Wheat Law librarians ‘are like lawyers squared’

I suppose the Wheat Law Library’s first blog should be a bit of a “how do you do.” You know…get to know the library and the librarians. But all of that information can be found on our Web page http://www.law.ku.edu/library/. Instead, I would like to share with you what a law librarian is and what we do.

Just looking at the phrase “law librarian,” you can see that there are two aspects: the law and the librarian. Let’s look at each of these individually and then see what it means when combined.

First, allow me to explain to you what a librarian is. There’s a good chance that you have a picture in your head of a mild-mannered individual who will begrudgingly help you locate a book but only after giving you the almighty “SHOOSH!” Although a librarian will help you find a book, and perhaps even recommend you keep it down, it’s not really all we do.

Librarians are information specialists.  This means we process, catalog, retrieve and use information in every form. Sure we do books. But we are also versed in research, cataloging, electronic media, digital editing — anything dealing with information, it’s processing and manipulation, we do it. Of course not each and every one of us does it all.  But collectively, we get it done.

So what about the “law” part of “law librarian”? This is not simply a reference to the type of library we work in, but a reference to our educational background. Many of us have our J.D.s, and some of us have even practiced law. So not only do we work in a law library, but we also understand the law both in theory and in practice. Combined with our abilities in information management, we are quite the force.

There is no request beneath us. Why just the other day, one of our students conversationally mentioned that she had heard about some store that sells reclaimed building supplies in Lawrence. Before she could even log on to her computer, I located and printed a map giving directions to HFH ReStore off of Seventh and Connecticut.

The ability to access, process and use information is what being a librarian is about. The ability to access, process and use the law is what being a lawyer is all about. So really, we are like lawyers squared!

Blake Wilson
Instructional & Research Services Librarian

Think you might be interested in law librarianship?  Or maybe you just want a little extra scratch?  The Wheat Law Library is seeking to hire a Research Assistant to assist with legal and interdisciplinary research in support of faculty scholarship.  You have to have passed Lawyering I & II.  Additional experience with legal research and technology is a definite plus.

For more information, contact Chris Steadham, Office 200E, csteadham@ku.edu.

Welcoming the new school year with an infusion of diverse backgrounds, experiences

Green Hall is almost in full swing again for fall.

The new 1Ls are on Day 3 of the Entering Student Program. Today it’s ethics and professionalism, an introduction to the Kansas Bar, lunch with small sections and a Lawyering session on case briefing, class preparation and studying.

Their classmates who started back in May joined them this week. Second- and third-year students begin classes on Thursday, but some of them are already here. The entire staff of the Kansas Law Review is meeting down the hall from my office this morning to get organized for the year. From the sounds of things, it’s an enthusiastic bunch.

The KU Law Convocation on Wednesday will officially mark the start of the new academic year.

It begins with an infusion of new blood. We welcome 163 new students to the three-year J.D. program. The Class of 2012 is joined by 10 students enrolled in the Two-Year J.D. Program for Foreign-Trained Lawyers and six students pursuing an S.J.D. (Doctor of Juridical Science).

These students come from 77 colleges and universities in 22 states and the countries of Ecuador, Cameroon, China, Eritrea, Italy, Kenya, the Philippines and South Korea. Thirty-nine percent of them are women, and 17 percent identify themselves as ethnic minorities.

They range in age from 21 to 53 and speak 11 languages, including Arabic, Ukrainian and Chinese.

They are champion debaters, bagpipe players, print and broadcast journalists, National Merit Scholars, certified SCUBA divers, dancers, athletes, coaches, volunteers and combat veterans. One rides a unicycle and holds the Guinness World Record for longest individual drum roll. Another is an Army captain with two Bronze Stars and a Combat Action Badge for service in Iraq.

Needless to say, the incoming class adds a wide range of backgrounds and experiences to the Green Hall mix. We couldn’t be more excited about the rich environment.

On that note, I’ll leave you with a video on Rice Distinguished Professor Raj Bhala, who is featured in the latest installment of KU’s Professor Profile series. He discusses, among other things, the value of international perspectives in the classroom: http://bit.ly/sLf2e

Mindie Paget

Of ruins and rugs: a weekend excursion


Second-year law student Ellen O’Leary
stops for a photo in the Temple
of Pergamon.

More photos on Flickr.
The second installment of the Istanbul study abroad blog by 2L Ellen O’Leary, who just finished finals in Turkey.

