Moritz Legal Information Blog

Where can I find state legislative history documents? How do I cite to an administrative decision? Get answers to research questions like these quickly and easily by chatting with a Moritz reference librarian. Just pull open your web browser and go to http://moritzlaw.osu.libguides.com/AskALibrarian to use the Moritz Law Library’s chat reference service. Online chat services are available during normal reference desk hours, Monday through Friday, 10am-5pm. Chat reference generally works best with relatively straightforward questions. For more complicated or in-depth research questions, it is still best to visit the reference desk or request a research consultation .

The Moritz Law Library welcomes new and returning students for the fall semester. You may notice a few changes in the library such as: New chairs for the carrels on the third floor, matching the more modern chairs on the main level and mezzanine Re-painted and soon-to-be re-decorated study rooms on the third floor A new book and document scanner on the main level providing more convenient scanning to email or flash drive Color and double-sided options for printing in the computer lab Contact library staff if you encounter any problems using equipment, resources, or study space. Also, note the suggestion box at the circulation desk near the library entrance. Have a great semester!

Over the summer months, students at the Moritz College of Law can continue to access their student accounts with the three major legal research platforms (Bloomberg Law, Lexis Advance, and Thomson Reuters Westlaw). For graduating students, access will be extended for a limited period after graduation. However, students should be aware that each platform sets different restrictions on summer and post-graduation use. Bloomberg does not have any restrictions on summer use and will continue to be available to graduating students for six months after graduation. Lexis also does not have an “academic use only” policy and will continue to be available to graduates until the end of the year. Westlaw permits limited use for education-related or non-commercial purposes. Graduates can continue to access Westlaw for 18 months after graduation, but must first register with Westlaw's Grad Elite Program . For more details, see the Moritz Law Library’s Research Assistant Resources Guide or ask

As you are selecting your courses for the 2017-18 academic year, consider registering for a one-credit Advanced Legal Research course taught by one of the Moritz College of Law’s reference librarians. Each ALR course is focused on a specialized practice area or jurisdiction, but all will help you to further develop the legal research skills you were introduced to in your LAWI & II courses. The following courses will be taught in next year’s spring semester: Business and Tax Legal Research (taught by Matt Cooper) provides an introduction to business and tax related materials as well as advanced training on finding and effectively using these materials for legal research. Topics covered include business forms, company filings and SEC research, and foreign and international business research. Advanced Legal Research: Litigation and ADR (taught by Paul Gatz) focuses on finding and using materials related to litigation or ADR practice, covering formbooks, court rules, trial techniq

The Republican leadership in the United States Senate hopes to confirm Judge Neil Gorsuch’s nomination to the Supreme Court before the Senate’s April recess. Before that happens, you can take advantage of numerous resources available online to learn more about Judge Gorsuch and the Supreme Court nomination process. The Law Library of Congress , the Georgetown Law Library , and a collaborative project among law librarians have each curated collections of Judge Gorsuch’s 10th Circuit decisions, his scholarly writings, and other materials by or about him. The website of the Senate Judiciary Committee provides access to Judge Gorsuch’s responses to the Committee Questionnaire and related documents. The Moritz Law Library’s research guide on Justice Scalia, the U.S. Supreme Court, and Supreme Court Nominations provides links to all these resources and more, including a number of Congressional Research Service Reports on Judge Gorsuch and video of his confirmation hearings on C-SPAN .

Thanks to the approximately 150 Moritz students so far who have completed the Moritz Law Library and Information Technology survey . The survey will remain open for one more week, closing at the end of the day on Monday, March 27th. Please complete the anonymous survey and separately enter your email address for a chance to win a $50 Barnes & Noble gift card. Gathering input through this survey is very important to Library and IT planning, helping to identify the current needs and concerns of Moritz law students. If you are a returning student who completed the survey two years ago, some of the questions have changed so please submit new responses for another chance to win the gift card.

As Spring Break approaches, you might like to take a break from reading cases to…read stories about cases! The Moritz Law Library has a collection of legal fiction to help you take a mental break. The newest books are in the Reserve Room, older books are in the upper floor stacks. Would you like to try one of the classics of legal fiction? How about To Kill a Mockingbird or The Ox-Bow Incident ? Seen the movie and now want to read the book? Then try The Runaway Jury or The Lincoln Lawyer . Interested in a popular, tried-and-true author? We have some of the latest from John Grisham and David Baldacci . Prefer a historical setting? We have The Butcher of Smithfield and The Secret Trial of Robert E. Lee . If you’re pressed for time and would like shorter stories, try Legal Briefs , Trial and Error , and Monkey Suit . For something a little closer to home, try these legal novels with a law school setting: Paper Chase and Called On . As well, Reference Librarian Paul Gat