Exam4 for 2L, 3L and 4L students for Fall 2009 is not yet available.  The version now available for download is only for the Legal Research final and Professor Leibson's Torts I mid-term.  If you are not in Legal Research or Torts I, Professor Leibson, you do not have to do anything right now with respect to using Exam4.

We hope and expect to have the Fall 2009 finals version of Exam4, including Professional Responsiblity, available by October 19, with a tentative practice test deadline of October 31 for the finals version.

You are in your seventh week of classes now.  This week's tips are based on student questions that have been asked recently.

What is the best way to catch up if I am behind in my reading for one or more courses?

• Make your priority staying on top of the current readings for class.  You will then be able to follow the class discussions.
• Fit in back reading as you can in small chunks (1 case or 5 pages at a time). 
• On the weekend, read first for your Monday and Tuesday classes for the upcoming week.  Then use extra time for catch-up reading.

As of 3:24 PM EDT, Saturday, September 26, 2009, the following 56 first-year students have submitted an Exam4 practice test, all of which but one (noted) were done correctly:

1594601 (Wrong. Try again.)
acbrah01
acdavi07
alfrit02
alkupe01
alwarf02
bmabel01
brmcco02
c0hage01
cdturn03
crduck01
eafitz03
eiluff01
erberg01
erbind01
ercole03
gcmurr01
gmaxon01
harals01
hmrich01
jasimo01
jdthei02
jkspal01
jlsiew02
jlstew08
jwcros02
l0qian03
lefels01
lnroeh01
ltsmit05
m0bren03
mafar01 (On second inspection, this is wrong, too.  Incomplete user name; unidentifiable.  Try again.)
mehelt01
mfburt01
mjpick03
mkahn01 (Actually, mlkahn01)
mlcant02
mmclev01
mmlewi04
naleep01
nphump01
nsfort01
r0may004
refree01
riwill03
rmromi01
saburn03
secoom02
sepott02
snhupm01
t0stev03
tasull02
tbchon01
tmflec01
tpchum01
vtklin01 

Transnational Law & Contemporary Problems, a journal of the University of Iowa College of Law, is pleased to announce the 2009-10 Trandafir International Business Writing Competition. The competition is open to all graduate and law students. The winning student will receive a cash prize of $2,000, and the journal will publish the winning submission in an upcoming edition. Submissions should address a contemporary international business or economic issue with a legal nexus.

Submissions must arrive at our office, via e-mail or U.S. mail only, no later than 5:00 PM CST on February 1, 2010.  A panel of journal editors and university professors will select the winning submission by early April 2010.  

Please address all inquiries to: law-trandafir@iowa.uiowa.edu. Submissions can be mailed to Trandafir International Business Writing Competition, University of Iowa College of Law, Boyd Law Building, Room 185, Iowa City, IA 52242.

A version of Exam4 for the Legal Research final and Torts I mid-term is available now.  For more information, including how to download, install and use Exam4 to take and submit practice tests and live exams, click here.

The Exam4 practice test deadline for 1Ls planning to use their computer to take either or both the Legal Research final exam and Professor Leibson's Torts I mid-term exam is 6:00 PM EDT, Saturday, October 3, 2009.  A propertly submitted practice test is a requirement before you may use your computer on either of these exams.  Students who fail to properly take and submit a practice test by the deadline will be refused technical assistance of any kind should they experience any technical difficulty using Exam4 on the Legal Research final and/or the Torts I mid-term.

Another version of Exam4 for all other exams will be forthcoming, and more information about that will be posted later.

University of Louisville officials unveiled the renovated Belknap Campus oval at a press conference September 22, 2009.

The oval has been under reconstruction since 2007. The project includes a cascading fountain, lighting, landscaping and safety features, such as sidewalks, curbs and brickpavers. It was paid for by Transportation Enhancements Program funding through the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and a grant from the University of Louisville Foundation.

• Oval renovations complete with turning on of fountain (UofL, 9/22/09)
• Dedication video on YouTube

On September 22, the United States Postal Service released a series of four new postage stamps commemmorating great United States Supreme Court Justices, including one featuring the law school's namesake Louis D. Brandeis.  The other honorees are William Brennan,  Felix Frankfurter, and Joseph Story.  A story in Legal Times discusses the offering and notes that Thurgood Marshall's son will be at the dedication, along with Chief Justice John Roberts. 

The USPS site provides this mini-biography of Brandeis: “Louis D. Brandeis was the associate justice most responsible for helping the Supreme Court shape the tools it needed to interpret the Constitution in light of the sociological and economic conditions of the 20th century. “If we would guide by the light of reason,” he once exhorted his colleagues, “we must let our minds be bold.” A progressive and champion of reform, Brandeis devoted his life to social justice. He defended the right of every citizen to speak freely, and his groundbreaking conception of the right to privacy continues to impact legal thought today.”

Both Professor Kurt X. Metzmeier and Professor Scott Campbell contributed to this story. More photos and commentary are available at each of their blogs.

Photo Credit: Scott Hite, LexisNexis

Dateline—September 18th, 2009 UK Intramural Fields—Lexington, Kentucky

Led by the passing combination of UofL School of Law Quarterback Blake Bowling to receiver Jared Key, the law school football team defeated their arch rival UK College of Law last Friday evening 13-6 in Lexington.    

The Bowling to Key passing combination resulted in an 18 yard reception in the first half followed by a 22 yard second half touchdown that turned out to be the difference in a heavily, defensive struggle by both teams.

The Cardinal Law defense was spectacular limiting the Cats to over 4, separate  4-and-outs while intercepting them twice, once by Josh Speirs and another by Jerred Kelly.  Kelly’s interception late in the game turned out to be the game winning stop by the visiting Cards.  

The Cardinal victory was the third in a row over their arch rivals in this annual competition held on the same weekend as the UofL vs. UofL football game.  

It is amazing that we are beginning the sixth week of the semester!  Some of your professors may have started to speed up in class and cover more pages.  You may be working on your first graded writing assignment for BLS, preparing for a practice exam, studying for a mid-term, or all of the above.  What can you do to re-group after these first five weeks if you are feeling pressured by the workload or are worrying that you are already behind in your studying?  This week's tips will provide suggestions on how to handle pressure.   

• Do not stop reading for classes because you have other projects or assignments due soon.  Carve out time for the projects around your reading for classes.  If you focus on papers or projects and ignore class reading, you will then be confused in class and behind in your reading.  If you do not know how to find time for both reading and other tasks, make an appointment with the Director of Academic Success for help with time management.