the alledger, volume 15, number 01
TRANSCRIPT
The Alledger, volume 15, number 01Boston College Law School Digital
Commons @ Boston College Law School
The Alledger Law School Archive
9-23-1994
Follow this and additional works at: http://lawdigitalcommons.bc.edu/alledger Part of the Legal Education Commons, and the Legal History, Theory and Process Commons
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Recommended Citation The Alledger, "The Alledger, volume 15, number 01" (1994). The Alledger. Book 70. http://lawdigitalcommons.bc.edu/alledger/70
COMMENT
•Dave Kalikhman struggles with the BCLS Smoking Policy. • From the Editor's Desk: How to help The A/ledger expand.
-PAGE 2
FROUC & BANTER •Anthony DePaolo is not bitter~ but law school· is like riding the T. • Larry Dobrow reveals.the secrets to 2 L survival.
-PAGE 4
NEWS & VIEWS
• The Making of BCLS, "The Party School." •west PubHshing gets a favorable court ruling.
-PAGE 5
-PAGE 7
Big plans for 1994-95 LSA Enthusiastic board seeks student involvement By Stephanie Munro 3L Editor
Well, here it is, the start of a brand new year of fun under the fluorescent lights at BCLS. The LSA has some new twists as well as some old favorites to keep us amused and informed as we make our way through this bizarre ritual that we call law school.
A student government member at New England School of Law has begun an inter-school council for Massachusetts law schools. LSA President Julie Schwartz and Vice President Joan Tagliareni will be· attending the first meeting next week. The council will plan social events, speaker series, symposiums, and the like for law students statewide. 1Ls: this will provide
Continued on page 2 1994-95 LSA members Rebecca Perez, Julie Schwartz, and Joan Tagliareni.
Oxford library blends eras By Sean Denniston 2L Contributor
With the large hole in the ground be tween Stuart and Barry wings being "con sideration," BCLS is in the process of constructing a new (and improved) law library. During construction of our soon to-be-new-and-improved law library seems a good time· to write about another law library, the Bodleian Law Library of Oxford University. In late March - early April, I traveled to England to attend the wedding of a friend, despite the concerns of my friends and classmates who thought the timing was foolhardy (to put it nicely) with the LR&W (now called LRR&W) Advocacy Memorandum soon due. Act ing carefree and nonchalant, I ignored their concerns, but before long the dread of the "Advocacy" caught up with me and I was spending my sober minutes (and hours) at the "Bod."
Oxford University, known for"dream ing spires" and Gothic buildings (real and Victorian fake), has libraries with every type of architecture to cater to every study environment: from the Gothic (real) of the original Bodleian with hammer beam ceil ings and manuscripts chained to the desks; the smooth classical revival Greek and Roman lines of the 1700s; the heavy Vic torian of Empire with Indian motifs and memorials to sons of Oxford serving God, Queen, and Country; to 1960s modem of concrete and plate glass.
The Bodleian Law Library is 1960s modem, but it's still rather nice modem. The library is the largest part of the St. Cross Building built in 1964 by British architect Sir Leslie Martin. St. Cross is said to resemble an Aztec Temple with its cream color stone and center steps leading to different parts of the building. Perhaps out of post-war economics, the Law Li brary shares common spaces such as lec ture halls and "laos" (bathrooms) with two other specialty libraries, the English
Visions of the future for BCLS? The Bodleian Law Library at Oxford.
Faculty (the lending library for English majors) and the Institute of Economics and Statistics.
St. Cross is located about ten minutes from Carfax (the City Centre) and much of "traditional" Oxford. The entrance of the Bodleian Law Library is a row of center stairs which contains the English Faculty entrance to the left and the Law Faculty offices to the right (the Institute of Eco nomics and Statistics is entered at a ground level entrance on the side of the St. Cross building). Appropriately (?), the Law Li brary is at the top of the "temple" (the "temple of the law"?) housed in what looks like a large block completing the "temple look."
Once you have entered and presented your readers' card, you see a large inner courtyard of marble, chrome and dark wood. It looks like a private law firm library writ large. However, it is still Ox ford, a plaque in Latin thanks (I think) the generosity of one A.L. Goodhart. The "in ner courtyard" dominates the entire center area with a large sky light (always risky in Oxford because of the rain), and, what
might be disconcerting for the American students, long tables almost the width of the "inner courtyard." Readers, please be assured the tables are of high quality mahogany with long brass lamps the length of the table (complete with green shades). On three sides of the courtyard are more shelves of books and carrels (individual and smaller tables). The re served Faculty carrels are located along windows overlooking the "the Parks". On the second level, a "balcony" sur rounds the courtyard and is again filled with shelves of books and carrels. There are also two lower stack levels.
