The law library will open from 8AM-11PM Monday, 11/23 and Tuesday, 11/24. It will be closed on Wednesday, 11/25 and Thursday, 11/26 for the Thanksgiving holiday. It will be open 9AM-5PM on Friday, 11/27, 9AM-6PM Saturday, 11/28 and 1PM-11PM Sunday, 11/29.

• Library Hours

On November 19, the University of Louisville will institute a policy that prohibits smoking on all campuses.

Our Health Sciences Center campus has been smoke-free since January 2008 when downtown hospitals made that move. Since then, no smoking has been allowed in any indoor or outdoor space within the boundaries of the HSC campus or within 50 feet of any building entrance.

That same policy will be implemented at Belknap Campus and university-owned or -controlled buildings at the Shelby Campus beginning November 19.

There are many reasons why we are instituting this policy:

- Public health: Smoking harms both the smoker and people around the smoker.
- Employee satisfaction: More and more UofL employees are complaining about walking through smoke to enter buildings and about cigarette butt litter.
- Inequity: Many employees also have pointed out the inequity in having a smoking ban only on one campus.

Enforcement will begin November 19 on HSC as employees there have received considerable notice about the policy. Sanctions that could accompany refusal to comply with any university policy could be applied to the no-smoking policy.

From November 19 to June 1, designated smoking areas will be established on Belknap and affected Shelby Campus buildings to allow faculty, staff and students time to adjust to the policy.  [Note: The designated smoking area closest to the Law School will be near Ekstrom Library.]  Starting June 1, however, the designated smoking areas will cease to exist and the policy will be fully enforced on all campuses.

Smoking is an individual choice. This, however, may be an opportunity for many of you who want to stop smoking. Both our Get Healthy Now employee health management initiative and our Campus Health Center can connect you with classes and products that can help you quit. Humana has made a generous offer to partially cover the costs of smoking cessation support, so we will offer an array of products, including pills, patches and gum, as well as behavioral support to people who want to quit. We will communicate more about these opportunities in the coming weeks.

Shirley Willihnganz
University Provost

The American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution invites you to participate in their first ever Mediation Video Contest on YouTube®. They seek creative, thoughtful, original three-minute videos that demonstrate the mediation process and benefits of mediation. The goal of the competition is to further public understanding of mediation and to promote the use of mediation as a way to resolve disputes. The video need not address only legal disputes.

Eligibility: The Contest is open to everyone except employees of the American Bar Association and their immediate family members.

Prizes: First Place - $1000 prize, Second Place - $500 prize

Submissions are due (via YouTube) by January 15, 2010.

Submissions will be judged by a committee of ABA Section of Dispute Resolution members and ABA staff. The ABA shall have sole authority and discretion to select winning videos.

The judges will evaluate entries using the following criteria:

• Effectiveness in achieving purpose and goal of the video
• Overall quality of presentation
• Overall appeal to diverse audience
• Overall production quality (including lighting, focus, sound, graphics)
• Originality, Creativity and Adherence to Contest Rules.

The winners will be contacted via e-mail by February 28, 2010. The winners will also be announced on February 28, 2010 on the ABA Dispute Resolution website. The First and Second Place winning videos will be featured at the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution Spring Conference in April 2010, with over 1,000 attendees.  The videos of the winners as well as any Honorable Mentions will be linked from the Section website. The Section may also post links to the video submissions that help promote and further the public understanding of mediation.

The University of Louisville Law Library experienced damage to facilities in its lower levels in the August floods.  On October 12, contractors began removing floor tiles under strict safety protocols to prepare surfaces for re-flooring.  While this work is being done, basement areas will be sealed off and no one will be able to enter.  During this period, we will be unable to retrieve materials from the following collections: classified treatises, microfiche, non-Kentucky retrospective state sources, foreign and international materials. The restrictions will not affect collections of current federal and state primary materials, current and retrospective Kentucky materials, and bound periodicals.

