Tips for Group Studying & Instructions for Reserving the Law Library’s Group Study Rooms

Tips for Successful Group Studying: 

  1. Keep the group size small and manageable.
    • 3-5 members is a good size for a study group.
  2. Keep Study Group Goals Realistic.
    • Set a realistic goal for efficient studying time. 2 or 3 hours with breaks will likely be productive, but 5 or 6 hours may be too ambitious.
    • Build in time at the beginning to catch up and chat with your friends.
    • Build in study breaks to refresh and re-group.
  3. Keep Study Time Focused.
    • Pick a group leader to keep the group on track.
    • Try to limit unnecessary distractions.
    • Try to start on time and end on time.
  4. Stick to a plan.
    • Discuss with group members how the study group time will be used most effectively, depending on the studying styles of the group members.
    • Try to meet the needs of all group members—this is where it is beneficial to keep the size of the group small.
    • Create a schedule/syllabus of tasks:
      • I.e. Spend an hour on practice questions, 20 min talking out/explaining big concepts, 45 min on a practice essay.
  5. Be prepared.
    • Study ahead of time so group time can be used efficiently.
    • Identify concepts that you struggle with.
    • Make a list of questions to ask group members.
  6. Take Action.
    • If there are areas multiple group members are struggling with, email the professor with questions. Send a single email from one group member and share the response with everyone in the group.
    • Come to the conference prepared. Have specific questions ready. It may be helpful to assign questions to specific group members so everyone participates, keeping the meeting productive and beneficial for everyone.
  7. Reflect.
    • Be honest with yourselves— how productive was the study group?  Be open to discussing with your group members what did and did not work.
    • Adjust based on your reflections.  This will ensure that the study group is working for everyone.
  1. study-group

How to Reserve Group Study Rooms

The Law Library has five group study rooms where students can meet with their study groups.  Students can register to use one of our rooms using our Room Reservation system.  Law Students may reserve two 2-hour blocks per day for a total of 4-hours maximum for study rooms per day.

The same study group should not book the same room for more than 4 hours per day.  Students must reserve the room using the link above BEFORE entering a room.

Study Room Reservation Guidelines:

  • Rooms are only available to Law Students, Law Faculty and Law Staff.
  • Rooms are available for booking 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
  • Each study room booking defaults to a maximum 2-hour reservation.
  • Law Students may reserve two 2-hour blocks per day for a total of 4-hours maximum for study rooms per day.
  • The 2-hour reservations may be consecutive, or may be split.
  • The same study group should not book the same room for more than 4 hours per day.
  • Study room reservations can be made up to 2 weeks in advance.
  • During Law Library finals hours, study room reservations can be made 2 days in advance.
  • You are expected to use the room while you have it reserved, please do not leave the room empty for an extended period of time.
  • If you are finished with a study room before your reservation has expired, please contact the Circulation Desk at 806-742-3957 or email to circulation.law@ttu.edu.

For more resources on how to cope with the challenges of law school, please see the Law Library’s libguide of Library Services, where you can access more resources, ideas for how to de-stress, and much more.

February 2023 Law Faculty Publications & News

Publications

  • Prof. Brian D. Shannon, Ethical Challenges in Texas Criminal Proceedings Involving Defendants with Mental Illness, 55 Tex. Tech L. Rev. 1 (2022).
  • Prof. Jarod S. Gonzalez, Solving Fair Labor Standards Act Collective Action Law, 58 Tulsa L. Rev. (2022).
  • Prof. Geoffrey S. Corn, Between Crime and War: Hybrid Legal Frameworks for Asymmetric Conflict, Oxford University Press (2023).

