Ross-Blakley Law Library Blog

Arizona’s Centennial is coming up on February 14th, and the state is celebrating in a big way.  Want to get in on the party? Consider attending one of these events in Phoenix, and check out the many other official events listed on the Arizona Centennial website:

Centennial Ride on February 11th
This motorcycle ride to the Arizona Capital will be led by country star, and Arizona native, Dierks Bentley.

Arizona Best Fest on February 11th and 12th
The Best Fest is an outdoor festival which will be held on the Capital Mall,
featuring … Continue Reading

With mortgage and forclosure issues in the news every day, there’s no doubt that plenty of Arizona homeowners are in need of help. The College of Law has had a busy week lending a hand.

Today the  ASU Family Justice Bus and Homeowner Advocacy Unit are co-sponsoring a Foreclosure Prevention Workshop. And yesterday, third-year law student Kyle Roberston, a student in the Homeowner Advocacy Unit , made news by arguing a case before the Arizona Supreme Court:
The question before the court is whether homeowners can challenge the foreclosing party’s authority to sell their house. Robertson will address issues related to the practical problems that result when … Continue Reading

Ever wondered where the term “rainmaker” came from? Or the origins of “blackmail”?  A new book in the library collection explains how many of the legal terms that we use everyday developed.

Lawtalk: The Unknown Stories Behind Familiar Legal Expressions
By James E. Clapp, Elizabeth G. Thornburg, Marc Galanter, and Fred R. Shapiro
Law Reference KF156 .L39 2011

For those of you familiar with the rules of evidence, this entry may be of interest:

Hearsay: This term originated in a 16th century textbook on French language that included English translations.  In one of the discussions, a cleric attempts to explain the … Continue Reading

The Law Library has added some new professional responsibility materials to the collection.

MPRE Review for the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam

Professional responsibility : Examples and Explanations / W. Bradley Wendel

Both books are on reserve at the Law Library circulation desk and can be checked out for use in the library.

Exam season may seem like the far-off future now, but it is precisely what you are doing at the beginning of the semester that will prepare you for exams at the end.  The new semester means a fresh start, and now is the time to get your study practices off on the right foot.  Here are some techniques to help:

Condense your briefs and class notes into outlines every week – outlining throughout the semester will help you retain the information you learned and keep you from having to re-learn material at the end of the semester.  Additionally, having … Continue Reading

The Library of Congress has released a free app for the Congressional Record. From the iTunes description:
Read the daily edition of the Congressional Record on your iPad. The Congressional Record App is presented by the Library of Congress using data provided by the Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Office of the Secretary of the Senate, and the Government Printing Office….The Congressional Record contains the debates, proceedings, and activities of the Congress of the United States. The Congressional Record is published in four parts: House of Representatives, Senate, Extension of Remarks, and Daily … Continue Reading

You may have noticed the internet “strike” being waged today against the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA) when you tried to access a Wikipedia article and saw the page go dark, or logged on to Google and noticed the protest link on its home page.  Both Wikipedia and Google, as well as other websites such as Reddit, BoingBoing, Mozilla, and WordPress are voicing their opposition to these two bills by participating in an “internet blackout.”  A full list of strike participants is available at SOPAStrike.com

SOPA and PIPA are aimed at preventing … Continue Reading

The library is open from 8 am to midnight on Martin Luther King Day. Come and study, that you might make yourself and the world better with your knowledge.

“Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable… Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.