The real test for any library is its usefulness for students and I wondered if I could have done my Advocacy Memo without dragging my cases across the Atlantic? The answer was yes! In writing a memo, one often starts by researching materials you don't need but are often more interesting than the actual assign ment. With over half a million volumes in the Bodleian Law Library, these materi-
Continued on page 7
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Goal: A bigger, better Alledger By David Feldman Editor-in-Chief
· This is the first issue of the 1994-95 Alledger. Our overall goal remains the same as in the past: to provide an informative and entertaining amiy of articles and features for the BCLS community. Another, more specific goal may be reached this year, but only with added contributions from students and other potential contributors: The Alledger is seeking to expand to a 12-page format. With many advertisers already lined up for the year, we probably have the funds. Plus, we've got the desire. The other required ingredient for expan sion is simple: more articles and features. This can come about only through further contribution from the BCLS community.
The Alledger staff enjoys putting out its printed product every 3 weeks. We are, however, always striving to improve. Improvement will probably be facilitated once some myths are dispelled. Two common myths:
Myth 1: Controversial articles cannot be printed in The Alledger. Not true. No professor or dean edits The Alledger prior to publica tion. With one exception (where an article posed potential danger to BCLS students), no Alledger article has ever been rejected due to the content of the article. If you've got something to say or reveal, say or reveal it in The Alledger!
Myth 2: The Alledger is not serious enough for professor con sumption. The Alledger does pride itself on providing some wacky relief to the sometimes mundane nature oflaw school life. However, the paper also values serious editorials and articles. One thing which has been totally lacking from the paper recently is professor contri butions. Hey professors! Got comments or complaints about the 90s law student? Got something to say about the law that's more suited for our pages than for class or law reviews? You know where our mailbox is. Use it!
So, enjoy this issue of The Alledger. If you think you might want to enjoy more pages of The Alledger in the future, how about getting the ball rolling? After all, this is the newspaper of the BCLS community.
Boston College Law School 885 Centre Street • Newton, MA 02159 • (617) 552-4339
The Alledger is produced by the students of Boston College Law School. Views presented herein represent those of the author and do not necessarily express the opinions of The Alledger staff, Boston College, or Boston College Law School. Submissions from our readers are welcome, provided they include the name and telephone number of the author. The Alledger reserves the right to edit, adapt, revise and check all submissions to have them conform with the standards and style of The Alledger.
© 1994, The Boston College Law School Alledger
STAFF Editor-in-Chief ............................................................. David Feldman Executive Editor ............................................................ Larry Dobrow Managing Editor ..................................................... Kristen Corbellini News Editor .................................................................... Sean Kennedy Features Editor .. .. ...................................................... Stephanie Munro Sports Editor ................................................................. ; ... Brian Falvey Associate Editors ........................................................ Dave Kalikhman
Alexis Shapiro, Gary Kaisen
CONTRIBUTORS Sean Denniston
Ban forces smokers outside- for now By Dave Kalikhman 3L Associate Editor
The day: July 1, 1993. The event: Boston College institutes a
"Smoking Policy." The Irony: There is no smoking in this
Smoking Policy. Shunned and insulted by the Adminis
tration, the smokers ofBCLS have taken to the outdoors to satiate their nicotine hunger. Not heat, not rain, not snow, not frost, not wind, nor any combination of the above can stop these resilient smokers from lighting up. They flock outside by the one, two, or even three with Marlboros in mouth. And because desperate times call for desperate measures, some students have resorted to less conventional means to get around the smoking ban. A source who requested to be left unnamed has disclosed to this reporter that smoking law students conduct nightly "smoke-ins" in our beloved Room 315 dur ing the weeks before fmals.
The smoking policy has drawn a spec trum of opinions from both smokers and non-smokers. One non-smoking student stated: "I like the policy but I sympathize with the fact that life as a smoker is be coming more and more difficult."
Another non-smoker commented: "I think [the smoking policy] is good." And one non-smoker exclaimed: "I agree with it because you couldn't smoke pot any way."
