Track your online distraction with RescueTime

Our language is pretty well-suited to describe how we focus. We don’t “burn” attention, we “pay” it – and it’s pretty easy to find ourselves in a deficit. The saying “time is money” is true not only in the practice of law but also in its study, where grades and ranking can make or break you. It’s not a bad idea to start guarding your attention and your time as tightly as you do your bank accounts.

In order to guard your attention, you must be able to measure where it goes and be able to track your progress. Wouldn’t it be great if there were a piece of software that would help you track your activity on the computer? Well, you are in luck! RescueTime is a personal analytics service that shows you how you spend your time and provides tools to help you be more productive. RescueTime sits in the background of your computer and tracks whatever you pay attention to. It watches every website you visit and every window you have open on your desktop, and measures your productivity. It is also customizable so that you can give it a list of websites that are good and those that are bad. Every week, RescueTime will send you an email giving you a productivity score. The goal, of course, is to make sure that, at the very least, your score doesn’t go up.

There is a free version available that allows you to:

  • Track time in applications, websites, and mobile apps.
  • Rank your productivity on a per-app, per-site basis.
  • See your efficiency and attention trends over time.

The subscription service offers the above but will also:

  • Block distracting websites for short bursts of quality focus.
  • Get document-level insight into where your time goes.
  • Create goals and track your progress towards them.
  • Track offline time, such as meetings and phone calls.

Download RescueTime at https://www.rescuetime.com/. It’s also available as a Firefox add-on.

— W. Blake Wilson, Head of Instructional and Research Services

And the Winner Is…SBA election results

The Student Bar Association election has come to a close, bringing a mix of new and continued leadership. Michael Andrusak, 2L, won the SBA executive board presidential election for the second straight year, Zak Beasley will move from 1L to 2L president, and 2L vice-president Casey Johnson will be the new 3L president. Chalinee Tinaves, the current 1L vice president, was elected vice president of the SBA executive board.

Andrusak believes that continuity will be beneficial for the SBA, both in events and in board membership. He has been working to amend the SBA Constitution to require both the vice president and secretary of the board to be 2Ls who could run again their third year. The new requirement would potentially give the board more experience, which is beneficial to both the student body and the administration. Andrusak said that the amended constitution would need to be approved by a majority of students.

“I am a very lucky man, and am appreciative to be entrusted by the student body and by the administration to make decisions and hopefully be a leader that listens and learns from others,” he said. “I can assure everyone that next year will be even better.”

The complete results for this year’s election:

SBA Executive Board:

  • President – Michael Andrusak
  • Vice President – Chalinee Tinaves
  • Treasurer – Clark Quigley
  • Secretary – Katie Collins
  • Sr. ABA Rep – Laura Ann Mueller

3L Class Officers:

  • President – Casey Johnson
  • Vice President – Tyler Emerson

2L Class Officers:

  • President – Zak Beasley
  • Vice President – Scott Goodger
  • Class Representative – Shannon Hughes
  • Class Representative – Ashley Patton

Asian Law Students Association hosts diversity banquet, fosters leadership opportunities

The Asian Law Students Association (ALSA) is an academic and professional law student organization dedicated to creating a strong social network for all who are interested in cultivating a community of support at the University of Kansas School of Law. Every year, ALSA works closely with other minority groups in promoting social events, mentorship programs, and charity drives.

We are honored to host the 17th Annual Diversity in Law Banquet this year, with KU Law alumnus David Lloyd as the guest speaker. David graduated from KU Law in 2007, and he has been able to successfully apply his degree in a variety of different fields. Some of David’s many accomplishments include working at a large law firm, as a consultant, and as a law professor, as well as starting his own business.

The Diversity in Law Banquet will be held on March 2, 2012 at Pachamama’s. The banquet, a major fundraiser for the Diversity Scholarship Fund, is a great opportunity to celebrate KU Law’s commitment to diversity. Tickets are available for purchase online.

Last year, ALSA co-hosted the children’s book charity drive with KU Law Legal Entrepreneurs and achieved great success. Our goal was to collect and distribute 1,000 children’s book to low-income health clinics in hopes of promoting the importance of reading and education to underprivileged children. After months of planning and consistent announcements, we were able to collect hundreds of children’s book from faculty, students and local law firms. The books were distributed to the Lawrence-Douglas Health Department, Mercy Hospital, Health Care Access Clinic, and Willow Domestic Violence Center.

ALSA members also attend various functions sponsored by other law firms, bar associations, and conferences. These functions include:

  • Diversity happy hour events hosted by Lathrop & Gage and Seigfreid Bingham.
  • Diversity open houses hosted by Legal Aid of Western Missouri and the Asian American Bar Association of KC.
  • Regional conferences hosted by the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) and the Young Asian American Professional Association (YAPA).

Our members will continue to be actively involved in community services and promote greater awareness of the role of students as future advocates and leaders in the Asian legal community. We hope to continue to expand our presence at the University of Kansas School of Law through many future events!

