Boost Your Legal Research Skills with Our Fully Online Excellence in Legal Research (ELR) Program!

Legal research is a critical skill for new lawyers, who spend approximately 40% of their time on it. With legal research soon becoming part of the bar exam, there’s never been a better time to enhance your expertise.

We’re thrilled to announce that our Excellence in Legal Research (ELR) Program is now entirely online! This flexible format allows you to engage with our comprehensive curriculum at your own pace, on your own schedule.

What’s on Offer for Fall 2024:

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And there’s more—by registering for sessions, you’ll be entered into a drawing to win a gift card from Amazon, Target, or Starbucks!

Seize this opportunity to sharpen your research skills and maybe even snag a prize. Sign up for the Excellence in Legal Research program!

We can’t wait to have you join us!

August 2024 Law Faculty Publications & News

Throughout the month of August, the Law Library received alerts for full-time TTU Law Faculty publications and news. Below is a compilation of those daily alerts for August 1st to August 31st, 2024.

Articles, Books, and More

  1. Gerry W. Beyer, Purpose Trusts, Est. Plan. Dev. for Tex. Prof., June 2024, at 1.
  2. Gerry W. Beyer, ed., Keeping Current—Probate, Prob. & Prop., July/Aug. 2024, at 22.
  3. Catherine M. Christopher, Assessing Experiential Education in Law Schools: Toward A Modern Diploma Privilege, 93 Miss. L.J. 1137 (2024).
  4. Richard W. Murphy, 32 Fed. Prac. & Proc. Judicial Review § 8121, 8201, 8233, 8421 (August 2024 Update).

Op-Eds

  1. Victoria Sutton, Pink Dolphins, Pink Elephants, and Pink Unicorns, Unintended Consequences (August 4th, 2024).

Quotations

  1. Prof. Beyer is quoted in the following article: Ashlea Ebeling, Putting Pets in Your Will Is No Longer Just for Eccentric Billionaires, The Wall Street Journal (Aug. 10, 2024; 9:00pm).

Citations

  1. Prof. Watts’ article Tyranny by Proxy: State Action and the Private Use of Deadly Force is cited in the following article: Jacob D. Charles & Darrell A.H. Miller, The New Outlawry, 124 Colum. L. Rev. 1195 (2024).
  2. Prof. Camp’s article Taxation of Electronic Gaming is cited in the following article: Young Ran (Christine) Kim, Taxing the Metaverse, 112 Geo. L.J. 787 (2024).
  3. Prof. Rosen’s article Funding “Non-Traditional” Military Operations: The Alluring Myth of a Presidential Power of the Purse is cited in the following article: Nadia B. Ahmad, Military Climate Emissions, 24 Nev. L.J. 845 (2024).
  4. Prof. Black’s article Where Does Data Live? is cited in the following article: New Sources of Information About the UCC, 58 No. 8 U.C.C. Law Letter NL 5 (August 2024 Update).
  5. Prof. Sutton’s article Asynchronous, E-Learning in Legal Education: A Comparative Study is cited in the following article: Edieth Y. Wu, The NextGen Bar: Pressing the ABA Standards for Legal Education and Beyond, 57 Creighton L. Rev. 645 (2024).
  6. Prof. Casto’s article The Tort Liability of Insane Persons for Negligence: A Critique is cited in §9 and §11 of Restatement 3rd of Torts: Liability for Physical and Emotional Harm (June 2024 Update).
  7. Prof. Murphy’s article Arbitrariness Review Made Reasonable: Structural and Conceptual Reform of the “Hard Look” is cited in the following article: Andrew Hammond, The D.C. Circuit as a Conseil d’État, 61 Harv. J. on Legis. 81 (2024).
  8. Prof. Baker’s article Beyond the Information Age: The Duty of Technology Competence in the Algorithmic Society is cited in the following article: Jennifer J. Cook & Denista R. Mavrona Heinrich, AI-Ready Attorneys: Ethical Obligations and Privacy Considerations in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, 72 U. Kan. L. Rev. 313 (2024).
  9. Prof. Brie Sherwin’s article After the Storm: The Importance of Acknowledging Environmental Justice in Sustainable Development and Disaster Preparedness is cited in the following article: Danielle Stokes, From Redlining to Greenlining, 71 UCLA L. Rev. 628 (2024).
  10. Prof. Beyer’s publication West’s Legal Forms: Real Estate Transactions 3d is cited in §9 of the Indiana Practice Series, 5 Ind. Prac., Essential Forms § 9:1, 9.4, 9.6 (August 2024 Update).

News

  1. On August 2, 2024, Prof. Beyer was a virtual speaker for the Texas Bar CLE’s program, “Tax Law: Before the Sunset.” The focus of his presentation was artificial intelligence and how to use it in a professional and ethical manner.
  2. On August 7, 2024, Prof. Beck gave a CLE presentation to the Lubbock Area Bar Association titled “United States v. Rahimi and the Modern Second Amendment” (30 min.)
  3. On July 30, 2024, Prof. Beck was interviewed on the “Second Amendment” episode of the Defend(her) Podcast.
  4. On August 9, 2024, Prof. Beyer was a featured speaker at the 12th Annual Hawaii ACTEC Fellows Planning Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii. Prof. Beyer’s presentations and accompanying articles were entitled Artificial Intelligence and Its Impact on Today’s Estate Planner and Estate Planning for Cyber Property.
  5. On August 15, 2024, Prof. Humphrey co-presented at the AALS Faculty Candidates Workshop, which was held virtually.
  6. On August 23, 2024, Prof. Beck gave a CLE presentation to the Lea County Bar Association in Hobbs, New Mexico, titled “Appellate Ethics: Ethical Considerations for Appointed Counsel in Criminal Cases” (1 hour).
  7. On August 30, 2024, Prof. Beyer was honored to make two presentations at the Annual Meeting of the Texas College of Probate Judges in San Antonio, Texas to an audience of approximately 200 probate judges and their clerks. His presentations were entitled Artificial Intelligence: What Probate Judges and Clerks Need to Know and Recent Cases: Intestacy, Wills, Probate, and Trusts.
  8. Prof. Humphrey was appointed to numerous committee chair positions, including Co-chair of the Association of Legal Writing Directors (ALWD) Scholarship Grants Committee, Advisory Member of the State Bar of Texas Local Bar Services Committee, and Co-chair of the District 16 New Fellows Nominating Committee for the Texas Bar Foundation.

August 2024 New Books

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In August, 2024, the Law Library added the following new titles to the collection to support the research and curricular needs of our faculty and students.

CRIMINAL LAW AND PROCEDURE

Robert R. Rose III, Trial Practice Manual for Criminal Defense Lawyers: A Field Guide to Courtroom Combat (2020).

HEALTH LAW AND POLICY

Allen Buchanan, How to Respond Better to the Next Pandemic:  Remedying Institutional Failures, (2024).

LEGAL ANALYSIS AND WRITING

Melissa Shultz and Christine Tamer, Legal Writing Made Simple:  A Step-by-Step Approach, (2024).

LEGAL RESEARCH AND LIBRARIES

Elizabeth G. Adelman and Jessica de Perio Wittman, eds., Organizational Structures of Academic Law Libraries: Past, Present, and Future, (2023).

MILITARY, WAR, AND PEACE

David A. Schlueter and Lisa Schenck, Military Criminal Justice: Practice and Procedure, (2024).

SECURED TRANSACTIONS

Adrian Cohen and Laura N. Coordes, Article 9 Plainly Stated, (2023).

WATER LAW

Barton H. Thompson, Jr., Liquid Asset: How Business and Government can Partner to Solve the Freshwater Crisis, (2024).

All of these books are available from the Law Library.  If you would like to check out any of these titles, please contact the circulation desk at either 806-742-3957 or circulation.law@ttu.edu.  Library staff will be able to assist in locating and checking out any of these items.

1L Survival Guides

Success in law school isn’t all about going to class and reading case after case. The first year is often the most intense and formative period of law school, filled with challenges and opportunities that will shape your entire legal career. It’s a lot to process, and the study methods that worked in undergrad may prove to not be enough anymore. Luckily, we’ve got your back. From strategic study aids to wellness tips, these tools can help you organize and strategize so you can tackle your coursework with confidence and set a strong foundation for the years ahead.

Below is a short list of 1L survival guides and their author-written summaries.