Comments from BCLS smokers in cluded this gem: "I don't understand this recent concern with smoking. If people don't want to inhale things that might hurt them, why don't they not breathe?"
Another student pointed out," smok ers are people too." One student, with smoke coming out of her mouth, stated, "We'd like a little room in the basement somewhere, at least in the winter."
Sorry my little Camel light, but rules are rules, and the smoking restrictions stand. For now.
Menu of activities on tap Continued from page 1
a great opportunity for that "networking" thing that the Career Center is telling you to do.
The new LSA bulletin board outside of room 315 is designed to be a helpful guide to information about life at BCLS. It features two memo boards with events happening "Today at BCLS " and "To morrow at BCLS," as well as monthly calendars for the entire year.
LSA still has its usual office hours in the usual office, but this year they are also having an LSA table in the snack bar. This is an informal atmosphere in which to ask questions, raise concerns, or just meet some members of your student govern ment. Both Julie and Joan stress that input from the entire student body is welcome. LSA has a host of committees to be joined; there is something for every interest. Sign up and straighten out the parking situation (or achieve world peace, whichever comes first); plan social events; work on BCLS curriculum choices (PLEASE); 3Ls, help plan your Commencement Week events.
Another new opportunity to make yourself heard to the Powers That Be is to sign up for a "Chat With the Chief," and do lunch with Dean Soifer. Signup sheets are located outside the LSA of fice (by the bookstore). But move fast, because rumor has it that 1Ls have al ready monopolized one or more ses sions. The Town Meetings will con tinue, but with a change in format. LSA would like to keep this channel of com munication with the faculty open; any suggestions are welcome.
Activities like Bar Review, the book co-op, the fall semi-formal, the debate series, and the infamous annual Hallow een party will, happily, continue in their fine tradition. These are excellent oppor tunities to hone your razor-sharp client interviewing skills (see if you can find anyone who really knows what in the
world they're doing in law school) and, most importantly, to remember how to relax and be a real person (NO weighty~ philosophical, roundabout, irrelevant hy pos allowed). And yes, everyone really does dress up for the Halloween party. It's all part of being a creative, innovative, highly paid- sorry, I was having an 80s flashback- I mean, highly liked BC law yer.
Other activities include, of course, sports! The fall softball league is under way, and interest has been expressed in a co-ed intramural soccer league. Signups are available at- you guessed it- the LSA office. Watch for flyers in the hall ways and announcements in The Counse lor. Any questions or comments, contact LSA Sports Commissioner Christine Spinna (3L).
Spring Preview: for second semester entertainment, we have the ever-popular Law Revue show (BCLS students parody ing life here), the Dean's Prom, Field Day, Diversity Month, and a talent show; pro ceeds from the latter will benefit charity. January or February will see the begin ning of a faculty search; if you desire to put in your two cents, please sign up with the search committee.
Finally, 3Ls will be happy toknowthat our graduation ceremonies are in the com petent hands of the 3L representatives: Rebeca Perez, Denise Pelletier, and Paul Mastrocola. Planning is already under way for obtaining a speaker and for orga nizing Commencement Week events, in cluding the traditional Ritz Hotel Gala. Rebeca noted that suggestions for fun and exciting events to do before the Big Event are welcome; one idea was a day trip to Newport. And keep in mind that the Graduation Committee will need many more members by springtime.
In short, LSA is your voice here in the wonderful world of law school. If you would like to make changes, waves, or just new friends, get involved!
September 23, 1994 • THE ALLEDGER • Page 3
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Page 4 • THE ALLEDGER • September 23, 1994
Emptying the.drawer of a legal mind By Anthony DePaolo 3L Staff Writer
"Mama, I don't want to go to school today!/ think/' d rather go outside and play."
- Extreme
To everyone affiliated with BCLS, I wish you a hearty welcome back to New ton- the Anal Retentive Neighborhood Association Capital of Massachusetts. In case you were wondering, that big hole in the ground just to the left of Stuart House is where the college is putting an extra 6,000 seats to bring the capacity of Alumni Stadium to an even 50,000. As these seats are obstructed view, season tickets for them will only cost you either one of your great-grandchildren or a Boston Red Sox World Series champion wall pennant whichever comes first. As the school administration has told us, unfortunately, the excavation work and heavy machin ery "may" cause a parking problem or two on campus.
