Jenkins Law Library
 
Research
Catalog (JAC Plus)
Court Records & Briefs
Journal Portal
Legal Links
Member Online Services
Nonlegal Links
PA Legislative Histories
Self-Help Links

Services
Ask a Librarian
CLE Classes
Conference Rooms
Library Orientation
Order Documents
Research Requests

Membership
Benefits
Join Now!
Member Directory

About Us
Contact Us
Mission & Vision
Site Map
Support Your Library

Blog

Research | Services | Classes | Membership | Blog

Home / Research Tools & Catalog / Research Guides / Jenkins Blog /

Archive for the 'Legal Research Tips' Category
The Resource You Are Looking for? Yes … We Have It!

Do you know about ALL the Jenkins resources offered to you from your desktop?

Many of the resources are published online these days, so to use our budget wisely we provide links to them via Jenkins Automated Catalog, JAC Plus, instead of purchasing paper copies.

If you are already familiar with JAC Plus, you might already have seen “Link to”option that offers direct access from our catalog to online Resources in the Web-sphere.

To see “Link to” in action click on this record then click on Related Resource , which will take you to the current edition of the Code of Medical Ethics.

During the next few months you will see many changes to our catalog as we work on improving our system usability.

If you come across a resource that we are missing please send us your suggestions. Your input is very important to us.

Submitted by: Katrina Piechnik, Head of Technical Services
on June 13, 2008 - 2:17 pm

The Public Library of Law makes legal search easier for non-lawyers

workstationsAccording to Popgadget, the new Public Library of Law (short name “PLoL”) was launched by Fastcase in an effort to “democratize the law.” PLoL is free so help yourself to it!

Fastcase is the next-generation legal research system of choice for legal professionals everywhere. Jenkins has Fastcase available at the workstations in the Jenkins’ Reference Room so come visit us to try it out.

Submitted by: RayAna Park, Former Web Developer
on May 08, 2008 - 10:52 am

How to Find Documents Mentioned in Compiled Federal Legislative Histories

legislative.jpgAre you looking for a specific document within a Federal Legislative History, such as a Committee Report, the text of a Public Law, or a Congressional Record document? If yes, this tip is just for you.

For visual instructions on many Hein products check their presence on YouTube.

Submitted by: Katrina Piechnik, Head of Technical Services
on April 24, 2008 - 10:30 am

Local General Counsel

It was like a recurring bad dream -  a patron is on hold and I can’t find the phone number for local general counsel of a federal government agency. This time it was the IRS and I looked through several government directories, the blue pages of the phone book and Google with no luck. Finally another very savvy librarian  went on Westlaw and found the answer in the West Legal Directory for Government Counsel.  Looks like I won’t be having that bad dream again!

Submitted by: Nancy Garner, Head of Information & Research Services
on March 27, 2008 - 5:30 pm

All 50 States!

Most legal researchers have been faced with the challenge of trying to obtain the laws on a particular topic from all 50 states. It is never an easy project, but I recently discovered an online source that makes the process a little less daunting. The National Conference of State Legislatures provides a ” topical, alphabetical listing of legislative and statutory databases, compilations and state charts/maps.” Although many different topics are included in this project, health related issues seem to have the most coverage. The charts are particulary helpful for a quick overview.

Submitted by: Nancy Garner, Head of Information & Research Services
on February 08, 2008 - 2:49 pm

Are you ready for … E-filing?

The Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Civil Division recently promulgated e-filing Rule *205.4 which took effect on 1/1/2008. Don’t get too worked up about it yet, a note in the rule specifically states:

Electronic Filing will be implemented in 2008; however, the exact date is not known at this time. The Administrative Judge of the Trial Division will announce the implementation dates of discretionary and mandatory electronic filing by order issued as required by Pa.R.C.P. No. 239.

I encourage you to read Dan J. Siegel’s recent article in the Law Practice Management supplement to the Fall 2007 issue of The Philadelphia Lawyer, E-Filing is Coming: Here’s How to Prepare*. He points out the many benefits of e-filing and that the process is meant to make it easier to file and access pleadings and other filings. Most importantly he states:

E-filing is not nearly the daunting challenge that some believe.

Stay tuned for effective date information.

* © 2007 The Philadelphia Lawyer. Used with permission.

Submitted by: Ida Weingram, Head of Outreach Services
on February 05, 2008 - 8:53 am

Where do you begin?

Boolean Operators
HeinOnline has created a great resource of tips and tricks for searching their databases. Sign up for the weekly notices via e-mail, RSS feeds or visit their blog.

Recent posts include HeinOnline’s Tip of the Week:

  • Searching by Author Name
  • Where are you in HeinOnline?
  • Searching and Using Boolean Operators
  • New Printing Options Now Available!

Search HeinOnline’s Weblog for more and take advantage of this resource as a Jenkins’ Member.

Submitted by: Katrina Piechnik, Head of Technical Services
on February 04, 2008 - 10:30 am

Full Public Access to the Laws of Pennsylvania is Here

Back in July, the General Assembly posted the official consolidated statutes for Pennsylvania on the Internet. Today I noticed that the unofficial Purdon’s Pennsylvania Statutes from West has replaced the official consolidated version. Although Purdon’s is not an official publication of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, it is the best resource to use when researching the laws of Pennsylvania by subject.

West’s Purdon’s Pennsylvania Statutes, hosted by Westlaw, is easy to browse and can be searched using natural language or by typing a statute citation in quotations. This free version is not annotated and does not include court rules. If you are looking for the annotations or other resources outside this free site, additional materials can be accessed on Westlaw using a credit card.

Submitted by: Kathy Coon, Deputy Director
on January 07, 2008 - 12:22 pm

Tips from the FTC

Protect your personal information by following these 10 Tips for Smart Holiday Shopping Online provided by the Federal Trade Commission.

Submitted by: Nancy Garner, Head of Information & Research Services
on December 24, 2007 - 12:00 am

PA Executive Orders

Select executive orders from Pennsylvania governors are available through PAPowerPort from 1973 - present.

Submitted by: Nancy Garner, Head of Information & Research Services
on November 26, 2007 - 12:00 am

Next Page »



 SITE SEARCH 
 

advanced search
 
SEE ALSO:

Site Map
Need to find something specific? Use our Site Map to navigate your way.

 Jenkins News...
 Events Calendar...

   
Protected by Akismet & Powered by WordPress
This page was last updated 18-Jun-08 13:17:12 EDT
Copyright © 1996 - 2008, Jenkins Law Library. All rights reserved.
Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Suggestions