In conjunction with Seattle University’s Center for Professional Development, there will be two Lexis trainings next week introducing students to searches and sources available on LexisNexis to help gain an edge in networking and job searching. These classes will cover:

• How to target both SU Law alumni as well as undergraduate alumni
• Using the News to gain an edge in information gathering
• Additional quick searches to conduct for more interview talking points
• …and more!

Everyone who attends one of these classes will receive 400 points and free food will be provided at both sessions. Plus, amongst everyone who attends, one new Video iPod Nano (8gb) will be raffled away! There will be one iPod raffled amongst all of the attendees from both sessions. Winner will be notified via email.

If you plan on attending one of these trainings, PLEASE RSVP so we know how much food to order. You can either register online at the MySchool page or send an email to aaron.meyers@lexisnexis.com with the date/time of your choice. The schedule is as follows:

Tuesday, Nov 17 – 1pm in the Courtroom
Wednesday, Nov 18 – 12pm in Room 109

On October 20th, the United States Supreme Court granted cert to a case that will decide whether the federal courts can grant the release of Guantanamo detainees into the U.S. According to the New York Times, the case involves 13 Uighur men who were captured in Afghanistan or Pakistan after the September 11th attacks and who have posed no threat according to the U.S. government. Since Bermuda and Palau have already accepted all but one individual, the case may become moot prior to argument. Nevertheless, Kiyemba v. Obama presents interesting separation of powers issues between the courts and the executive branch.

Late in October 2009, the United States Department of State’s Office of War Crimes Issues released a report that raises serious questions involving the closing days of the Sri Lankan war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Developed at the request of Congress, the report outlines conduct that “may constitute violations of international humanitarian law or crimes against humanity.” Among the incidents cited are the execution of Tamil leaders after surrender, the lack of food, medicine and clean water in the designated no-fire zone, the use of child soldiers, and the disappearance of Tamil civilians, in particular children and young men.

On September 23rd, the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the international Carriage of Goods Wholly or Partly by Sea was opened for signature. Also known as the “Rotterdam Rules”, this body of law updates previous maritime transport laws including the Hague-Visby Rules and clarifies the liability for goods loaded on a stranded ship or for stolen or damaged cargo. The new rules also apply to the use of e-commerce in the maritime transport environment and now cover the entire carriage cycle including connecting transport by land or multimodal service. The United States is a convention signatory. This treaty will require the advice and consent of the Senate before it takes effect for shipping originating in the U.S. The treaty will enter into force after the instruments of ratification or accession are submitted by twenty states which some commentators speculate may be late in 2010.

Need help finding a source or getting started with a research plan? The SU Law Library provides email reference services through its LawReference email. Send us your question and we’ll respond during business hours.

When you are researching an unfamiliar area of law, using a legal research guide can go a long way toward making the search process much less painful.  We have a small collection of legal research guides available on the library webpage under the Online Resources tab.  The Gallagher law library at the University of Washington law school also has a collection of research guides, many of which are Washington specific.  Another good strategy for finding research guide is to Google the topic you are working on and then add research guide in the search.

While law students, faculty and staff are Seattle University Law Library’s main constituents, please note that the Law Library is open to all Seattle University faculty, staff, students, and alumni who are engaged in research or studies that require the use of legal materials.  Circulation privileges are limited to Seattle University faculty, staff, currently enrolled students, or alumni who purchase library memberships.

Members of the general public can purchase a $5 day pass for access to the Library with no circulation privileges.  Additionally, members of the general public have full access to the United States government documents acquired by the Library through its membership in the Federal Depository Library Program.  All non-law school patrons must show identification at the Circulation Desk and complete the “Visitors’ Registration Form.”

During reading and examination periods, access to the Law Library is limited to law students, alumni, faculty, and researchers with specific collection needs.  The Seattle University Law Library access policy is posted on our website.

If you have questions about access or unauthorized patrons, please contact the Law Library Circulation staff on the 2nd floor of the library.  Campus public safety can also be contacted: x5990 (non-emergency) or x5991 (emergency).

When Is Separate Unequal? A Disability Perspective
By Ruth Colker
Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 2009
KF480.C655 2009

From the Publisher:
This book does not start from the premise that separate is inherently unequal. Writing from an “anti-subordination perspective,” Ruth Colker provides a framework for the courts and society to consider what programs or policies are most likely to lead to substantive equality for individuals with disabilities. In some contexts, she argues for more tolerance of disability-specific programs, and, in other contexts, she argues for more disability-integrated programs. Her highly practical investigation includes the topics of K–12 education, higher education, employment, voting, and provision of health care. At the end of the book, she applies this perspective to the racial arena, arguing that school districts should be given latitude to implement more use of racial criteria to attain integrated schools because such environments are most likely to help attain substantive equality from an anti-subordination perspective.

About the Author:
Ruth Colker is the Heck Faust Memorial Chair in Constitutional Law in the Michael E. Moritz School of Law at The Ohio State University. She is one of the leading scholars in the United States in the areas of constitutional law and disability discrimination. Colker is the author of eight books, two of which have won prizes. She has also published more than 50 articles in law journals such as the Harvard Law Review, Yale Law Journal, Columbia Law Journal, Pennsylvania Law Review, University of Virginia Law Review, and University of Michigan Law Review. She has been a frequent guest on National Public Radio to comment on disability and constitutional law topics.

Additional Information

The law library is a large place with many study areas spread out on four floors.  If there are problems with chairs, lighting, computer ports, printers, and/or copy machines, please report them to the circulation staff on the 2nd floor.  Circulation staff will either assist in fixing the problem or notify the appropriate facilities or administrative personnel.

The Northwest Justice Project hosts WashingtonLawHelp which is a free database of legal research materials on a variety of civil issues. Many of the research guides provide forms and other practical materials for designed for pro se litigants and civil rights advocates.