No way? Way. Anyway, I'm having trouble coming
up with something to write about. Sure, I've had three months to experience some thing sufficiently interesting to embellish in one of these articles, but I really can't think of anything. Don "Train" Fehr and Dick "Horse" Ravitch, the two people I would like to see drifting in a raft off the
coast of Florida, have ruined my rotisserie baseball season. Sure, I was in seventh place and had no chance of winning, but I had the Big Hurt on my team, and I miss the box scores. No matter, however, be cause at least I'll get a refund for the 9,000 tickets I bought for the season-ending Sox-Yanks series at Fen way. I had to take out an extra Law Access Loan to pay them off (please don't mention that to Laurie Hogan).
I could write about the young lady I saw on the "T" today. For you uninformed, recent LSAT-taking One-L's, see if you can answer this question:
"T" is to transportation as: a) Post office is to mail delivery b) Dominoes is to pizza c) Clinton is to universal coverage
health care d) Castro is to travel agent e) all of the above, maybe Answer: e, maybe. If you answered
correctly, you have just gained admit tance to Harvard Law School. If you an swered incorrectly, you still have gained admittance to Harvard Law School be cause ( 1) your father just donated the GNP of Japan to the school's endowment, (2) your mother was a Kappa, and (3) your golden retriever is a member of the DAR the Dogs of the American Revolution. If I've learned anything in law school, suc cess is not about what you know, but about who your parents know.
Where was I? Oh yeah- the chick on
the T. I was returning from my first day of my ULL placement (ULL stands for "Ur ban Legal Lawnmowers." Supposedly, it's supposed to train you for your post-gradu ation legal career. Gosh, I hope the name was a joke ... ) when I saw this young lady reading a newspaper called "The Law Register." I think it was BU's law school newspaper because I saw some pages ripped out of the middle of the issue. Anyway, I think she was trying to make the world realize she was a law student. What's my point? I guess I am of the belief that it is betternot to advertise your present education situation, especially on public transportation. You know, with all those crazy people out there. Like Kimberly on "Melrose Place." Or worse, the people that watch "Melrose Place." ·
Well, I'm still at a loss for subject material for this article. I could take the safe route and write an advice column for lLs, but that's a dead horse beaten every year in the first issue. Anyway, I'm not sure I can relate to what they're going through anymore.· I went to a party last weekend and met a guy who just started at another law school. We were talking shop over a couple Dixie pints of Otto's Special Warm D-U Stout when he asked me ifl still did briefs in preparing for class. When I responded "No, I only wear boxer shorts," he kind oflooked at me funny and walked away. Hey, it was his loss: I was about to offer to sell him my copy of The Buffalo Creek Disaster at cost. When he got wind
of my offer, he traversed a long bridge and started to cross back over it, but I revoked the offer before he fully crossed it. What is the significance of that? I have no idea, but I'd say ask Ingrid about it in a couple of months.
As an alternative, I could write a bit o1 advice to the 2Ls. I'd do this in a heartbeat, but so many of them look so happy, 1 figure I'll let them be ignorantly blissful for a couple of weeks before things start tc go downhill. Hey kids, I'll let you in on a secret: the second year oflaw school is ten thousand times worse than the first. At least it was for me. I could tell you all about that, but there aren't enough issues of The Alleger to carry the full story. I'll limit my gripes to an occasional relevant snippet in upcoming articles. In the mean time, enjoy those on-campus interviews, and save a big bag to collect all those thin letters telling you how qualified you are and wishing you so much luck in the future. No, I'm not bitter. Lastly, I guess I could give some advice to the 3Ls, but I think you're all sick of me. I'll just say a few things. First, when seeing a friend for the first time after the summer, it is not proper to greet them with, "Did you.. re~ ceive a full-time offer yet. ... ?" Try ad dressing them by their name, then get to the dirty question. Second, we '11 be'Gheck ing attendance at Bar Reviews this year, and if you don't attend at least 80%, you will not be allowed to graduate.
I'm outta here.
Second year: The horror! The horror! By Larry Dobrow 3L Executive Editor
If your second year at Boston College Law School was or is to be anything like mine, you did or will do at least some of the following: offer a thunderously in competent interpretation of Glenshaw Glass in your Tax class; read well in excess of 400 pages' of printed material, including all three Beatles biographies and that smutty adults-only Judy Blull).e novel; screw up your ankle and wind up gimping through pollution-black piles of snow on crutches; use said crutches to pocket an eight ball at Boston Billiards and earn a free drink from the adoring hostess; attend exactly two Constitutional Law II classes; fight crime and intoler ance; and buy a new stereo receiver.
