Criminal Justice Reform Resources 2008-2009

Criminal justice reform is an issue that does not receive as much attention as it should, but there are people and organizations generating important work on the subject. Criminal Justice Reform Resources 2008-2009 compiles some of the most important resources and documents. From the site:

This article focuses on select current reports, surveys, legislative proposals and scholarship regarding criminal justice reform. It is only a small sampling of the increasing volume of publications on vital matters of interest to criminal practitioners and the public. Therefore, only a few themes are covered: criminal justice, discovery, forensics, juvenile justice, prosecutorial misconduct, public defense, sentencing and wrongful conviction.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Human Rights Watch International Film Festival

The 20th annual Human Rights Watch International Film Festival is scheduled from June 11 through June 25. This year, over 20 films are featured, touching human rights issues across the globe. One particularly interesting film is The Reckoning -- a documentary about the International Criminal Court.




Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Holmes Defeats Posner

Brian Leiter surveyed his readers with the question, 'Who were the most influential legal thinkers of the twentieth century?'  The results of the survey are here.  Oliver Wendell Holmes ranked first.  Richard Posner came in second.  Antonin Scalia was tenth.  No other current Supreme Court justices made it into the top 25.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Bottom Line Job Interview Tips

I can't help noticing how quiet my corner of the Library is, with most students celebrating the end of exams and/or Commencement weekend. For those facing law job interviews in the months ahead, it's a good time to review and bookmark these "right to the point" tips and tricks to "Ace that Job Interview" in tough financial times.

Hat tip to JDJungle.com, where you can also find Law Jobs pages focused on the "Screening Interview," the "Callback Interview," and "Summer Law Internship Tips."

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Congratulations, Graduates!

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S to all graduates!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As soon to be alumni, make sure to come back and visit. You are always welcome in the Library.

As you make your plans to study for the Bar exam, check Library hours at http://law.hofstra.edu/Library/General/libgen_hours.html .



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Update: Free Rice Vocabulary Game For World Hunger

In a previous post on January 10, 2008, we described the Free Rice game. The game helps to build one’s vocabulary, as follows: For each word you match with its correct synonym, Free Rice donates ten grains of rice to the United Nations World Food Program. You’ll find more information about the game in the previous post.

This post is to alert potential players that the vocabulary levels have increased since our last post on the subject. Instead of fifty vocabulary levels, there are now sixty levels. So, be assured that even the most erudite among you will find yourselves challenged in the aid of a good cause!

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Wolfram|Alpha a New Type of Search Engine

Something new in search engines will arrive on May 18. Referred to by some as a "Google killer," Wolfram|Alpha "is a hybrid of a search engine and an encyclopedia, designed to generate the answer to a search query, rather than the most relevant information." Click here for more information.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

New York State Senate website

The New York State Senate has re-designed the Senate's website and it is a big step forward in functionality and transparency. It is a clean design easy to figure out and easy to find the information you want. They have also added more information and made it interactive with the public. You can actually go to this site and leave comments on pending legislation.

It even has a Senate blog.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Flare Index to Treaties

Looking for a treaty? The Flare Index to Treaties is a searchable database of multilateral treaties from 1856 to the present.

The database presents information about more than 1,500 treaties, and provides links to the full text of the treaty when it is available online.

Hat tip to Cornell Law Library's InSite.


Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Free Case Law

Related to Thursday's post with guides to low cost legal research resources, there is a new article in Law Technology News that reviews free sources of case law.

And you can add one more source to those listed in the article, the New York State Reporter. Similarly, many state governments and courts offer recent opinions online for free.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat