How many times have you gone home at night with a sore neck because you have been looking down at a casebook or outline all day? Or maybe your wrists are hurting because you tried to hold your book up to read before class. Law students already have enough to deal with on a daily basis, without throwing in a few aches and pains. Have no fear though, the Law Library has just the product for you…bookholders.

If you are not currently using bookholders when you study, then you are missing out on one of the greatest engineering feats of our generation (slightly exaggerated). Think about it, a device that actually holds a book up for you so you don’t have to hold it up yourself or look down at it on a table. Genus!

Use it when reading cases for class.

Casebook

Use it for reading your outline before the big exam.

Outline

Use it when reading a magazine at lunch. 

Magazine

The possibilities are truly endless. And the best part of all, we have 7 at the Circulation Desk that you can checkout. That’s right, you can use one of our bookholders for FREE! So next time you get that pain in your neck, stop by the Circulation Desk and check out a bookholder.

In conjunction with the season, and inspired by the LibGuide created by The University of Iowa College of Law Library, here are a couple of books that we have at the Law Library that will get you in the mood to celebrate Halloween.

• Halloween law:  a spirited look at the law school curriculum, by Victoria Sutton
• Witch-children: from Salem witch-hunts to modern courtrooms, by Hans Sebald
• Witchcraft and witch trials : a history of English witchcraft and its legal perspectives, 1542 to 1736, by Gregory Durston
• Pumpkin: the curious history of an American icon, by Cindy Ott

And if you need any last minute costume ideas, the University Library has several books on costuming.

• Costumes & props, by Carol Ann Bloom
• Costumes for children, by Barbara Snook
• Costume, by L. Rowland-Warne

Study rooms, laptop chargers, and free coffee – there is a lot to love about the Law Library. There is one more reason to love the Law Library…research assistance. Sure we have plenty of study aids and an abundance of comfortable seating, but one of our best services we provide to students is research assistance.

If you hit a bump in the road, or you don’t know where to start when working on a paper, why not stop by the Reference Desk. We can help you find that pesky source you have been trying to track down, or give you some tips on which sources will get you started down the research trail. If you can’t make it to school, try using our chat reference service (located on the homepage). If the desk is open, we can assist you in person or via chat. Remember to check the hours page to see when reference is open.

What if you need a little more in-depth assistance? No problem, just contact one of our reference librarians to set up a one-on-one meeting. If you send us the topic in advance of the meeting, we will have time to think about the sources available for your topic before you arrive.

In addition to personal assistance, don’t forget about our research guides. The Law Library has an ever expanding collection of research guides on a wide array of topics, including administrative, environmental, Georgia, intellectual property, sports, and tax. Each guide will provide you with links to primary and secondary sources on your topic.

So next time you scratch your head and wonder how you are going are to locate all of the materials you need, remember that we can help!

By Ryan Van Horn

Is that Aaron Murray?

You know it is! Well—when you’re dominating the Gators in NCAA Football 2014 with the unnamed quarterback from your Georgia Bulldogs—you know it is. So what if that “little digital guy with the big heart” has the same number, height, weight, build, skin tone, hair color, and playing style as Aaron Murray. He’s not hurting anyone but opposing defenses, right?

Apparently, some college athletes don’t appreciate not being paid when their likeness is used, and they have been fighting to get paid for years. The effort led by ex-players such as Ed O’Bannon and Sam Keller has finally started to pay off. In July, the 9th Circuit dealt EA a huge blow by ruling that use of the likeness of college athletes in its video games was not protected by the First Amendment. Following the ruling, EA has agreed to a $40 million settlement.  Additionally, even though no language prevents EA from continuing to produce college football games, EA has stated they will not be producing a college football game in 2014—most likely from the fear of future liability or the costs associated with paying the players. Whether or not active college athletes are allowed under NCAA rules to immediately accept money from the settlement is unclear according to Warren Zola, a sports law professor at Boston College’s Carroll School of Management.

Despite this huge victory for the players, the fight continues. The NCAA continues the battle on their own. Zola believes that NCAA is in a difficult position as “the last defendant standing in a case where everyone else felt that settling was the best solution.” The indefinite amount of liability could deal a crushing blow to the NCAA if they were to lose, especially as the larger conferences begin to work their way out of the NCAA’s powerful grip.

Maybe someday in the future, student-athletes will be able to work and get paid. We’ll have to wait and see.

Article References

EA drops football in ’14, settles cases as NCAA fights (USA TODAY)
Players to receive $40 million (ESPN)
O’Bannon lawyer: Settlement would require NCAA payment (USA TODAY)
Lawyers never intended for EA to stop making NCAA Football games (Polygon)

Today marks the second day into the U.S. Government shutdown. Since the last government shutdown was back in 1995, many people are wondering what exactly is open and closed during a government shutdown? Below are a list of services that are or are not affected by the shutdown.

Open/Functioning

• U.S Postal Service
• Social Security
• Air Traffic Control
• Federal Law Enforcement
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
• Amtrak
• Supreme Court (at least until Oct. 4^th)

Closed/Not Functioning

• National Parks and Museums (Is it free? If so, it’s probably closed).
• Passports (some offices closed)
• E-Verify
• Library of Congress
• Federal Websites
• IRS Walk-in Centers

Of interest to those doing legal research:

• Federal Register – Available only on FDsys, but limited to documents necessary to safeguard human life, protect property, or provide other emergency services consistent with the performance of functions and services exempted under the Antideficiency Act.
• THOMAS.gov – Only legislative information is available
• U.S. Code –  Available at uscode.house.gov
• FDsys – Except for Federal Register, remaining collections are not being updated

Learn more about the government shutdown:

• Government shutdown: What we know and don’t know by Ed Payne (CNN)
• Government shutdown: What’s closed, what’s open? (CNN)
• 1995 and 2013: Three differences between two shutdowns by Dan Merica (CNN)
• 66 questions and answers about the government shutdown by Gregory Korte (USA TODAY)
• 27 more questions and answers about the shutdown by Gregory Korte (USA TODAY)
• A bunch of federal websites will shut down with the government by Andrea Peterson (The Washington Post)
• Who Goes to Work? Who Stays Home? (The New York Times)

Flicker photo by jjpacres

By Meghan Starr

Did you know there were over 60 writing competitions for law students last year?

