Hi all,
ZiefBrief wishes you all a happy and restful Summer break! While ZiefBrief will be signing off for now, we’ll see you back here in the Fall with more news, research tips, and more. And remember, if you need research assistance, your librarians are available all summer long to help – just visit our Research Help from the Zief Librarians page!
See you then!
The Zief Law Library added new materials to its collection in April 2023! Check out these three new titles, with topics including career planning, law practice, race discrimination, and business law. Explore our monthly New Materials at Zief Law Library webpage for the full list of recent arrivals. Stay tuned for more new materials this summer.
Hi all! Summer is upon us, and you’re probably gearing up to tackle your summer internship placements. As an important reminder, there are certain limitations on using certain research platforms over the summer. Here, we’ll take a look at the big three – Westlaw, Lexis, and Bloomberg – and run through what you’ll be able to use them for. And don’t forget, your librarians are also here to help support you throughout the summer
Westlaw can be used over the summer for non-commercial research — you can’t use it in situations where you are billing a client. Examples of permissible use include: Continue reading “Summer Access to Lexis, Westlaw, and Bloomberg”
Hi, everyone! The Zief Law Library team wishes you luck on all of your final assignments and exams for the semester. To help support your studying, the law library will have regular hours and research help during the final exam period:
Monday – Thursday: 8:00am – 11:00 pm;
Friday: 8:00am – 8:00pm;
Saturday: 9:00am – 8:00pm;
Sunday: 10:00am – 11:00pm.
Zief Research Services:
Monday – Friday: 10:00am – 5:00pm
Good Luck!
“Bad libraries build collections, good libraries build services, great libraries build communities.”
David Lankes
Happy National Library Week! This year’s American Library Association theme is “There’s More to the Story” celebrating libraries’ expansive materials, services, and resources beyond print books. This week, learn how to use your library card to its fullest potential and celebrate with Zief Law Library!
In honor of There’s More to the Story, here are a few ways to maximize your library card’s potential outside of borrowing materials.
After graduation and bar prep, the San Francisco Law Library is will be a great, free resource for your legal research needs.
Love legal research and helping others? Consider a career in legal research, whether it be in a law library or a firm (yes, private firms need librarians!).
In observance of Tax Day, on April 18 this year, Zief Library takes a brief look at the legal history of our federal income tax system and highlights Zief tax research resources and opportunities for further study.
Did you know the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) came into existence on July 9, 1953? Its main function is to determine, assess, and collect internal revenue in the United States.
A few other facts about the IRS and the modern federal income tax system:
Many of the legal research databases and other resources you are already using provide access to tax-related research materials. A few, however, are worth mentioning for their special focus on tax materials:
Checkpoint Edge: Thomson Reuters Checkpoint Edge provides access to information on U.S. federal and state tax laws, regulations, and cases. USF Law students and faculty can access it from on campus.
Lexis Tax: Lexis Tax, which is part of your Lexis+ subscription, allows you to run single searches across multiple tax resources in one of three subjects: Federal, State & Local, or U.S. International Tax law. These include primary sources and specialized secondary materials, including tax analysis, tax commentary, tax news and other information required to practice tax law. By putting all tax materials in one place, Lexis helps you simplify your search process.
Zief Federal Tax Research Guide: For help finding federal tax related materials, check out the library’s handy research guide on federal tax research.
Did you know USF offers graduate programs in tax law for students who have already earned a law degree? Many students who want to focus their careers in tax law enroll in one of these programs after earning their JD’s. Check out the USF’s LLM and Graduate Tax Programs for more information.
This week, ZiefBrief takes a look at how to take advantage of your student status and save on professional tools, supplies, and clothing.
As you are gearing up for your summer internships and post-bar employment, take advantage of your student status to build your professional wardrobe and toolkit. Before purchasing professional attire, check if Student Beans or UniDays offers a student discount. Brands like Coach, Footlocker, Marc Jacobs, and Charles Tywhitt are available on Student Beans and UniDays. Be sure to check for discounts on stationary or tools, like Muji Stationary, The Happy Planner, or Logitech. This post will focus on professional attire and tools, but continue to explore these sites for other products and services that may help in your overall success, such as health, travel, and more.
