CSU Law Library Blog

The law library has two useful databases for researchers from Gale: U.S. Supreme Court Records and Briefs and Landmark Records and Briefs of the U.S. Courts of Appeals. 

U.S. Supreme Court Records and Briefs contains briefs and related documents from Supreme Court cases between 1832 and 1978. Previously, many of these briefs were not available through any of the library’s other legal databases, so this is a very useful for anyone doing research on older Supreme Court cases.

Landmark Records and Briefs of the U.S. Courts of Appeals contains materials from the first ninety years of the federal appellate court system’s history, and contains legal documents long unavailable or difficult to access by researchers.  The coverage is 1891-1980.

These sources are available off campus by using your CSU ID and PIN.

WCPN 90.3, part of Ideastream Public Media, recently aired its seventh “conversation” program on the 2015 Cleveland Consent Decree.  The 7/19/2021 Sound of Ideas program focused on implicit bias and racial profiling and how they relate to police training. Guests included Rick DeChant, Executive Director of the Cleveland Police Foundation; Charmin Leon, Commissioner for the Cleveland Community Police Commission; Brian Maxey, Deputy Monitor for the Cleveland Police Monitoring Team; David Lima, Civilian Police Review Board of Cleveland; Calvin Williams, Chief of the Cleveland Division of Police; and Ayesha Bell Hardaway, Associate Professor Law and Director of the Social Justice Law Center, Case Western Reserve University.  The podcast is available here.

The “Impeachment Discussion” scheduled for today, November 4, has been cancelled due to a conflict.  The next session in the Series will be held November 18.  The “Impeachment Discussion Series” is being held for CSU students, staff and faculty in the Learning Commons, 12noon-1pm, on several Mondays.  The series features C|M|Law faculty leading discussions, and the primary focus is on interactive discussion, not formal presentations – attendees are encouraged to come with their own questions and observations to contribute to the discussion.  Also, a C|M|Law Library Resource Guide has been compiled to complement the Discussion Series.  The Resource Guide provides information on, and links to, U.S. Constitution and U.S. Congressional materials, historical impeachment actions, and secondary sources.

An “Impeachment Discussion Series” is being held for CSU students, staff and faculty in the Learning Commons 12noon-1pm on Mondays October 21, November 4 and November 18.  The series will feature C|M|Law faculty leading discussions, and the primary focus will be on interactive discussion, not formal presentations – attendees are encouraged to come with their own questions and observations to contribute to the discussion.  A C|M|Law Library Resource Guide has been compiled to complement the Discussion Series.  The Resource Guide provides information on, and links to, U.S. Constitution and U.S. Congressional materials, historical impeachment actions, and secondary sources.

On the heels of C|M|Law’s successful RBG: Justice Ginsburg Live via Skype Chat and RBG Film Screening comes one of the newest additions to our library’s collection Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life.

Jane Serron DeHart, a Professor of History and Women’s Studies, has written an in-depth, insightful, and groundbreaking work on the life and work of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The book, written in cooperation with Ginsburg, took 15 years to research and write. Dehart interviewed Justice Ginsburg, her husband, family, friends, and colleagues for the tome.

At over 500 pages, this a biography for biography lovers, legal historians, and fans of the “Notorious RBG.” Ginsburg’s desire for gender equality is a focus of the book. It covers her early life in Brooklyn, NY, time at Cornell and Harvard Law School, relationship with her husband, attempt to break into a legal career in the male-dominated law environment of the 1950s, work with the ACLU, and career as a jurist. Academics will especially like the 100+ pages of notes and bibliography at the end of the book.

The documentary film RBG is also available in our collection.