LexisNexis and Westlaw provide only limited access to students during the summer between June 30th and August 1st.

Students wishing to use their LexisNexis and Westlaw student accounts for a qualifying academic purpose may register to extend their access through the summer. Full access for continuing, non-graduating students will be restored on August 1st. See LexisNexis and Westlaw Student Summer Access for more information.

I know right now it seems like summer (or even next fall) may be a long time away, like you can’t even think past the time that you have your Ames oral argument, or getting that final seminar paper done.  However, it will be here before you know it!

If you are going to a job this summer or fall that you think will involve some corporate or securities legal research, then you may want to consider attending our legal research class on April 10th, at 3 p.m. To sign up, just click here.  The class will be held in Hauser 105.  If you have any questions, please contact .

This session just might save you from a lot of headaches and stress this summer and next fall!

Upcoming Lecture and Book Signing

On April 30, Dr. Norman Daniels, Professor of Population Ethics and Health at the Harvard School of Public Health, will lecture on topics from his new book: Just Health: Meeting Health Needs Fairly, which presents a comprehensive theory of justice for health in both developed and developing countries.  What is the special moral importance of health?  When are health inequalities unjust? How can we meet health needs fairly when we cannot meet them all? 
This lecture is open to the public. A book signing and reception will follow.

April 30, 2008
4:30 p.m.
Minot Room, 5th floor Countway Library
10 Shattuck Street, Boston

In case the reading room isn’t as quiet as you had hoped, please remember that designer earplugs are available at the Langdell Circulation Desk.  Stop by and ask for a pair any time!

If you are writing a paper or just want to learn about how to do research in the areas related to Food and Drug Law, Budget Policy, Immigration Law, or Corporations and Securities Law before you go to your summer or fall job, then consider signing up for a workshop today! Want to learn more? Just email or take a look at the workshop descriptions.

We promise, you’ll learn more than you would by just going to Wikipedia (not that there’s anything wrong with that.)

Well, we know you’re probably already a Law Library fan.  (If not, why!) But now, you can proclaim your fan-dom in facebook when you check out our new (as of January 29) HLSL facebook page.

Although the page is still in development, you can already search Worldcat, read EtSeq, or look for a JSTOR article (when you reach the “Accessing JSTOR” page, use the LibEx right-click menu to reload for full text access) all in the comfort of your cozy facebook environment.  Watch for more apps like Chat and HOLLIS searching soon.

This Friday and Saturday, HLS Librarian and Professor Terry Martin will be hosting a conference entitled “Spoils of War v. Cultural Heritage: The Russian Cultural Property Law in Historical Context.”

This conference will take place in the Langdell South Classroom. Click here for extensive conference details.

There is no charge for the conference, but attendees must register in advance. Click here to register.

Extended Library hours for Reading and Exam period

To accommodate additional studying needs, the library hours for Langdell will be extended during the reading and exam period beginning Sunday, December 2nd to Thursday, December 21st.  The hours are listed below: 

Langdell
Beginning at 8:00 a.m. December 2nd and ending at 6:00p.m. December 21st, the Langdell section of the Law School Library will be open 24 hours a day.  Services will be available during the following hours:

Langdell
Monday-Friday: 7:00a.m-2:00a.m.
Saturday-Sunday: 8:00a.m.-2:00a.m.

ILS
Monday-Thursday: 8:00a.m-Midnight
Friday: 8:00 a.m.- 9:00p.m.
Saturday: 8:30a.m-9:00 p.m.
Sunday: 9:00a.m-Midnight

*Thursday, December 21st both Langdell and ILS will close at 6:00p.m.

A print-friendly version of the Library hours for the month of December is available on the library website.

http://www.law.harvard.edu/library/about/hours.php

**During the Reading and Exam period, the library has a restricted access policy.  Only Harvard Law School affiliates and people with a specific need to use the collection are admitted during this time.  The Law School Library is not to be used as a general study hall space for those not directly affiliated with the Law School.

Whether you’re writing your paper this semester or next, these workshops can help you select a topic, or just do better research more efficiently. 

Register now for these one-hour workshops:

Selecting and Refining Your Paper Topic - Friday, October 12, 10:15 a.m.
Locating Data Sources for Empirical Research - Thursday, October 18, 11 a.m.
Researching Public Policy Issues for Lawyers - Thursday, November 15, 3 p.m.

