You may have noticed the coloring materials available at the seats near the SHELF* in the library lobby.

Coloring supplies in library lobby. Photo by Meg Butler.

Coloring is fun and some studies indicate it is great for stress relief. In other words, it is perfect for a quick study break during the lead up to exams.

Sam Briggs, a 1L, suggested that we post the completed pictures, so folks can see the images they have worked on. If this encourages folks to take a few minutes and color, even better! For now, we are posting the completed sheets in the library lobby.

If you are a member of the College of Law mindfulness group, you may want to try coloring as another way to meditate, focusing on the coloring, staying in the lines, the patterns in the pictures, etc.

If coloring is not your thing, the library recently purchased The Anxious Lawyer: An 8-Week Guide to a Joyful and Satisfying Law Practice Through Mindfulness and Meditation.  You can find that in the 6th floor stacks, if you’d like to borrow it.

Completed coloring page, image of Statue of Liberty. Photo by Meg Butler.

*The SHELF is the name for the large computer in the library lobby, which students are also welcome to use.

Waterskiing Uncle Sam by Jefferson National Expansion Memorial

As we near the end of the US Presidential race, elections have taken center stage in American consciousness.  Headlines about recounts and possible non-concession have brought back memories of the Bush-Gore legal battles over Florida and a general re-interest in election law. But, where exactly does election law come from?  While the nuts and bolts of the actual elections is left to the states, the United States Code lays out a very particular, partly unknown, and maybe even esoteric set of steps required to elect the Preside of the United States.  So, come with me on an educational and entertaining journey through Title 3, sections 1-20 of the US code. Make sure to hold on to your hats- things might get weird.

3 U.S.C. § 1  – Time of appointing electors

This is straightforward, mostly.  The states appoint their electors, the people who actually elect the president, on the “Tuesday after the next Monday in November” following the presidential election.  Yes, you read that right.  States don’t even pick their electors until after the election. Contrary to popular belief, the citizens of the US do not actually elect the president, electors do.  Each state decides how the vote of their citizens effects the votes of the electors.  Typically, the electors select whichever candidate wins the state.  However, Nebraska and Maine election laws allow the states to split their electoral votes proportionally according to the popular vote.

3 U.S.C. § 2 – Failure to make a choice on proscribed day

If the state fails to choose electors on the proscribed day, the job then falls to the state legislature.

3 U.S.C. § 3 – Number of electors

This is probably the best known of the US election statutes.  The states get a number of electors equal to their number of Senators and Representatives.

3 U.S.C. § 4 (2012) – Vacancies in Electoral College

States can fill any vacancies in their electors when those electors meet to actually vote.

3 U.S.C. § 5  – Determination of controversy as to appointment of electors

This one is strange.  If the states choose, they can create procedures for settling any controversy in the picking of electors.  However, 3 U.S.C. § 5 requires that these procedures make a determination at least six days before the state electors meet to cast their votes. Don’t want to hold up the entire US Presidential election because of a few people fighting over who gets to be their states proxy vote now, do we?

3 U.S.C. § 6  – Credentials of electors; transmission to Archivist of the United States and to Congress; public inspection

Ok, this one is a bit long, and weird.  The executive of each state, typically the Governor, “as soon as practicable” must give “a certificate of ascertainment” , by certified mail, of all the state’s electors to the Archivist of the United States.  If the electors are chosen by votes, the governor has to include the number of votes too.  The governor must also send six duplicates of this certificate to each of the state’s electors.  If there was a controversy, the Governor must also send a certificate stating the outcome of that controversy.  The Archivist must keep all of these certificates for at least one year for public inspection, and give copies to both the house and senate of each and every certificate received.  I’m pretty sure certificate means letter or document in “Old Timey Government English”, and this whole electoral process stems from a time when electors had more power (ie. they were less likely to listen to the state’s voters.)  However, it a nice piece of election tradition as well as a reminder of American history, so, why not? Lets keep going!

3 U.S.C. § 7 (2012) – Meeting and vote of electors

Finally, an easy one.  Electors shall meet and give their votes on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December next following their appointment at such place in each State.  That’s right, again.   The entirety of the nation is well aware of who is going to be the president well before they are actually elected by the electors.

3 U.S.C. § 8 – Manner of Voting

Another easy one.  The electors vote as directed by the constitution.  We’ll save the constitution for another day.