Based on progress to date and the work that still remains, it appears that the law library's basement will remain closed until the beginning of the spring semester on January 4, 2010.

Alex Davis and Nancy Vinsel recently took the initiative to do something beneficial for the student body that also demonstrated the skills they've learned here in their first semester of law school. With the help of their classmates in Professor Leibson’s Section 1 Torts class, they embarked upon a clever campaign that raised $1040 for student scholarships.

In exchange for about $10 each and 24 12-ounce cans of Dr. Brown’s Diet Cream Soda, the students acquired David Leibson's golf hat signed by PGA Champion, Byron Nelson, and a presentation of stories from their professor's career.

Alex Davis said that, "This started out as a really small idea, and it was amazing to watch it grow as other students and faculty came up with ideas to make the offer better. We're hoping to challenge future classes to buy the hat from us and raise even more money."

It's not too late to contribute.

 

Read more about it in Alex's blog, 1L at Uof L.

 

Photo credit: Michael Ben-Avraham

 

On October 24th and 25th a group of ten students from the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law attended the Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair in Washington, DC.  Ten students, seven third-years and three second-years ventured to the nation’s capital in order to explore Public Interest opportunities. This was the first time that any of our students attended.

Assistant Dean for Career Services/Public Service, Kathy Urbach, got the ball rolling in September and encouraged students who were interested in attending the conference to meet with her to have their resume reviewed.  There was also an application process to be completed.

Funding for travel and lodging came from two sources.  Some of the money used was from the Career Services budget in lieu of other travel expenses.  Victor Revill, Student Bar Association President, obtained funds from University of Louisville’s Student Government Association.  One student even used frequent flyer points to get to the conference.

A meeting was held prior to the conference to provide information about what students could expect, how they should approach the employers at Table Talk, networking, workshops and other related topics.  Also, students outlined plans of action which gave fellow students ideas of how to assist one another.

Some of the students had specific goals.  Jessica Kingley, a third-year student, knew that she wanted to meet with the New York District County Attorney’s Office as well as Public Service people from New York City and turn it into a job.  Guion Johnstone, a second-year student, attended with four actual interviews scheduled.  Rexena Napier and Melissa McHendrix, both third-year students and both interested in animal law, knew that there wouldn’t be any employers dedicated to solely animal law, but viewed the conference as a way to learn about other related opportunities.  Victor Revill, a third-year student and president of the SBA, knew ahead of time that his approximately “five minute introduction speech” needed to be well-rehearsed and fine tuned for each prospective employer. 

All of the students were committed to public service work prior to attending the conference.  Jamie Izlar, a second-year student, worked in a public interest position before attending law school.  Her work involved working with indigent, undocumented immigrants.  Colleen Hagan, a third-year student said that the rewarding part of going to such a big conference with so many attendees is that the students all are like-minded and want to be part of a greater good.  Students felt encouraged to see so many employers who focus on public service.

Besides the career fair and Table Talk sessions, students attended workshops, sessions, discussions and had the privilege of hearing Ralph Nader speak.  Samantha Thomas, a second-year student, attended a government workshop which supplied her with tips (call specific government agencies, keep applying and find a niche).  Jamie Izlar attended a resume building session which she found extremely helpful and also attended several discussions where she learned which employers will pay for law school student loans.  Rexena Napier attended a workshop that gave her a lot of ideas including applying for grants.

All of the students who attended felt it was worthwhile to attend and felt a deeper sense of commitment to public service.  Duffy Trager came away with connections and a lot of business cards that he intends to follow up with.  Samantha Thomas plans to capitalize on what she observed at the conference and use it to shape what she does in law school.  Melissa McHendrix said that the most worthwhile aspect of the conference for her was meeting other students and discussing what organizations are non-profit and in the public sector.

The three second-year students are looking forward to returning to the Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair next year.  This is a great experience for our students and an opportunity for them to represent the law school.  The University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law would like for all students interested in attending the conference in 2010 to have the opportunity to do so.