  • Short and Happy Guide to Being a Law Student: A Daily Companion for Law School, Practice, and Life, Paula A. Franzese (2014). Learn how to be your best in and out of class, how to prepare for and succeed on exams, how to put your best foot forward in a job interview, how to find teachers to inspire you, what to do in classes that leave you uninspired, how to cope with stress and how to create value in everything you do in law school. Available behind the Circulation Desk or access the full text online version through the Law Library’s website.

  • Happiness and Peak Performance in Law School: Cutting Edge Science to Promote Emotional Thriving and Cognitive Greatness in Law School and Beyond, Jarrett Green and Rebecca Simon Green (2023). In this book, law students will learn a wide collection of easy-to-apply, science-based tools for drastically improving their emotional well-being, mental strength, and academic success. This book provides a roadmap for thriving mentally, emotionally, and cognitively in law school, in the practice of law, and in life.
    Available through West Academic Study Aids*

  • 1L of a Ride: A Well-Traveled Professor’s Roadmap to Success in the First Year of Law School, Andrew J. McClurg (4th Ed., 2021). Told in an accessible first-person voice, covered topics in this updated and expanded fourth edition include pre-planning, top student fears, the first-year curriculum, the Socratic and case methods of teaching, effective class participation, the top habits of successful students, essential study techniques, legal research and writing, exam strategies, maintaining well-being, online learning, career planning, and much more.
    A physical copy is available behind the Circulation Desk, or it can be accessed online at 1L of a Ride: A Well-Traveled Professor’s Roadmap to Sucess in the First Year of Law School.

  • Weekly Guide to Being a Model Law Student, Alex Ruskell (2015). This book gives law students weekly checklists explaining the skills necessary to successfully navigate their first year of law school. Each chapter provides a checklist of things to do that week, such as briefing cases, going over notes, outlining classes, or doing practice questions. When a new concept is introduced, this book clearly explains the concept and its purpose and provides examples. Instead of merely providing advice, this book lays out a detailed plan for students to follow. It also includes a bank of over 100 short, medium, and long practice questions in six first year subjects.
    Available through West Academic Study Aids*

  • Introduction to the Study and Practice of Law in A Nutshell, Kenney F. Hegland (8th Ed. 2020). You’ll have to know how the common law system works, how to read and brief cases, how to study and take exams, how to write and argue law and how lawsuits are tried. We can do something about style. There’s advice and illustrations. You’ll throw pots, working your first case, making your first argument, briefing cases, taking exams, and writing memos. This is not for the faint-hearted, nor is law school. Think like a lawyer. I won’t be a bore. I’ll tell jokes, some of which are actually funny. I’ll challenge you intellectually. Where does law come from? Should judges follow precedent? What if your client wants to pave Paradise and put in a parking lot? If you love ideas you’ll love this book and you’ll love law school.
    A physical copy is available behind the Circulation Desk, or it can be accessed online at Introduction to the Study and Practice of Law in A Nutshell.

  • Office Hours on Academic Success, Sara J. Berman (2022). Gain the advantages of office hours with professors on your own schedule! The West Academic Office Hours series is a collection of short audio and video tracks that tackle some of the thorniest questions plaguing law students. The professors answer students’ most frequently asked office hour questions. With clear and easy-to-understand explanations, these professors will help you reach that “lightbulb” moment of comprehension, just as they have with their own students in their own offices.
    Available through West Academic Study Aids*; two-part audio book only.

  • Get A Running Start: Your Comprehensive Guide to The First Year Curriculum, David C. Gray (2016). In short, accessible lessons, Get a Running Start covers all the major concepts taught in each of the courses most commonly offered in the first year of law school: criminal law, torts, civil procedure, constitutional law, property, and contracts. Each of the courses comprising this book is written by a specialist in the field who is a decorated teacher with years of experience in the classroom. In this volume, they have distilled that experience and expertise to produce the tool they wish they had when they first were thinking about and then actually began law school: a clear, concise introduction to the entire first-year curriculum.
    Check out the online version at Get A Running Start: Your Comprehensive Guide to The First Year Curriculum.
  • For even more resources, check out the 1L Resource Center on Lexis+, (Lexis homepage > Law School Resources > 1L Resource Center), or check out the 1L Resource Center Toolkit on Westlaw (Westlaw homepage > Practical Law > 1L Resources)!