Get more information here.

Can’t make the workshops?  You can still get individual help.  Email to arrange for a research consultation on your paper topic.  Please include in your email information about your topic and your availability.  Please note that our research consultation service is limited to users affiliated with the Harvard Law School.  In order to do the necessary research and to accommodate your available times, we will usually need a minimum notice of 3 business days before scheduling the consultation. 

On the occasion of the inauguration of the 28th President of Harvard University, the University Archives will present ““‘Whereas . . . ‘ The Harvard Charter of 1650,” for two days only.  In addition to the Charter, the exhibition will display “the oldest-surviving record book, known as ‘College Book I,’ dating back to the early years of the 17th century; the Harvard Seals of 1643, 1843, and 1885; and silver ceremonial keys made in 1846.”

With the Charter, these Harvard treasures will be presented to Drew Gilpin Faust at her installation on October 12.  They will be on display in the University Archives Conference Room, Pusey Library, on October 11, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and on October 12, from 10:00 a.m. until noon, and from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m.

The public is invited to a celebration and reception in the Pusey Library Lobby on October 9, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.

Proof print of an engraving of the President’s Chair executed to illustrate ‘The History of Harvard University’ by Josiah Quincy, 1840. Original drawing by Quincy’s daughter, Eliza.

To mark the inauguration of Drew Gilpin Faust as the 28th President of Harvard University, the University Archives will present an exhibition of holdings related to each of the previous presidents since 1640.  “Persuasion, Persistence, and Power: A History of the Harvard Presidency” will be on display in Pusey Library from October 3 - 19, weekdays from 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

The public is invited to a celebration and reception October 9, from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m., in the Pusey Library Lobby .

This semester, the library is leading one-hour workshops on researching alternative dispute resolution, cyberlaw, environmental law, family law, health & disability law, and immigration law. All interested students are welcome to attend. Click here for more information.

Every day is a great day to love your library, but on Wednesday, you can really FEEL the love!

The 3d Annual Love Your Library Fest
Wednesday, September 19, 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.

The Harvard Law School Library is hosting its annual “Love Your Library Fest”!

* Complete a quick scavenger hunt and automatically win a free movie ticket plus a chance to win a digital camera!
* Live demos of InfoAdvantage, CCH, LexisNexis and Westlaw
* Giveaways
* Lots of Candy
* AND MORE!

Come on in and “check it out”!

HLS reference librarians will be giving several tours this month for groups of up to 15 at a time, going over the basics of what you should know about using the library.

Tours will start by the Langdell circulation desk at the library entrance and will last approximately 30 minutes.

Sign up for a tour here.

All students in the First-Year Legal Research and Writing Program (LRW) are encouraged to attend both a LexisNexis and a Westlaw introductory training class or to complete the online HLSL LexisNexis & Westlaw Tutorial.

In order to fully participate in the LRW legal research classes, you’ll need to be able to perform this basic set of LexisNexis & Westlaw skills: sign on and off; locate a case by citation; select a database; construct a terms and connectors search; view, navigate, print, download and email search results; and view and manipulate your research history.

If you can already do these things, great! Just register your accounts and you’re ready to research. Note that if you’ve used LexisNexis or Westlaw as an undergraduate, the law school versions have very different interfaces than the ones you are familiar with—they are, however, virtually identical to the versions used at law firms.

If you aren’t familiar with one or both systems, the tutorial will take you through the essentials.  Or, if you prefer to take a class, the Library is sponsoring 60-minute (30 minutes each) back-to-back introductory LexisNexis & Westlaw classes taught by our account representatives. All classes take place in the Langdell Computer Classroom (L233) located on two north. Go here for more information as well as links to the training schedules and sign ups.

LexisNexis & Westlaw accounts were distributed to you at registration. If you have not received your accounts, please stop by the Langdell reference desk on the fourth floor of the Library.  Please be sure to register your accounts as soon as possible—see the instructions provided on your LexisNexis & Westlaw account cards.

Feel free to contact the reference librarian on duty at the Langdell reference desk, langref@law.harvard.edu, 617-495-4516 with any questions.