I don't mention all this right off the bat to raise expectations (not that I have an inflated sense of self, but I heartily advise you not to set your sights on the breathtak ing acmes over which I have soared dur ing my time here). I say it only to hammer in the point that any way you look at it, your second year of law school, even at a happy factory like BCLS, isn't so much a miserable experience as a thoroughly pointless exercise.
Sure, this may well be a welcome change from the feelings of scathing hot resentment toward the human species as a whole inspired by nine months as a 1 L. But as bad as your first year of law school at BCLS might have been, at least it held
some kind of promise. If you studied real hard, crossed your
Ks and dotted your Ps, and repressed any and all sexual impulses, there was the chance- albeit a chance slim as Charo being chosen to give the Class of '95 convocation speech- that you could break on through the pearly gates of Law Re view. Second year, there's no such poten tial salvation, just a lot of job-hunting workshops and resume critiquing sessions and mock interviews with leaden-headed alumni who wouldn't be participating in the program if they didn't come across as such losers in their own interviews.
Anyway, let me cut to the chase. Last year I wrote a similarly ill-conceived col umn instructing lLs how to get by at this joint; I'm told one or two of them might even have read it. So, in keeping with a self-created tradition as firmly entrenched in our culture as labor problems in profes sional sports, I hereby present helpful advice for 2Ls.
• Ignore your schoolwork. Consider ing that you can count the number of upper level courses that strictly employ the Socratic Method on one pinky toe, it's pointless to delve into your schoolwork with any more enthusiasm than that nec essary to achieve whatever level of grade you're after. Yes, there are several inter esting courses to take during your second year here---criminal law comes immedi ately to mind-but you should not allow any of these to interfere with your life. There's so much television, so little time.
• Get a resume. At this point, you probably can't distinguish between are sume and a legume (the key difference: employers don't wipe their asses with vegetables). But it's important that you create one of these puppies, if only be cause having one seems to be a necessary prerequisite to getting a job. Which, in theory, is the only justification for the second year of law school.
You weren't good enough,
or smart enough, or good-looking enough, and it is pointless to shift the blame to some entity
which is nice enough to try to avoid hurting your feelings by using
a lame excuse.
• If you play bass guitar, please give me a call. This is important. We've got a drummer and a guitarist who can sing if prodded, but we're missing a bassist ideally, a solid Bill Wyman type with a P.A. system and connections at Columbia Records. If you fit the bill, I promise to be your friend.
• Learn to take rejection person ally. Don't believe that you weren't hired simply because you didn't "fit into the firm's hiring needs at the present juncture" or because the firm "has al ready completed its hiring process for the upcoming summer." If you applied to a job and were rejected, it's your own goddamn fault.
You weren't good enough, or smart enough, or good-looking enough, and it is pointless to shift the blame to some entity which is nice enough to try to avoid hurt ing your feelings by using a lame excuse. Once you learn to cope with your own' particular brand of ineptitude, you may well wonder why potential employers don't like you; on the other hand, you won't really blame them.
• B.C. Law is not a party school. Sure, diversity month was really rockin' last semester, and sure, things got pretty out of hand when we tied those books to our heads during that student-staff hoop contest. But where I come from, you've got to log some serious hours in the 'brary and attend at least four seminars on Pachy derm Law before you achieve the es teemed label of "party school." I'll tell you this for nothing: I don't think we're there quite yet.
• The "National Jurist" law school lifestyle magazine. Do these guys need me, or what? I'm holding out for fifty grand and a date with the chick on the cover.
Best of luck this year. Never call me.
Party_ school hoax exposed BCLS students: Books on brain? By David Feldman Editor-in-Chief
"When students take on faculty mem bers in the annual end-of-the-year basket ball game at Boston College Law School, the professors get an unusual handicap the students must play with books strapped on their heads."
So begins an article in the August/ September issue of The National Jurist, which lists BCLS among five "party schools" which "have their own versions of 'Animal House' fun." BCLS received recognition as a party school based on Diversity Month events, intramural sports and th~t wacky fun that occurs at the end of4he•yeat ·basketball game.
