Women's Law Journal Presentation

This page is a step-by-step guide for students in the Hastings Women's Journal to choose a note topic and perform a preemption check.

Read about current legal issues that may be of interest to you:

1. Topical Newsletters
   The Library subscribes to a number of topical newsletters which follow current litigation and legislative changes. Some examples which may be useful are:
   
   ABA child law practice.(Circulation Desk)
   KF479.A15 A24
   

   Family law reporter.
   KF503.4 .B7 (Circulation Desk)

   Lesbian-gay law notes.
   KF4754.5.A15 L47 Circulation Desk
   
   Migration news sheet: monthly information bulletin on immigrants, refugees and ethnic minorities
   JV6091 .M54 (Circulation Desk)
   
   Obscenity law bulletin.
   KF9444.A15 O2 (Circulation Desk)
   
   

   Newsletters on Westlaw and Lexis:

   Westlaw: You can search the LEGNEWSL database of all the newsletters currently available on Westlaw.These include Interpreter Releases (a weekly report that analyzes legislative, administrative, and judicial developments related to immigration and nationality law) and Immigration Briefings (a monthly newsletter providing in-depth analysis topics, such as foreign adoptions, expedited removal, asylum, vaccinations and health issues, immigrant investor visas, transfer of international corporate employees, and adjustment of status. Coverage begins with January 1988).

   Lexis has a smaller newsletter database: search Combined Legal Newsletters on Lexis.

2. U.S. Law Week
   KF105 .U33 (First Floor Library Circ. Desk)
   Read either the "Summary and Analysis of Significant Court Opinions" or the "Legal News" section.
   The Bureau of National Affairs (BNA) publishes US Law Week. We now have an online subscription to the US Law Week .
   
   
3. Newspapers
   Both Lexis and Westlaw have a good selection of US newspapers, where you can read about new legal issues. Lexis (Major Papers) Westlaw (NewsRoom Major Papers)
   
   
4. Websites
   Since the Hastings Women's Law Journal provides a forum for voices outside the traditional scope of legal academic scholarship, Internet resources outside of Law Reviews and Newspaper can provide help in addressing current issues.
   
   Perkins Library at Duke University, NGO Research Guide:
   
   Women in Development A listing of the larger and more influential NGOs operating internationally, limited in scope to those NGOs which: Produce publications of research value to university users and policymakers and Are large, influential organizations as demonstrated by affiliations with other organizations, directory listings, and currently maintained web sites.
   
   Law Professor Blogs A guide to group of law professors who discuss current topics on their blogs.
   
   Workplace Discrimination sites:
   
   Work / Life Law Center at Hastings focuses on a number of workplace discrimination issues.
   
   Work / Life Law Research Page has library resources as well as links to many useful many online resources.
   
   Workplace Fairness -- a non-profit organization helping to preserve and promote employee rights. This website provides information about job rights and employment issues around the country and in all 50 states. It is for workers, employers, advocates, policymakers, journalists, and anyone else who wants to understand, protect, and strengthen workers' rights.
   
   
   Websites that have a component that addresses sex and reproduction:
   
   Center for Reproductive Rights
   The Center for Reproductive Rights uses the law to advance reproductive freedom as a fundamental right that all governments are legally obligated to protect, respect and fulfill. Topics covered are Abortions, Adolescents, Contraception, Human Rights, Safe Pregnancy.
   
   Youth Coalition
   YC is an international organization of young people between the ages of 15 & 29 committed to promoting youth sexual and reproductive rights at the national, regional and international levels.
   
   Amensty International, Women's Human Rights
   Reports, News and current concerns about the human rights of women throughout the world
   
   Women Watch
   A gateway to information and resources from UN agencies working on women's issues worldwide.
   
   Women's Human Rights Resources from Bora Laskin Law Library, University of Toronto has a searchable database of topical information. Hint: Use Advanced Search.
   
   Gender and Refugee Law websites:
   
   Professor Karen Musalo has a website for the Center for Gender and Refugee Studies with databases of gender asylum cases and relevant law, useful web links, and links to topical news stories.
   
   Human Rights Watch
   Human Rights Watch is dedicated to protecting the human rights of people around the world. Their website provides a wealth of current information, news, international legal standards and publications for topics such as women's rights, refugees, prisons arms and children's rights.
   
   National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights works to promote a just immigration and refugee policy in the United States and to defend and expand the rights of all immigrants and refugees, regardless of immigration status. Includes the Network News newsletter.
   
   Youth Law websites:
   
   National Center for Youth Law publishes articles, manuals, books, and a bimonthly journal, Youth Law News.

The Youth Law Center is a non-profit, public interest law office that has worked to protect abused and at-risk children since 1978. Youth Law Center Links and Refferals

The Internet Open Directory provides links to organizations which specialize in nontraditional areas of the law. Some good examples of areas they cover:
Gay Lesbian Bisexual Law
Transgendered Law
Animal Welfare Law
Race and Racism
Disabilities Law
Juvenile Law

 

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What is a Preemption Check?
It is simply a way to check to make sure that no one else has already published an article (or book) on the topic you have selected for your Note.

How do I Complete a Preemption Check?
The easiest thing to do is to follow the Library's 8-step Preemption Check Guide.

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FINDING BOOKS:

Search Hastings Online Catalog for print titles at the Hastings Law Library. Be sure to use keyword searches for broad topics. Once you have narrowed down to a LC subject heading, use subject search to include all materials under your subject

For non-legal materials and materials not available at Hastings, search "WorldCat" on FirstSearch to find out if any books exist on your topic at any library worldwide. (Note: FirstSearch is only available from computers on campus.)

If you do find a book on your topic that we don't have at Hastings, you can submit a request to have the book borrowed by Hastings through interlibrary loan (ILL). It can take up to two weeks to get books from ILL, so plan ahead.

FINDING JOURNAL ARTICLES:

Finding a journal article discussing the area of law you are planning to write about, can be a great way to start your research or to solidify an important point in your paper. Granted the articles you find will be on different topics, but they can help you find the major primary sources you will need.

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS LAW:

If you are doing research that involves international human rights law, look at the webpage for Professor Musalo's International Human Rights Seminar. It has good resources, and links to pertinent research guides, databases and websites.

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Reference Desk Hours:
Fall Semester 2007
Monday-Friday: 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Getting Research Help:
The Reference Librarians are available to help you plan your research strategy and to help you find the resources that will be useful in researching your note topic. Stop by when the reference desk is open, or if you have a more complicated question, contact (565-4759) or (565-4768) and make an appointment to discuss your research. For help with international law questions, e-mail (or call) (565-4752).

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Last updated September 19, 2007