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February 2012 Archives
Reviewed by Tim Von Dulm, Head of Reference Services Are you new to the law and confused about how to read legal citations and approach legal research problems? Maybe you would like to learn about how to conduct federal legislative histories? Perhaps you are looking for credible and authoritative recommendations for legal self-help resources? Or maybe you are already familiar with the basics of legal research but would appreciate ready access to a reliable legal research reference resource to serve as a refresher for any questions you might have.  If any of these situations apply to you, then consider yourself in luck. The Public Access to Legal Information Committee of the Southern California Association of Law Libraries (SCALL) recently published a revised version of their wonderful legal reference resource Locating the Law: A Handbook for Non-Law Librarians, 5th ed. ("Handbook"). The Handbook includes twelve chapters and four appendices directly relevant to the most common issues faced by legal researchers. Although a significant portion of the text is understandably devoted to California legal resources and agencies, chapters within the Handbook on "Basic Legal Research Techniques," "How to Read a Legal Citation," "Federal Law" and bibliographies and appendices on "Self-Help Resources" and "Common Abbreviations in the Law" contain relevant advice and information to researchers across jurisdictions. Conveniently, most of the chapters and appendices facilitate the research process by including direct hyperlinks to many of the resources and agencies discussed therein. So what's stopping you? Get crackin' on the legal research. And if you still come across some thorny research problem that the SCALL Handbook cannot assist you with, don't hesitate to stop by and talk with one of the knowledgeable and friendly Biddle reference librarians, who are familiar with numerous alternative resources and who are happy to assist with your research.
By: Rodney A. Smolla (New York and London: New York University Press, 2011). During their first year, law students are introduced to the principles of Constitutional Law. By the time they earn their JD, these students will have spent the better part of a decade studying in one or more academic institutions. However, law students may not appreciate the critical intersection between the American Constitution and the operations of colleges and universities across the country. Rodney Smolla, currently the President of Furman University and former dean of the Washington & Lee and University of Richmond law schools, examines the interrelation between major constitutional principles and academic institutions, and how one influences the other. Smolla explores five major constitutional questions which impact the fundamental nature and dynamics of academia. Does a “living” constitutional interpretation support a “right” to academic freedom and is this even desirable? What role should the government play in publicly regulating the private activities of universities? How does one constitutionally approach the concept of “rights” in academia, while balancing the interests of public and private stakeholders? How does one strike a balance between the freedom-oriented concepts faculty and students espouse, while recognizing the need for a certain degree of order within the institution and in its relationship to society? What does equality mean in academia, and how is it currently or ideally applied to university activities?
Continue reading "The Constitution Goes to College: Five Constitutional Ideas That Have Shaped the American University" »
Check out the new Penn Law edition of LibX, a browser add-on that can be used to quickly get access to library resources.
Installing LibX
Download LibX for Firefox (version 5.0 and higher) or
Google Chrome. After it is installed, the LibX icon  should appear to the right of your browser's address bar.
Using LibX
The Penn Law edition of LibX includes the following features:
- Resource search: Click the LibX icon to search various resources including Biddle's online catalog (LOLA), HeinOnline, Westlaw Next, LexisNexis, and JSTOR. You can also highlight text on a page and right-click it to search the library catalog.
- Embedded Cues: When you see the LibX icon on sites like Amazon, click it to see if the resource is available at Biddle.
- Off-campus? Use LibX to reload a page via Biddle's proxy server so that it appears as though you are accessing the page from on-campus.
For help with installing or using LibX, contact Shenika McAlister, the Serials/Electronic Resources Librarian.
By Merle Slyhoff, Collection Development Librarian Many law students and faculty depend on the William S. Hein Company for easy access to pdfs of journal articles, U.S. Code, U.N. materials and more. Access is now even easier with the new HeinOnline app. HeinOnline (HOL), the largest image-based legal research database, has created an app that allows you to search for and download pdfs to your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. Available to Penn Law students and faculty through Biddle’s subscription to HOL, access is through IP authentication, available when in the law school or through Biddle’s log-in proxy when off-site using your LawKey login. After logging in you will be able to search by HOL library, by citation, by title, or by browsing in the publications. You will also be able to download the pdfs to your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. More detailed information is available on HeinOnlineApp_UsersGuide[1].pdf. You can download the free app in the iTunes App store by searching for "HeinOnline 2012."
 Biddle Law Library subscribes to three bilingual Chinese law databases. In November 2011, iSinolaw entered into a cooperative agreement with Thomson Reuters. As a result of this agreement, iSinolaw was replaced by Westlaw China on February 14, 2012.
Content previously available on iSinolaw will still be accessible to Biddle’s patrons through the Westlaw China platform, with additional content supplied by Thomson West. Westlaw China offers statutory, regulatory and case law in Chinese and in English translation, as well as practitioner tools, articles, current awareness items and other secondary sources. Please note that Westlaw China is a stand-alone database, separate from the Westlaw for Law Schools platform. Westlaw China is accessible to the Penn Law community from either Lola or Biddle’s E-Resources list, with no separate username or password required. An introduction and a user guide may be found at the Westlaw China home page. For assistance in accessing and using Westlaw China, Lawinfochina and Lexis China, or for help planning and conducting research into Chinese law, email Gabriela Femenia, Foreign and International Law Librarian, at gfemenia@law.upenn.edu, or stop by Tanenbaum 412.
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About This Blog
The biddleblog is a blog written by the librarians of the Biddle Law Library. It shares the latest news and events at Biddle, legal research tips, and other law-related information with the students, faculty, and staff of Penn Law.
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