*To access West Academic materials, start on the law library’s homepage, click on the “Resources” tab, and follow the link titled “West Academic Study Aids”. Once redirected, search for the title in the search box and follow instructions to access materials.

July 2024 Law Faculty Publications & News

Throughout the month of July, the Law Library received alerts for full-time TTU Law Faculty publications and news. Below is a compilation of those daily alerts for July 1st to July 31st, 2024.

Publications

  1. Jack Wade Nowlin, Dean Debbie Bell: Extraordinary Administrator, 93 Miss. L.J. 595 (2024).

Op-Eds

  1. Prof. Sutton, Whales, Native Alaskans, and Environmentalists, Native News Online (July 21, 2024).

Quotations

  1. Prof. Corn is quoted in the following article: Marley Malenfant, What is a squatter and can you forcefully remove them? A quick guide to Texas law, Austin American-Statesman, (July 18, 2024; 6:03am).

Citations

  1. Prof. Black’s article Where Does Data Live? is cited in the following article: Cody Deterding, On the Hook: Venue, Vicinage, and Double Jeopardy’s Relationship with Modern Data Crimes, 89 Mo. L. Rev. 655 (2024).
  2. Prof. Lauriat’s article “Pay No Attention to the Comparable Behind the Curtain!” The Harms of Opacity in Standard Essential Patent Licensing is cited in the following bibliography: Fifty-Fifth Selected Bibliography on Computers, Technology, and the Law, 50 Rutgers Computer & Tech L.J. 411 (2024).
  3. Prof. Camp’s article A History of Tax Regulation Prior to the Administrative Procedure Act is cited in the following article: Susan C. Morse, Old Regs: The Default Six-Year Time Bar for Administrative Procedure Claims, 31 Geo. Mason L. Rev. 191 (2024).
  4. Prof. Camp’s blog post Lesson from the Tax Court: The Role of the Taxpayer Bill of Rights is cited in the following article: Karie Davis-Nozemack & Sarah Webber, No Appeal for You: Reforming Access to Appeals for Tax Whistleblowers, 75 Tax Law. 637 (2024).
  5. Prof. Rosen’s article Deterring Pre-Viability Abortions in Texas Through Private Lawsuits is cited in the following article: Alexander Gouzoules, The Success of Pre-Enforcement Challenges to Antidiscrimination Laws, 55 Colum. Hum. Rts. L. Rev. 571 (2024).
  6. Prof. Murphy’s article Arbitrariness Review Made Reasonable: Structural and Conceptual Reform of the “Hard Look” is cited in the following article: Braden Currey, Rationalizing the Administrative Record for Equitable Constitutional Claims, 133 Yale L.J. 2017 (2024).
  7. Prof. Murphy’s article A “New” Counter-Marbury: Reconciling Skidmore Deference and Agency Interpretive Freedom is cited in § 8119 of West’s Federal Administrative Practice (July 2024 Update).
  8. Prof. Murphy’s article The Last Should be First—Flip the Order of the Chevron Two-Step is cited in the following article: James Ming Chen, Doctrinal Destruction and Chevron’s Extinction Debt, 51 Fla. St. U. L. Rev. 61 (2023).

Notes

  1. Prof. McDonald was recently honored with the Texas State Bar Judge Sam Williams Award at the organization’s annual meeting in Dallas. Prof. McDonald, who earned his law degree from Tech in 1993, was recognized for his efforts as the 2022-2023 president of the Lubbock Area Bar Association, according to a state bar news release.
  2. On July 18, 2024, Brandon Beck gave a CLE presentation titled “Federal Criminal Restitution” at the 2024 Annual Federal Criminal Practice Seminar in Dallas, Texas (1 hr.).
  3. On July 19, 2024, Brandon Beck participated in a panel titled “Litigating the Second Amendment in Federal Criminal Cases: A Panel Discussion by the Team that Represented Rahimi” at the 2024 Annual Federal Criminal Practice Seminar in Dallas, Texas (1 hr.).
  4. On July 24, 2024, the chair-elect of the American Bar Association’s Section of Real Property, Trust and Estate Law appointed Prof. Gerry W. Beyer as the editor of the Keeping Current—Probate column of the Section’s official publication, Probate & Property Magazine.