The Goodson Blogson

A new 12th edition of Black's Law Dictionary was published in June. Once the library's hard copies arrive and are processed, you will find a print copy at the Reserve Desk and on the dictionary stand in the library Reading Room. Online, the Black's Law Dictionary database on Westlaw has already incorporated the 12th edition changes. (To access it on Westlaw Precision, type BLACKS into the main search bar and select the source from the drop-down suggestions, or retrieve it from the Secondary Sources content menu.) What's new in the 2024 edition? As with the 2019 update, the publisher promises a revision to every single page . More than 2,500 new terms (such as ghost gun and shadow docket ) have been added, bringing the total number of definitions higher than 70,000. Last month, longtime editor Bryan A. Garner joined David Lat's Original Jurisdiction podcast to discuss the new edition and his editorial process for revising the much-cited source. Of course, w...

Congratulations to the class of 2021! As new Duke Law alumni, you are eligible for continuing access to a number of library resources. As we shared in our post from March 26 , recent Law School graduates can access Bloomberg Law , Lexis , and Westlaw following graduation, with different restrictions set by each research service. There are many other campus library resources available to all alumni, not just recent graduates. An important first step is to register for a Duke OneLink Account . Any campus resource available to alumni will have a Duke OneLink login in addition to a NetID login.   Alumni with OneLink accounts can access research databases like ProQuest, JSTOR, and several e-book platforms via the Duke Alumni Library Online Access page. While alumni are welcome to use the online catalog to determine whether Duke has access to a resource, online databases are only available to alumni via the special alumni access portal. Alumni can also create a RefWorks account to...

"I've been searching case law for a while, and I'm not finding anything helpful!" If that sounds familiar, consider picking up a treatise instead. Secondary sources often provide a better starting place for legal research than searching in case law databases, since they will provide a bigger-picture overview of the legal concepts and terminology, along with footnotes to selected primary law like court opinions and statutes. But how do you decide which treatise to consult? Simply searching the campus libraries' online catalog can present a dizzying array of results, and it isn't obvious there which ones are also available online in Law School-only databases like Westlaw , Lexis Advance , or Bloomberg Law . Below are some recommended resources to find the right treatise for your research topic. Appendix B of Olson's textbook Legal Research in a Nutshell (on Course Reserve) contains a brief list of selected legal treatises by subject, with information ...

The Goodson Law Library research guide to Legal Research for Non-Lawyers was updated this summer with several new resources in our collection. The library maintains a small print reference collection of legal books written for a general audience, many published by the self-help law publisher Nolo Press . Some newly-added or updated titles in the guide (and the library Reference collection) include: Emily Doskow & Frederick Hertz, Making It Legal: A Guide to Same-Sex Marriage, Domestic Partnership & Civil Unions , 4th ed. (Ref. KF539.A23 .M25 2016). Updated Nolo Press title on same-sex marriage and other legal unions. Cora Jordan, Neighbor Law: Fences, Trees, Boundaries & Noise , 9th ed. (Ref. KF639.Z9J67 2017). Updated Nolo Press title dealing with all aspects of neighbor disputes. Deanne Morgan, Become an Informed Caregiver: What You Should Know When Caring for an Aging Loved One (Ref .RA645.3 .M68 2016). Written by a Duke Law legal research instructor, this is an ...

Spring appellate brief writing assignments mean that dictionaries are in high demand around the library. But what dictionaries are the best to cite in a legal writing project? Which dictionaries are the most commonly consulted by courts? And what are your options for locating the full text in the library or online? Specialized Legal Dictionaries If you need the definition of a legal term, you'll want to begin with a law dictionary , rather than a basic English dictionary. There are three well-known U.S. legal dictionaries, and the current edition of each is electronically available on one of the major legal research services. Black's Law Dictionary is the most-cited legal dictionary in U.S. case law, by a wide margin. Currently in its tenth edition (2014), the latest version of Black's can be consulted in the Reference and Reserve collection on Level 3 of the library; as well as online in Westlaw . Previous editions of Black's can be found in the Superseded R...

