Final Exam Season is upon us and with that comes plenty of preparation, stress, and excitement. We’re in the home stretch. The Zief Law Library is here to help and support you through it all and we have a variety of study spaces to meet your needs.
Silent Areas:
We know that sometimes you really need to buckle down and focus on your work and the slightest noises really throw you off your game. We’ve designated Club ’59, a large silent study room on the upper-floor, just for you.
Just look for this sign:
You’ll see this poster in areas designated as a Silent study area.
Quiet Areas:
If silent study isn’t your thing, please choose a different area to study so your quieter classmates can get things done. There are other areas of the library that are still quiet but where your classmates won’t be bothered by the occasional clickety-clack of your keyboard or whispered exam tips from your study buddy. These spaces can be found on the library’s upper floor.
Just look for this sign:
You’ll see this poster in areas designated as a Quiet study area.
Conversation Areas:
We understand that sometimes you want to work in groups or you just need a break from all of the quiet awesomeness that is happening in other areas of the library to catch up with your friends. These spaces can be found on both the main and lower floors of the library.
If you see this sign, you know you’re in the right place:
You’ll see this poster in areas designated as a conversation study area.
The bottom line is that there is a place for everyone here at Zief. We invite you to find a great study spot that fits your needs.
USF School of Law, many thanks to those who submitted to the Zief Pets Winter-Themed Costume Contest! It’s now time to determine first, second, and third-place costumes…
STEP 1: Visit the Zief Pets wall located on the first floor of the Zief Law Library to view this year’s talented pet contestants.
STEP 2: Fill out the Zief Pets Winter-Themed Costume Contest VOTING SURVEY.
Please note that the law library will have the following adjusted hours for Thanksgiving 2023:
Wednesday, Nov. 23: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm (Research Help until 12:00 pm)
Thursday / Friday, Nov. 24-25: CLOSED
Saturday / Sunday, Nov. 26-27: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
For a full calendar view of our current and upcoming hours, visit our Law Library Hours of Operations website. We hope you all have a safe and restful holiday!
Calling all pets! Celebrate the Winter season with Zief Law Library’s Zief Pets Winter-Themed Costume Contest! Submit pictures of your pets in their Winter-themed costumes or festive attire for your chance to win a special prize. Law school community members will vote on their favorite pets and prizes will be awarded to first, second, and third place. Outfits can include themes such as Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, Boxing Day, Lunar New Year, winter season, and more!
All submissions will be featured on the Zief Pets Wall in the Zief Law Library. To participate, please fill out the Google Form by Sunday, December 3rd, 2023, using the QR code on the image below or visit https://bit.ly/3SrYE30. Winners will be announced on Monday, December 11th, 2023.
Promotional graphic for the Zief Pets Winter Costume Contest.
With finals soon arriving, it is the perfect time to think about the strategies of a successful law school exam experience. By now, you may have figured out an effective study approach, but here are some additional tips in case there’s something new that could be helpful.
Create a schedule. It is helpful to create a finals study schedule, where you can factor in any additional time needed for reviewing concepts, and completing practice questions and exams. Perhaps create a game plan, or a day-by-day schedule for each class. Maybe you need to allot more for study time for your more challenging courses. But be sure to budget time for current assigned readings and assignments, so that you don’t fall behind.
Identify your strengths and weaknesses. Review your syllabus, class notes and highlighted sections of your casebook to create a ”hit-list” of topics to study. Flag the material that you find most difficult, so you can focus on any knowledge gaps. Then, you can prioritize topics you struggle with the most, over topics you’ve already mastered.
Team up with a great study group, partner, or study aid. Study groups can be a valuable learning tool. For some students, talking through material with classmates could help your understanding and retention of course materials. But if studying with classmates is not your thing, use the authors of the study guides as your friends and study partners. Additionally, try some study guides, available in print and as eBooks through the library, such as as Glannon Guides, the Emanuel Crunch Time, and Questions & Answers. These can help you review material through flow charts and summaries; they also provide short-answer, multiple choice, and essay questions and answers, so you can test your knowledge.
Complete your outlines and then work on editing down and memorizing them. So much material is covered in law school that it can seem quite jumbled in your mind. The professors construct the exams to see how well you can link all of the concepts together; this shows that you can apply the skill of analyzing numerous concepts at the same time. Reviewing, editing down, and memorizing your outlines will help you recognize how all of the facets of the particular law class work together in building the overall meaning and understanding of the subject. Need help making an outline? Try one of the library’s Emanuel Outlines available online or in-print at the circulation desk.
Pay attention in class. One last piece of advice that seems to always work is to pay attention in class. Yes, this seems obvious, but paying attention in class will truly save you time because your class notes will make sense and save you from time spent having to learn new concepts and laws. Really focus on what the professor says in class; this will also give important hints about what is expected for the exam. Also participate in class; the discourse you have with the professor is great for the learning experience and professors love it. If you are nervous about talking in class, a good tactic is to go to class with a list of questions. These may be from the reading or questions that you had after evaluating the material from past classes.
