Picture source: United States National Archives

Happy Constitution Day! On this day, September 17th, in 1787 the 39 delegates to the Constitutional Convention completed and signed the U.S. Constitution. Here are some interesting websites that celebrate this historic event:

Read about the observance from the US Code: 36 U.S.C § 106 (from Cornell's Legal Information Institute)

The National Archives has a fantastic online exhibit called the Charters of Freedom which has articles about the creation of the Constitution. The Archives also provide some great resources for learning about the Constitution and this important day.

If you visit Philadelphia, PA you should check out the National Constitution Center. They have also created an interactive version of the Constitution. Or you can print your own copy (.PDF) of the Constitution!

Have an excellent weekend! 

This is readable by any smart phone with a QR app.

I also like it as art. QR codes require a reader download to your smart phone, for example Kaywa.

Library use for research would include directing a patron with a smartphone to an informational website or related database from a QR code in the stacks. 

The week has flown by fast! Here's a listing of what workshops are still available for you to attend this week:

For Lawyering Process 1 students: Introduction to Westlaw & Lexis

• Thursday 9/16 @ Noon
• Thursday 9/16 @ 7:40pm
• Friday 9/17 @ Noon
• Friday 9/17 @ 1pm
• Friday 9/17 @ 3pm

For all students: Scholarly Writing:Research Sources and Bluebooking

Writing an AWR? Review research sources and The Bluebook! We'll go over databases such as HeinOnline and LegalTrac.

• Friday, 9/17 @ 2pm

All workshops are held in the Law Library Computer Lab located on the 2nd floor of the tower.

To RSVP visit: www.phoenixlaw.edu/librarycalendar

Trying to keep up with Civil Procedure? Puzzled by Twombly and Iqbal? Take a look at these great blawgs:

• Civil Procedure & Federal Courts Blog
• Federal Civil Practice Bulletin
• Consumer Class Actions and Mass Torts

And for the best on Twombly and Iqbal,

• Drug and Device Law [sic]

Yes, this blog is about products liability. But it has the clearest discussions of the “new pleading”.

Here are two ejournals that you can get through SSRN - the Social Science Research Network:

• Federal Courts & Jurisdiction eJournal
• Litigation & Procedure eJournal (found under “Litigation, Procedure & Dispute Resolution eJournals”)

Lots of brand-new articles on civil procedure. To access these ejournals on SSRN, register for an account at http://ssrn.com. Use your @phoenixlaw.edu email address. For help, see the video at http://ssrn.com/update/general/ssrn_faq.html#subscrDemo. Once your account is set up, you will get an email with instructions for registration and subscribing to journals. The first time you go to your SSRN start page, it will ask you to enter your email address. Hit the "Submit" button, and your User ID and Password will be emailed to you in seconds. Input your ID and Password, and you are on your way.

You can also set up alerts on bepress (use “Courts”, “Jurisdiction”, and “Practice and Procedure”), Westlaw, and Lexis.

With all these goodies, you should be well out in front.

Ted McClure, Faculty Services Law Librarian

Federal case files that are closed are transferred from the Courts to the National Archive. From the 1960s onwards, regional archives store transcripts, pleadings, exhibits, dockets, and any other proceedings from the Federal Courts of Appeal, Bankruptcy Court, Civil and Criminal Courts.

Arizona Federal case files are stored at the National Archive center in Riverside, CA. For a fee anything can be obtained and delivered to the legal researcher. You can also gumshoe your way to Riverside to access the case archive in person. This same system is administered by the National Archives nationally so closed case files from any jurisdiction can be accessed.

See NARA Info: http://www.archives.gov/pacific/frc/riverside/court-records  

Here is an example of legal research not typically conducted online, but some of these documents are being scanned and added to databases like Westlaw.