The Goodson Blogson

Hard to believe that the fall semester is coming to an end! After the Thanksgiving holiday break, there's just one week of classes left to get your exam plans in order. Fortunately, the Goodson Law Library is here to help – and not just for quiet study space. Past exams , if your professor chooses to make them available, will be linked on your course's Sakai site. The library does not maintain a database of past Law School examinations from recent years. (We do have some in the archives dating from the 1930s to the 1990s, but those aren't going to help you by now.) However, help is still available if your professor opts not to share a sample exam. General law school exam-taking advice can be found by searching the Duke Libraries Catalog for the subject "Law Examinations – United States." Study aids can supplement your class material, clearing up any lingering confusion about a particular topic. West Academic Library Study Aids provides full-text access to ...

Last week, former White House lawyer Steven J. Menashi was confirmed 51-41 to a lifetime judicial appointment on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, over strong objections from Senate Democrats over Menashi's role in developing White House immigration policies and his past writings on LGBTQ issues. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer described the nominee as "one of the most contemptible" he had ever considered during his time in the Senate, and Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine even crossed party lines to vote against his confirmation. Despite this controversy, Menashi had received a rating of "Well Qualified" from the American Bar Association's Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary , which has played a role in the federal judicial nomination process since the Eisenhower administration. The history of the ABA's evaluation process was described last year in the ABA Journal . The committee itself also provides a detailed ba...

It's that time of year again! Since 2009, the Goodson Blogson has proudly provided an almost-annual roundup of law-themed gift ideas for the lawyers and law students in your life. Entries for previous years in this series (minus 2012, when we somehow forgot) can be found in the blog archives . Does your workaholic loved one need a little help with unplugging? Maybe work and/or school schedules don't leave much time for long vacations or travel planning. Consider giving a gift code to the "surprise travel agency" Pack Up & Go , which plans 3-day plane, train, or road trips around the United States whose final destinations are kept secret until the day of travel. Travelers complete a brief planning survey to gauge their interests, and the agency develops a suitable itinerary, advising travelers of necessary information like the weather forecast and any special items to pack. Travelers receive their itinerary via mail and email shortly before their departure. Eve...

The Goodson Law Library has added the International module to its Tax Analysts subscription ( featured in the Goodson Blogson last December ). This new module includes full-text access to the Tax Notes International magazine (browseable to 2001, and searchable back to 1989) and the daily news publication, Tax Notes Today International (browseable to 1999). Use of the Tax Analysts platform requires a username and password. Current members of the Duke University community may register with their duke.edu email address for access. To access the international materials, log in to Tax Analysts . The red "International" link in the top right corner will show the Tax Notes Today International home page; a link to the Tax Notes International magazine can be found by scrolling down to the "Magazines" section of the Tax Analysts home page. The orange "Subscriptions" drop-down menu in the top right corner will link to both international publications as well. Fo...