Maybe if you follow these great tips, you will not end up like the poor chap below:
Celebrate the spooky season with Zief Law Library as we introduce Zief Pets Presents: Halloween Costume Gallery! Whether a dog, cat, iguana, or even a pet rock, Zief Pets wants to see your pets’ best Halloween looks!
Submit pictures of your pets in their Halloween costumes or festive attire, and we will display them on the Zief Pets wall in Zief Law Library from Monday, October 30th to Monday, November 6th. To participate, please fill out the Google Form by October 30th, using the QR code on the image below or visit bit.ly/ZiefPetsHalloween23.
A contentious (gnarly) debate is whether listening to music while studying is a bad idea or if it can actually be quite helpful. In the WebMD article “Can music Help You Study” by Cheryl Whitten and Dan Brennan discuss pros and cons of listening to music while studying. Even USF law students have had discussions about music being beneficial or distracting while studying. The argument of what type of music should be used is even a more passionate argument; this debate can sometimes broach the subject of good or bad taste in the listener (jokingly and good-natured teasing, we hope).
Even though there is a 1990s study in the Journal of theRoyal Society of Medicine entitled “The Mozart Effect” stating that listening to classical music, specifically Mozart’s sonata for two pianos, improves spatial reasoning skills, problem solving, and test scores, it may just simply a matter of improving one’s mood during a stressful time. In the 2023 blog post “Music and Studying: It’s Complicated” Crystal Raypole states that music is helpful during finals because it can motivate; this probably has to do with the firing of neurons in the brain whether it’s slow music to relax or faster dynamic music to inspire. Raypole also discusses how listening to music while studying can be detrimental because students who listen to music with lyrics can become distracted. Even music without lyrics can hinder concentration. Also, what about the idea that students who use music to help them memorize may need to create the same environment during the actual exam for it to work?
The best test to the music or no music debate is to find out for yourself. All students are different and study in a myriad of ways; music may help some and hinder others. A good idea for finding out what works best for you is to experiment with different study music playlists on YouTube, Spotify, or your streaming service of choice. Do what’s best for you even if it’s only studying in the bathtub, wearing a wetsuit while listening to 1960s surf instrumentals.
Accessible Practices for PowerPoint, Word, and Google Docs
In part two of this post, we provide a look at some accessible practices for hyperlinks and colors for text and backgrounds.
Photo Credit: Tamanna Rumee for Unsplash.com
Hyperlinks
Hyperlinks are helpful for creating accessible documents so that screen readers do not read each individual character of a web address, or URL, aloud, thus cluttering the information with unnecessary characters. They also aid in organizing multiple links on a single document.
General Tips for Hyperlinks
The screen reader will preface the web address with “Link” so you may name the hyperlink after the webpage itself.
DO NOT use: “Click Here” “Read More” or “More Info.”
This language is not clearly identifying the information to the listening audience.
Use hyperlinks in your documents, presentations, and email!
Don’t forget to practice accessibility in your emails as well!
Text and Background Color
Creative fonts and colorful text on colorful backgrounds can be aesthetically pleasing, but can also create a learning barrier for learners with low vision. Choosing fonts and backgrounds that are easily read creates an inclusive learning environment, both in print and online.
General Tips for Text and Background Color
Use a color contrast tool to test if your PowerPoint slides are legible for people with low vision. Colors have a varying degree of contrast against others.
Confirm the presentation meets the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines with the Web AIM Color Checker.
Do not use color to indicate meaning on documents or presentations.
Example: Do not use red to convey something is wrong.
Use clear, large fonts on documents and presentations.
This is important for both learners whose first language is not English and for those with low vision.
Acceptable fonts:
Times New Roman
Verdana
Arial
Tahoma
Helvetica
Calibri
Checking Your Work
Microsoft Word has an Accessibility Checker function that will automatically review your document for accessibility. Select ‘Review’ and click on the ‘Accessibility’ icon to explore. In addition to using the Accessibility Checker function, use Read Aloud to listen to the Word Document and follow with adjustments for an easier listening experience.
For more information on how to create accessible Word Documents, PowerPoints, and Google Docs, please visit the USF ETS Create Accessible Documents Page.
Accessible Practices for PowerPoint, Word, and Google Docs
“If one out of every seven human beings could be considered disabled, as research demonstrates, disability is a common part of human existence”
-Jessica Schomberg, Librarian
Photo Credit: Jess Bailey for Unsplash.com
What is accessibility? Why is it important?
Accessibility is the inclusive practice of making activities, content, products, and services usable by anyone, regardless of mental or physical abilities. Using accessible practices when creating learning materials, such as documents or presentations, allows for every member of your audience to consume the material without asking for accommodations. People with disabilities often request accommodations to create an equitable learning environment. By using accessible practices in your assignments and presentations, you are inviting your professors and classmates to participate with equity and comfort. Please use the tips in this post to help you start incorporating accessibility into your assignments and presentations!
Heading Levels
Using the heading levels in documents and slideshows allows for screen readers to read text in a logical order. Simply bold-facing, underlining, or changing the font of the text will not present the information in an organized, understandable manner to the listening audience.
General Tips for Heading Levels
Use title, heading, and list functions within Word:
Open the Styles Pane, located on the top right of the Home tab.