A listing of current competitions is maintained on the library website under Research Guides, titled Student Writing Competitions.   Papers are currently being accepted in topics as diverse as constitutional interpretation, securities law, civil discovery procedures, human rights, national security, and construction law.  You can also find information about the 13th Annual Law Student Tax Challenge.

Prizes range from $250 to $5,000+ and often include publication in industry journals, travel expenses to meetings, and free membership to the sponsoring organization.  While some contests have a special topic (such as the Center for Alcohol Policy’s “This year marks the 80th anniversary of the 21st Amendment. Has it achieved its intended purpose?”), others allow you to submit papers written for classes.

You will also find a list of resources to help hone your writing skill.  The Guide is updated regularly as new competitions are announced, so check back periodically.

White House photo 2/24/09 by Joyce N. Boghosian

When you want to see Congress in action, the best place to go is C-SPAN. Created by the cable television industry in 1979, C-SPAN provides the public access to the United States political process.

If you have cable, you have probably stumbled across C-SPAN a few times. C-SPAN and C-SPAN2 offer “gavel-to-gavel” coverage of the House and Senate. Viewers can watch all the of the floor debates and votes. You can also find public committee hearings on C-SPAN as well. Additionally, the networks will provide coverage of key judicial events, and will even rebroadcast oral arguments from major Supreme Court cases.

C-SPAN currently has three television channels and a radio station that provide political coverage. If you don’t have access to a television, not to worry. Viewers can watch all of the channels on the C-SPAN Website for free (links provided below).

• C-SPAN: House of Representatives
• C-SPAN2: Senate
• C-SPAN3: Public Affairs Events
• C-SPAN Radio

To keep up with all the programming C-SPAN has to offer, check out their schedule. If you had your heart set on seeing a particular event, but missed the live showing, you can locate an archived video in the Video Library.

The California Supreme Court held oral arguments today in a case that will ultimately decide if Sergio Garcia can become a licensed attorney. While Garcia has already passed the California Bar Exam, he has hit a roadblock in obtaining his law license because of his citizenship status. Garcia, 36, was born in Mexico, but his parents brought him to the United States when he was only 17 months old. Splitting time between Mexico and California, Garcia decided to permanently stay in California at age 17.

For 19 years now, Garcia has waited to receive a green card. During that time he completed college, finished law school, and passed the California Bar Exam on the first try. However, a 1996 federal law passed by Congress prohibits immigrants residing illegally in the United States from receiving “professional licenses.” The Justice Department further determined that the California Supreme Court cannot admit Garcia to the bar because the court is funded by state money. Interestingly enough, the State Bar of California and the California attorney general are both on the side of Garcia.

While no opinion has been rendered yet, the Associated Press stated that the justices “appeared reluctant Wednesday to grant a law license to Sergio Garcia.” (Source: Washington Post).  The court will now have 90 days to rule on the case.

For background on the Garcia case, check out the following sources:

• Is It Legal For Undocumented Immigrant To Practice Law? by Emily Green (NPR)
• Immigrant asks California Supreme Court for law license over US DOJ objections by Associated Press (Washington Post)
• Undocumented immigrant’s bid for California law license heads to court by Cindy Y. Rodriguez and Jaqueline Hurtado (CNN)
• The Supreme Court of California

Even after you have registered for classes and picked up your books, you still have one more important selection to make – where will you study? Where you will study will have implications on how you do in your classes. While some of you may choose to study outside of the Law Library, I think the library has a couple of nice options for those who choose to spend your time in the library. Here are a couple of options you will have if you choose to study in the Law Library this coming semester.

The Study Carrel 

The tried and true friend of a law student. The study carrel has been around for generations. The perfect place to get “in the zone” and focus on your studies. For your convenience  each of the study carrels located in the library includes an electrical outlet and an network plugin. When it comes to studying, you can always count on old reliable.

The Small Table 

The small table is a great place to work if you like the size of the study carrel, but prefer to have more open space. The small table is also great for studying in small groups of two people.  But watch out, talk too loud and you may suffer the wrath of an angry 3L.

The Big Table 

The big tables are exclusive to the 2nd floor of the library, also known as the Quiet Zone. While we encourage students not to do group work at these tables, they are great if you really want to spread out or have a friend close by.

Soft Seating 

What it lacks in a place to lay your book on, it makes up for with pure comfort. The soft seating can be heaven on your back after a long class. A few of the chairs also have a small end table next to them, so don’t forget to bring that cup of coffee with you.

Study Rooms 

When you need to bounce topics of a friend, there is no better place than one of our 17 group study rooms. All of the study rooms include a whiteboard, and most of them also include a projector that you can hook your Laptop or iPad into. While you don’t need to whisper in these rooms, do remember that the walls are thin, so try to maintain a respectable volume. Study rooms are a hot commodity during the semester, so book in advance. You can book a study room a week in advance, at 3 hours per person, using the Study Room Reservation System.