Learning (and CLE) Opportunities at the Supreme Court Library in December

We have lots of training (and CLE) planned for December.  Stop by the Reference Desk, or call (775-684-1640) or email reference (at) nvcourts (dot) nv (dot) gov to reserve a seat. 

• Tuesday, 12/9/14 - 4-5 p.m. - Substance Abuse Research on Westlaw (1.0 substance abuse credit)
• Wednesday, 12/10/14 - 9-10 a.m. - Ethics 2014 (1.0 ethics credit)
• Wednesday, 12/10/14 - 10:30-11:30 a.m. - Transitioning from Westlaw Classic to WestlawNext (1.0 general credit)
• Wednesday, 12/10/14 - 12-1 p.m. - Substance Abuse Research on Westlaw (1.0 substance abuse credit)
• Friday, 12/19/14 - 10:30-11:30 a.m. - Getting Started in HeinOnline (1.0 general credit) webinar
• Friday, 12/19/14 - 12-1 p.m. - Advanced Searching in HeinOnline (1.0 general credit) webinar

The HeinOnline training is by webinar.  You can sign up to participate from your computer or you can join us in Room 107 of the Law Library.   

For additional information about Nevada requirements and links to a few CLE providers, check out our October 16th post:  It's That Time of Year:  CLE Requirements and Opportunities.

10 Tips for Better Legal Writing

Bryan Garner has a post up at the ABA Journal on legal writing.  We especially like tip number 2:

2) Don't rely exclusively on computer research. Combine book research with computer research. Don't overlook such obvious resources as Corpus Juris Secundum and American Jurisprudence. Look at indexes, digests and treatises to round out your understanding of the subject matter. And when it comes to computer research, don't forget Google Books (especially the advanced-search function): It can open up a great variety of fresh resources in addition to what you find with Westlaw or Lexis.

The Law Library has several books by Garner and on legal writing in its collection.

New Editions: Fair Debt Collection

The Library recently received new editions of several titles published by the National Consumer Law Center, including Fair Debt Collection, 8th.

The Definitive FDCPA Treatise

The latest thinking and authoritative analysis of the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), the statute that dramatically alters how collection agencies and attorneys collect consumer debts.

For 30 years, the primary reference in the field:

• Preparation of a debt collection harassment case
• Persons and transactions covered and FDCPA requirements and remedies
• The debt collector's defenses and counterclaims.

(Description from the NCLC website.)

Holiday Closures

The Supreme Court Library will be closed on Tuesday, November 11th for Veterans Day and on Thursday, November 27th and Friday, November 28th for Thanksgiving and Family Day.

Did you know legal holidays are listed in the Nevada Revised Statutes?  NRS 236.015, to be specific.

Save the Date: Westlaw Classic Will Be Retired on August 21, 2015

West has announced Westlaw Classic's retirement date: August 21, 2015. Read more on the Legal Solutions blog and download the free user guide "Comparing Westlaw Classic to WestlawNext," to help you make the transition.

Additionally, the Law Library offers a variety of WestlawNext training opportunities. The next class, WestlawNext Refresher, will be held on December 10 from 10:30-11:30* a.m. in Room 107 of the Law Library. There will be additional classes scheduled in March and June as part of our quarterly Westlaw training series, and we will probably add additional sessions to help patrons make the transition. If you would like to meet with our Account Manager for individual training, she generally comes to Carson City monthly, each second Wednesday.  Call (775-684-1640) or email (reference at nvcourts dot nv dot gov) to schedule an appointment or to sign up for a webinar.

*Edited on 12/1/14 to change time from 9-10 to 10:30-11:30.

From the Thomson Reuters Westlaw Library Relations Newsletter, October 2014:

New Title Added to USCA:  Title 52 Voting and Elections

A new subject matter title, Title 52 Voting and Elections, has been created within United States Code by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel, an independent, nonpartisan office in the U.S. House of Representatives.  It is important to note: 

• Title 52 contains provisions that are being relocated from Titles 2 and 42

• No substantive content has been altered  

• The relocated provisions have new citations

• The Westlaw USCA team was notified by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the Title 52 addition several weeks in advance of the release of the United States Code on the government’s website

• The Westlaw USCA team transferred code text, credit provisions, and all of our editorial features including editorial notes and Notes of Decisions

• The new title was released to Westlaw on September 3, 2014 

Find out more on the Legal Solutions Blog.   

Westlaw Tip of the Week: Searching Secondary Sources More Efficiently

This is an old(ish) Tip of the Week, but still helpful information.  One tip I give our patrons is WestlawNext can be a good way to identify relevant chapters of treatises, since it searches across the entire West platform, not just the materials included in our contract.  And, if your search retrieves documents that are not included in our plan, come see the reference librarians and we will help you find the treatise in print.  The Law Library has an extensive collection of West treatises in print and if we don't have it we might be able to borrow it from another library.

Finding the document you need within Secondary Sources may take time, especially if you are starting a new research project and are searching through all Secondary Sources on WestlawNext. Here are some tips to make this process easier.

Narrow the Results List Using FiltersThe filters are especially helpful when you are looking for a Secondary Source from a particular jurisdiction. For example, try setting your jurisdiction to California and then run a search for “equitable estoppel”:

- See more on the Legal Solutions Blog.