New Staff @ WSLL

WSLL welcomes Liz Zimdars, who joined the staff in August to work at our Reference Desk on Thursdays through mid-January 2008.  Liz also works at the Sun Prairie Public Library, and she’s a student at the UW-Madison School of Library and Information Studies.

WisconsinEye to broadcast oral arguments

WisconsinEye, which went online in May with live video coverage of the Wisconsin Legislature, also plans to broadcast and archive Wisconsin Supreme Court oral argument proceedings beginning this term.

WisconsinEye is available 24/7 over the Internet and on both Charter and Time Warner cable systems serving Wisconsin.  To access past broadcasts, see their Video Archives webpage.   The Supreme Court archive currently includes coverage of the August 1, 2007 Oath of Office Ceremony for Justice Annette Ziegler, which took place at the Washington County Courthouse in West Bend, Wis.

The Wisconsin Court System will continue to provide live audio coverage of oral arguments over the Internet.  The Supreme Court oral arguments webpage contains a calendar of upcoming oral argument dates, monthly lists of case synopses, and the link to both live coverage and the audio archive of oral arguments dating back to September 1997.

This month’s featured titles include:

New Title: A Practical Guide to Medicare Appeals by Daniel A. Cody and Kathleen Scully-Hayes. 
American Bar Association, 2007
Call Number: KF 3608 .A4 S28 2007

Part of ABA’s Practical Guide Series, this new book gives guidance in the practical aspects of appeals under Title XVII of the Social Security Act, commonly known as the Medicare program. Practically every aspect of Medicare includes the right to an appeal for individuals and entities dissatisfied with either the coverage or the payment provided. The authors have consolidated into this single resource a concise overview of the numerous appeal options available under Parts, A, B, C, and D of the Medicare program. The Guide includes a brief historical overview of the four parts of Medicare as well as citations to - and an appendix of - controlling regulations for each appeal process. Also included is a detailed chart of the recently revised Part A and Part B “fee for service” appeals process for beneficiaries. Web sites are provided for each appeal venue, as well as information regarding several not-for-profit groups that may offer guidance or assistance to Medicare beneficiaries.

New Edition: Dahl’s Law Dictionary, 4th edition, by Henry Saint Dahl
W.S. Hein Co., 2006
Call Number: K 52.S6 D33 2006

Now in its fourth edition, Dahl’s was the first bilingual legal dictionary containing encyclopedic definitions. This new edition includes more than 11,000 words and phrases to aid researchers in defining legal terms in both English and Spanish, expanding and updating hundreds of words and phrases appearing in earlier editions.

English readers will be able to understand Spanish and Latin American legal concepts through definitions pulled from such sources as the five basic Spanish codes (Civil, Commercial, Criminal, Civil Procedural, and Criminal Procedural), the Civil Code of Louisiana (once a Spanish Territory), the Standard Penal Code for Latin America, and decisions from the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico. The Mexican Civil Code and Labor Code also provide many definitions, while to a lesser extent sections of Costa Rican, Guatemalan, Honduran, Nicaraguan, and Panamanian legal texts are also cited.

Likewise, the Spanish reader will gain knowledge of the American legal system through fundamental legal sources such as the U.S. Constitution, the Uniform Commercial Code, the Model Penal Code, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, four Restatements of the Law (Conflict of Laws, Contracts, Judgments and Torts), and decisions of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico defining American terms.

In August, we explained how to access primary law and legislative history resources using HeinOnline.  This month, we continue our focus on HeinOnline with a look at their Legal Classics collection.

What Is It?

Over 1,000 of the most highly regarded legal works have been digitized for the Legal Classics Library collection.  Currently the collection spans from works published in the late 18th through the mid 20th centuries.

What Makes A Classic?

The Legal Classics collection boasts copies of well-known works like Blackstone’s Commentaries (1803), Cardozo’s Growth of the Law (1924), Stone’s Commentaries on the Constitution (1833), the translated Code of Hammurabi (2250 BC), and Alexander Hamilton’s Federalist Papers.

Early works on topics as varied as insurance, marriage, maritime, constitutional, common law, and more are included.  Several titles focus on international law, or the history of law in other nations, including ancient laws.  Select biographies are also included, Abraham Lincoln featuring prominently on the list.

How to Search

Start at WSLL’s Journals and Legal Databases page to access HeinOnline.  Scroll or click through to the “Legal Resources” section and choose the link for HeinOnline.  From HeinOnline’s main page, choose the “Legal Classics” topic. 

1. From the Legal Classics screen, you can use the alphabetical list at the top to browse the available titles.
2. If you know the author or title, use the links on the left of the screen to narrow your search.
3. You can also browse by subject – from “Accounting” to “Women & the Law”

As fascinating for the historian as for the student and practitioner of law, HeinOnline’s Legal Classics collection is worth exploring.

Learn more about…

• How to access HeinOnline
• Searching HeinOnline

There are still a few seats available in these upcoming hands-on legal research classes at the State Law Library training room. Additional information is available on our Classes & Tours webpage. Space is limited, so register today.

The Wisconsin Court System Website: What's On It For Me?
Wednesday, October 3, 2007 9:00-10:00 a.m.
Navigate the Court System's website and find the information you need. Learn how to access Circuit Court records, find mandatory forms, search Supreme Court and Court of Appeals opinions, and check appellate case status. Explore additional resources such as the Self-Help Center and court administrative office pages. Join us for a tour of this useful website.
FREE Class. 1 CLE credit applied for. Registration is limited to 8. Print registration form.

NEW CLASS! Using Blogs to Promote Your Law Practice
Thursday, November 8, 2007 9:00-11:00 a.m.
Blogs can be used to inform, communicate and network. How can you use a blog to connect with clients? Learn how attorneys and law firms are using blogs and how easy it is to maintain a web presence without a website, or enhance an existing website. Attend this two hour session to learn how to create and market your blog. Watch a demonstration of how to set up a blog using a popular blogging tool. Participants wishing to set up a blog during class must set up their own Google account in advance.
Fee: $66.00. 2 CLE credits applied for. Registration limited to 8. Print registration form.

Wisconsin Briefs Online
Wednesday, December 12, 2007 9:00-10:00 a.m.
Streamline your search for briefs! This class covers Wisconsin Briefs available on the Internet. Learn how to access Wisconsin Briefs on the UW Law Library's website, and gain a basic understanding of how to best use WSCCA in your search for Wisconsin Briefs.
FREE Class. 1 CLE credit applied for. Registration is limited to 8. Print registration form.

Rules of the Road Refresher

School’s back in session, which means even more busses, bikes, mopeds and pedestrians are on the roads and in the crosswalks.  For a refresher on driving, bicycling and walking safely and lawfully, see the Wisconsin Motorist’s Handbook, available online in English, Spanish, and Hmong.

September Notables

Sept. 3, 1783 - Paris Peace Treaty Signed
On this date the Paris Peace Treaty was signed, officially ending the Revolutionary War. Two years after the conclusion of the war, American and British delegations met in Paris to formalize Britain's recognition of the United States of America. The treaty articles, drawn up on November 30, 1782 and formally agreed upon on September 3, 1783, demanded that land, including what would later become the State of Wisconsin, be ceded from Britain to the United States.  [Source: Wis. Historical Society, “On This Day in Wisconsin History”]

Sept. 17-23: Constitution Week
The U.S. Congress, by joint resolution of February 29, 1952 (36 U.S.C. 106), designated September 17 as "Citizenship Day," and by joint resolution of August 2, 1956 (36 U.S.C. 108), requested that the President proclaim the week beginning September 17 and ending September 23 of each year as "Constitution Week." [Source: The White House Web Site]