Current Students

Announcements

Week of 30 April 2018

Events This Week

[ TUESDAY ]

Mindfulness Meditation

Tuesdays at 12:30pm in the Room for Prayer and Meditation, L04

Mindfulness meditation is a guided practice of focusing on the present moment and developing an increased awareness of experiences as they happen. No experience is necessary. All are welcome. Contact Brian McCabe (brian.mccabe@villanova.edu) for more information. The final Mindfulness Meditation for this semester will be on May 8.

[ WEDNESDAY ]

Centering Prayer

Wednesdays at 8:30am in the Room for Prayer and Meditation, L04

Centering Prayer is a form of contemplative prayer that is practiced in silence. No experience is necessary. All are welcome. Contact Brian McCabe (brian.mccabe@villanova.edu) for more information. The final Centering Prayer for this semester will be on May 9.

Weekly Mass

Wednesdays at 12:05pm in the Chapel of Our Lady, Mirror of Justice, dedicated in memory of Helen A. O’Connor. If you have any questions, please email Brian McCabe. The final Mass for this semester will be on May 9.

The University schedule of worship opportunities is available at http://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/mission/campusministry/liturgicallife.html

Library Notices

Access, Quiet, Safety, and Trash Removal

When studying for finals, please be aware that the Law Library is a quiet study area. Please leave the library to engage in conversation or to talk on the phone. Should you prefer to study in a group, please sign out one of the library’s study rooms at the Circulation Desk. Disruptive behavior should be reported to the Circulation/ Reserve Desk or to Public Safety. Note that access to the Law Library is restricted starting Wednesday, April 25th. Please be prepared to show your ID when you enter the Law Library and do not allow unauthorized people to enter the building after hours.

Please be mindful of your fellow students by removing your books, materials, and trash when you leave a study area. Also, do not leave your valuables unattended. Thefts have occurred in the past, particularly during study periods and finals when many students are focused elsewhere. Good luck on your exams!

Study Guides, Practice Questions, Old Exams and More!

Check out the Law Library’s blog Source Check for resources to help you get ready for finals and to put the finishing touches on your research papers! Or visit our Study Aids research guide! We have a Bar Prep guide too.

Legal Research Refresher & Tips

Researching this summer? Starting a job in an unfamiliar practice area? Get a jump-start by consulting with a law librarian before your first day! You can join us for a live group training session on May 9^th, sign up for an individual appointment with a law librarian or attend a virtual training via webinar. Please fill out this short registration/interest form and let us know which you prefer and we’ll contact you with the details. Not interested in training at this time? Email us whenever you have questions this summer and throughout your career at reference@law.villanova.edu. Also, keep in mind that our online Legal Research Guides are available 24/7. Your Law Librarians are here for you!

Summer and Post-Graduation Access to Bloomberg Law, Lexis Advance, and Westlaw

Graduating 3Ls:

NOTE: Some employer policies require the use of firm accounts.

Bloomberg Law – Your access to Bloomberg Law will continue for six months after graduation. During that time, you may use Bloomberg for research related to bar preparation, interview preparation, private study or employment. You do not need to register for this extended access.

Lexis Advance – Your access to Lexis Advance will continue until December 31, 2018 but it must be accessed through http://www.lexisnexis.com/grad-access/ On July 1^st your Lexis landing page will change to job and career information. You have until June 30^th to spend any accumulated Lexis points. Graduating students who will be employed by nonprofit organizations can also apply for the Lexis ASPIRE ID Program that gives you 12 months of free access to Lexis primary materials and select secondary materials. See the grad access link for more information.

Westlaw - Your access to Westlaw will be severely limited after graduation unless you take their survey for Graduate Elite access. The Graduate Elite program provides up to 60 hours of searching per month until November 2018. Logon to your Westlaw account and click on the Graduate link for details on eligibility.

Current 1Ls and 2Ls – Summer Access:

NOTE: Some employer policies require the use of firm accounts.

Bloomberg Law - Your access to Bloomberg Law will not change. You may use either system for research related to any schoolwork, private study or employment during the summer.

Lexis Advance - Your access to Lexis Advance will not change. Lexis permits research related to any schoolwork, private study or employment during the summer.

Westlaw - Westlaw may be used over the summer for non-commercial research meaning it may not be used in situations where you are billing a client. Permissible uses include:

* work on Moot Court or a law review or journal

* an unpaid externship for which you receive law school credit or unpaid work at a nonprofit

* or work as a faculty research assistant.

Questions about post-graduation and summer access to these databases may be sent to Regina Kozul, rkozul@law.villanova.edu or Lori Corso, lori.corso@law.villanova.edu.

Announcements

Villanova Law Inn of Court Seeks Rising 3L Members

The Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law J. Willard O'Brien American Inn of Court is a nationally recognized, award-winning, chartered member of the American Inns of Court (AIC) - the oldest, largest, and fastest growing legal mentoring organization in the country. Details about the Inn can be found in the online course catalog. The course number is 0160 Villanova Law Inn of Court.

Because the experience captures the essence of the capstone Professional Development curriculum, membership in the Inn satisfies most requirements of the Professional Development III course. (Students must fulfill certain Professional Development requirements, including meeting their CSO advisors and faculty advisors; attending class sessions on (i) Character and Fitness, and (ii) Planning Your (Bar Study) Summer; and participating in the Giving Voice to Values programming.)

Inns of Court, including especially ours, are devoted to developing practice skills, civility, and professionalism in the practice of law. Members of the Villanova Inn come from every corner of the practice (judges, prosecutors, personal injury and products liability lawyers both plaintiffs and defense, complex litigation specialists, criminal defense lawyers, in-house counsel, academics, etc.) and every type of organization (federal and state government, big firms, small firms, solo practice, and corporations).

Register for the Inn as you would any other course, but you will see no credit is awarded for Inn; rather, it satisfies portions of the PD III requirement and credit is awarded there.

VLS Student Organizations: New officers and/or summer contact needed

As the academic year winds down, we realize many SBA student organizations will be holding elections for next year’s leadership positions. Please be sure to keep the law school informed of your new officers by e-mailing Marlene Musonge marlene.musonge@law.villanova.edu in Student Services so we can update the website. After commencement, the 2017-18 student groups’ officers listed will be deleted. If your group has not had elections for 2018-19, we ask that you please send a contact to be listed on the website for any summer inquiries.

Lockers must be emptied by Friday, May 11

Lockers will be cleaned over the summer. Please remove all items from your locker by the end of the semester and leave the lock on the locker (unlocked). Any items remaining in lockers after Friday, May 11th, will be discarded.

1Ls and 2Ls: If you want a different locker next year, please contact Cheryl Baro at baro@law.villanova.edu.

3Ls: If you would like to use your locker during the summer bar review course, please notify Cheryl Baro at baro@law.villanova.edu by Friday, May 11.

Hours for Legal Grounds and the Cafeteria from Finals through Commencement

Legal Grounds (Coffee Bar):

Mon-Friday, April 30-May 4 8am-9pm

Sat-Sunday, May 5-6 10am-5pm

Mon-Tuesday, May 7-8 8am-9pm

Wed-Friday, May 9-11 8am-3pm

Sat-Wednesday, May 12-16 Closed

Thursday, May 17 8am-3pm

Friday, May 18 Closed

Cafeteria:

Open Mon-Friday 7:30am-2:30pm through Wednesday, May 16

Closed Thurs-Friday, May 17-18

Smoking Policy

Smoking is prohibited in all University buildings, including the Law School.

Smoking is also prohibited within 75 feet of all buildings, which includes…

the front of the law school,
the walkway from the parking garage,
the outdoor dining area,
all entrances.

This policy covers all tobacco products (including smokeless tobacco and dip). Thank you for your cooperation.

Commencement Information for 3Ls

The Law School’s Commencement will take place on Friday, May 18, 2018. We encourage all graduating students to review the Commencement website so you are informed about the day’s events. The website includes important information about the day’s events, caps and gowns, announcements and photos, seating for guests, and parking information. Please share this information with family and friends.

Gazette Submission Deadline

This is the final Gavel Gazette for this semester. Please submit items for first issue of the Fall 2018 semester to gavelgazette@law.villanova.edu by 3pm on Friday, August 17.

Writing Competitions

2018 Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg “Pursuit of Justice” Legal Writing Competition

The Philadelphia Bar Association has announced its 2018 Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg “Pursuit of Justice” Legal Writing Competition. The competition accepts submissions addressing any topic relating to rights, privileges, and responsibilities under federal law and is restricted to students enrolled in the six Philadelphia-area law schools. If you are writing a seminar paper this semester, have completed one recently, or have been a staff writer for a journal, you may have work that is eligible to enter. The winner will receive a $2,500 cash prize, publication of the winning entry, and an award. Submissions are due by Friday, May 11, 2018. More information is available at www.philadelphiabar.org. Please contact our Writing Specialist, Steven Schultz, at schultz@law.villanova.edu for a copy of the contest rules.

American Bar Association Criminal Justice Section 2018 William W. Greenhalgh Student Writing Competition

TOPIC: The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees “the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures.” This provision is a powerful protector of privacy rights for individuals. Despite this, the one-sentence amendment is vague, and what constitutes reasonableness has been left to the judicial branch for interpretation. $2500 cash prize - Deadline for submission is July 1, 2018

Questions? E-mail or call the editor at (312) 988-6089. For more information about the Section, programs for law students, and Criminal Justice magazine, visit americanbar.org/groups/criminal_justice.

Writing Competition Guide

If you are interested in participating in one of the many annual law student writing competition, check out the Library Writing Competitions Guide: http://libguides.law.villanova.edu/writingcompetitions. There is information in the Guide regarding the mechanics of writing for publication, as well as lists of open competitions.