opinions," and so forth), and new links are being added as information becomes available. Take a look at the website.

from: Jim Sherwood

Samuel Alito

The Law Library Reading Room at the Library of Congress has created a webpage about the President's nominee for the Supreme Court, Samuel A. Alito. The page includes a bibliography of Articles, Books, Congressional Documents, Select Court Decisions, Memoranda, and links to select Web Resources. Take a look at http://www.loc.gov/rr/law/alito.html.

Identity Theft Resources

On October 11, 2005, Sen. Elizabeth Dole sponsored a consumer education seminar "Attacking Identify Theft." Panelists included representatives from the Federal Trade Commission, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Secret Service, N.C. Department of Justice, N.C. Bankers Association, Consumer Data Industry Association, and N.C. Senior Consumer Fraud Task Force. Much of the information handed out or mentioned by the panelists is available online at no cost. This information has been collected into the document "Identity Theft Resources," which is available online at http://www.unc.edu/cit/guides/IDtheft.html.

DOJ Office of the Special Counsel

Special prosecutor, Patrick Fitzgerald, set up a website last week containing some of the documents from the investigation of White House involvement in the identification of Valerie Plame as an employee of the CIA.

This will be a likely source of material when the results are finally made public. See  http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/iln/osc/index.html.

Public Scanner Available

The Law Library recently installed a public computer with a scanner on the fourth floor of the library opposite the reference desk. The computer includes Adobe Acrobat, OCR software, and an image editor. Students must log into the computer using their onyen and password.

New Library Displays

The Law Library is pleased to announce exciting new library displays sponsored by three student organizations.

The Hispanic/Latino Law Students Association (HLLSA) has mounted a splendid display in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.

The North Carolina Law Review provides a thought-provoking display announcing its upcoming Symposium on "Empirical Studies of the Legal Profession: What do We Know About Lawyers' Lives?" scheduled for October 28, 2005.

The Domestic Violence Advocacy Project (D-VAP) has created a compelling display in recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month entitled "Connecting the Dots: It Is Your Business!".

Please stop by to see these informative and provocative displays as you enter the Law Library.

from: Carol Nicholson