The books-strapped-to-heads reference puzzled many BCLS students. Commonly asked questions included, "Does that ac tu~lly happen?", "Did that ever happen?", and "How could one possibly strap a book to one's head anyway?". CrackAlledger researchers think they have found the an swers: No, no and we don't know. No member of the faculty basketball team nor any student who has ever played against the professors can recall the book-on-the head handicap being implemented, men tioned or momentarily thought about. Last year, no basketball game was even played.
The Alledger was not satisfied with chalking up the books-on-the-head line to another example of journalistic misinfor mation. We wanted to know why and how such a line found its way into the National Jurist article.
Two people are quoted in the BCLS section of the article: Dean of Students Lis'!- DiLuna . and 1994 graduate Tom Ragland. DiLuna was assumed to be clean. Suspecting that Mr. Ragland may have invented the books-on-the-head tradition, The Alledger attempted to track down the 94 grad. Nothing turned up.
Finally, The Alledger got serious: We contacted The National Jurist itself. Mr. Jack Crittenden, publisher of The Na tional Jurist, kindly returned our tele phone call. Although he was unaware of the sources of information for the "Party Schools" article, he informed us that all writers for The National Jurist are "pro fessional journalists" and the magazine is distributed at 85 law schools.
Still unsatisfied, TheAlledgercontacted Ms. Jodi Cleesattle, editor-in-chief of The National Jurist and co-author of the "Party Schools" article. Ms. Cleesattle informed us that the methodology for the article was tocontactvariouslawschoolsandaskdeans,
Continued on page 7
West obtains courl injunction West Publishing News Release-West Publishing Com
pany, announced on September 1 that it has obtained a permanent injunction in U.S. District Court in Atlanta against On Point Solutions, Inc., a CD-ROM publisher operated by disbarred Atlanta lawyer Mitchell Gross. The injunction re quires On Point to destroy the April1993 version of its Florida Cases on Disc CD-ROM product, and prohibits On Point from any future use of the data computer-scanned from West's books in the creation of the product.
West filed suit in September, 1993, alleging that On Point had included West's copyrighted headnotes on certain older case reports contained on the April 1993 version of the On Point disc, and that a portion of the On Point disc had been created wrongfully by computer-scanning copyrighted vol umes of West's Florida Cases advance sheets.
The injunction, entered by U.S. District Court Judge Marvin Shoob, resulted from a stipulated motion for its entry by West and On Point. As stated in the injunction, On Point
acknowledges that its use of West's headnotes infringed West's copyrights. On Point also admitted that it infringed West's copyrights by scanning West volumes and storing those volumes in its computer database as an intermediate step in creating the April 1993 version of its CD-ROM.
Dorothy M. Molstad, spokesperson for West, said that, "Once the facts were established, On Point quickly agreed to destruction of the infringing material and entry of a stipulated injunction. Computer-scanning of copyrighted material is a copyright infringement even if an attempt is later made to delete the copyrighted material."
Charles Murphy, West's Atlanta counsel, added, "West asks only that other legal publishers compete fairly with West. The fact that it was a relatively simple matter for On Point to replace the data copied from West books with material ob tained directly from the courts proves that there is no need for anyone to copy West's copyrighted compilations in order to compete with West."
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Page 6 • THE ALLEDGER • September 23, 1994
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Legal books as far as the eyes can see at the Oxford ''Bod'' Continued from page 1
als abound. Among those items is an al most complete set of all legal books, re porters, and treatises ever published in the United Kingdom. This is complemented by extensive holdings on the law of Eu rope from the Channel to the Urals (in cluding the European Community, East em Europe, and the former Soviet Union), the old Empire and present Common wealth, and International Law. Among those particularly Oxford items were three shelves of books on the law of Zanzibar. The stereotype of Oxford and its exten sive use of Latin and Greek may perhaps be traced to the large number of books on Roman Law, Canon Law, Legal History, and Jurisprudence. The library also pos sesses a collection of rare books of mul tiple ages and languages. The modern student is "represented" in this continuity by graduate theses bound and secured behind locked bookshelves with wire grates.
The next step in the memo would have been looking up the law and pulling re lated cases. I would have been able to achieve this because the library contains the US Code and Regulations, the Ameri can Digest and National Reporter System (up to the 3d Series of the Federal Report-
ers), early state reports and the consoli dated laws of all 50 states. To make sure one's cases are still good law, one can "Shepardize", using the Bodleian's run of Federal and state Shepards including the latest supplement (February 1994).
