On behalf of the Law Library staff, I want to welcome first year students to the law school and welcome back second and third year students and faculty members. We wish everyone a successful and productive year. The Law Library is fortunate to have a well-qualified and dedicated staff. The entire staff strives to provide services that will aid students and faculty in using the library facility and resources. Please feel free to call on the staff for assistance.

March 1, 2005, will mark the tenth anniversary of the opening of the new law library building. The building and furnishings have begun to show wear and tear. The interior walls were painted last year. The upholstered chairs have been repaired and cleaned. Soon worn carpet will be replaced in several rooms. The policy which prohibits food, drink, and tobacco products is crucial to maintaining the collection, equipment, and facilities in good condition. The cooperation of the Cumberland community and other patrons with the policy is crucial to the preservation of the facilities.

3. The bookstore sells numerous study aids that vary in usefulness and are also quite expensive. Before deciding to buy, you might want to check out the study aids available on reserve at the Circulation Desk. The Guide to Study Aids, which has been distributed to all first-year law students and is available on the web at: http://lawlib.samford.edu/pubs/studyaid2004.html, is an excellent resource for determining what student aids are available for check out from the Reserve section. These items on Reserve are almost always the latest edition and are available for use in the library for three hours at a time (and also can be checked out overnight three hours before the library's closing).

4. We request that you shelve all books that you use from the First Floor and in the law periodical collection shelved on the Lower Level. Over the years, there have been many first-year students unable to finish their assignments, victimized by thoughtless classmates who refuse to take the time to reshelve needed materials.

5. Cellular telephones should not be used in the Law Library. If you bring one into the reading rooms you must put it on vibration mode. When you receive or place a call, you must go to a photocopy room or outside the Law Library.

6. Conference room keys are available for three hour check out at the Circulation Desk by student study groups. We urge students carrying on discussions within the library to use conference rooms in order to avoid disturbing other patrons.

7. Four laptops are available for law student check out at the Circulation Desk. The check out period is three hours and they are for in-library use only.

8. With the exception of Saturday, librarians are generally available most hours that the library is open. Do not feel embarrassed to ask a librarian for help finding materials. Often, freshmen law students believe that they are the "only student" who cannot find needed materials; in most cases, many students cannot locate these resources, but they do not want to admit it to their classmates. At the same time, do not hesitate to let your Caruthers Fellow from LLR know when you do not understand an assignment.

9. Ignoring Law Library book due dates can empty your pocket of change. Fines at the Law Library are as follows:

$1.00 per day per book for non-reserve items;

$1.00 per HOUR for reserve materials.

10. Food and drinks (including water bottles) are not permitted in the Law Library. For a quick refreshment break, use the law school student lounge. Also, food can be taken into the Great Room of the Law School where there are study tables available.

11. The Law Library reading rooms should be used for research and study purposes; they should not become a meeting point for law student social groups. The noise problem is one which is being constantly brought to our attention by law students. Please consider classmates who, for various reasons, cannot study at home. This library is their only refuge for quiet study. If you wish to socialize, there are numerous places in the Law School, including the Great Room of the Law School, where ample space is available. Please reserve the library facilities for your research and study needs only.

Research skills are essential to the lawyer's craft. To master that craft, Cumberland students receive comprehensive training in a course called Lawyering Skills and Legal Reasoning. In a hands-on segment of the program, aptly called boot camp, first-year law students learn to use basic resources like those below. For help with assignments, consider the Law Library's collection of handbooks and study aids. The list of Recent Acquisitions on page 3 identifies many new titles on legal research and writing. In particular, author Amy E. Sloan’s Basic Legal Research: Tools and Strategies, 2nd ed. (KF240/.S66/2003/Reference) complements boot camp exercises. Alternatively, ask your section professor, Caruthers Fellow, or a reference librarian for help if needed.

Federal Code and U.S. Constitution

The Law Library has the official United States Code (USC) and two privately published federal codes: United States Code Annotated (USCA) and the United States Code Service (USCS). These sets are on the First Floor at Rows 123 to 124 in the section called Federal Codes. In this same section, you will find the U.S. Code Congressional and Administrative News (USCCAN) containing legislative history of selected federal laws. Copies of the U.S. Constitution are reprinted in the federal code and in many other resources. For instance, the Constitution appears as an appendix in Black's Law Dictionary scattered on reading tables and dictionary stands throughout the Law Library. Many state codes also reprint the U.S. Constitution.

