Winter registration has begun and if you’re anything like I was you’re probably tinkering with your schedule on a regular basis. If that’s the case (or even if it’s not) I wanted to alert you to a few classes taught by some of our law librarians that may be of interest to you.
Advanced Legal Research (Law 796R§ 7), Gary L. Hill (275/276 JRCB), Wednesday afternoons, 3 to 4 pm, 1 credit, pass/fail, no final exam, paper/bibliography required
This course will cover research topics and advanced techniques in the following areas: administrative law, legislative history, practice materials, government documents, non-legal databases, internet resources, tax research, treaties, and family law. There are assignments for each area and a bibliography that is to integrate the topics and techniques learned in the course.
This is an extremely useful class and will prepare you well for your summer and/or full-time job.
International Legal Research (Law 796R §19), Dennis S. Sears (275/276 JRCB), Tuesday afternoons, 1 to 2 pm, 1 credit, pass/fail, no final exam, Prerequisite: Prior or concurrent enrollment in Advanced Legal Research
This course focuses on international organizations and issues. Students will learn about basic international organizations such as the United Nations, the European Union, the International Court of Justice, the World Court, UNCITRAL, and others. Students will become acquainted with documents generated by these organizations and will be introduced to various hardcopy and online resources available to research them. In addition, the course will address issues such as international trade, human rights, etc.
If you have any interest in international law this is a great course for you. Professor Sears is currently the chair of the Foreign, Comparitive and International Law Special Interest Section of the American Association of Law Libraries and is well-versed in international legal research.
Introduction to Law Librarianship (Law 796R §21), Galen L. Fletcher (296 JRCB), Tuesday mornings, 10 to 11 am, 1 credit hour, pass/fail, no final exam, course journal required
This course provides an awareness of current trends and developments in information aspects of the legal profession, introduces the various departments and types of specialization within law libraries, and examines different types of law libraries, their organizational structures, collections and services. This class is designed for law students with an interest in law librarianship or legal bibliography or both.
If you’ve ever wondered what law librarians do this is a great class for you. I took this class as a student and thoroughly enjoyed it. (By the way – taking this class doesn’t not mean you will be or even want to be a law librarian – although it is a great job!)