Law Reviews and other secondary materials are often important for discus sion on a particular legal matter. The Bodleian Law Library contains many major law reviews including a complete run of Boston College's and other top 24 schools including Harvard, Iowa, NYU, Georgetown, Texas and Minnesota. Ad ditionally, a complete set of ALRs (com~ plete with pocket parts), Corpus Juris Secundum, and Restatements are all avail able for the Oxford Scholar or the procras tinating American. While not required, it is often useful to look up past writings of your professors- BCLS faculty past and present are represented in books by Dan Coquillette (two books, including one on Francis Bacon); Frank Upham; seven books by last year's Huber Distinguished Visiting Professor, John Finnis; and Hugh Ault's Tax Casebook.
These days, one will almost always carry out an initial computer search on their memo topic. The spectrum of Com puter Aided ~gal Research (CALR) at Oxford is assisted by the Bodleian cata-
The National Jurist honored BCLS as a "party school," but why?.
Mystery source baffies pros at The National Jurist, Alledger Continued from page 5
students and faculty what unique social. activities were conducted at the school. The source of the books-on-the-head fabrica tion? DiLuna and Ragland are both inno cent. Cleesattle revealed that there was a third person consulted other that DiLuna and Ragland who "informed" the co-au thors of the books-on-the-head tradition.
She recalled that "Tom [Ragland] said he didn't know about that" tradition and in quired, "Did somebody just make that up?".
It seems that the answer to that inquiry is a resounding, "Yes." Perhaps next week The Alledger will track down the mysteri ous "third person" who convinced The National Jurist that strapping books on one's head was a valued tradition atBCLS. Until then, party on.
Among those particularly Oxford items were three
shelves of books on the law of Zanzibar.
The library also possesses a collection
of rare books of multiple ages and languages.
logue (of the entire library of around six million books), the Legal Journal Index for British and European documents, and BARD (Bodleian Access to Remote Data bases) which links Oxford to library com puters all over the world including Harvard, Missouri, and Boston University. Inter estingly, there was no Westlaw or Lexis.
Although I had already pulled my Ad vocacy Memo cases at BCLS, I none theless wondered about photocopying-!
walked into the photocopying room to find the exact same copying system as the oneatBCLS. There were three photocopi ers in excellent shape and all three could
. copy A4(th.eBritish 8 112X 11) and larger sizes, and reduce. To my disappointment, the copy card featured no lions or uni corns, or the shield of the University, but just "Bodleian Law Library" in black let tering. I suppose the library takes itself seriously and realizes it's an invaluable resource without having to invoke the trappings of Oxford . .
I suppose the reason for writing this article, and hoping it will be of interest to the larger BCLS Community, is that when our hole in the ground becomes founda tions, and eventually becomes a library, a future BCLS law student will be able to look up a Trespass Statute from Scotland, France, or Zanzibar and cite a custody case from South Africa, Poland, or Hong Kong with the same ease I could pull a sexual harassment case from the 8th Cir cuit at Oxford.
CROSSW RD® Crossword Edited by Stan Chess
Puzzle Created by Richard Silvestri ACROSS 40 _Friday 68 Piecesof
1 Monkeyshine 41 Imposing eights? 6 Withhold the group 69 Inhibit
tip 42 Ne plus ultra DOWN 11 Bother 43 Go back to 1 Cheta, for one 14 Domino plays page one 2 Guitarist
it 45 Lines Lofgren 15 Bush-league overhead 3 Address 16 Over- 46 Pre-election 4 "The bombs
permissive event bursting_ 17 Whydid 48 Ponzi scheme, . ...