State Codes and Constitutions

The Law Library has annotated codes for all fifty states and some territories, shelved alphabetically by state on the First Floor (Rows 124 to 129, labeled State Codes). Typically, the code also contains a copy of the state's constitution.

Case Reporters

Entering the main reading room on the First Floor, Regional Reporters are on the right, and Federal Cases on the left. Beginning at Row 164, find these state court decisions shelved alphabetically by title: Atlantic Reporter (A.), California Reporter (Cal. Rptr.), New York Supplement (N.Y.S.), North Eastern Reporter (N.E.), North Western Reporter (N.W.), Pacific Reporter (P.), South Eastern Reporter (S.E.), Southern Reporter (So.), and South Western Reporter (S.W.). On the other side of the room at Rows 108 to 110, look for the official United States Reports (U.S.) and two privately published reporters: West's Supreme Court Reporter (S.Ct.) and United States Supreme Court Reports, Lawyers' Edition (L.Ed.). The Federal Reporter (F.) begins at Row 110, and the Federal Supplement (F.Supp.) at Row 115. Many reporters have multiple series. Be sure to look for the correct series number on the spine.

Legal Encyclopedias

American Jurisprudence 2d (Am. Jur.) and Corpus Juris Secundum (CJS) are in the Practice section (First Floor, Rows 133 to 134). Periodically, publishers add, update, revise and rename topics. For instance, the former topic "Master and Servant" is now under modern terms for the employment relationship. Look for cross references to new headings in the index or in the encyclopedia's main volumes. Editors also provide tables correlating old sections with new. In Am. Jur., these tables are in the front of the main volume containing the new topic. In CJS, the tables immediately precede the new topic.

American Law Reports

American Law Reports are on the First Floor in the Practice section, at Rows 130 to 132. Presently, the series consists of ALR 1st, 2d, 3d, 4th, 5th, and Federal. The multi-volume ALR Index shelved at the end of the set covers all series except the first.

Legal Periodicals and Indexes

Print copies of the Index to Legal Periodicals & Books (ILP) and Current Law Index (CLI) are on the Lower Level, on an index shelf along the west wall. Duplicate (though not updated) copies are in the Reference section, First Floor at Row 168. Alternatively, find articles using LegalTrac, the online version of Current Law Index. Access LegalTrac from any computer on Samford's campus. On public computers in the Law Library, start at the web-based online library catalog and choose LegalTrac from the pull-down menu. Journals, law reviews and other periodicals are on the Lower Level, shelved alphabetically by title.

Texts and Treatises

To find treatises, search the online library catalog by keyword, author, subject, title, and more. Each floor of the Law Library has at least one online library catalog station. Located primarily on the Second Floor, treatises are classified using the Library of Congress system and shelved in call number order. Signs at the end of each row designate the range of call numbers on that row. Some books are in the Reference section on the First Floor, or on Reserve. Ask at the Circulation Desk for reserve items. As with all legal resources, be sure to look for updates such as pocket parts or soft-cover supplements.

Digests

Digests are on the First Floor at Rows 103 to 108. The Law Library maintains digests for the following individual states: Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Current regional digests cover the following states:

Atlantic Digest: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

North Western Digest: Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

Pacific Digest: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

South Eastern Digest: Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia.

For other states, consult West's American Digest System (General and Decennials) covering all jurisdictions, state and federal.

For research limited to federal cases, use West's federal set. The most recent cases (from roughly 1984 to date) are in West's Federal Practice Digest, Fourth Series, with all updates, starting at Row 108 on the First Floor. Earlier cases are in the Federal Digest, the Modern Federal Practice Digest, and the Federal Practice Digest 2d and 3d. The library also has digests specifically for U.S. Supreme Court cases.

Find a handy online guide to digests on the Law Library’s web site at: http://lawlib.samford.edu/reference/digests.html.

Shepard's Citations

Shepard's citations are on the First Floor at Row 165. The cover of the latest soft-cover supplement has a checklist of volumes in each set. Be sure to consult every pertinent bound volume and soft-cover supplement.

