Did you know that Thanksgiving Day is designated as a public holiday by federal law? Under 5 U.S.C. §6103, there are ten days recognized as legal public holidays by the federal government. For those of us who love our turkey with all the fixins, it is certainly good news that Thanksgiving Day is protected by …
New Legal Research Guide: Critical Race Theory and Racial Justice
The UNC Law Library is pleased to announce the creation and publication of a new Critical Race Theory and Racial Justice legal research guide to support student and faculty research on this topic, as well as our Critical Race Lawyering Civil Rights Clinic. The guide is divided into six sections: an overview of tactics for …
COVID-19 and Racial Justice Resources in Westlaw, Lexis, Bloomberg Law, and HeinOnline
Several major legal information providers have created pages in their databases that collect materials relating to the pandemic and ongoing racial justice protests and issues in the U.S. This post will consider Westlaw, Lexis, Bloomberg, and HeinOnline; all four have content addressing these issues, but the presentation and materials may differ. These databases divide access …
Behind the Buzzword: Reading Guide on Originalism
As you may have heard a thing-or-two about, we’re in the middle of a Supreme Court nomination. In the debate surrounding Amy Coney Barrett, there has been a ton of discussion on how much of an originalist she is. So — what exactly is an originalist? The answer is complicated. However, if you’d like to …
Free Online Access to Advance Sheets for NC Reports
As more time is spent conducting research from home, researchers are considering digital alternatives to many resources traditionally consulted in print. One of the many popular print resources in the UNC Law Library are the advance sheets for the North Carolina Reports, including both the North Carolina Reports of the Supreme Court and the North …
Getting Creative with Field and Segment Searches: Using Advanced Search Options to Research Judges
Considering a clerkship? Preparing for an interview? Read on to learn how the field and segment search options in both Westlaw and Lexis can help you target your searches to identify material that can assist in interview prep! What is Field and Segment Searching? Field and segment searching refers to the Advanced Search options available …
North Carolina Eviction Resources
With so many out of work due to the virus, the CDC has released a federal ban on evictions nationwide for covered persons. North Carolina courts have also significantly reduced their court activity, which includes processing evictions. However, concerns have been raised about an eviction cliff when these measures end. Further, landlords may continue with …
Newspaper Navigator: A New Image Search Tool from the Library of Congress
The Library of Congress has just debuted Newspaper Navigator, a new tool for searching over 1.5 million newspaper images in their collections. The Library of Congress and their partners have digitized over 16 million pages of newspapers from across American history as part of their Chronicling America database. The Newspaper Navigator uses machine learning and …
Keeping up with SCOTUS
In classes, conferences, and the pages of law reviews, experts break down recent developments of the law. This is especially true for the United States Supreme Court. Their decisions have sweeping effects, and no matter your interest area: it’s a good idea to keep yourself informed. Not only are the Court’s opinions themselves important, but …
69th Anniversary of the Integration of UNC-Chapel Hill
Today, June 22, 2020, marks the 69th anniversary of the integration of both Carolina Law and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. On June 22, 1951, five African-American students, Harvey E. Beech, James L. Lassiter, J. Kenneth Lee, Floyd B. McKissick, and James R. Walker began summer session classes at the law school. The integration …