Open Access Panel & Film Screening: “The Internet’s Own Boy”

By Rachel Evans, Geraldine Kalim, and Stephen Wolfson

WHEN:  Monday, October 19, 2020 – 6 PM EST | WHERE: Zoom

RSVP TODAY!

In celebration of Open Access Week (October 19-25), we will again host for the second year in a row a screening of “The Internet’s Own Boy”. In lieu of our physical tabling events last fall, this year the virtual version will feature a panel of University of Georgia School of Law faculty on October 19th at 6 PM in Zoom. The panel will provide greater context for the film, talk about what open access is, how it relates to open educational resources, and the legal implications of digital and information activism. Following the live panel, synchronous discussion will be encouraged to continue in chat while the documentary is streamed virtually. For those that cannot attend the live event, we encourage you to register below to receive a link to the recorded panel video and a link to watch the film on your own time. In the spirit of Open Access, the film itself is rights free!

The film, “The Internet’s Own Boy”, is the 2014 documentary chronicling Aaron Swartz’s life and legacy — from his work on RSS, Reddit, and Creative Commons to his prosecution for downloading millions of scholarly files. Since taking his own life in early 2013 while faced with a possible 35 years in prison for hacking charges, Swartz’s prosecution has been the cause célèbre of many digital activists. His fingerprints are all over the internet! Though it was Swartz’s groundbreaking work in social justice and political organizing combined with his aggressive approach to information access that ensnared him in a two year legal nightmare. This personal and tragic story is about what we lose when we are tone deaf to technology and its relationship with our civil liberties.

About the panelists:

Thomas E. Kadri is an Assistant Professor of Law at UGA School of Law and Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. His research and courses focus on torts, cybercrime, privacy and how law regulates technology.

Jean Goetz Mangan is a Legal Writing Instructor at UGA School of Law. She teaches legal writing, advanced writing seminar and criminal drafting, and recently published a CC licensed OER work through a UGA Affordable Materials Course Grant.

Stephen M. Wolfson is the Research and Copyright Services Librarian at UGA School of Law. He serves as the law library’s contact for issues relating to copyright, scholarly communication, and research-related information policy matters, teaches legal research, and courses exploring the intersection of law and technology in the information age.

WATCH THE TRAILER:

Law Library Collaborations Support Community Building

By Rachel Evans & Geraldine Kalim

September and October have both been whirlwind months! Members of the library have been working to collaborate with law student organizations, faculty members, and staff from other departments to host events, exhibits, and facilitate discussions. Some of these events have extended conversations that began over Summer 2020, and others celebrate the diversity of our student body. Here is a summary of the community building efforts:

Lunch on the Lawn

Earlier this week members of Access Services hosted one of the several “luncheon on the lawn” events taking place on the grass outside UGA School of Law. This Friday several Research & Instruction librarians will host a second library lunch for students. faculty and staff. In collaboration with the Student Affairs department, attendees receive a free blanket they can keep and re-use. Everyone keeps their blankets more than 6 feet apart and enjoys lunch outdoors from 12 to 1 PM. Those that RSVP’d for the library hosted lunches also get a free lunch!

One Read Book Talks Begin

On September 30th the library teamed up with the Black Law Students Association to deliver the first in a series of events as we all read We Shall Not Be Moved: The Desegregation of the University of Georgia by Robert A. Pratt together. For our initial gathering more than 15 faculty, staff and students came together to discuss the book. Many of us were unaware of the true history of desegregation at UGA. We talked about what has changed since Hunter-Holmes, and ended with robust discussions about what is yet to be done in higher education and throughout the state and country. The next installment of book talks will take place on October 28th from 7 to 8 PM and will include discussion through the end of the book. For more information and to register visit our RSVP page.

Hispanic Heritage Month Exhibit

Mid-September to Mid-October Hispanic Heritage month is celebrated to recognize the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the country. As with last fall, the library engaged with members of the Hispanic Law Students Association at UGA School of Law to collaborate on a display that pulls items from the collection. The display also serves to educate by sharing information about what Hispanic and Latino encompass, including languages and origins.

Open Access Week Film Screening

In celebration of Open Access Week (October 19-25), the law library will host a panel of University of Georgia School of Law faculty to provide greater context for the film, what open access is, how it relates to open educational resources, and legal implications of digital and information activism. Following the live panel, synchronous discussion will be encouraged to continue in chat while the documentary is streamed virtually. For those that cannot attend the live event, we encourage you to register below to receive a link to the recorded panel video and a link to watch the film on your own time. In the spirit of Open Access, the film itself is rights free! For more information and to register, visit the school website event page.

