Due to popular demand, a Bluebooking program will also be available. This class will be held at 1:00 pm in Room 501 to accommodate more people. However, no lunch will be provided.

Mark your calendars for the following dates:

Wednesday, February 1, 2012: Bluebooking for Success. Room 501. No reservations needed; no lunch provided. (Karen Schneiderman)

Wednesday, February 8, 2012: Federal Legislative History. Room 113M; lunch provided. Register at: http://uslegislativehistory.eventbrite.com* (Rosemary Campagna)

Wednesday, February 15, 2012: New York Legislative History. Room 113M; lunch provided. Register at: http://nylegislativehistory.eventbrite.com* (Linda Holmes)

Wednesday, February 22, 2012: Court Documents. Room 113M; lunch provided. Register at: http://courtdocuments.eventbrite.com* (Sara Gras)

Wednesday, February 29, 2012: Financial Legal Research. Room 113M; lunch provided. Register at: http://financialresearch.eventbrite.com* (Harold O’Grady)

*Maximum of 20 people may register

On the evening of January 22, 2012 through the morning of January 23, 2012,  from approximately 7:30 PM on Sunday through 6:30 AM on Monday, all services will be interrupted for periods of up to two hours each; this includes wireless Internet access, e-mail, and BLSConnect.

BLS IT notes that it will wait until after 2:00 AM to take any steps that may disrupt Internet access.

Please feel free to e-mail support@brooklaw.edu or call BLS  IT at 718-780-7507 if you have any questions or concerns.

Library users will notice improved conductivity through out the library. The current exception is in the computer labs on 2M and 3rd floors.

There are two high security networks and two medium secuity networks.
The high secure networks are called bls-unifi and bls-aruba.  The medium secure networks are called bls-med-unifi and bls-med-aruba.

BLS IT  recommends using the high secured networks. Use of the medium secured networks is recommended when you are at distance from an wireless access point or there are lots of obstructions between you and the access point.

To connect to high security networks:

1. Choose the network called bls-unifi and bls-aruba.
2. When you are prompted, enter your Brooklyn Law School username and your password.
3. If you see security warnings about the certificate, choose to accept it and continue. (On a Mac, you should open the details about the certificate and choose to “always trust” the certificate.)

 To connect to the medium security networks:

1.  Click on the network called bls-med-unifi and bls-med-aruba.
2. When prompted for the security key, enter blsf2008.
3. Once connected, you will need to start your preferred web browser and logon to the web portal.
4. Use your Brooklyn Law School username and password. (You should allow your browser to accept popups while on these networks, otherwise your connection may time out after a period of inactivity.)

If you have trouble connecting, use your smartphone and e-mail BLS IT – support@brooklaw.edu. Leave your name and a phone number.  Alternatively, you can call BLS IT  during business hours, you may call 718-780-7507.

The law school libraries that participate in this program are: Cardozo, Fordham, Hofstra, New York University (passes available for upper class students only), Pace, Seton Hall, St. John’s and Touro.

BLS students may use CUNY Law School Library or New York Law School Library by presenting a valid BLS identification card at either’s school’s building or library entrance.

From Saturday, December 23, 2011 through Monday, January 2, 2012 we will be closed for the winter holidays.

Our hours during intersession are Tuesday, January 3 – Friday, January 6, 2012, 9:00am -10:00pm and Saturday & Sunday, January 7 – 8, 2012, 9:00am – 5:00pm.

Happy holidays to all and enjoy the semester break!

Keep in mind that the Brooklyn Law School library also has recent publications on these issues, such as:

Entertainment law for the general practitioner (2011)

Music Industry Handbook (2011)

Entertainment law and business: a guide to the law and business practices of the entertainment industry, 2nd ed.(2008)

Getting permission: how to license & clear copyrighted materials, online & off (2010).

For help finding additional sources of information, please feel free to speak to any of the Reference Librarians.