Federal Regulations and Federal Register

The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) is on the Third Floor at Row 332. Shelved with the CFR, find copies of recent Federal Registers in print. Typically, the print copies cover the current and one preceding year. The Law Library has prior Federal Registers on microfiche (1936 to date) or HeinOnline (1936 to 1987). To use microfiche, ask for assistance at the Circulation Desk. For the online version, access HeinOnline from any computer on Samford's campus. On public computers in the Law Library, start at the web-based library catalog and choose HeinOnline from the pull- down menu.

To hone research skills, consider the video series Legal Research for the 21st Century by Robert C. Berring, an expert in the field and author of many books including How to Find the Law. Each tape runs roughly one hour. Throughout the series, Professor Berring advises students to think functionally. In other words, try to understand the nature of the research tool whether the format is print or electronic. As described below, the series has five programs on fundamental research skills, and four on specialized topics.

VT-178. Basics. This overview is ideal for law students, paralegals, foreign attorneys, or others encountering American legal resources for the first time. Professor Berring discusses casebooks, hornbooks, nutshells, and other study aids. He explains the state and federal legal system, and the impact of common law and legislation. The program closes with a thorough discussion of the nature and components of reported decisions.

VT-179. Case Finding and the Future of Case Publication. In this tape, learn how to harness the power of the digest system in print and online. Students also gain insight into basic principles of Boolean and natural language searching. In closing, Professor Berring predicts future trends in legal publishing.

VT-180. Citators and Secondary Source Research. Professor Berring explains the importance of citators and how to use them. He also explores the role of secondary resources in conducting efficient legal research.

VT-181. Statutes, Legislative History and Administrative Materials. This tape provides a clear overview of statutory and administrative primary law. Moreover, Professor Berring demystifies the often daunting task of researching legislative history.

VT-182. Legal Research on the Internet and Research Strategies. After identifying selected web sites, Professor Berring emphasizes the importance of evaluating the quality, timeliness, and reliability of Internet resources. Today, individual researchers bear greater responsibility to figure out what information is reliable. Whether using print or electronic resources, all researchers can benefit from Professor Berring’s expert tips for efficient legal research. For advanced research techniques, try these tapes on special topics. Marci Hoffman, International & Foreign Law Librarian at Berkeley, joins Professor Berring on the foreign and international law programs.

VT-197. International Law.

VT-198. Foreign Law.

VT-199. Intellectual Property Law.

VT-200. Environmental Law.

Ask for videos at the Circulation Desk by VT number. Patrons may view videos in the library’s multimedia room any time a librarian is on duty. Groups of two to six law students may borrow a TV and VCR for use in a conference room. Typically, law students may take videos out of the library for twenty-four hours.

[This bibliography originally appeared in the September 2003 issue of Check It Out.]

Do not save anything to the Law Library Lab computers. Always save to a floppy disk, CD-Rom, or USB Flash Drive. The lab computers will not retain anything saved to the hard drives.

In the next week or two, each student print account will receive 500 pages for the Fall 2004 semester. If there are any printer/user errors, Moot Court printing, resumes, or Directed Research printing – fill out a print exemption form. These forms are available in the Lower Level Lab and at the Circulation Desk.

Do not send Westlaw or Lexis print jobs to Law Library printers. There are two printers in both the Westlaw Lab and the Lexis Lab dedicated to such print jobs.

Do not leave laptops, cell phones, purses, etc. unattended.

Keep virus protection and the Windows operating system updated.

The Lexis Lab computers have been replaced by new Dell Optiplex GX280s. The update to this lab includes flat screen monitors. These computers are equipped with Roxio Easy CD Creator, Word 2003, WordPerfect 11, links to Samford E-Mail and CALI, QuickTime, FTP, Adobe Acrobat Reader, IE, Netscape, WinZip, and McAfee, as well as several other programs.

If any help is needed with the above or for other questions, please contact Grace Simms, Computer Services Librarian at 726-2687 or glsimms@samford.edu.

CHECK IT OUT is published three times a semester. The editorial staff works hard on articles that are of interest to both law students and law professors. We welcome new ideas and hope that you take the time to critique each issue. Let us know if there is a specific subject that you would like for us to discuss. Send your ideas and/or comments to: Becky Hutto at rmhutto@samford.edu.We look forward to the Fall Semester and new issues of the newsletter.