So much to see do! The last two weeks have been a blur of color and sound packed with school work and site seeing. Here is a taste of what we’ve been doing:

Last Friday the class piled onto a bus – rather than going to class – to leave for a weekend of excursion down the west coast of mainland Turkey. We went through Gallipoli, crossing the Dardanelles straight on a large ferry, on the way to Troy. That’s right: Troy – as in Achilles and Hector and the Trojan horse (with the KU boys inside). Amazing!!! We spent an hour or so walking through the ruins in the heat of the afternoon. Everyone was pretty wiped out, but I could have spent the rest of the day! We spent that night at a resort on the beach in Assos. Swimming in the Aegean Sea was salty and a bit cold at sunset, but it was an excellent end to a hot day.

We all got up early the next morning to visit the ruins of the Temple of Athena in Assos. There wasn’t a whole lot left, just some columns and a foundation, but the view from the hill was spectacular. Pergamon came next, home to the Temple of Trajan, altar of Zeus and Asclepion (ancient equivalent of a hospital and health spa). I got to climb all over the temple and wander through the grounds. The gravity in these places is nearly overwhelming. I cannot help but be in awe of the things the ancient civilizations accomplished. We returned to modern life that night in Izmir. The harbor is lined with restaurants, shops and a park that stretches the entire length. I taught a few people how to play backgammon (I learned the first week here) while we had tea at one of the seaside cafes.

The last day was jam-packed, starting with a tour of Ephesus, lunch and a tour of a carpet factory, a detour to the Temple of Artemis and, finally, a visit to a ceramic factory before flying back to Istanbul. Ephesus is known for the Celsus Library and its theater, but it’s so much more than that. It is the best-preserved ancient Greek/Roman site in Turkey and second only to Pompeii in the Mediterranean. Again, I don’t think we spent enough time there (which I know others would disagree with); the ruins are so extensive. In addition to the more obvious public architecture, archeologists are in the process of excavating private houses that still have bright mosaics, frescoes and tile intact. Absolutely incredible!

The carpet factory was intense. They grow and harvest their own silk for the handmade rugs. There were half a dozen looms in the production room we were shown. Each rug is made by a single woman who spends months knotting the thread in intricate patterns she nearly knows by heart. After seeing the production, we were treated to a real carpet salesman show. They served tea and raki (Turkish absinthe) during the sales pitch. Rugs of every color and material were rolled out on top of one another. They invited us to take our shoes off and walk on the rugs to discern the difference between wool, cotton and silk. I was approached by a rather hopeful salesman while I was sitting on a pile of silk rugs at the end of the presentation. I told him I was enjoying the fine rugs now because there was no way any of them were going home with me and shifted his attention to Adam, who listened to the sales pitch for quite a while. Professor Exum and her husband, however, are coming back to Lawrence with two beautiful Turkish rugs.

Soaking up Turkish culture in Istanbul


University Cafe on the Bosphorus
MORE PHOTOS ON FLICKR

Eight KU Law students and Professor Jelani Jefferson Exum are spending July in Istanbul as part of the school’s study abroad program at the University of Bahcesehir. Second-year student Ellen O’Leary submitted this blog entry and photos.

Today marks one week of our stay here in Istanbul — one whole week since I flew in and had no idea what to expect. Even though I still have no idea what to expect from each day, I have definitely gained some perspective on this city in the past few days.

Last Saturday, all of the students who had arrived went on an expedition to find the university and had dinner nearby. Bahcesehir University is a wonderful facility with a spectacular view! The school has an outdoor cafe that looks out onto the Bosphorus toward the Asian side of the city. You can also see the old town (on the European side) where all the well-known sightseeing spots are located.

Classes are going well. Very interesting material. We have a handful of Turkish students that speak in class and lend a different perspective to our discussions. They have acted as guides of Turkish culture both in and out of the classroom. Fezya and Rahime took a few of us out to lunch earlier this week where we really got to talk about our different cultures.

I spent the entire day in the old town visiting as much as I could. Ayasofia (Hagia Sophia) is large and unfortunately under lots of reconstruction. They are busy uncovering the old Christian mosaics from the Islamic plaster. There is a nice garden in between Ayasofia and the Blue Mosque (free admittance!) which really is a large, ornate open space to pray. It is an unfamiliar layout for me, nothing like the churches I am more used to. No pews, no alter, no iconography whatsoever. Instead, the roof and walls are covered with ornate tiles and painted patterns. Topkopi Palace compound abuts Ayasofia on the other side. The gardens are vast and beautiful. It is overflowing with trees and flowers and families. It was too late in the day to justify a 20TL ticket into the museum (I spend quality time in museums) so that is on the list of things to do tomorrow, along with the Islamic Technology and Science Museum and the interior of Topkopi Palace itself.