Citations

  • Prof. Richard W. Murphy’s article The DIY Unitary Executive was cited in the following article: Aaron L. Nelson & Christopher J. Walker, Congress’s Anti-Removal Power, 76 Vanderbilt L. Rev. 1 (2023).
  • Prof. Bryan T. Camp’s article Tax Exceptionalism Lives? was cited in the following publication: Christine Speidel & Patrick W. Thomas, Effectively Representing Client Before New IRS, 8 American Bar Association (2021).
  • Prof. Bryan T. Camp’s article The Mysteries of Erroneous Refunds was cited in the following publication: Christine Speidel & Patrick W. Thomas, Effectively Representing Client Before New IRS, 8 American Bar Association (2021).
  • Prof. Victoria Sutton’s article Planetary Protection and Regulating Human Health: A Risk that is Not Zero was cited in the following article: Kane Yutaka Tenorio, Don’t Mind the Gap: Practical and Ethical Consequences of Domestic Planetary Protection Regulations, 35 Geo. J. Legal Ethics 1151 (2022).
  • Prof. Brian D. Shannon’s article The Time is Right to Revise the Texas Insanity Defense: An Essay was cited in the following article: Carline Vidal, The Next Step for Social Justice: Amending the Insanity Defense, 26 Quinnipiac Health L.J. 219 (2023).
  • Prof. Gerry W. Beyer’s article pay to the Order of Whom?—The Case of the Ambiguous Multiple Payee Designation was cited in the following publication: UCC With Illinois Code Comments, Ill. Prac. Series (2023).
  • Prof. Richard W. Murphy’s article Arbitrariness Review Made Reasonable: Structural and Conceptual Reform of the “Hard Look” was cited in the following article: Dorothy S. Lund, Asset Managers as Regulators, 171 U. Pa. L. Rev. 77 (2022).
  • Prof. Catherine M. Christopher’s article Eye of the Beholder: How Perception Management Can Counter Stereotype Threat Among Struggling Law Students was cited in the following article: Christopher J. Ryan, Jr., The Secret Sauce: Examining Law Schools that Overperform on the Bar Exam, 75 Fla. L. Rev. 65 (2023).
  • Prof. John Watts’ article To Tell the Truth: A Qui Tam Action for Perjury in a Civil Proceeding is Necessary to Protect the Integrity of the Judicial System was cited in the following article: Nat Stern, Rethinking Absolute Immunity from Defamation Suits in Private Quasi-Judicial Proceedings, 21 U.N.H. L. Rev. 117 (2022).

Quotations

  • Prof. DeLeith Gossett was quoted in the following article: Eve Brank, Editor’s Note, 58 Court Rev. 1 (2022).
  • Prof. Bryan T. Camp was quoted in the following publication: Steven H. Sholk, A Guide to the Substantiation Rules for Deductible Charitable Contributions, 137 J. Tax’n 3 (2022).

Notes

  • On February 1, 2023, Prof. Gerry W. Beyer was a guest speaker at the Judicial Orientation for New County Judges conference in Lubbock, Texas sponsored by the Texas Association of Counties. His presentation was entitled Probate Overview.
  • On February 6, 2023, Prof. Gerry W. Beyer was an invited speaker at a virtual meeting of the Connecticut Bar Association’s Estate and Probate Section. His presentation to approximately 200 Connecticut attorneys focused on the Uniform Electronic Estate Planning Documents Act. Prof. Beyer was appointed by the Uniform Law Commission as the Reporter for this Act.
  • On February 6, 2023, Prof. Gerry W. Beyer was an invited speaker at a virtual meeting of the Connecticut Bar Association’s Estate and Probate Section. His presentation to approximately 200 Connecticut attorneys focused on the Uniform Electronic Estate Planning Documents Act. Prof. Beyer was appointed by the Uniform Law Commission as the Reporter for this Act.
  • In February 2023, the Texas Tech Law Review published Horn Distinguished Professor Brian Shannon’s article, Ethical Challenges in Texas Criminal Proceedings Involving Defendants with Mental Illness, 55 Tex. Tech L. Rev. 1-32 (2022) (actual publication in Feb. 2023). The article is an expansion on Shannon’s presentation at the April 2022 Texas Tech Law Review Mental Health Law Symposium.
  • On February 1, 2023, Horn Distinguished Professor Brian Shannon presented an overview of Texas Mental Health Proceedings at the Texas Association of Counties’ Judicial Orientation for New County Judges in Lubbock (during a sleet storm).
  • Prof. DeLeith Gossett was named as a 2023 Chancellor’s Council Distinguished Teaching and Research Award winner.
  • On February 17, 2023, Prof. Gerry W. Beyer was the featured speaker at the virtual February meeting of the Estate Planning Council of Central New Jersey. His presentation focused on estate planning for cyber property such as electronic communications, cryptocurrency, non-fungible tokens, and Metaverse assets.
  • Prof. Amy Hardberger spoke at The Scholar: St. Mary’s Law Review on Race and Social Justice 2023 Annual Symposium
  • On February 16, 2023, Prof. Gerry W. Beyer was the featured speaker at the monthly meeting of the South Plains Trust and Estate Council in Lubbock, Texas. His presentation was entitled Is There Virtual Life After Death? Dealing with Cryptocurrency, Non-fungible Tokens, Electronic Communications, and the Metaverse in the Context of Estate Planning.
  • Prof. Victoria Sutton’s documentary, “Can Archaeology Repair its Past with Indigenous America?” won the Best Documentary, Sigma Xi Honor Society, Art & Film Festival, Nov. 2022.
  • Prof. Victoria Sutton won Best Documentary, Austin New Filmmakers Festival, 2023.
  • Prof. Victoria Sutton also won Human Rights Award, Quetzalcoatl Indigenous International Film Festival (Mexico) for her documentary.
  • Prof. Gerry W. Beyer was a guest on a podcast: Digital Planning Podcast Episode: The Uniform Electronic Estate Planning Documents Act
  • On February 24, 2023, Prof. Gerry W. Beyer presented his paper entitled Case Law Update: Intestacy, Wills, Probate, and Trusts for the 15th Annual Estate Planning & Community Property Law Journal Seminar held at Tech Law.

January 2023 Law Faculty Publications & News

Publications

  • Prof. Victoria Sutton, Lost in Translation: A Translation That Set in Motion the Loss of Native American Spiritual Sites, 7 Indigenous Peoples’ J. L. Culture & Resistance [i] (2022).
  • Prof. Gerry W. Beyer, Probate and Decedents’ Estates (17 & 18 Tex. Prac.) (2022-2023 Supplement).
  • Gerry W. Beyer, Administration of Decedents’ Estates and Guardianships (12, 12A, 12B West’s Tex. Forms 4th ed.) (2022-2023 Supplement).
  • 9 & 10, Gerry W. Beyer, Texas Practice Series: Texas Law of Wills (2022-2023 ed.). This two-volume treatise, published by Thomson Reuters, provides detailed coverage of intestate succession, wills and their construction, and probate avoidance techniques as well as planning for disability and death.
  • Prof. Gerry W. Beyer, ed., Keeping Current—Probate, Prob. & Prop., Jan./Feb. 2023, at 32.
  • Gerry W. Beyer, 19 & 19A West’s Legal Forms – Residential Real Estate (2022-2023 Supps.).
  • Gerry W. Beyer & James M. Kosakow, Revocable Trusts (5th ed. 2022 Supp.).
  • Prof. Geoffrey S. Corn, Military Command, responsibility, and Legitimacy: An Enduring Equation, ABA National Security Law (Jan. 6, 2023). Military Command, Responsibility, and Legitimacy: An Enduring Equation (americanbar.org)
  • Prof. Geoffrey S. Corn, Year Ahead- When You Least Expect It…, Articles of War, Lieber Institute West Point (Jan. 11, 2023). Year Ahead – When You Least Expect It… – Lieber Institute West Point
  • Prof. Gerry W. Beyer, Wills & Trusts, 8 SMU ANN. TEX. SURV. 381 (2022).
  • Prof. Alyson Outenreath, Behind the Label: Exploration of U.S. Wine Label Laws, 21 Va. Sports & Ent. L.J. 197 (2022).
  • Gerry W. Beyer, Danger Ahead! — Will Your New Estate Planning Associate Know Texas Law? 61-1 Real Est., Prob., & Tr. L. Rep., at 38 (2023).
  • Gerry W. Beyer, Potpourri, 61-1 Real Est., Prob., & Tr. L. Rep., at 4 (2023).
  • Gerry W. Beyer, Intestacy, Wills, Estate Administration, and Trusts Update, 61-1 Real Est., Prob., & Tr. L. Rep., at 5 (2023).