If you have not found what you need through Student Beans and UniDays, these shops offer discounts directly through their websites and stores.
Stay on top of your goals with proper organization and tools.
Adjust to your internship, job, or bar study with mindfulness. Remember you are a person first and give yourself time to breathe.
As a law student, you’re likely to make a tech purchase. Remember to check student discount service websites first and check the following companies for their direct discounts.
The Zief Law Library is happy to announce two new dual monitor workstations located in corrals on the first floor of Zief. Having two computer screens allows users to view multiple documents in full screen simultaneously instead of having a split screen on one monitor – perfect for reading eBooks while taking notes! Additional HDMI port adapters will soon be made available at the library Circulation Desk. Please feel free to visit the Zief Law Library Circulation Desk for more information. Happy Studying!
In our continuing series introducing you to legal research databases that we recommend you try, this month we’re taking a look at the CEB legal research platform and highlighting some of its unique features. CEB – short for Continuing Eduation of the Bar – provides valuable research resources for California law students and attorneys.
Founded in 1947 as a nonprofit program of the University of California to educate veterans returning to legal practice after serving in World War II, CEB today offers access to a range of materials, including: primary sources; practice guides; practitioner materials; daily news alerts; and continuing legal education (CLE) materials for practicing California attorneys.
Unlike Lexis and Westlaw, CEB is designed specifically to help the California legal community and therefore focuses on California law. It includes cases (California Court of Appeals and Supreme Court, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and U.S. Supreme Court), statutes, and California Rules of Court. It also includes a large collection of California practice guides and other practitioner materials, as well as legal news and continuing education materials for California attorneys. These resources can also help you as a student in your clinical, internship, or externship experiences.
CEB is accessible to current USF law students and faculty in two ways:
Hi all! Please note that the law library will have the following adjusted hours for the Good Friday and Easter weekend holiday:
Thursday, April 6: 8:00am-6:00pm
Friday, April 7: Closed;
Saturday-Sunday, April 8-9: 10:00am-6:00pm.
See you then!
Many law students think of the Restatements of the Law as nothing more than the brief excerpts included in their case books. This week, in his special column, “Research Tips from an Old School Librarian,” research librarian John Shafer will show you why you may want to dig deeper into the Restatements.
The Restatements of Law, published by the American Law Institute (ALI), are a valuable resource for law students, legal professionals, and scholars alike. These authoritative and influential legal treatises aim to clarify, simplify, and modernize various areas of common law in the United States.
By distilling and restating the general principles and rules derived from case law, statutes, and legal scholarship, the Restatements provide a clear and comprehensive summary of the current state of the law. They serve as a reference for judges, lawyers, scholars, and legislators, guiding courts in areas where the law may be ambiguous or inconsistent. Although not legally binding, the Restatements often act as persuasive authority in judicial decision-making, shaping the development and evolution of the law.
The Restatements, along with their accompanying examples, illustrations, and annotations, are invaluable tools for law professors and students. Professors often draw from the examples and illustrations to create the hypotheticals they use in lectures and examinations, designing engaging and challenging problems that test students’ comprehension of legal concepts and principles. You, as a student, on the other hand, can employ these examples and illustrations to prepare for exams, enhance readiness for being called on in class, and deepen your understanding of the Restatements.
The annotations that accompany the Restatements are also helpful for locating case law that cites specific Restatement sections. By examining these annotations, you can identify relevant legal authority to support your arguments and enrich your research, as well as observe the practical impacts the Restatements have on the development and evolution of the law.