— Juliette Nguyen, Vice President, Asian Law Students Association

LibGuides: one-stop shopping for your legal research needs

As anyone who has had to do research in a specific area of law can tell you, a significant amount of time can be spent on the task of gathering up all of the sources at your disposal. A search through the library’s catalog may result in a full listing of what’s available. However, there is no easy way of searching a library catalog that will result in finding, say, only primary materials or only reference materials. Researchers would have to take the further step of looking at each listing to determine how they should categorize it.

That’s where LibGuides come in. LibGuides are research guides on various topics that have been compiled by Wheat Law librarians. These guides are a one-stop shop for what’s available to faculty, staff and students on topics ranging from administrative law to the Uniform Commercial Code, and they contain references not only to books on our shelves but also to electronic databases, both free and proprietary, that cover the subject.

For example, our Agricultural Law LibGuide contains citations to reference materials (e.g., agricultural statistics and Agricultural Law Digest), texts and treatises (e.g., “Animals and the Law: A Sourcebook,” “Litigating Animal Law Disputes”), government documents, Kansas and Missouri materials, periodicals (Drake Journal of Agricultural Law, Midwest Agricultural Law Journal), and online resources. Each one is tabbed for easy use.

So check out the Wheat Law Library’s LibGuides at http://guides.law.ku.edu/ and take a look around.

— W. Blake Wilson, Head of Instructional & Research Services

Stressed out? Gussy up and boogie down at ‘Law Prom’

Frivolity Ball, circa 1981-82The Barrister’s Ball has a long history at KU Law. Here a couple enjoys the event in the early 1980s.

The spring semester has begun, and KU Law students are buckling down in preparation for the busyness that is sure to ensue this semester. This particular KU Law student is already fretting over balancing classes and clinics, moot court and preparing for the spring MPRE. With the ever-growing “to-do” list of a typical law student, it’s hard not to feel overwhelmed and nagged by the question, “Where do I fit in a little fun?”

But, alas, we are in luck!!! The Student Bar Association is putting on its very own “Law Prom,” more officially referred to as the Barrister’s Ball, on Friday, Feb. 24 from 7:30 p.m. to midnight. This year’s theme is “Awards Night.” While the event is an excuse to get all gussied up and boogie down with our friends, many law students do not recognize the tradition that accompanies the ball. The Barrister’s Ball occurs annually at KU Law, and every law school in the country puts on one of its own.

SBA President Michael Andrusak says that this year’s Barrister’s Ball will be something very special. The venue has moved to Maceli’s in downtown Lawrence, and students are excited to see a few modifications to the annual event. Changes this year include adding a full-course dinner buffet and access to a photo booth, in which party-goers can take fun pictures with their friends and have them printed. Another fun addition is the presentation of various “Law School Awards,” voted on by our law student peers. Some lucky students will be crowned “Most Likely to Become a Supreme Court Justice,” “Most Likely to Become a Law School Professor,” and “Most Likely to Never Actually Practice Law,” just to name a few. Don’t worry, though: The traditional dancing will still be a main event. A DJ will be playing music accompanied by an “ultra cool” light display. Tickets include access to the bar, which will be serving wine and microbrews free of charge. Hard alcohol will also be available for purchase.

What KU Law student wouldn’t want to be a part of this fun memory?! But, before you pull those dancing shoes from the back of your closet, you better hurry down to the SBA office and purchase your ticket. This event is limited to 300 guests, and Kaiti Smith, SBA Secretary, said that as of Monday, Jan. 30, only 80 tickets remained. They run $30 a ticket, and students may pay by credit card, cash or check. If you’ve already got your tickets in hand, don’t forget to return your completed awards ballots! I’ve got my tickets, and I’m counting down the days until I can request the “Cupid Shuffle”! Hope to see you all there!

— Suzanne Billam, 2L and Student Ambassador

Ch-ch-ch-changes! The latest and greatest at Wheat Law Library

Allison ReeveMeet Allison Reeve, the newest librarian.

As we start a new year and a new semester, we are happy to announce a few changes at the Wheat Law Library.

Our new Kansas Supreme Court Research Clinic is under way. Thanks to Associate Director Chris Steadham for spearheading this venture, and a special thanks to Dean Mazza for his support in this process. The clinic is a wonderful opportunity not just for students but for the law school to build a stronger relationship with the court. The students will no doubt learn some incredibly valuable skills while helping the court answer some tough questions. On the schedule are lunch with the Kansas Supreme Court early in the semester and presentations at the end. We are very excited for this new class.

We also have a new hire! Allison Reeve is our new Cataloging and Technical Services Librarian. She graduated from the University of Kansas in 2006 with a bachelor’s in Spanish and anthropology. During her time at KU, she also worked as a circulation student assistant and library assistant at the Wheat Law Library. Allison earned a Master of Information and Library Studies and a Master of Foreign Language and Literature with a concentration in Spanish literature from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in May 2011. While living in Milwaukee, she worked at the Golda Meir Library in various positions and as an assistant lecturer in the Spanish department. Allison returns to the Wheat Law Library in her new position and is glad to be back in Lawrence and at KU. Please join us in welcoming Allison.

Welcome back students! We hope you have a fantastic semester!

— W. Blake Wilson, Head of Instructional and Research Services