3 U.S.C. § 9 – Certificates of votes for the President and Vice President

The electors must make and sign six certificates, with each certificate containing two lists; one for president and the other for the vice president.  Yes, for each electoral vote they must provide six signed certificates.   They also attach one of the lists of electors given to them by the executive of the state, or Governor, to each certificate.

3 U.S.C. § 10 – Sealing and endorsing certificates

Another easy one- they have to seal and endorse the certificates.  That’s all this law says.  You’d think they could have just rolled that into § 9.

3 U.S.C. § 11 – Disposition of certificates

What do they do with all these new certificates?  § 11 and I are both glad you asked.  The electors deliver the certificates as follows: one to the President of the Senate, one to the Secretary of the State, two to the archivist of the US, and one to the judge of the district where the electors assembled.  The archivist must keep one of the copies in case the president of the senate requests it, and the other for public inspection.

3 U.S.C. § 12– Failure of certificates of electors to reach President of the Senate or Archivist of the United States; demand on State for certificate

This seems to be another section of the law that was much more important before you could pick up a phone and ask the governor; “hey! Governor!  Where are all the certificates?” If the certificates fail to arrive to the President of the Senate or the Archivist by the fourth Wednesday in December, probably a week after the voting, The President of the senate should request the backup certificates from the Secretary of the State.  § 12 also says that the Archivist should serve as back up, and do the requesting if the President of the Senate  is absent.

3 U.S.C. § 13 –  Same; demand on district judge for certificate

The reason for the six certificates, and the preference by the drafters for multiple contingency plans, is becoming more evident.  If the President of the Senate or the Archivist strike out with the Governor, they then should ask the District Judge.

3 U.S.C. § 14 – Forfeiture for messenger’s neglect of duty

So you were supposed to deliver the certificates to the President of the Senate, or Archivist, and you forgot?  Do not pass go.  Forfeit $1000.  Seriously. If you mess this up, by law, you must forfeit $1000.

3 U.S.C. § 15 – Counting electoral votes in congress

Where: The sixth day of January succeeding every meeting of the electors, The House of Representatives

Who: Congress, both houses, the whole thing.

When? 1:00 pm

What: Counting the votes.  This section lays out, in tedious minutia, the rules for counting the electoral votes.  This whole thing is too long to cover here, but some of the highlights are:  The President of the Senate open the envelopes.  The state’s votes are counted in alphabetical order, starting with the letter “A.”  As they are opened, the envelopes should be immediately handed to two previously appointed tellers.  The counts are entered into both the House and Senate Journals.  Objections must be made in writing, and be signed by a member of both the House and Senate.  After all objections to a vote are received and read, the Senate leaves the House so each can debate independently.  But, so long as the electors were correctly certified, there’s not much either body can do.

3 U.S.C.A. § 16 –  Same; seats for officers and Members of two Houses in joint meeting

But where  is everyone going to sit?  Thank goodness, the statutes actually tell us.  President of the Senate: Speakers Chair; Speaker – on the Presidents left;  Senators – the hall on the Right; Representatives – anywhere the Senators are not sitting; Tellers, Secretary of Senate, Clerk of The House – at the Clerks Desk;  Other various officers – in front of the Clerk’s desk and upon each side of the Speaker’s platform.  This section also states that they can’t dissolve the meeting until all the votes are counted and the winner declared.  They cannot take a recess unless they have some question about the votes.  Even then, they cannot declare a recess beyond the next calendar day, Sunday excepted, at 10:00 “in the forenoon.”  If they haven’t completed the counting by the fifth calendar day, they cannot take any more recesses.

3 U.S.C.A. § 17- Same; limit of debate in each House

If the two houses separate to decide on an objection, as per § 15, each Senator or Member can only speak for five minutes, and not more than once.  The whole debate cannot go on more than two hours.  Limited filibustering only.

3 U.S.C.A. § 18 –  Same; parliamentary procedure at joint meeting

The president of the senate has the power to preserve order.

3 U.S.C.A. § 19 –  Vacancy in offices of both President and Vice President; officers eligible to act

Like the constitution, we’ll deal with vacancies at another time.

3 U.S.C.A. § 20 – Resignation or Refusal of Office

….must be in writing and delivered to the secretary of state.  Thank goodness, this is over.

