Category «Legal Education»

Looking on the Bright Side: Four Ways Zoom Makes Legal Research Instruction Better

As many of you have surely experienced this semester, teaching legal research virtually poses a number of challenges, but Matthew Flyntz found that it also provides a few benefits over traditional in-person instruction. In a world of negativity, Flyntz looks on the bright side and focus on those positives in this article.

Subjects: Communication Skills, Continuing Legal Education, KM, Legal Research, Legal Research Training, Libraries & Librarians, Reference Services, Technology Trends, Telecommuting

Why there’s so much legal uncertainty about resolving a disputed presidential election

As stated in this article by Richard Pildes, Professor of Constitutional Law, New York University – the Constitution does not create rules or an institutional structure for resolving a modern, disputed presidential election. It provides a fail-safe mechanism for only one situation, which has not happened since 1824: If no candidate gets the necessary majority of votes in the Electoral College, then the House picks the president from the top three Electoral College candidates. But that’s not the path the most disputed presidential elections have taken since 1824. Nor is it the likely path if this year brings us to that dark place.

Subjects: Congress, Constitutional Law, Legal Education, Legal Research, United States Law

A Time to Act: Putting Awareness into Action

Wendy L. Werner’s call to action is clear: “lawyers have a unique opportunity to intervene on behalf of those with fewer resources, and people who have been under served and under-represented. Many of us have been impacted by the growing knowledge of racial inequities, and recognition of disparities. This is a moment to intervene and no one group has more power to make a difference than lawyers. Now is the time.”

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Continuing Legal Education, Free Speech, Leadership, Legal Education, Legal Profession, Legal Research

Investing in Libraries is the Right Thing for Administrators To Do, Even if There Are Fewer Resources Overall

Todd A. Carpenter advocates for libraries at this critical juncture when remote learning is now pervasive for academic institutions around the country. Although digitized resources delivered via IP-based authentication were the norm before the pandemic, users of library resources were only vaguely aware that the services they regularly use are provided by the library because of IP-based authentication. Carpenter argues that the need for budget cuts must be weighed against the expanded and critical need for students and faculty to have uninterrupted access to digital resources provided by their libraries.

Subjects: Distance Learning, Economy, Education, KM, Libraries & Librarians, Reference Resources, Reference Services, Technology Trends, Telecommuting, Virtual Library

Internet Archive Open Library lawsuit moves forward; arguments set for November 2021

Chris Meadows discusses the ongoing case by four publishers, Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, John Wiley & Sons and Penguin Random House, against the Internet Archives Open Library respective to the scanning, public display, and distribution of entire literary works. As noted, this is “a potentially sensitive, and complex litigation.” The future of the Internet Archive may hang in the balance. This case is shining light on the heightened importance of evaluating fair use during a pandemic that is keeping vast books collections out of users reach for the unforeseeable future, while most education is confined to distance learning.

Subjects: Business Research, Competitive Intelligence, Distance Learning, Education, KM, Legal Research, Libraries & Librarians, Search Engines, Virtual Library

Student Research Resources 2020

This timely and extensive guide by Marcus Zillman includes resources for students, teachers and parents who together begin this school year with most, or in many cases, all of their courses conducted via online distance learning. The guide includes a wide range of links to augment and expand your current toolkit, including: open textbooks and learning resources for all subjects; free online courses; tutorial resources; educational search engines; video lectures and talks; tools to capture and organize ideas; comparing prices on new an used textbooks; and strategies for organizing notes for comprehensive exams.

Subjects: Distance Learning, Education, Internet Resources - Web Links, KM, Open Source, Reference Resources, Search Engines, Search Strategies, Technology Trends

Goodbye World – An Innovative Approach to Estate Planning

Shellie Steele Reed is a non-traditional law student with experience in local government. This paper was written for Dennis Kennedy’s Delivering Legal Services course at Michigan State University College of Law (MSU). Shellie’s experience living in ten states and in Japan led her to believe that legal issues are often symptoms of larger problems. While taking classes through the Center for Law, Technology & Innovation program at MSU, Shellie has focused on learning skills needed to provide efficient and effective legal services, with an emphasis on process improvement and solving access to justice issues.

Subjects: Business Research, Economy, Education, Financial System, Legal Education, Legal Marketing

How Law Firms Are Responding to COVID-19 [Survey Results]

On an individual level, lawyers and legal professionals are experiencing a mix of productivity challenges in a new and potentially permanently changed legal landscape. Martin Cogburn discusses the top productivity challenges individuals are facing, the tools they’re adopting, and their thoughts on the long term effects of COVID-19 on the legal industry.

Subjects: Case Management, Health, KM, Law Firm Marketing, Leadership, Legal Marketing, Legal Profession, Legal Technology, Management, Technology Trends, Training