Citations

  • Prof. Catherine M. Christopher’s article Will I Pass the Bar Evam? Predicting Student Success Using LSAT Scores and Law School Performance was cited in the following article: Scott Johns, Putting the Bar Exam on Constitutional Notice: Cut Scores, Race & Ethnicity, and the Public Good, 45 Seattle U. L. Rev. 853 (2022).
  • Prof. Walter B. Huffman’s article §9:33 Challenges to Members—Peremptory Challenges was cited in the following article: Captain Nino C. Monea, What’s the Most Defense Friendly Jurisdiction in America? The Military, 49 Ohio N.U. L. Rev. 53 (2022).
  • Prof. Richard D. Rosen’s article §9:33 Challenges to Members—Peremptory Challenges was cited in the following article: Captain Nino C. Monea, What’s the Most Defense Friendly Jurisdiction in America? The Military, 49 Ohio N.U. L. Rev. 53 (2022).
  • Prof. Gerry W. Beyer’s article State Law Pitfalls: Don’t Step in it When Your Clients Step Across State Lines was cited in the following article: Adam J. Hirsch, When Beneficiaries Predecease: An Empirical Analysis, 72 Emory L.J. 307 (2022).
  • Prof. William R. Casto’s article Advising Presidents: Robert Jackson and the Destroyers-for-Bases Deal was cited in the following article: Richard M. Re, Personal Precedent at the Supreme Court, 136 Harv. L. Rev. 824 (2023).
  • Prof. Richard Murphy’s article The Evolution of Law and Policy for CIA Targeted Killing was cited in the following article: Stephen Jackson, An Imperfect War: The Legality of the ‘Soleimani Strike’ and why the Biden Administration Should Adopt its Precedent for Future Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, 11 Penn St. J.L. & Int’l Aff. 34 (2022).
  • Prof. Catherine M. Christopher’s article Putting Legal Writing on the Tenure Track: One School’s Experience was cited in the following article: Larry Cunningham, Dividing Law School Faculties into Academic Departments: A Potential Solution to the Gendered Doctrinal/Skills Hierarchy in Legal Education, 67 Vill. L. Rev. 679 (2022).
  • Prof. Arnold H. Loewy’s article The Fourth Amendment as a Device for Protecting the Innocent was cited in the following article: Luiza M. Leao, A Unified Theory of Knowing Exposure: Reconciling Katz and Carpenter, 97 N.Y.U. L. Rev. 1669 (2022).
  • Prof. William Casto’s article The Early Supreme Court Justices’ Most Significant Opinion was cited in the following article: Ronald A. Cass, Interpretation, Remedy, and the Rule of Law: Why Courts Should Have the Courage of Their Constitutional Convictions, 74 Admin. L. Rev. 657 (2022).
  • Prof. Catherine M. Christopher’s article Error Correction Mechanisms for Transactional Script Smart Contracts was cited in the following article: Nick Curley, Blockchain Disruption: Digital Assets are Changing how we do Business, 25 SMU Sci. & Tech. L. Rev. 265 (2022).
  • Prof. Wesley J. Cochran’s article It Takes Two to Tango: Problems with Community Property Ownership of Copyrights and Patents in Texas was cited in the following article: Susan Corbett, To Have and to Hold? Intellectual Property as Relationship Property, 30 N.Z. L. Rev. 169 (2022).
  • Prof. Richard W. Murphy’s article Politicized Judicial review in Administrative Law: Three Improbable Responses was cited in the following article: Desiree LeClercQ, Judicial Review of Emergency Administration, 72 Am. U. L. Rev. 143 (2022).
  • Prof. Gerry W. Beyer’s article Estate Planning Ramifications of Obergefell v. Hodges was cited in the following article: Christine Vanderwater, Don’t Risk, Don’t Dwell: How Employers’ Erisa Benefit Plan Offerings, or Lack Thereof, Routinely Fail LGBTQIA+ Employees and Solutions for Employers, 15 Est. Plan. & Comm. Prop. L.J. 175 (2022).
  • Prof. Jarod S. Gonzalez’s publication Employment Discrimination: A Context and Practice Casebook was cited in the following article: Christine Vanderwater, Don’t Risk, Don’t Dwell: How Employers’ Erisa Benefit Plan Offerings, or Lack Thereof, Routinely Fail LGBTQIA+ Employees and Solutions for Employers, 15 Est. Plan. & Comm. Prop. L.J. 175 (2022).
  • Prof. Arnold H. Loewy’s article Police-Obtained Evidence and the Constitution: Distinguishing Unconstitutionally Obtained Evidence from Unconstitutionally Used Evidence was cited in the following article: Lee Kovarsky, Outcome Sensitivity and the Constitutional Law of Criminal Procedure, 98 Ind. L.J. 429 (2023).
  • Prof. Richard W. Murphy’s article The DIY Unitary Executive was cited in the following article: Adam Crews, Interagency Litigation Outside Article III, 55 Conn. L. Rev. 319 (2023).
  • Prof. Jarod S. Gonzalez’s article At the Intersection of religious Organization Missions and Employment Laws: The Case of Minister Employment Suits was cited in the following article: Aimee Wuthrich, Unacceptable Exceptions: Why the Ministerial Exception does not Encompass Hostile Work Environment Claims, 71 U. Kan. L. Rev. 321 (2022).  
  • Prof. Bryan T. Camp’s article Lessons from the Tax Court: The Turbo-Tax Defense was cited in the following article: Douglas C. Michael, The Guardians of the New Internal Revenue Code, 25 Fla. Tax Rev. 695 (2022).

