Maureen Cahill Joins Reference Staff
Maureen can be found in the Annex in office A-205
Many of you have probably already noticed a new face at the Reference Desk. Please drop by and say hello to Maureen Cahill, our new Reference/Faculty Services Coordinator. She replaces Cecilia Cleveland, who is now working for the local firm of Scott, Quarterman and Wells. Maureen is a graduate of the UGA School of Law and will begin working towards a Masters in Library Science this January. In addition to sharing in reference duties and coordinating services to faculty, she is taking on the large task of preparing the library's collection (and the library's staff!) for a major re-ordering next May.
Book Review: The Famous Case of Myra Clark Gaines
review by Sally Curtis Askew, Reference/Public Services Librarian
The Famous Case of Myra Clark Gaines. Nolan B. Harmon, Jr. Louisiana State University Press. Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 1946. Law Library Call Number: F379.N5H3
Myra Clark Gaines was the illegitimate daughter of Daniel Clark who was a prominent Louisiana resident in the latter part of the 18th century and the early part of the 19th century. This book is a fascinating story of Daniel Clark, his rise to prominence in New Orleans, his political ties to many early United States figures, and the questions raised about his will. Daniel Clark died without ever acknowledging publicly that Myra Clark Gaines was his daughter. He had made a will acknowledging this and had left money and land to her. There were many of his friends and baseness associates who were aware of Clark's will and of Myra's existence. However, it took Myra from 1836-1891 to prove that she was the beneficiary of the will. During those years there were 8 cases in the Louisiana Supreme Court relating to this matter and 16 cases in the United States Supreme Court. There were 30 justices involved in hearing the cases, and 30 or more lawyers involved. The costs of the suits was about $ 250,000, and the lawyer's fees amounted to $ 600,000. Many of the cases were procedural rather than substantive in nature. Many articles, and even several books, were written about the cases. The most expansive case is reported in 73 U.S. 643 (1867). There is an extensive bibliography as well as a section of notes. The author meticulously researched and documented this book. Nolan B. Harmon, Jr., was not a lawyer; yet, he has mastered the intricacies of procedural matters in these cases. It is a most interesting commentary on the early history of Louisiana from the days when it was a Spanish colony through the days of the War Between the States and Reconstruction. The book is written in an interesting way but includes much of historical and legal interest.
Computer Lab Update
by Carol Watson, Reference/Computer Services Librarian
EXAM ANXIETY? TRY THE CALI EXERCISES FOR RELIEF
As exams approach, everyone's anxiety seems to increase. If you'd like to test your knowledge and reassure yourself, try the CALI exercises. The CALI exercises are interactive computer exercises. They are available on the PCs in the Law Library computer labs. To run CALI lessons, click on the CALI icon on any of the lab PCs. If you don't want to run the CALI exercises in the lab, you can copy the CALI lessons to diskettes for home use. CALI lessons can be copied from the lab PCS. This fall, CALI has introduced a new method for copying CALI lessons. In addition to being able to copy lessons from lab PCS, you can also copy lessons from the CALI www page. Visit the CALI page at http://www.cali.org . You will be prompted for a password before downloading exercises. CALI lessons are available in many subject areas. The following is a description of some of the exercises the might be relevant for courses offered this semester:
CIVIL PROCEDURE: Jurisdiction and Venue, Analysis of a Diversity Jurisdiction Case, Preclusion, Joinder of Claims and Parties, Summary Judgment.
COMMERCIAL TRANSACTIONS: UCC Article 9: Defaults and Proceeds, Documents of Title under Article 7 of the UCC, Equipment Leasing: Article 2A, Perfecting Article 9 Security Interests, Understanding Fixtures: Section 9-313.
CONTRACTS: Contract Formation, Parol Evidence Rule, The Pre-Existing Duty Rule
CORPORATIONS: Corporate Acquisitions.
EMPLOYMENT LAW: Affirmative Action, Equal Pay Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
EVIDENCE: Best Evidence Rule, Character Evidence, Hearsay, Expert and Opinion Evidence, Impeachment of Witnesses and Evidence Survey.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: A Copyright Primer.
LEGAL PROFESSION: Code of Professional Responsibility and Model Rules of Professional Conduct.
PROPERTY: The Estate System and Basic Future Interests.
TORTS: The Use of Intent.
TRUSTS & ESTATES: The Execution and Revocation of Wills under the Uniform Probate Code, and Intestate Succession under the Uniform Probate Code.
VIRUS SOFTWARE
We are having some problems with the Word macro virus in the Computer Labs. Please be assured that we are doing everything possible to eradicate the problem. If you suspect that you have infected your home personal computer, you may pick up a copy of Dr. Solomon's antivirus software from the helpdesk in the Annex Computer Lab. If you have Windows 3.1, bring 5 diskettes. If you have Windows 95, bring 4 diskettes.
WORTHY WEB SITES
Court TV - http://www.courttv.com . The Court TV site is an excellent resource for the latest information about recent trials in the news. For example, the Court TV site has case files including video clips, transcripts and trial summaries on cases such as the Oklahoma Bombing trials, Jon Benet Ramsey, O.J. Simpson, Marv Albert, Paula Jones, the Menendez Brothers, the Unabomber, and many others.
At the Court TV site you can take the Courtroom Challenge. Harvard Law School Professor Arthur Miller presents real landmark cases decided by the Supreme Court and other courts around the country. You can explore the facts, research the law, consider various arguments and then either decide the case or argue one side or the other. Professor Miller tells you how the real case came out -- but not until after you have made up your mind about what should have happened. If you argue one side of the case, you'll get points for choosing facts, cases and arguments that best support your side, whether or not your client ultimately wins.
Court TV's Library page is filled with interesting legal documents including those involving cyberlaw (US vs. Microsoft), tobacco litigation, and Whitewater. Currently, the Library page is focusing on the death penalty. This page offers a look at life on death row and the road that leads there. It includes the history of capital punishment, state-by-state statistics, women on death row and many news articles regarding controversial death row cases.
Missing Anything?
by Leslie Madden, Circulation Manager
The Circulation Office Lost & Found contains the following items:
If you are missing any of the above items, please come by the Circulation Office between 8am & 5pm, Monday--Friday. You will be asked to provide a description of your lost item
Staff Focus: Keith Baitsell
by F.X. Norton, Jr.
When a harried law student panics before a suddenly malfunctioning terminal, the call goes out for Keith Baitsell, our computer services specialist. In two clicks of a mouse's tail, disaster is averted. "Keith is a great asset," says his boss, Carol Watson, the Reference and Computer Services Librarian. "I've yet to see a computer problem he can't solve."
Keith knows computers. When not helping law students or working on special projects, he is busy handling system administration. His resume includes positions as tech support for both University Computing and Networking Services and IBM. Keith's knowledge extends beyond the realm of computers, however. In addition to laboring on software problems, he is busy working towards a degree in English.
Back in 1996, Keith spent six months hiking the length of the Appalachian trail, from Georgia to Maine. He encountered beautiful vistas, hungry bears, and green campers who couldn't even light a camp stove. Besides hiking, Keith enjoys biking on back roads and browsing through flea markets for classic albums. Some of his favorites include Boston's Boston, Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, and, of course, John Coltrane's Love Supreme.
Keith's fellow workers value both his skills and his witty rejoinders. "I think we'll keep him," says Ms. Watson.
Those
whimsical characters at the Circulation Counter on Halloween were actually
Circulation Staff members Patty Reeber, Fran Norton and
Leslie Madden
Library Hours for Thanksgiving and Exams
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