Seattle University Law Library

Check it Out: Ghosts of Mississippi

law librarian — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:00:59 +0000

Medgar Evers was a black civil rights activist who was murdered in Mississippi in 1963. Byron De La Beckwith, a white supremacist, was suspected and tried twice for the murder of Evers. Both trials ended in a hung jury. Evers widow spent 30 years trying to get a conviction, and with the help of attorney Bobby DeLaughter found [...]

Course Reserves

law librarian — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:00:40 +0000

Looking for material your professor has placed on Course Reserve in the Library? Course reserve materials can be found under the Course Reserve Search Tab on the law library catalog. Search by class name or professor name. Most print materials are located in call number order or in numerical file folders in the Reserve area.

Got Jury Duty?

law librarian — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:00:28 +0000

Most law students realize that the U.S. justice system relies on citizens willing to serve on jury duty. To be eligible for jury service, you must be at least 18 years of age, a citizen of the United States, a resident of the county in which you are to serve as a juror, and you [...]

Today in Legal History: Dawes Severalty Act Signed, Tribes Further Dispossessed, February 8, 1887

law librarian — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:00:56 +0000

On February 8, 1887, President Grover Cleveland signed the Dawes Act, dividing up tribal lands into plots for individuals to farm. The effect of the Act was to weaken tribes, break up traditional families, and put Indian lands into non-Indian hands. Under the Act, farmers did not get ownership of the land for 25 years; [...]

Featured Database: ProQuest Congressional Digital Research Collection

law librarian — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:00:00 +0000

The Congressional Digital Research Collection is a database that includes comprehensive coverage of Congressional Research Service reports from 2004 to present. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is a legislative branch agency that conducts policy research for members of Congress. Reports are prepared by nationally recognized experts on a wide variety of topics. The LexisNexis Congressional [...]

Why Circuit Court Splits Matter

law librarian — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 03:00:20 +0000

When federal circuit courts are divided in their opinions an issue may be “ripe” for review and taken up by the U.S. Supreme Court. This also means the issue might be a great subject for legal research or publication. Until fairly recently, if you wanted to track splits of opinion in the federal circuit courts [...]

Check it Out: Malcolm X

law librarian — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:00:39 +0000

Watch the journey of one of America’s most influential black leaders, Malcolm X. Directed by Spike Lee, this is the film dramatization of Malcolm X’s life, played by Denzel Washington, from a criminal life to civil rights leader through his religious conversion to Islam.

Red Scare Era Law Still on the Books

law librarian — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:00:48 +0000

The Seattle Times reports that Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon, D-Burien, is working to remove a law from 1951 that penalizes subversive people and organizations. The law was part of Washington’s un-American activities committee led by late state Rep. Albert Canwell, R-Spokane. Read the full article here. Read the text of the bill here.

This Week in Legal History: First session of first Supreme Court, February 1st, 1790

law librarian — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:00:04 +0000

The first Supreme Court met on February 1st, 1790. The first appointees were John Jay (Chief Justice), John Rutledge, William Cushing, John Blair, Robert Harrison, and James Wilson. They met in the Royal Exchange Building in New York. The court would not have real power until John Marshall took over and Marbury v. Madison was [...]

Finding Non-Legal Sources

law librarian — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:00:55 +0000

Most of the databases the law library subscribes to contain legal materials, but what do you do when need non-legal sources? Use the databases available through our undergraduate library. You can access all Lemieux’s resources by following the link at the top of our databases tab.