It's been said – many times – that the correct answer to most legal questions is "It depends." While it may be clichéd, the statement does emphasize how each legal situation is completely unique, and governed by a complex mix of the facts, the jurisdiction, and the controlling legal authority. 50-state surveys are an excellent tool for comparing the differences between jurisdictions on a particular legal matter. The latest edition of the National Survey of State Laws (7th ed. 2015) recently landed in the Goodson Law Library's Reference Collection. Like the previous editions, this reference work provides charts comparing state legislation on various topics, both civil and criminal. New this year, though, is an accompanying electronic edition of the National Survey series in HeinOnline . Get up to speed on state-by-state differences on such topics as legal ages (for parental emancipation, ability to sue, ability to make contracts, etc.), the minimum wage , and cri...

With final exams on the horizon, we wanted to review some important library information and resources to help you through the end of the semester. Library Access Exam time brings a temporary change to the library's access policy , most notably in the evening hours. From now until the end of exams (Friday, December 18), access to the Goodson Law Library for study purposes will be limited to current Duke Law students, faculty and staff. Card-swipe access to the library entrance will be required after 5:00 p.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends. Members of the Duke University community or general public who require access to the library for legal research purposes should contact the library service desk for assistance during reference service hours (Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.). Additional study space is available to all throughout the building, such as in the Star Commons. Getting Technical If you will use your laptop to take an exam, make sure you have ...

The Goodson Law Library has just received the latest – and last – print volume of DARE, better known by its full title, the Dictionary of American Regional English . This massive, decades-long effort to document spoken English across America can be found in our Reference Collection at the call number Ref PE2843 .D52 1985. The set is arranged as follows: Volume I (1985):  A – C Volume II (1991): D – H Volume III (1996): I - O Volume IV (2002): P – Sk Volume V (2012):  Sl – Z Volume VI (2013): maps, indexes, questionnaire, and field data DARE has a fascinating history, which began in 1889 with the founding of the American Dialect Society. The dictionary's web home at the University of Wisconsin outlines the print edition's development and format. Individual entries attempt to trace the earliest appearance of a term into American English, and also identify the region(s) where the word/phrase is most commonly used. The latest volume is an intriguing conclusion to the set...

Last week, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor visited Sesame Street to explain the concept of a "career" to Abby Cadabby. Justice Sotomayor is no stranger to the educational program's young viewers, having previously appeared earlier in 2012 to decide the case of Baby Bear v. Goldilocks. But her latest appearance coincided perfectly with the beginning of interview season for first-year law students, who can undoubtedly relate to Abby's excitement – and confusion – about the many possible career paths that she might choose. While our 1Ls probably don't have a SCOTUS justice on speed-dial, they do have a lot of resources at their disposal to help make their job searches easier. First and foremost is the Duke Law Career Center , whose Career Paths website outlines and describes common professional areas like private practice, public interest, academia, and even international opportunities. The 1L Career Toolkit provides invaluable guidance for each of t...

The Goodson Law Library recently updated its guide to Legal Research for Non-Lawyers . The new additions include an extensive list of local and national services for legal referrals , maintained by the Duke Law School Pro Bono Project. New links to free legal research resources like Google Scholar (for case law) and the American Bar Association's Law Reviews & Journals Search (for articles) have also been added. By far, though, the biggest change to the guide was the addition of e-book versions (where available) of popular Nolo Press self-help guides via the Legal Information Reference Center . These electronic versions may be used on-site by library visitors or off-campus by those with a current Duke University NetID. In many cases, the version available online is more recent than the library’s Reference Collection copies, which are updated less frequently. Some highlights: Paul Bergman & Sara J. Berman-Barrett. Represent Yourself in Court: How to Prepare and Try a W...

Welcome to our new students, and welcome back to our returning students! The Fall 2011 semester is about to begin, and the Goodson Law Library is ready for the typical questions we hear around this time of year: Are you ever open later than 5:00 p.m.? Yes! While the library is always "open" to Duke Law students (who enjoy 24-hour access with their DukeCards), the library service desk will resume evening and weekend hours on Sunday, August 21 . See the Hours & Directions page for information. Staffing hours vary a bit across the three service points (Circulation/Reserve, Reference, and Computing Help), but generally the desk will be staffed until 9 p.m. on weeknights, 5:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 6:00 or 9:00 p.m. on Sundays (depending on the service point). Does the library have copies of my textbooks on Reserve? Maybe! Historically, the library's textbook collection has been the "luck of the draw;" we always buy extra copies of casebooks...

