BoleyBlogs!

Bit of stress in the air caused by that otherwise-positive experience we like to call law school exam season? Here are a couple of collections of timely advice on beating back those unfortunate feelings.

First, the good folks at the CM Law Library Blog summarize from an otherwise offline Student Lawyer article. Favorite bits of advice include not cleaning the house (sorry roommates!), staying current on reading for those last few classes, drinking less caffeine and more water, and pre-freezing your sandwiches (we hear that Jiffy freezes better than Peter Pan. Just sayin’).

Next we turn to the Law School Academic Support Blog (LSASB for you intitializationisers out there) with even more practical tips. Breaking tasks into small steps, asking your professors or 1L teaching assistants for help and becoming an even nicer person are just a few of the practical tips awaiting you.

Finally, a couple of pearls of wisdom from the Very Many Editors of BoleyBlogs!:

• Take a break during this Thanksgiving break. Else why would it be called a break?
• No days-long breaks for you? No problem: We’re rather spoiled at Lewis & Clark Law School with a state park in our backyard. Be sure to give yourself some time on the trails of Tryon Creek State Park. You can always bring along an outline if you insist.

Sources: Ross-Blakley Law Library Blog, CM Law Library Blog

Truth on the Market, the blog started and co-authored by Lewis & Clark Law School Lecturer in Law Geoffrey Manne, has been named a Top 10 *Really* Best Economics Blog by economics professor Craig M. Newmark.

A nice bit of recognition for TOTM, which has continued to provide daily and insightful “academic commentary on law, business, economics and more” since its inception.

Source: Truth on the Market

VictimLaw is a searchable online resource providing access to federal, state and tribal victims’ rights laws.

Provided by the National Center for Victims of Crime with funding from the Office for Victims of Crime (Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice), VictimLaw contains over 15,000 victims’ rights statutes, tribal laws, constitutional amendments, court rules, administrative code provisions, attorney general opinions, and case summaries of related court decisions.

VictimLaw was created to provide comprehensive access to these numerous new legal provisions:

During the past three decades, tremendous progress has been made in the United States in the adoption of legal rights for crime victims. Today, every state has an extensive body of crime victims’ rights laws within its statutory code. Nearly two-thirds of states have adopted amendments to their state constitutions guaranteeing rights to victims of crime.

VictimLaw may be searched by:

• Topic and subtopic
• Keyword (”term”)
• Jurisdiction (”contents”), or
• Citation

The site also provides a number of other useful tools. The following core rights for victims of crime are described via the links on the right column of the homepage:

• the right to attend court proceedings
• the right to compensation
• the right to be heard during criminal justice proceedings
• the right to be informed
• the right to protection
• the right to restitution
• the right to the return of property
• the right to a speedy trial
• and the right to enforcement

Other resources include The Justice System Explained – which includes a full-color diagram of the sequence of events in the criminal justice system, a Legal Glossary of terms and phrases used in the criminal justice process, and Links to Resources. The National Crimes Victim Law Institute (NCVLI), based here at Lewis & Clark Law School, is among the dozens of resources provided on this page.

Every two years we have been posting a list of online election results sites. You know, the best places for tracking the returns.

We kind of figure that’s not necessary anymore; we’re catching up to the fact that folks seem to know their way around the election web these days.

[That said... Not near a computer? iPhone and other mobile device owners may enjoy the NY Times Election 2008 Dashboard.]

[Not so much into following on the computer? Here are Presidential Election Watch Parties & Events in Portland.]

Still, we must fulfill our civic NW law school blogging duty and let our folks know that there is still time to vote, even if you haven’t mailed in your ballot. Even if you didn’t get a ballot. Here’s how for our local Oregon and Washington friends:

Oregon

• Oregon Ballot Drop Sites
• Don’t Have a Ballot? Here’s How to Get One
• Online Voters’ Guide (Voters’ Pamphlet)
• Official Election Results

Washington

• Washington Ballot Drop Sites
• Don’t Have a Ballot? Contact the Auditor’s Office (Find Yours Here)
• Online Voters’ Guide

Happy Election Day!