Louisiana Legislative Session

The Louisiana Legislature will convene for the 2016 Regular Session on March 14, 2016 at noon. During March, we'll focus on publications related to LA legislation and have a post on compiling LA legislative history.

To learn about current bills and committee information, visit the Legislature's website at http://www.legis.la.gov/legis/home.aspx. From there, you can see bill text versions, committee agendas, watch committee meetings online, view votes, and find logistical session information.

The Legislature is scheduled to adjourn sine die by 6pm on June 6, 2016.

New Research Resource from the Law Library

The Law Library is happy to introduce our new website to help with your legal research. At http://libguides.law.loyno.edu/, you can view research guides written by our librarians and search for all electronic databases you have access to as Loyola students and faculty (over 60!). The website will be continuously updated so check back often!

Advanced Search on Lexis Advance

LexisNexis has updated their advanced search features giving us even more search tools and shortcuts! Take a look at the quick video below for an overview, or sign in to your Lexis Advance account. You can explore the advanced search from the homepage. 

Electronic Resource of the Month: U.S. Presidential Library on HeinOnline

From January to May, we are focusing this series on some of the collections available via HeinOnline. All HeinOnline resources can be accessed through http://law.loyno.edu/library/online-resources. The collections are available to Loyola Law faculty and students, and it can be accessed while connected to the Loyola internet or off-campus using your Loyola username and password. Check back each month for updates!

The U.S. Presidential Library on Hein includes over 261 titles including: 

• Public Papers of the Presidents (1929-2011)        
• Messages and Papers of the Presidents (1789-1929)
• CFR Title 3 (Presidents – Executive Orders, Proclamations, Reorganization Plans)
• Daily and Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents

HeinOnline provides PDF scans of the official versions of these documents. This means that all documents pulled from here can be cited as if to the official, authentic print source. See T1.2 Executive Office of the President, page 243-244 in the 20th ed. of the Bluebook for citation conventions. 

Print Resource of the Month: Louisiana Civil Jury Instruction Companion Handbook

From January to May, we are focusing this series on Louisiana-specific materials intended to be helpful for practice (or that are just really interesting). Check back each month for updates!

Last month’s post discussed Trial Handbook for Louisiana Lawyers , a book that provides a wide range of information related to practice in LA district courts. The resource this week focuses on one aspect of courtroom practice: jury instructions.

Louisiana Civil Jury Instruction Companion Handbook is a great resource for practicing attorneys because usually lawyers write and submit jury instructions without pattern instructions to follow. This book compiles jury instructions that were actually given in particular cases with additional notes to serve as a guide for practitioners. It is designed as a “companion handbook” to work in conjunction with another popular treatise on LA jury instructions, Louisiana Civil Law Treatise, Civil Jury Instructions (available in print KFL 542.6 .J64 and on WestlawNext).

Andrea Beauchamp Carroll, Louisiana Civil Jury Instruction Companion Handbook (2014-2015 ed. 2014). (KFL 542.6 .L68)

Finding Legal Topics

Have to write a paper for a seminar or journal assignment? Here are a few resources that can help you find recent law topics on a variety of subjects.

Current Developments

1. Current Legal Topics - Research reports from the Law Library of Congress, you can browse by subject or focus on reports that are recently issued. Subjects range from adoption to war crimes. 
2. Global Legal Monitor - Also from the Law Library of Congress, focuses specifically on issues and developments internationally.
3. ASIL Insights - A product of the American Society of International Law; provides "brief, balanced accounts of the international law issues raised by newsworthy late-breaking events."
4. Law Blog - Published by the Wall Street Journal.

Newspapers

As a student/faculty member of Loyola, you have access to several newspapers in print (Reading Room) and online. Please see a librarian for login credentials. 

1. New York Times
2. Wall Street Journal
3. Financial Times
4. The Economist

News Alerts

Law students and faculty can set news alerts for various subjects through many of the online resources available through the Library. This includes WestlawNext, Lexis Advance, and Bloomberg Law. 

The Federal Lawyer

If you’re interested in federal practice, you’ll probably be interested in The Federal Lawyer. This periodical is a publication of the Federal Bar Association and is published ten times a year. The library has this magazine in print for the use of all patrons (K6 .E285). Electronic subscriptions are included in Federal Bar Association memberships or can be purchased.

“The Federal Lawyer, the official publication of the Federal Bar Association, is the only magazine written and edited for lawyers who practice in federal courts or have an interest in federal law as well as judges who sit on the federal bench. Editorial content covers a broad range of topics including immigration, Indian, antitrust, labor and employment, bankruptcy, criminal, intellectual property, environmental, and other types of law that fall within federal jurisdiction. Through the magazine’s extensive and up-to-date editorial coverage of these legal issues, federal practitioners are able to obtain the latest pronouncements and theories of importance to the federal legal system.”