In Print: The Zief Law Library has a fairly complete collection of the Restatements in print. They are located behind the Circulation and Reserve Desk and can be checked out for use in the library. The Ignacio library catalog shows a list of our current Restatement holdings:
Online: The full text of the Restatements is not freely available on the internet due to copyright restrictions. However, you can access the complete Restatements through legal research platforms, such as Westlaw, LexisNexis, HeinOnline, and Bloomberg Law (BL has a subset of all the Restatements available). Links to each of those services appear below — you will need to use your personal academic password or identify yourself as a USF Law student in order to use them:
In conclusion, the Restatements of Law are a valuable resource for law students seeking to strengthen their understanding of common law principles. By examining the Restatements and their accompanying examples, illustrations, and annotations, you can develop problem-solving skills, boost your confidence in class, excel in exams, and better prepare for your future legal career.
As you embark on your legal career journey, it may be helpful to familiarize yourself with any expectations that you, or potential employers, have about the legal profession. Many brilliant and thoughtful professionals came before you, and have meaningful advice to share through podcasts, blog posts, and professional development courses. This week, we introduce you to some resources on career advice, giving and receiving constructive feedback, and managing mental health in the legal profession, so that you can set yourself up for professional success!
The Zief Law Library added new materials to its collection in February 2023! Check out some of our new ebooks, with topics including: women’s rights; environmental law; restorative justice; arbitration; property; international law; maritime law; multilingual learning; and the 1972 World Heritage Convention. Explore our monthly New Materials at Zief Law Library webpage for the full list of recent arrivals.
Shown Above:
In celebration of Women’s History Month, Zief Library Assistant Randall Seder takes a look at the social and legal history of the commemorative month, highlights Zief research resources, and presents some Bay-Area events of interest.
The legal beginnings of National Women’s History Month have California origins. Efforts to adopt a commemorative month-long observance of women’s history began as a local celebration in Santa Rosa, California with The Education Task Force of the Sonoma County (California) Commission on the Status of Women. The Commission was established on December 23rd, 1975 (Ordinance No. 1850) with the intended purpose of eliminating discrimination and prejudice on the basis of gender in areas of domestic, economic, and educational influence. In 1978, the Commission on the Status of Women planned and carried out “Women’s History Week.” They chose a week in March that would include International Women’s Day, which is celebrated annually on March 8th and commemorates the 1908 New York City protestors who marched to voice opinions on child labor, sweatshop working conditions, and women’s suffrage. Continue reading “Celebrating Women’s History Month: Legal History, Research Resources, and Community Events”
By now you’re likely familiar with model laws, like the Model Penal Code or the UCC, but what do you do if you need to research a model law? This week, in his special column, “Research Tips from an Old School Librarian,” research librarian John Shafer introduces us to the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws and the Uniform Laws Annotated and why you might consider using them in your research.
The National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws (NCCUSL), a non-partisan non-profit organization, is one of the most successful efforts to update, harmonize promote uniformity of the law through the creation of a wide-ranging body of model laws. Founded in 1892, NCCUSL works with legal experts, industry representatives, and other stakeholders to develop these model laws, designed to address emerging legal issues and promote the efficiency and fairness of the legal system.
The NCCUSL developed many model laws, including the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), the Uniform Probate Code (UPC), and the Uniform Trust Code (UTC), among others. Many states, including California, adopted these model laws in whole or in part. You’re likely familiar with these model codes, since they are frequently referred to in law school classes and casebooks today.
While you can learn a lot about many different model laws through the NCCUSL, all serious researchers should also know about another important resource for model laws – the Uniform Laws Annotated (ULA). The ULA is published by Thomson West and is available in Zief (in print) and on Westlaw. The ULA offers several research features in both the print and digital versions, including:
However, missing from the ULA’s digital Westlaw version are the extensive indexes included in the print version. If you’re instead using Lexis+ for your research, you’ll find the ULCLAW – Uniform Law Commission Model Acts, but it lacks much of the content and many of the features found in the ULA.
So, if your research involves one of the many Uniform or Model Laws, you might want to consider using one of these model law resources.