The Goodson Blogson

Need a quick overview of a country's law and practice on a particular topic? We've previously written about the helpfulness of Foreign Law Guide and GlobaLex as starting places to locate legal information from non-U.S. countries. A secondary source set which is frequently cited in those resources is the International Encyclopaedia of Laws (IEL) . IEL volumes are published for 25 topics, including Criminal Law, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Intellectual Property, Commercial and Economic Law, Sports Law, Competition (antitrust), and Environmental Law. Formerly available at Duke as looseleaf print publications (which are no longer updated at the Goodson Law Library), the series is maintained electronically for the Duke community and on-site visitors via the International Encyclopaedia of Laws database. (Individual IEL titles will also be directly linked in the Duke Libraries Catalog with a keyword search for the appropriate topic. For example, a catalog search for internat...

Many law students will never take a class on admiralty and maritime law , but it is a complex and specialized area of law which presents some research challenges. Not to be confused with law of the sea (focused on broader public international law issues), admiralty and maritime law focuses on commercial activity or navigation at sea. Developed not from the common-law tradition but from historical customs related to shipping, admiralty and maritime law has a long history, a unique terminology, and many dedicated resources. Fortunately, there are several research guides to help you navigate these unfamiliar waters. The brand-new Admiralty and Maritime Law: A Legal Research Guide (KF1096 .T63 2017) will point readers to relevant primary and secondary resources. Additional help can be found in Chapter 7 of Specialized Legal Research , 2d ed. 2014 (Ref Desk KF240 .S642), which is devoted to Admiralty and Maritime Law resources. Key secondary sources which are available to the Duke Law...

Working toward a judicial clerkship opportunity, or just want to learn more about the possibilities? The Goodson Law Library has just received the new title Behind the Bench: The Guide to Judicial Clerkships , 2d ed. 2016. Author Debra M. Strauss, a lawyer and former judicial clerk, outlines the types of work that clerks will do, and provides advice on the application and interviewing process. Chapters describe the different types of clerkships in both state and federal court systems, and give tips for choosing the court and judge that will suit you best. Interview advice, and sample questions, are also included. There's also a chapter of research tools for learning more about an individual judge. Additional resources on judge analytics can be found in the recent Goodson Blogson post Judge for Yourself . For more information about researching clerkship opportunities or individual judges, check out the library's research guide to Directories of Courts and Judges or Ask a Libr...