Many law students are overcome with excitement when they find a way to LISTEN to the edited cases found in their law school casebooks.  AudioCasefiles, a part of Lexis Courtroom Cast, offers both individual cases and entire casebooks.

But wait, there’s more.  Courtroom Cast also offers:

CVN News – articles and video clips of legal news coverage
CVN Video Library – over 12,000 hours of on demand courtroom video
CVN Experts – find expert testimony recorded in the courtroom
CVN Training – the ONLY training platform with real courtroom video and expert commentary

Accessing Casebook Audio:

Lexis Casebook Audio contains audio versions of selected cases from your casebooks. To access these audio files, one must scroll down to the bottom of the page, select the proper subject under the heading of “Browse Audio by Casebook,” and then choose the casebook which is being used for your class.  Unlike having a computer read the text of the opinion, these use real people and are much easier to listen to. These audio versions can be very helpful for those who have a significant commute each day. This can also be helpful for those who just get tired of reading so many pages each week.

Courtroom Training:

Upper level students will also appreciate the courtroom training videos. These cover a variety of topics, such as trial advocacy, rules of evidence, and appellate advocacy. The videos break these different skills down into manageable sections and provide commentary and analysis to improve one’s ability to better represent a client. The site also contains videos of complete trials, including many from Georgia. If you were ever interested in how a trial proceeds while in the courtroom, this could be very helpful.

Enjoy!

If you need directions, you can just punch an address into your phone, and within a second, you know exactly what route to take.  There’s an app for that.  Or many apps for that.

When conducting legal research, a researcher is trying to get to a destination–find answers to questions. In unfamiliar areas of law, it can be hard to begin research without  guidance.  There’s a guide for that. Research guides provide a map for a researcher, helping navigate legal sources.

Research guides come in all shapes and sizes.  Some even offer charts and videos.  Here at Georgia State University College of Law Library, we have a variety of guides to help assist our users.  Other libraries also offer a wide range of guides.

So before you start researching an unfamiliar subject, try to find a research guide on your topic. Just like a good map, the guide can help you get from point A to point B with efficiency.

To access our web based guides, go to our LibGuides homepage. Below is a small sample of some of the guides we offer our users:

 General 

• Introduction to Legal Research 
• Free Legal Resources 
• Treatises by Topic

Topic Specific 

• Georgia Legal Research 
• Tax Law – Federal 
• Introduction to Medical Research
• Mergers & Acquisitions Law 

Student Life 

• Life as a Law Student 
• Career Resources 
• Bar Exam Resources 

By John Evans

Most law students love their laptops. Editable, searchable notes which take less space and are much lighter than traditional books and pens. Laptops can also enable access to online textbooks and research platforms—all in the middle of class.  These new age textbooks can substitute lower costs, incorporate all sorts of media, and integrate advanced note taking options.

On the flip side, there is the distraction of social media, online games, articles and newspapers. Are the academic benefits worth the attention drain and temptations?

Some classes greatly benefit from the incorporation of laptops. For example, I found that the ability to update my work in real time while discussing issues in class was of immeasurable help in Foundations and Advocacy. However in more traditional classes, laptops only serve as a note taking devices.

By Dread83

Even professors seem divided on the issue. Some professors have issued outright bans.  Others have embraced technology by abandoning the analog casebook.

Recent academic studies do point to some answers. One study from the University of Michigan, showed that when laptop use is incorporated into classroom, as opposed to just being used to take notes, students report greater classroom engagement.  Another study showed that when laptops were only used for note taking, students who used laptops in class had a statistically significantly lower grade when controlling for academic aptitude. The study also found that 25% of students played games in class and 43% used the laptop to surf the web.

By John Keane

Does this question come down to self-control? Is the onus on us, as students, to uses are laptops more responsibly. Should professors put their foot down and ban laptops?  Is it just another factor helping the cream to rise to the top? Does the ability to concentrate through available distractions demonstrate a useful job skill, thus reflected in a student’s GPA?

What strategies do you use to ensure you only use your laptop for classroom activities?