Resource Spotlight: A New Mindfulness Guide for Wellness Week

By Rachel Evans, Geraldine Kalim & Heather Simmons

Wellness week is taking place now at the University of Georgia School of Law.

The library has teamed up with law school departments to contribute to synchronous and asynchronous events this week, including tomorrow’s Guided Meditation‘s during the lunch hour. We have also expanded our mindfulness resources that we began gathering in the Spring of 2020 into a new guide. The guide brings together facts about mindfulness, busts some mindfulness myths, shares book, podcast, and blog recommendations, and even provides reviews of mindfulness apps. The guide also features original meditation videos created by the library. Here is a summary of some of the items you will find there:

Introduction to Mindfulness

What is mindfulness anyway? “Mindfulness is paying attention to the present moment without judgment, which can be developed through contemplative practices and other training.” On the first page of our guide you will learn more about the origins of the mindfulness movement, watch videos on how simple awareness of breathing can change your life, and find a series of website and book recommendations for further reading.

Mindfulness Apps, Blogs & Podcasts

Adding a mindfulness app to your phone is a great way to get started with a mindfulness practice. Library staff members have been testing out and reviewing a variety of apps. Navigate to the sub-tabs of this page to read in depth reviews for Insight Timer and Headspace or stick to the main page for a list of short summaries of some of our favorite apps, podcast episodes, and more.

Wellness Resources

From this page you can find information about BeWellUGA as well as direct links to the list of events taking place at UGA School of Law this week. It includes a link to the sign up sheet for walking groups and maps you can use to take your own walk on campus. You will also find links to lists of recommended foods for taking the best care of yourself when you are stressed, and even an interactive self-care flow chart!

Myths of Mindfulness & More Stress Busters

Last, but certainly not least, we have one page dedicated to demystifying mindfulness. This original infographic was created by a team of our librarians to bust many myths and misconceptions some people have when they hear the word “mindfulness”. There is also a tab that redirects you to our separate Library Stress Busters guide, where you can find virtual activities and other ideas for helping to deal with stress where ever you are or whatever may be burdening you. It includes puzzles, live panda cams, and “how to make tea” with a librarian!

Law Dawg of the Month: Oliver

By Anne Burnett

October’s Law Dawg is Oliver! His human is 2L Gabe Doster. Handsome Oliver loves to go on rides and visit parks.

Handsome Oliver

All members of the Law School Community (students, faculty and staff) are invited to submit a photo for random selection as the Law Dawg. Please note that honorary Law Dawgs (i.e. those of the feline, equine, porcine, avian, reptilian, etc. persuasion) are eligible as well.

 

Please send your Law Dawg photo(s) to aburnett@uga.edu.

Remembering RBG With Items From Our Collections

By Rachel Evans, Geraldine Kalim, and Savanna Nolan

This is the blog post none of us ever wanted to write. While a simple blog post will never do justice to the beloved Justice, we would like to bring your attention to some of the resources we have on display in the Law Library foyer in remembrance of Justice Ginsburg’s life and work. Our School of Law was also fortunate enough to host Justice Ginsburg on January 26, 1981 for that semester’s Sibley Lecture here on campus. In addition to that lecture, below is a sampling of some highlights from both our digital repository, physical archives, and library collection:

Sibley Lecture Series: “Inviting Judicial Activism: A ‘Liberal’ or ‘Conservative’ Technique” At the time, Justice Ginsburg sat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Our physical archival collection includes an audio cassette tape of Ginsburg’s speech and a copy of the original program distributed to individuals in attendance in January 1981. The repository record in Digital Commons now includes audio streaming of the digitized audio recording.

Advocate, Spring 1981, Vol. 17, No. 1: Sibley Lecturer Cautions Against Judicial Nominee Litmus Test Found within the physical and digital archives of the School of Law’s longstanding publication Advocate Magazine is the Spring 1981 issue. This one page summary of Ginsburg’s visit and Sibley lecture is on page 18 and includes a large photograph of the Justice. This photograph is also now on display along with the print version of the Advocate article in the Law Library foyer.

Works written by Ruth Bader Ginsburg We also have items in the collection that were authored by the late Justice. These items include the autobiography “My Own Words” and the first textbook on sex discrimination law, “Text, Cases and Materials on Sex-Based Discrimination.”