Notes

  • On January 5, 2023, Prof. Gerry W. Beyer was the virtual guest speaker for the Estate Planning Council of Birmingham, Alabama. His presentation and accompanying article were entitled Avoiding the Estate Planning “Blue Screen of Death” with Competent and Ethical Practices.
  • Nancy Soonpaa presented at two programs at AALS and moderated a third:

Arc of Career, “What is AALS and Why does It Matter for My Career?”; New Law Professors, “Beginnings, Middles, and Endings: Ideas for Your Classes and Your Courses”; New Law Professors, “Beginnings, Middles, and Endings:  Planning Your Classes, Your Courses, and Your Career”

  • On January 17, 2023, Prof. Gerry W. Beyer was the virtual guest speaker for the Knoxville Estate Planning Council. His presentation and accompanying article were entitled State Law Pitfalls: Don’t Step in It When Your Client Steps Across State Lines.
  • Prof. Alyson Outenreath continues to serve on the Board of Directors of the Texas Federal Tax Institute.
  • The Center for American and International Law recently named Prof. Gerry W. Beyer as the Academic Anchor of its 58th Annual Short Course on Estate Planning. Prof. Beyer replaces Prof. Stanley Johanson of the University of Texas who served in this role for 57 years.
  • Prof Sutton, Texas Tech University School of Law, was selected as a national top ten finalist in innovation in law schools in the category of “innovation and pedagogy” for her work in cutting edge research in online legal education.
  • From January 25-27, 2023, Prof. Gerry W. Beyer served as the invited academic anchor for the 58th Annual Program: Short Course on Estate Planning sponsored by the Center for American and International Law. His four virtual presentations and accompanying articles were entitled: Anticipating Will Contests and How to Avoid Them; Intestate Succession: What Every Texas Estate Planner Needs to Know; Fiduciary Selection; and Estate Planning for Cyber Property: Electronic Communications, Non-Fungible Tokens, Cryptocurrency, and the Metaverse.

Faces of the Library: Diana Vargas

1. What tasks do you do for the TTU Law Library?I do a variety of tasks for the Law Library! As of recent, I have been processing books and legal resources for the library’s collection. This includes cataloguing incoming items, as well as withdrawing old and outdated items. Additionally, I assist with the Circulation Desk of the TTU Law Library, which is the direct link between the library staff and students. This has been especially nice, as it has given me an insight into how we enrich the school experience for our fellow law students.

2. What is your favorite thing about working at the TTU Law Library?
I would say the people! The faculty and staff of the TTU Law Library and the Law Program have been the most welcome people to work with and they have been excellent about teaching me about the inner workings of the Law Library.

3. What is one thing about the law library that current and prospective students should know?
You have many resources available to you as a student, so don’t be afraid to ask anything! Whether it is study aids, private study rooms or access to the TTU Raider Pantry, there’s a plethora of stuff for students to use.

4. What is your favorite place to eat in Lubbock?
As of present, it is Thai Pepper! Regardless of the wait, the food has never disappointed me!

5. What hobbies or activities do you like to do outside the law library?
If I’m not at the Law Library, I’ll usually be chilling at home and binging my favorite shows! Otherwise, I also love traveling around and checking out the local state parks!

Women’s History Month Resources

March is Women’s History Month!

This month the Law Library would like to invite you to read some of our faculty’s work on gender and some of our resources on famous female jurists and politicians.

Faculty Scholarship:

Jamie J. Baker, The Intersectionality of Law Librarianship & Gender, 65 VILL. L. REV. 1011 (2020).

Catherine Christopher, Putting Legal Writing on the Tenure Track: One School’s Experience, 31.1 Colum. J. Gender & L. 64 (2015).

Catherine Christopher, Eye of the Beholder: How Perception Management Can Counter Stereotype Threat Among Struggling Law Students, 53 Duq. L. Rev. 161 (2015).

Nancy J. Soonpaa, Stress in Law Students: A Comparative Study of First-Year, Second-Year and Third-Year Students, 36 Conn. L. Rev. 353 (2004).

Wendy Adele Humphrey, “Let’s Talk About Sex”: Legislating and Educating on the Affirmative Consent Standard, 50 U.S.F. L. Rev. 35 (2016).

Library Resources:  

Women and the Law (Peggy)

This database is a collection that brings together books, biographies, and periodicals dedicated to the role of women in society and the law. It provides a convenient platform for users to research the progression of women’s roles and rights in society over the past 200 years.

Gutgold, Nichola D, and Gutgold, Nichola D. The Rhetoric of Supreme Court Women: from Obstacles to Options. Lexington Books, 2012.

Salkin, Patricia E., et al. Pioneering Women Lawyers: from Kate Stoneman to the Present. Commission on Women in the Profession, American Bar Association, 2008.

American Bar Association. Commission on Women in the Profession. Empowerment and Leadership: Tried and True Methods for Women Lawyers. American Bar Association, 2003.

American Bar Association. Commission on Women in the Profession. Elusive Equality: the Experiences of Women in Legal Education. American Bar Association, Commission on Women in the Profession, 1996.

Hirshman, Linda R. Sisters in Law: How Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg Went to the Supreme Court and Changed the World. First ed., Harper, an Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2015.