Habeas Corpus Cried the Porpoise

One fine day in May at the Zief Law Library, a quite singular event took place. One might even call it unthinkable. To get right to it: a porpoise (and curiously enough, a harbor porpoise) slithered its way into the library; it quickly and brashly slid under the gate. But that’s not the most extraordinary thing about the whole affair; it shouted, “Habeas Corpus!” Of all the creatures to shout “Habeas Corpus”, it had to be a porpoise with a purpose. What are the odds?

At the circulation desk stood Randall drinking coffee from an L.L Bean coffee mug, Troy who was actually sitting not standing, Maddy wearing a cast on her arm, Steffi frowning a little bit, and Yuni waving her arms. In their offices, busily toiling away with their research was John, Tim, and Mike. Suzanne and Shannon were in their offices in the back. The porpoise interrupted the circ. staff debating the merits of a good toast rack; the sides were split on the benefits of this breakfast table necessity when the porpoise barged in.

“Habeas Corpus!” cried the porpoise.
Continue reading “Habeas Corpus Cried the Porpoise”

The Zief Law Library Celebrates Law Day: Legal History, Events, and Resources

Are there issues with this text? Email the author: Randall Seder, rseder@usfca.edu.

The image depicts Lady Justice raising scales. The image is titled "Lady Justice background," and it is credited to the Tingey Injury Law Firm, West Charleston Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV, USA.
Lady Justice background. Tingey Injury Law Firm, West Charleston Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV, USA. Unsplash.com.

LEGAL HISTORY


The Zief Law Library joins the University of San Francisco School of Law community in celebrating “Law Day.” This national holiday recognizes the significant role that the law, legal processes, and legal education play in the United States. These topics contribute to the country’s ongoing efforts to provide justice and extend civil liberties to all Americans. Law Day is celebrated annually on May 1st, but many events and programs are held the week(s) before or after. Continue reading “The Zief Law Library Celebrates Law Day: Legal History, Events, and Resources”

Helpful New Library Materials and Resources

This spring the library purchased some useful and much needed items to make the Zief Law Library an even more pleasant and useful studying space.

One of the more appealing items are “Happy Lights,” tabletop lamps with alternative lighting to help with mood, focus, and energy. These are located at the Zief Circulation Desk and can be checked out for in-library use; there are nine of them for your convenience.

An image of the "Happy Light" lamp.
A “Happy Light” lamp, available at the Zief Circulation Desk.

Practicing for oral arguments or a presentation? Zief now has four new tabletop lecterns, allowing you to keep your documents at the ready. These are available for checkout at the Zief Circulation Desk.

Photograph of a rectangular, mahogany lecturn.
New lecterns, available at the Zief Circulation Desk.

Another purchase to help with study-comport is thirty-five replacement task chairs to replace the worn-out/failing chairs. This will make study-time more comfortable and practical.

Three standing desks were purchased per student request. One is located on each floor to accommodate your needs. Also purchased were four podiums for presentations and oral arguments: these are located at the circulation desk for check-out.

We added fifty power-strips to study carrels, giving you easy access to outlets for all of your electronics.

We also added privacy screens for the main floor open computers and the four dual-monitor carrels; these are intended to help those working on sensitive or confidential matters and to keep information private. (Please note, we did not install them on the classroom computers).

We hope these new additions will make Zief a better study space. Good luck on finals everyone!!

New Materials From March 2024

The image shows a collage of five book covers from the March 2024 New Materials list at Zief Law Library.
Collage of book covers from the March 2024 New Materials list at Zief Law Library.

The Zief Law Library added new titles to its collection in March 2024. Topics from March include: artificial intelligence; legal education; student wellness; intellectual property; reparations; and global politics. Click the titles below or explore our monthly New Materials at Zief Law Library webpage for the complete list of recent arrivals.