Celebrate Constitution Day

By Wendy Moore and Geraldine Kalim

Every September, federal depository libraries across the nation celebrate Constitution Day, including our own Alexander Campbell King Law Library. Stop by the Law Library Foyer today for a display of related items from the collection and to pick up a pocket Constitution.

Can’t make it into the library today? There are many online resources you can explore, including the National Constitution Center’s Interactive Constitution.

The Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) curates a wide variety of research guides at https://libguides.fdlp.gov/, such as:

• Hot Topics – These guides are pulled from the GPO as well as depository library sites to provide a collection of resources for current interest areas. This collection includes a collection of Constitution Day guides.
  
• Subject Guides – For guides with lists of resources and search tips related to specific topics and tools, check out this collection. Subjects include: COVID-19, Elections, Influenza, Natural Disasters, and Social Issues.

Several organizations around the state and around the country (including the School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) here at UGA) are holding events today in honor of Constitution Day:

• SPIA is virtually hosting its annual Constitution Day lecture, this year entitled “The Consistency of James Madison: The Bill of Rights” from 2:30-3:30pm
• Georgia Tech and the Atlanta History Center are virtually hosting a Celebration of Constitution Day and the Centennial of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution from 12-1pm
• Atlanta University Center, Robert W. Woodruff Library is virtually hosting Celebrate Constitution Day: African Americans and Voter Suppression, A Conversation with AUC Faculty from 1-2:30pm
• The Law Library of Congress is virtually hosting its annual Constitution Day lecture, this year entitled “”The Bulwark of Freedom”: African-American Members of Congress and the Constitution During Reconstruction” from 3-4pm

Law Dawg of the Month: Louie

By Anne Burnett

September’s Law Dawg is Louie! Louie is a 7 year old golden. He’s super friendly and loves the lake, Walker’s, ear rubs, and carrying shoes around the house! Louie’s person is 2L Adam Potter.

Louie

All members of the Law School Community (students, faculty and staff) are invited to submit a photo for random selection as the Law Dawg. Please note that honorary Law Dawgs (i.e. those of the feline, equine, porcine, avian, reptilian, etc. persuasion) are eligible as well.

Please send your Law Dawg photo(s) to aburnett@uga.edu.

 

From the Collection: Remembering the 75th Anniversary of the End of World War II

By Wendy Moore

August 15 marked the 75^th Anniversary of Hirohito’s announcement of Japan’s surrender to the Allied Forces, which formally occurred on September 2, 1945, bringing an end to World War II.  Soon after the efforts to rebuild Japan’s government and economy began, including the drafting of a new constitution.

One of the people who helped to write the new constitution for Japan was Beate Sirota Gordon, a 22-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen from Austria who grew up in Japan. Thanks to her efforts, rights for women were included in the new constitution.  Check out this recent BBC radio program on the topic.

Learn more about this important transitional moment in world history by exploring the following resources available from the Law Library collection:

We, the Japanese people: World War II and the origins of the Japanese constitution by Dale M. Hellegers / Basement D813.J3 H45 2002

This is the definitive story of how the United States attempted to turn Japan into a democratic and peace-loving nation by drafting a new constitution for its former enemy–and then pretending that the Japanese had written it. Based on scores of interviews with participants in the process, as well as exhaustive research in Japanese and American records, the book explores in vivid detail the thinking and intentions behind the drafting of the constitution.

The fate of the earth by Jonathan Schell / Basement UF767 .S2365 1982

This title reflects heavily on the consequences of nuclear war. “Forces even the most reluctant person to confront the unthinkable: the destruction of humanity and possibly most life on Earth”. The book is regarded as a key document in the nuclear disarmament movement. Composed of three essays, the final, “The Choice,” is an argument that the source of the nuclear threat is the nation-state system, and that the choice is between survival and national sovereignty.

War’s end and after: an informal discussion of the problems of a postwar world by Stuart Chevalier / Sohn Library D825 .C45

Found in our Louis B. Sohn Library on International and Public Relations, this title has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. It covers the reconstruction era (roughly 1939 to 1951).

