Online Versions of New Zealand and Australian Legislation are Authoritative

LOC's  Kelly Buchanan recently posted: "effective January 6, 2014, the PDF version of all legislation enacted since 2008, and the PDF of the latest version of the majority of prior legislation, which is published on the New Zealand Legislation website is now considered to be an official version.  This means that, in accordance with the Legislation Act 2012, all courts must now take judicial notice of the online version (or a printout of the PDF) of an act or legislative instrument without requiring further proof of its accuracy, unless the contrary is shown.  The requirements for the official electronic version of legislation (as well as printed versions) were set out in the Legislation (Official Versions) Regulations 2013 and include that the front page must contain the New Zealand Coat of Arms."

Click here to read more of her post concerning this exciting development!

Hat tip In Custodia Legis Blog for Library of Congress

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Star Trek and Law Practice

This is an amusing post on Conflicts Check:  All I Need to Know About Being A Lawyer I Learned From Star Trek:  An Open Letter to New Attorneys.

Be aware that the author refers to Star Trek the Original Series although there are passing comments to what comes after. 

Don't agree with everything said, but it is a different perspective.

If you ever have time - hah - search for law journal articles discussing the law in the Star Trek Universe.  Yes, there are scholarly articles on this topic. 

Hat Tip to Futurelawyer.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Research Resources: Life Sciences Law & Industry Report (BNA)

If you are interested in a bi-weekly publication that provides life sciences industry regulation, policy and law, take a look at BNA's Life Sciences Law & Industry Report.  The Report also contains coverage of federal/ state and major international legislation as well as standards concerning the life sciences industry.   Dates of coverage are from March 16, 2007 to the present.

To access the Life Sciences Law & Industry Report  (BNA):

• Go to the Library's home page, click "Online Resources"
• Click the "Health Law/Medicine" link
• Scroll down to "Life Sciences Law & Industry Report (BNA)"

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Award-Winning Contract Drafting Blog

Here’s an outstanding addition to any formal skills training or on-the-job experience: Adams on Contract Drafting. This blog uniquely focuses on the language, not the content, of business contracts—how to express what you want to say in “modern and effective contract language.”

This award-winning blog is the creation of Ken Adams, an internationally recognized consultant and speaker, a former corporate law practitioner who taught the first contract drafting course at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and the author of A Manual of Style for Contract Drafting, published by the American Bar Association (latest edition, 2013).  For anyone interested in how to express effectively what you mean to say in business contracts, Adams on Contract Drafting is definitely worth checking out.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Research alert - check out Google Scholar Library

Those engineers at Google don't rest much.  They have introduced an enhancement to Google Scholar, called Google Scholar Library.

Google Scholar, for the uninitiated, searches scholarly articles and will sometimes even provide links when Hofstra subscribes .  Google Scholar Library enhances functionality by allowing you to save, organize and search articles of interest.    

See Google Scholar blog for details.
                                                        Hat tip to Prof Hacker



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

U.S. Privacy Board Findings On NSA Phone Surveillance Program

From the article at Jurist: 

"The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB), an independent agency created by Congress to protect American privacy under anti-terrorism laws, issued a report on Thursday calling the NSA's metadata program illegal and saying that it should be ended".

Read more by following the link, above.


Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Law Library Closed

Due to weather conditions, the University is closed today, Wednesday, January 22, 2014. The law library is open for law student and faculty swipe access only.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Law Library Will Close at 2:00 PM Today

·        Due to weather conditions, the University will be closed as of 2 p.m. today, Tuesday, January 21, 2014.  Classes are cancelled, the law library will be open for student swipe access only, and University offices will be closed.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Since there are no classes today, take a few moments to Dr. King's life and work.

1.  The King Center:  Established in 1968 by Mrs. Coretta Scott King, The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change (“The King Center”) has been a global destination, resource center and community institution for over a quarter century.

2.  History.com - Martin Luther King Jr.:  has videos, speeches, photo galleries and interactive histories.

3.  Martin Luther King Jr. - Day of Service:   Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: 'What are you doing for others?'"

4.  Personal recommendation:  Letter from Birmingham Jail.


Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Online Resources: BNA Collective Bargaining Negotiations & Contracts

If you are looking for a source that reviews information about negotiating and administering contracts, in addition to providing sample contract clauses relating to collective bargaining, try Collective Bargaining Negotiations & Contracts (BNA).  The manual contains chapters on pay plans, employee benefits, working conditions and provides sample clauses on economic weapons of labor, wages/hours and more.

To access the Collective Bargaining Negotiations & Contracts manual:

• Go to the Library's home page, click "Online Resources"
• Click the "Labor and Employment Law" link
• Scroll down to "Collective Bargaining Negotiations & Contracts (BNA)"

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat