Spring 2012 - Brown Bag Presentation Series

1. Researching Texas Administrative Law

Tuesday, 2/7, 12:00-12:45 (room 4 BLB)
Wednesday, 2/8/, 12:00-12:45 (room 4 BLB)

Presented by Matt Mantel, Reference and Research Librarian

Texas administrative legal research involves finding laws that govern the administration and regulation of Texas state agencies using the power delegated by the state legislature. These rules are authoritative and consequently attorneys need to know how to locate them in order to represent their clients effectively. Attendees will be provided an overview of the Texas administrative system and introduced to the sources used to locate the rules promulgated by Texas state agencies. Online sources including free internet sites will also be discussed.

2. Researching International and Foreign Law

Tuesday, 2/14, 12:00-12:45 (room 4 BLB)
Wednesday, 2/15, 12:00-12:45 (room 4 BLB)

Presented by Dan Baker, International and Foreign Law Librarian

This session will explore strategies of researching in the area of international, foreign, and comparative law (IFCL). After a brief introduction into international law, including an overview of the major international organizations and the differences between common law and civil law, this session will identify major legal resources for IFCL research.

3. Texas Legislative History Research

Tuesday, 2/21, 12:00-12:45 (room 4 BLB)
Wednesday, 2/22, 12:00-12:45 (room 4 BLB)

Presented by Matt Mantel, Reference and Research Librarian

Legislative history research is essential for discerning the intended purpose and meaning of particular statutory language. It is useful both for academic research and legal practice. This talk will provide a brief introduction to the legislative process in Texas, identify relevant legislative history documents, and acquaint students with major print and electronic resources for finding legislative materials.

4. Researching Oil & Gas Law

Tuesday, 2/28, 12:00-12:45 (room 4 BLB)
Wednesday, 2/29, 12:00-12:45 (room 4 BLB)

Presented by Chris Dykes, Reference and Research Librarian

This session will provide an introductory overview of sources used to conduct oil and gas research. It will discuss primary and secondary resources, subscription databases, and free internet sites.

5. Effective Use of WestlawNext and Lexis Advance

Tuesday, 3/6, 12:00-12:45 (room 4 BLB)
Wednesday, 3/7, 12:00-12:45 (room 4 BLB)

Presented by Emily Lawson, Reference and Research Librarian

WestlawNext and Lexis Advance, the two new legal research services, have a number of differences from the classic versions of the Westlaw and LexisNexis. This session will highlight some of those changes and provide information about how these databases are designed. It will also cover techniques to help students search these databases more effectively so that they can get better results in less time.