~Debra Reh, Program Assistant for the Office of Career Services

• A companion article by Beth Haendiges will appear in the December 2009 edition of the LBA's Bar Briefs.
• Photo Gallery
• Public Interest Law Blog

 

     
    

 

Kentucky's Transportation Cabinet will embark upon a three-phase construction project to some of the main thoroughfares on the eastern and southern borders of Belknap Campus. Construction will begin in late August and is expected to be completed by the end of December. Enhancements to the area will include bike lanes, structurally enhanced bridges, increased safety, better signage, and a landscaped median. 

The law school will be most impacted by Phase II that involves a major redesign of the portion of Eastern Parkway nearest Third Street. During that period, access along Eastern Parkway will be restricted. Visitors are encouraged to approach from either Third Street (west) or Cardinal Boulevard (north). Some of the spaces in the red, green, and blue parking lots will be temporarily relocated. TARC bus #29 will be rerouted at Crittenden Drive. The Black Loop will not be impacted.

Update, 11/13: Work on Eastern Parkway has shifted to the lanes closest to Speed School, and they have been closed to local traffic. Crews have opened the previously closed lanes closest to the Natural Sciences Building, Dougherty Hall and the Grawemeyer Hall parking lot for access to the Speed School’s parking lot.

Update, 11/11: The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is posting new exit signs on northbound I-65 at Belknap Campus. The change in the highway exit and Warnock Avenue configuration requires that the Eastern Parkway exits 133 A and B be relabeled. The new numbering system is 132 for Eastern Parkway and Crittenden Drive and 133 for Warnock Street.

Update, 10/19: The stretch of Eastern Pkwy. between Third Street and the Speed School of Engineering has reopened.

Update, 9/30: Eastern Parkway will remain closed at Third Street for another week because of additional construction work needed in and around the tunnels leading to Speed School of Engineering. Eastern Parkway will remain blocked at Third Street until Monday, Oct. 12. Access to the Speed School parking lot will remain open at Brook Street. Parking officials note that some spaces still are available in the Engineering Graphics lot off Third Street just south of Eastern Parkway.

 

Additional Resources:

• Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Road Work Fact Sheet
• State Road Work Updates, Aug. 17-Dec. 31 (UofL updates)
• Local access closed lanes shifted on Eastern Parkway (UofL, November 12)
• TARC announces route changes (Courier-Journal, August 18)
  
• Road work near UofL to begin (Courier-Journal, August 17)
• Road work to start Aug. 17 (UofL, August 10)
• Rider Alerts: Rt. #29 Eastern Parkway Detour Throughout 2009 (TARC, August 6)
• State road projects to affect Belknap Campus fall semester (UofL, July 29)
• Stretch of Eastern Parkway Going On 'Road Diet' (Broken Sidewalk, July 27)
  

 

 

One of the law library's most prized collections is the Papers of Louis Dembitz Brandeis. It is divided into ten topical series and includes drafts of speeches, legal documents, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, and family portraits and letters dating as early as 1810. Series VII, Miscellaneous contains family correspondence, including birthday cards, telegrams, and a few letters written in German that remain untranslated.

Scott Campbell is the curator of the Louis D. Brandeis Special Collection, which has been visited by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and biographer Melvin Urofsky. The law library hopes to digitize the microfilm and printed materials some day to add to its digital collection.

The law library also contains several books about Justice Brandeis, including the recently published biography Louis D. Brandeis: A Life (KF8745.B67 U749 2009) and Biographical Encyclopedia of the Supreme Court: The Lives and Legal Philosophies of the Justices (KF 8744 .B56 2006), both by Melvin I. Urofsky. Copies of Brandeis at 150: the Louisville Perspective (KF8745 .B67 B671 2006) are available for purchase in the Resource Center across from room 275. These are just a few of the many items that can be found by searching our online catalog, Minerva.