A 5 Part Series by Blake Williams

With a total of 11 professional sports franchises filing bankruptcy and considering the unique ways that franchises attempt to use it to their advantage, bankruptcy has truly become a peculiar feat within sports culture.  While the rate of filings among professional sports franchises is not very high, three MLB franchises and two NHL franchises have filed for chapter 11 protection within the last seven years.  While these franchises’ respective circumstances have been unique, most of their financial troubles were caused by the majority owner defaulting on loans, disputes between the league and the franchise, or subpar performance on the field leading to poor support from the local community (the Cubs being the notable exception).  Overall, team bankruptcies must be judged as successes because 9 of the 11 franchises successfully reorganized and remain active in the same city they were in when they filed.

It’s particularly peculiar, that of the 11 franchises that filed bankruptcy over the last 45 years, six of them have been from the National Hockey League.^[1]  Patricia Moses of Portfolio 101 explained that, “It turns out that NHL teams have a higher likelihood of failure because the teams have less cash flow and the owners usually have a lower net worth than owners of other sports franchises”.^[2]  The NHL has 30 teams, which means that 20 percent of the league has filed for bankruptcy protection at least once. The Pittsburgh Penguins are the only team that has filed twice. Also, the Cleveland Barons were the last major league sports franchise to cease operations due to its bankruptcy filing and subsequent merger with the Minnesota North Stars (now the Dallas Stars).

The MLB seems to have caught the latest bankruptcy bug.  The MLB has had five franchises file for bankruptcy, with three of the filings having occurred since 2009. This means that one out of six franchises have filed.  The most interesting fact is that as of recent, it’s not the small-market teams that are filing, but rather the big-market teams.^[3]  No NFL or NBA teams have ever filed for bankruptcy protection.^[4]

Stay Tuned for Part II: Reasons Teams File for Bankruptcy

[1] Patricia Moses, 4 Reasons Pro Sports Team File for Bankruptcy, Investopedia (Mar. 9, 2011),  http://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0311/4-reasons-pro-sports-teams-file-for-bankruptcy.aspx.

[2] Patricia Moses, 4 Reasons Pro Sports Team File for Bankruptcy, Investopedia (Mar. 9, 2011),  http://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0311/4-reasons-pro-sports-teams-file-for-bankruptcy.aspx.

[3] Matt Egan, The Latest Weapon in the Pro Sports Playbook: Bankruptcy, Media Advertising: FOXBusiness (July 01, 2011), http://www.foxbusiness.com/features/2011/06/30/pro-teams-throw-chapter-11-into-playbooks.html.

[4] Joseph Checkler, Sports Teams’ Secret to Success After Bankruptcy: File Again!, The Wall Street Journal (June 27, 2011), http://blogs.wsj.com/bankruptcy/2011/06/27/sports-teams-secret-to-success-after-bankruptcy-file-again/.

Now that you are a month into the semester, you might be looking for some new dining options. You’re studying hard, spending long hours on campus, the student organization kick-offs that provide free food are dwindling, and you may be tired of the cuisine available within walking distance or in the law school. You could walk to your car, fight traffic, and drive in search of food more suitable to your palette, but with the study hours required for law school, ain’t nobody got time for that!

by Jean Fortunet

There is a solution for bored taste buds. Downtown Atlanta is a foodie’s heaven. Although all of the tasty meals may not be in walking distance, the COL’s urban location offers a variety of delivery options. In fact, there are so many options that the delivery services compete with each other by offering discounts (sometimes FREE) delivery on initial orders, and many offer referral fees. Plan your meals as carefully as you craft a legal memo in Lawyering Foundations, and you may eat cheap for a few weeks!

One of the College of Law’s numerous informative events put together by student organizations last year. This panel was organized by the American Constitution Society and discussed the passing of Justice Scalia.

by Veselin Simonov

If you are not a part of a student organization or club – then what are you waiting for?! The College of Law has over 25 different student organizations and one of them will surely catch your eye! From constitutional law to labor and employment – we have it all and you can check them out here.

If you are already part of a student organization, chances are your board will want to set up an event. To do that, you would need to reserve a room. Room reservations were previously done via email, however the College of Law recently began handling room reservations through the Online Event Management System (EMS). EMS is a simple, hassle-free way to reserve lecture halls and event space for speaker and panel-style events. This system is not for reserving library study rooms – you will still have to do that at the fifth floor desk or online.

To access EMS, go to the Events tab on InsideLaw. If you choose Internal Calendar, it will show you everything occurring in the College of Law on a particular day, including all the classes. If you choose Public Calendar, it will show you more typical “events,” like programs put on by CSO or by student organizations. To access EMS, select “Add an Event”. If you have not used the system before, you will have to submit an access request. You will typically receive permission to access the system within 24-36 hours of your request.

