UHLC Nota Bene

"Death row is the loudest thing I ever experienced, louder than anything in the free world… and it is loud all the time—morning, day and night." Confessions of an Innocent Man opens with the surprising yet captivating love story of Tieresse, a beautiful, intelligent, kind, interesting, and wealthy philanthropist; and her unlikely partner, Rafael, a less privileged yet talented, hardworking restauranteur. In part one, Rafael describes their life together, from meeting and traveling to getting married and purchasing a home in Kansas. But their romance and the excitement surrounding their move is short-lived, as Tieresse is murdered just afterward, and Rafael is soon accused of her murder. Rafael walks us through his initial trial and guilty verdict, followed by his sentencing trial and the moment in which he is sentenced to death. This story, however, is less emotional and more matter-of-fact than that of the story told at the beginning of part one. Rafael seems detached, ...

The American Bar Association’s Section of Family Law publishes a number of useful handbooks and practice guides, including The Adoption Law Handbook , by Jennifer Fairfax. Now in its second edition, this book provides step-by-step guidance to all aspects of the adoption process, whether independent or performed through a private or public agency. It also guides the attorney through client intake and consultation, and provides checklists and sample questions to ask the client. Other topics covered include biological fathers, termination of parental rights, the Interstate Compact on Placement of Children, second-parent and co-parent adoptions, post-adoption contact agreements, the Indian Child Welfare Act, cost and financing, adult adoption, open adoption records, and international adoption. There is a summary of key points at the end of each chapter, and the book contains a wide array of forms and sample agreements.  The Adoption Law Handbook is now available on the New Boo...

The O'Quinn Law Library collection now includes Taxation, Virtual Currency and Blockchain by Aleksandra Bal. Taxation, Virtual Currency and Blockchain is primarily a policy anaysis of the tax treatment of virtual currency transactions, but it also goes into some depth reviewing judicial decisions related to this topic.  Researchers looking for a bibliography of relevant cases and government papers might be interested in this book's review of the major publications addressing American and European law.  While primarity written for practitioners already familiar with the basic concepts, each chapter includes an introduction to the concepts that would make this book valuable to law students as well (even concepts like "income tax," not just concepts involving new technology). Taxation, Virtual Currency and Blockchain is is currently available on the New Books shelf at the far end of the law library reference desk.  This book's call number is K 4487.E43B35 2019...

Most of us think we know all there is to know about personal electronics. The brands and types of laptops, desktops, and tablets we prefer. But what if you are running your own small firm? I-pads for everyone? Are PCs still the best option? Should you find yourself in this position, the ABA’s Law Practice Division has you covered with their 2019 Solo and Small Firm Legal Technology Guid e . This resource surprised me with its detailed specifications, complete product recommendations, and absolute price transparency. The chapters include everything from computers and operating systems to printers and smart phones, document management to cloud computing and everything in between. None of the chapters waste time with excessive theory and each gets directly to the most used systems as well as their pros and cons. They think through the average business life of hardware and the costs of updating software, allowing attorneys to budget their technology expenses over a period of years. ...

“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” We the People: A Progressive Reading of the Constitution for the Twenty-First Century opens with this popular quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Chemerinsky’s plea to “develop and defend and fight for a progressive vision” of the Constitution. Chemerinsky describes the conservative vision of the Constitution as: ·       strongly pro-law enforcement, favoring the government and police over the constitutional rights of criminal defendants ·       powerfully pro-business, favoring the interests of corporations over those of employees and consumers ·       a vision regarding race discrimination as a thing of the past and opposing race-conscious actions to remedy the legacy of discrimination and achieve diversity ·       a vision rejecting the notion of separation of church and state ·       a vision strong...

It’s that time of year again. Law students across the country are poring over their class notes and supplements, putting the finishing touches on their outlines, and fueling their all-night study sessions with a combination of high-carb snacks and Java Monsters. This can mean only one thing: exam time is approaching. If you’re looking for a brief but effective guide to improving your exam performance, the O’Quinn Law Library has the book for you. Alex Schimel’s Law School Exams: A Guide to Better Grades , now in its second edition, provides a clear and concise strategy for mastering the issue-spotting exams that determine the majority of your grade in most law school classes. Schimel finished second in his class at the University Of Miami School Of Law, where he taught a wildly popular exam workshop in his 2L and 3L years, and later returned to become Associate Director of the Academic Achievement Program. The first edition of his book was written shortly after he finished law scho...

The O'Quinn Law Library collection now includes Death of a Law Firm: Staying Strong in the Global Legal Market by Jaap Bosman with Lisa Hakanson. Death of a Law Firm , despite its title, is not a pessimistic look at the future of the legal profession.  The book seems to have an optimistic view of the future growth of the legal sector and the attendant legal market; its skepticism is focused on certain developments in law firm management.  The authors review a number of recent trends in the law firm model and examine how they have been applied, both by successful law firms and by firms that have failed.  This book may be of interest to current law firm partners preparing for the future, or to anyone curious about law firms and law firm management. Death of a Law Firm is is currently available on the New Books shelf at the far end of the law library reference desk.  This book's call number is KF 318.B67 2017 .