The end of the semester brings some important changes to the Goodson Law Library’s access and service hours. Please note this information for reading/examination period and beyond: Library Services Effective Monday 4/18, the Reference Services desk will be open from Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Circulation/Reserve desk and the Academic Technologies Help Desk will continue evening and weekend service hours until the end of the examination period. Effective Friday, May 6, all three library service desks will operate under summer hours (Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), and will resume evening and weekend service at the start of the Fall 2011 semester. Library access To ensure that adequate quiet study space is available for law students, use of the Goodson Law Library for study purposes during the Law School’s reading/exam period (Tuesday 4/19 to Friday 5/6) is limited to current Duke Law students, faculty and staff. University students, faculty and staff who...

It's reading & examination period at the Law School, and that means our students are busily preparing outlines and reviewing class notes. As stress levels rise and preparation time grows short, the Goodson Blogson wants to review some of the most common questions at the service desk lately. Library Access As previously reported (both here and in certain other legal blogs of note), exam time brings a temporary change to the library’s access policy, most notably in the evening hours. From now until the end of exams (Saturday, December 18), access to the Goodson Law Library for study purposes will be limited to current Duke Law students, faculty and staff. Card-swipe access to the library entrance will be required after 5:00 p.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends. Members of the Duke University community who require access to the library for research purposes should contact the library service desk for assistance. Additional study space is available to all throughout the bui...

Legal terminology is full of confusing Latin phrases; even everyday English words can take on a different meaning in the legal context (such as willful or consideration ). Legal dictionaries such as Black’s Law Dictionary (Ref KF156 .B53 and on Westlaw) provide some help, but often the definitions themselves contain more confusing terms to be looked up. When you just need a quick, simple translation from legalese to English, there are a few web-based resources that can help. Cornell’s Legal Information Institute offers Wex , a free legal dictionary/encyclopedia (definitions linked at http://topics.law.cornell.edu/wex/category/wex_definitions ). Everybody’s Legal Glossary ( http://www.nolo.com/glossary.cfm ) is maintained by Nolo Press, a publisher known for its legal self-help books. For iPhone users, Nolo also offers a free app containing its new Plain-English Law Dictionary (check out a recent review with download link at the iPhone J.D. blog ). The Goodson Law Library owns many ...

While The Bluebook remains the style manual of choice for most law reviews and legal journals, there are times when it does not answer a particular citation question. Often, journals and law reviews will designate a non-legal citation manual, such as the Chicago Manual of Style , to control citation of document types (or other matters) not covered by Bluebook . Other, more interdisciplinary, journals may use a non-legal manual exclusively, such as the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association . This means that academics who are preparing manuscripts for publications (as well as the student research assistants or journal editors who are helping to format citations correctly) need to be aware of citation manuals beyond The Bluebook . The Goodson Law Library maintains a collection of selected non-legal citation manuals in its Reference Collection (Level 3). Their locations, as well as electronic access through the University, are noted below: • Chicago Manual of Style ...

During the month of December, the Law Library Reference Desk will be staffed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday . Night and weekend reference will resume at the start of spring 2008 classes, on Sunday, January 6. The Circulation Desk will maintain regular hours during the examination period, and will begin operating under winter break hours (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.) on Saturday, December 15. As always, current members of the Duke Law community will retain 24-hour access to the Law School and Law Library with a valid DukeCard. For more information, see the Library's Hours & Directions page.

The Law Library Reference Desk has always been just a telephone call or e-mail away. But did you know that you can also reach us by instant message, at any time the reference desk is staffed ? Add “ DukeLawReference ” to your buddy list for your AOL Instant Messenger, MSN Messenger, or Yahoo! Messenger account. Stuck on a computer with no IM software? Try Meebo ( http://www.meebo.com/ ), a free service which allows you to send messages straight from the Web, with no software installation required.