 

Confronting the perpetrators: a history of the Claims Conference by Marilyn Henry ; foreword by Sir Martin Gilbert / Sohn Library D819.G3 H46 2007 

At the end of the twentieth century, the world seemed to rediscover Holocaust survivors. Ceremonies commemorating the 50th anniversary of World War II-era events offered occasions for reflection about the war, its heroes, and its victims. In the US, broad interest in the Holocaust was sparked by two cultural phenomena: the 1993 opening of the US Holocaust Memorial Museum and the film Schindler’s List. The collapse of communism, the opening of archives in eastern Europe, and the approach of the millennium and with it a desire to ‘clean the slate’ also sparked a series of confrontations with the past. Among those confrontations was an extraordinary focus on the material losses and injuries suffered by Nazi victims. Class-action lawsuits filed in American courts against European governments and enterprises, improvised commissions, national historical reviews, and international conferences attempted, at century’s end, to deal with the material, historical, legal, and moral issues stemming from the Holocaust. These initiatives built on groundwork laid in 1951, when Israel and an ad hoc consortium of voluntary Jewish organizations received an invitation to negotiate with West Germany for ‘moral and material amends’ for Nazi-era damages. The consortium became the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (known as the Claims Conference).

HeinOnline World Constitutions Illustrated

Focusing on the study of historic and current constitutions of governments, HeinOnline’s World Constitutions Illustrated enables scholars to research the constitutional and political development of every country in the world. For every constitutional document, researchers can find the original text, amending laws, consolidated text, and important related texts, including for the Constitution of Japan, 1946.

The library has many other items available related to The Japanese Peace and Security treaties (Basement D814.8 .C55 1951) as well as the Record of proceedings from the Conference for the Conclusion and Signature of the Treaty of Peace with Japan. You can request these items to be checked out to you through our online catalog GAVEL and search for additional books using the subject heading for peace treaties.

Resource Spotlight: New Social Justice Guide

By Geraldine Kalim, Amy Taylor, Anne Burnett, and Rachel Evans

Our team of librarians has composed a new research guide for presenting and exploring the resources available through UGA Law Library related to social justice issues. It includes vetted resources gathered from other libraries, law schools, and a wide range of organizations. Some items are aimed at educating the community and focus on the historical aspects of our current issues. Other items have been added for more practical reasons, to inform and empower members of our community like the Athens-Clarke County public. Here is a breakdown of what you can find there:

Book Recommendations, Reading Lists, and One Read

This page of the guide presents books gathered from various lists that have been recommended related to social justice topics including racism, classism, policing, and other topics. These titles are all available through either our Law Library or UGA Libraries catalogs. There are also links to additional book lists with more titles to explore, and even information about our Library’s co-sponsored One Read with the Black Law Students Association at UGA Law School, taking place this Fall 2020.

Online Resources

For a list of vetted online resources from reputable sites including .edu’s, this page aims not to re-invent the wheel but to point you to the places we have found most useful. Some resources are educational while others are additional research guides created by law libraries from across the country. All of the sites focus on encouraging discussion around social justice topics or 2020 current events. Inform yourself and talk in communities!

Clinical Resources

Our law school has a robust clinical and experiential learning program list, including more than 15 offerings. These courses serve as both credit and valuable real-life learning opportunities for UGA law students to gain first-hand experience in an area of practice within our state and local communities. This page of the guide presents a few of our more public facing clinics in an effort to share information about their services with the public. You will find links and a summary of information on our new First Amendment Clinic, the Veterans Legal Clinic, Family Justice Clinic, Child Endangerment and Sexual Exploitation Clinic, and the Community Health Law Partnership Clinic.

Local Resources

It can be difficult for some members of the community to navigate their area resources including finding aid when they need it, or knowing how to navigate our county’s website. This page of the guide links to local information to put the most commonly asked about resources at your fingertips including food bank and other mutual aid organizations, where to look if you think someone you know has been arrested in the last 7 days, and how to locate you or a loved ones dockets from local civil and criminal courts. We have also added in a few of our favorite local stories to give historical context, including a short documentary on a little known protest that took place in downtown Athens own Varsity restaurant.

State Resources

The last page presented in the guide actually links out to a separate pre-existing state resources guide that our library has maintained for many years. From this page you can see a breakdown of resources including executive, legislative, and judicial. Here you will find administrative rules and regulations links, state forms, the Georgia Code, session laws, historic digests, and more! There are also links for the various courts including state, juvenile, probate, magistrate, and municipal.

