Dec 20
2013
10:01 AM

Minority Mismatch

Prof. Richard Sander of UCLA Law School has won a favorable ruling from the California Supreme Court in support of his research on the effects of affirmative action programs on minority students admitted to law schools. The ruling requires the State Bar of California to provide Sander and his fellow researcher, Joe Hicks, with “access to information contained in its bar admissions database, including applicants‟ bar exam scores, law school attended, grade point averages, Law School Admissions Exam scores, and race or ethnicity.” According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, Sander wants to use the information “to bolster his research into how, in his view, affirmative-action programs often set up minority law students for failure.” He argues that his findings will support the cessation of racial preferences in law school admissions.

[RL]

Dec 9
2013
2:49 PM

Good Luck with Finals!

From the staff at the LRC, we’d like to wish everyone good luck with their finals! Here are some important reminders:

The library is open extended hours (7 a.m. – 2 a.m. daily) during the final exam period Friday Dec. 6th to Thursday, December 18th.

The LRC will once again be providing coffee, tea, and cocoa for USD law and paralegal students from 5 pm to closing during this time.

Also remember that all sample exams on file for law school professors are now digitized and available off of the LRC’s course reserves and past exams page http://sally.sandiego.edu/screens/reserves.html

[MF]

Dec 6
2013
3:44 PM

U.S. House Agrees on Something!–Patent Trolls

The House of Representatives has passed HR 3309, the Innovation Act, to prevent frivolous, troublesome and expensive lawsuits by patent trolls. Check out the story in the New York Times and on the Washington Post blog.

[RL]

Dec 4
2013
8:45 PM

Live Internet Viewing of 9th Circuit En Banc Proceedings

The 9th Circuit becomes the first federal court of appeal to launch its own live-streaming coverage of oral arguments:

The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit will provide live video streaming of its en banc proceedings, beginning with five cases scheduled for oral arguments December 9-11, 2013, in the James R. Browning U.S. Courthouse in San Francisco. Effective December 9, Internet users will find links to the video streams here or by visiting www.ca9.uscourts.gov and clicking on the link labeled “En Banc Video Streaming.”

Considered a leader in the use of technology to increase public access, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is one of two federal appellate courts to allow the news media to use cameras in the courtroom. Since the early 1990s, Ninth Circuit appellate panels have granted 378 media requests for still and video photography of often high-profile cases.

Since 2003, the court has been using its own technology to provide public access to digital audio recordings of all oral arguments heard at all locations on a next-day basis. Video recording capability was later added. Today, all 11 courtrooms in the four Ninth Circuit courthouses are video equipped. Three courtrooms – one each in San Francisco, Pasadena and Portland – are equipped with high-definition video cameras.

Digital files containing audio and video recordings of court proceedings are available online at http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/media/.

This is the first time the court will use its own technology to deliver live video of a proceeding over the Internet. Broadcast and cable news networks have previously provided live coverage of Ninth Circuit court proceedings, including Internet viewing.

Source: Internet Viewing of En Banc Proceedings, 9th Circuit website

[JML]

Dec 4
2013
8:37 AM

LEGAL PERSONHOOD FOR CHIMPANZEES?

The Nonhuman Rights Project has filed three lawsuits in New York arguing that chimpanzees should be granted legal personhood. For more information, check out the following link.

[JL]

Dec 2
2013
1:11 PM

LRC November Trivia Winner

Congratulations to our November trivia winner Keith Peterson!

Question: On October 4th, 2002, the Legal Research Center celebrated the purchase of its 500,000th volume. What was the title of this item?

Answer: The 1541 edition of the Magna Carta. This item can be found on display on the first floor of the Legal Research Center across from the circulation desk.