Once you have been granted access, you can request a room by going to “Reservations”. This will take you to a scheduling page where you need to enter some basic details about your event like date, time, expected attendance, etc. Once you complete your search, simply select a room from those shown as available and complete the booking (which formally requests permission to use the room). If you encounter any problems with the system, please contact College of Law staff by emailing lawevents@gsu.org.

By Colleen Hampton

The first semester of the 2016-17 school year is underway and the building is buzzing with a special kind of caffeine-induced energy.  It’s the energy that comes with a fresh crop of 1L’s. Welcome to this wild, overwhelming world of legal education. 1L hell, as some call it, can be tricky but it doesn’t have to be the end of life as you know it.

Life in law school is all about balance and GSU COL has helpful resources to assist you in finding the ideal balance. Here are some helpful tips from those who survived 1L hell:

1. Do your reading. Being prepared is a pretty big deal in law school (okay, it’s the biggest deal).  I wish I had a sassy quip to make light of this one but, no. It’s simply unprofessional to show up to class without having done the reading.  Read your cases.
2. Start outlining earlier. You don’t have to know how the black letter law fits together in order to outline. Use your syllabus or table of contents in your book to begin. Both should have a useful framework in which you can insert your notes. This will help tremendously when November rolls around and exams are looming over you.
3. Attend the Academic Success lectures. This law school stuff is new to you and that’s okay. The Academic Success Program includes a series of lectures covering subjects from ‘study groups’ to ‘exam strategies’ and everything in between. You can find the schedule for the Academic Success lectures on inside law.
4. Take care of yourself. This is an absolute must. You are working hard to develop the discipline necessary to hack it in law school but don’t forget to recharge your batteries (yes, even if it means you take a break from reading). The Mindfulness in Law Society offers advantage of the Mindfulness Wednesdays beginning in September as well as Yoga classes on Wednesday morning (beginning September 20th from 7:20-8:20) and Tuesday afternoon (beginning September 21st from 4:30-5:30).  Contact the President of the Mindfulness in Law Society, for more information.
5. Find a study group. Studying with others is important for a lot of students. Finding the right group may take time and that’s okay. When you found your study group start meeting sooner than you think necessary. Use your time to run over questions you have from the reading or discuss hypos from one of the study aids in the library. Working together early (before the exam crunch) will help you find the group that works best for you and give you a solid foundation when the panic of exams sets in.

Ultimately, there is no ‘right’ way to law school. Everybody learns differently and has different needs. If you are neck deep in your first semester of law school it can feel pretty overwhelming but do not despair. Try your hand at some of these suggestions, we hope they are helpful. Know that law school is survivable. You can do this.

Survived 1L hell? What worked for you? Share you tips and tricks with the incoming class.

Grab some friends and have some fun!

by Veselin Simonov

Have you had a long study session recently? Have you been stressed out about classes? Do you feel like you would rather eat your casebook than read another long, complicated case? If you answered “yes” to any of those questions, you may have fallen victim to a particularly nasty case of study fatigue.

But fret not, intrepid soon-to-be legal scholars! If you’re looking for a fun remedy that’s close at hand, then look no further than the fifth floor library desk! Believe it or not, we’ve got stuff that’s even more entertaining than study aids and flash cards (though those certainly come in handy for exam prep!). We also have a selection of wonderful board and card games and we welcome you to grab some friends and try them out!

Feel like a nice, relaxing game of chess? We’ve got you covered! Chess not your cup of tea? You can use the board with the checkers set that’s also included! Or maybe you and a few friends would like to play some bridge. No problem – just check out a deck of Bicycle playing cards. We’ve got other card games too. Apples to Apples will entertain a crowd of 4 to 10 players. Or you could give something like Uno or Phase 10 a shot. Think you can beat all your friends at Dominoes? Just rent out the library set and show them what you’re made of! Would you rather dust off your vocabulary skills? Then grab our Scrabble set and check out a dictionary while you’re at it. And if cribbage is more your game, then you are in the right place!

There are plenty of ways to beat stress in law school. Board and card games are an especially effective method. They are fun, social activities that will build bonds with your classmates and help you relax after a brutal day of critical thinking and learning new legal concepts. We hope you consider putting this valuable library resource to good use!