From the Archives: Library Research & Special Collections Support Student-Driven Initiatives to Illustrate Institutional Cultural Diversity

In 2019 student driven initiatives at the University of Georgia School of Law prompted research for identifying diverse graduates from the school. Over the course of late 2019 and early 2020 this research was visualized with items pulled together from UGA’s earliest yearbooks, the law school’s Phi Alpha Delta student directories, and information gathered from the other institutional publications such as past issues of Advocate Magazines. The input of various student organizations at the law school was gathered and informed the scope and content of the exhibit. Previously digitized materials were joined with newly scanned photographs to illustrate the diverse history of our school’s community. This summer the display began to take shape, and once completed will be housed on the 3rd floor Founders Gallery of the Rotunda in Hirsch Hall.

First Printing of the BALSA Officer Photos 1973

UGA School of Law Application Circa 1971

Student Directory 1971-72

Portions of this exhibit are already in place, including a large graphical timeline canvas print as well as two shadow boxes featuring reproductions of the original items from our library’s archives and special collections. The exhibit will also soon include 1974 alumnus Robert E. “Robbie” Robinson’s briefcase, gifted to the school on February 28, 2020 following the screening of a short documentary film dedicated to him. The event of the screening not only honored Robinson’s contributions to the Savannah, GA community but also highlighted the newly established School of Law Robinson Scholars Program and the inaugural class of Robinson Scholars for Fall 2020. This program benefits underrepresented student populations with ties to Georgia and a passion for public interest law. Robinson’s legacy as a community leader and activist, civil rights attorney and influencer in the fight for school desegregation in our state is but one part of our law school’s rich history.

We invite you to stop by the exhibit as it continues to take shape, painting a more accurate and inclusive picture of our student body’s history.  Here is a complete list of the faces you will now find on the walls of the Rotunda coupled with links to the items used to research and/or scan from:

• 1896 – Horace B. Van de Vélde, 1st Argentina-Mexico Graduate
  • Listed in the University of Georgia Pandora Yearbook, 1896
• 1901 – H.S. Belaval, 1st Porto [sic] Rican Graduate
  • Listed in the University of Georgia Pandora Yearbook, 1901
  • Photograph from Lumpkin Law School Class Composite Lithograph, 1901
• 1902 – Miguel de Guerra, 2nd Porto [sic] Rican Graduate
  • Photograph from the University of Georgia Pandora Yearbook, 1902
• 1925 – Gussie Brooks, 1st Female Graduate
  • University of Georgia Senior Class Photograph from newspaper clipping in Edith House Scrapbook assembled by the Women Law Students Association, 1925
  • Photograph from the University of Georgia Pandora Yearbook, 1925
• 1925 – Edith House, 2nd Female Graduate
  • University of Georgia Senior Class Photograph from newspaper clipping in Edith House Scrapbook assembled by the Women Law Students Association, 1925
  • Photograph from the University of Georgia Pandora Yearbook, 1925
• 1926 – Dorothy Ida “Dot” Levy, 3rd Female Graduate
  • Photograph from Lumpkin Law School Class Composite Negative, 1926
  • Photograph from the University of Georgia Pandora Yearbook, 1926
• 1926 – Mathilde Upson, 4th Female Graduate
  • Photograph from Lumpkin Law School Class Composite Negative, 1926
  • Photograph from the University of Georgia Pandora Yearbook, 1926
• 1948 – Michael Gannam, 1st Lebanese Graduate
  • Photograph from the University of Georgia Pandora Yearbook, 1948
• 1966 – Chester C. Davenport, 1st African-American Graduate
  • Photograph from the Student Bar Association Placement Brochure, 1966
  • Photograph of the Student Editorial Board of the Georgia State Bar Journal from the University of Georgia Pandora Yearbook, 1966
• 1971 – Phil Duderwicz, Graduate who used a wheelchair
  • Photograph from the first year class of the Phi Alpha Delta Student Directory, 1968-69
• 1972 – Theodore C.H. Chao, 1st Chinese-American Graduate
  • Photograph from the third year class of the Phi Alpha Delta Student Directory, 1971-72
• 1972 – Arthur K. Goto, 1st Native Hawaiian and Japanese-American Graduate
  • Photograph from third year class of the Phi Alpha Delta Student Directory, 1971-72
• 1974 – Sharon Lynn “Nyota” Tucker, 1st Female African-American Graduate
  • Photograph from the second year class and of the Law Students Civil Rights Research Council Officers from the Phi Alpha Delta Student Directory, 1972-73
  • Photograph from the third year class and of the Black American Law Students Association Officers from the Phi Alpha Delta Student Directory, 1973-74
• 1974 – Robert Edward “Robbie” Robinson, Prominent Civil Rights Attorney
  • Photograph from the second year class of the Phi Alpha Delta Student Directory, 1972-73