The Library will again use an online study room reservation system during the reading and exam period.  Beginning on Thursday, December 8, 2011 at 12:01am you may make a reservation for a group study room for that day and two days ahead.  A link to the Study Room Reservation System will be found on the Library web page under “Related Links” at that time.  A description of all of the study rooms and instructions for making reservations are posted on the reservation site.

Please remember that study rooms are for the use of groups of two or more people and they cannot be reserved for one individual.   Students are only permitted four hours of study room space per day.  During this reservation period all study rooms are kept locked and you must pick up the key to the room from the circulation desk at the time of  your reservation.

Good luck on your exams!

Eric E. Johnson, U.S. Capitol no. 6605, (last visited Nov. 22, 2011) http://www.flickr.com/photos/ericejohnson/4089419553/lightbox/

As the so called “supercommittee” failed to trim the federal deficit by at least $1.2 trillion, many are questioning whether or not the American Political system works. [1]  The Congressional failure raises questions on the efficacy of the separation of powers doctrine and the principle of checks and balances.  To learn more about these basic tenets of American Constitutional Law, there are several resources available to you at Brooklyn Law School.  Listed below are a few of the Library’s more current sources:

Eoin Carolan, The New Separation of Powers: A Theory for the Modern State (2009).

Excerpt taken from book:

This book offers a radical & provocative revision of the theory of separation of powers. It argues that, although designed to protect democracy, separation of powers is often used today to undermine it by concealing & centralising the exercise of power by public officials. The theory is then reinvented for the modern regulatory state.

Louis Fischer, Constitutional Conflicts between Congress and the President (5th ed. 2007).

Excerpt taken from book:

Nearly three decades after its initial publication, Louis Fisher’s durable classic remains at the head of its class–a book that Congressional Quarterly called “as close to being indispensable as anything published in this field.” This newly revised and updated fifth edition emphatically reinforces that sterling reputation.

Fisher dissects the crucial constitutional disputes between the executive and legislative branches of government from the Constitutional Convention through President Clinton’s impeachment battles to the recent controversies over President Bush’s conduct as commander in chief. He ventures beyond traditional discussions of Supreme Court decisions to examine the day-to-day working relationships between the president and Congress.

To scholars, this book offers a comprehensive examination of the institutions and issues of public law. For practitioners, general readers, and students of American government, it demonstrates how constitutional issues shape and define current events.

Thomas Campbell, Separation of Powers in Practice (2004).

Excerpt taken from book:

Each branch of American government possesses inherent advantages and disadvantages in structure. In this book, the author relies on a separation-of-powers analysis that emphasizes the advantage of the legislature to draft precise words to fit intended situations, the judiciary’s advantage of being able to do justice in an individual case, and the executive’s homogeneity and flexibility, which best suits it to decisions of an ad hoc nature.

Identifying these structural abilities, the author analyzes major public policy issues, including gun control, flag burning, abortion, civil rights, war powers, suing the President, legislative veto, the exclusionary rule, and affirmative action. Each issue is examined not from the point of view of determining the right outcome, but with the intention of identifying the branch of government most appropriate for making the decision.

Wednesday, Nov. 23rd     9:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 24th         Thanksgiving Day Closed

Friday, Nov. 25th               9:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 26th          9:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 27th             9:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Regular Library hours resume Monday, November 28th.

The librarians and staff of the BLS Library wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving.

“There is one day that is ours. Thanksgiving Day is the one day that is purely American“        O. Henry

The fee for the bar exam study pass is $50.00, payable in cash, check or money order.  A limited number of passes are available on a first come, first serve basis.

The purchase of a bar exam study pass entitles the user to the facilities of the Brooklyn Law School Library with the exception of the computer lab workstations and printers, wireless access and the study/conference rooms.  Computer access is only available by using an ethernet cable that the pass holder must supply.

The bar exam study pass is a courtesy that the Library extends to non-BLS graduates.  This access is subject to compliance with all Library rules and policies.  Any non-BLS graduate who violates any rule or policy will lose his/her right to use the Library for the remainder of the bar exam study period and will forfeit the fee paid.