Use the drop-down menu and choose Modify Style to fit chosen aesthetics.
Bold-facing, underlining, or italicizing titles and headers with “Normal” text is not accessible.
Identify how to organize documents and use heading styles accordingly; order matters for screen readers.
When using PowerPoint, include a title for each slide. When using a screen reader, slides with titles help the listener understand the information being presented on the slide and know when the presenter is switching slides.
Use the list function on the Home tab.
Use this function when you want to include lists with bullet points, numbers, dashes, etc. Be sure to use the list function in order for the screen reader to properly read these lists to listeners.
Alternative Text
Alternative text is the content a screen reader will read to describe an image in a Word Document. This must be manually added by the creator of the document.
General Tips for Alternative Text
How to insert alternative text on Word, PowerPoint, and Google Docs:
Right click the picture you would like to add alternative text to.
Click ‘Format Picture’.
On Google Docs, you do not need to click ‘Format Picture.’ There is an “Alternative Text” option available after you right click the image.
Click ‘Add Alternative Text’.
Alternative text should be a brief description of the image.
If an image is for decorative use, do not use alternative text. Otherwise, it will add unnecessary clutter for the screen reader and confuse listeners.
Word and PowerPoint have a “Decorative Only” option.
Avoid images of text. If you include an image with text, you must include the entire text as part of your alternative text.
Do not use sensory characteristics or gender and racial characteristics.
Checking Your Work
Microsoft Word has an Accessibility Checker function that will automatically review your document for accessibility. Select ‘Review’ and click on the ‘Accessibility’ icon to explore. In addition to using the Accessibility Checker function, use Read Aloud to listen to the Word Document and follow with adjustments for an easier listening experience.
For more information on how to create accessible Word Documents, PowerPoints, and Google Docs, please visit the USF ETS Create Accessible Documents Page.
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
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:
“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!
Events at Zief
All Week Activities
Pick up a Zief-themed word search by the Brain Break table on the first floor!
Vote on your favorite library, law school, or poetry themed haiku written by USF law students by April 27th, 3:00 p.m.! The winner receives a Green Apple Books gift card!
Share your favorite books from childhood with the Communal Children’s Book Library! Located on the first floor near the Circulation Desk.
Guess how many books are in Zief Law Library and win a prize!
Pick up freebies from Lexis, Westlaw, Bloomberg, and more!
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.
Federal Income Taxes: A Brief History:
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:
Modern individual income taxes are largely a result of the Revenue Act of 1913, which President Woodrow Wilson signed into law. The act restored federal income taxes and lowered tariff (taxes on imported goods) rates, which President Wilson considered to be unfair taxes.
Earlier Revenue Acts had given Congress the power to tax personal income, including the first, The Revenue Act of 1861, which was signed by President Lincoln (to pay for the Civil War). It lacked an enforcement mechanism and was later repealed. A flat rate Federal income tax was enacted in 1894, but the U.S. Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional because it was a direct tax not apportioned according to the population of each state.
The 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution resolved this issue when it was ratified in 1913. It granted Congress “the power to lay and collect taxes on incomes,…, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration”.
The IRS came into existence in 1953 after President Harry S. Truman called for a reorganization of the Bureau of Internal Revenue, created after the Civil War.
Congress gave the Treasury Department the authority to administer and enforce the internal revenue laws of the U.S. in 1954, and that authority is governed by Internal Revenue Code Section 7801. The IRS is organized to carry out the responsibilities of the U.S. Treasury Secretary.
Filing & Payment Dates: Although April 15 is the official annual individual federal income tax filing deadline, the date varies due to weekends and holidays. This year the deadline is Tuesday, April 18 for most Americans. Federal income taxes were originally due on March 1 after the passage of the 16th Amendment in 1913, but the deadline was changed five years later to March 15. The tax system was overhauled in 1954 with the passage of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 and the date was again moved to April 15.
Research Resources:
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.
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.
Student Discount Services
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.
Tips on Student Beans and UniDays
Student Beans
Choose a category on the menu, such as “Fashion” or “Home and Tech.”
Choose which discounts you want to search for on the side bar, such as “Student” or “Freebie” to filter out general sales from student discounts.
If you are about to graduate, check out Grad Beans for discounts!
UniDays
Use the top menu bar for drop-down menus on each category.
You’ll find a sample of their offerings and can continue searching by clicking “View All” usually located on the right side of the page.
Additional Discounts
Professional Apparel
If you have not found what you need through Student Beans and UniDays, these shops offer discounts directly through their websites and stores.
Adjust to your internship, job, or bar study with mindfulness. Remember you are a person first and give yourself time to breathe.
Headspace uses science-backed mindfulness and meditation tools and has been proven to lower stress levels by 14% in 10 days. As a student, you can access Headspace for $9.99/year (85% off!).
If you have an interview and do not want to rely on the SF Muni or rideshare services, ZipCar’s student plan can save you up to $55/year.
Find new ways to explore the city with the San Francisco Public Library’s Discover and Go! Register for free passes to museums, movies, the zoo, and more!
Tech
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.
Adobe: Over 60% off Creative Cloud All Apps plan for students and teachers.