Fitzgerald sing e.g. 5 Issues orders "mi," Holmes? 49 "Hold on Tight' 6 Little, to a
19 Mr.Adams band lassie and _('50s 50 "I Still See 7 Dyeing wish TV show) _"(Paint 8 Following
20 Gives the Your Wagon along once-over tune) 9 Bird or Barkley
21 Villagers 52. Speaker of 10 Dressing type 23 Slum problem diamond fame 11 Where did this 25 Nuts 54 Holds in check fruit come 26 Workout spot 57 Different from, Holmes? 29 Jersey 60 Gallery display 12 Humorist
bouncers? 61 Is this in the Barry 31 Zoo style of a 13 Babe's
attractions devilfish, buddies 34 F9ellousy Holmes? 18 Artificial-fabric 35 Stretched out S4 Spanish sea component
loosely 65 Star in Cygnus 22 Mogul master 37 Alcohol burner 66 Raisethe 24 It's often set 38 Featured spirits 26 Barfood
players 67 Persevere at 27 King or queen
C1992 Crossword Magazine Inc. Box 909 • Bellmore, NY 11710 • (516)679-8608
Turn page upside down lor answers
28 Howdothe sheep get into the pen, Holmes?
30 Certain servicewomen
32 Hitting_ cylinders
decision 39 Gave a hand 41 Came clean 43 Doessome
cobbling 44 Biblical brother 47 Torrentof
abuse 51 Young, Ladd
and King 53 Easily-split
rock 54 Summer place 55 Voiced 56 A foe of Pan's 58 Q.E.D. middle 59 Have value 62 Stomach
musdes, for short
63 "_dam tootin'l"
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Boston College Law School
9-23-1994
The Alledger
Recommended Citation
The Alledger Law School Archive
9-23-1994
Follow this and additional works at: http://lawdigitalcommons.bc.edu/alledger Part of the Legal Education Commons, and the Legal History, Theory and Process Commons
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Law School Archive at Digital Commons @ Boston College Law School. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Alledger by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Boston College Law School. For more information, please contact [email protected].
Recommended Citation The Alledger, "The Alledger, volume 15, number 01" (1994). The Alledger. Book 70. http://lawdigitalcommons.bc.edu/alledger/70
COMMENT
•Dave Kalikhman struggles with the BCLS Smoking Policy. • From the Editor's Desk: How to help The A/ledger expand.
-PAGE 2
FROUC & BANTER •Anthony DePaolo is not bitter~ but law school· is like riding the T. • Larry Dobrow reveals.the secrets to 2 L survival.
-PAGE 4
NEWS & VIEWS
• The Making of BCLS, "The Party School." •west PubHshing gets a favorable court ruling.
-PAGE 5
-PAGE 7
Big plans for 1994-95 LSA Enthusiastic board seeks student involvement By Stephanie Munro 3L Editor
Well, here it is, the start of a brand new year of fun under the fluorescent lights at BCLS. The LSA has some new twists as well as some old favorites to keep us amused and informed as we make our way through this bizarre ritual that we call law school.
A student government member at New England School of Law has begun an inter-school council for Massachusetts law schools. LSA President Julie Schwartz and Vice President Joan Tagliareni will be· attending the first meeting next week. The council will plan social events, speaker series, symposiums, and the like for law students statewide. 1Ls: this will provide
Continued on page 2 1994-95 LSA members Rebecca Perez, Julie Schwartz, and Joan Tagliareni.
Oxford library blends eras By Sean Denniston 2L Contributor
With the large hole in the ground be tween Stuart and Barry wings being "con sideration," BCLS is in the process of constructing a new (and improved) law library. During construction of our soon to-be-new-and-improved law library seems a good time· to write about another law library, the Bodleian Law Library of Oxford University. In late March - early April, I traveled to England to attend the wedding of a friend, despite the concerns of my friends and classmates who thought the timing was foolhardy (to put it nicely) with the LR&W (now called LRR&W) Advocacy Memorandum soon due. Act ing carefree and nonchalant, I ignored their concerns, but before long the dread of the "Advocacy" caught up with me and I was spending my sober minutes (and hours) at the "Bod."
Oxford University, known for"dream ing spires" and Gothic buildings (real and Victorian fake), has libraries with every type of architecture to cater to every study environment: from the Gothic (real) of the original Bodleian with hammer beam ceil ings and manuscripts chained to the desks; the smooth classical revival Greek and Roman lines of the 1700s; the heavy Vic torian of Empire with Indian motifs and memorials to sons of Oxford serving God, Queen, and Country; to 1960s modem of concrete and plate glass.
The Bodleian Law Library is 1960s modem, but it's still rather nice modem. The library is the largest part of the St. Cross Building built in 1964 by British architect Sir Leslie Martin. St. Cross is said to resemble an Aztec Temple with its cream color stone and center steps leading to different parts of the building. Perhaps out of post-war economics, the Law Li brary shares common spaces such as lec ture halls and "laos" (bathrooms) with two other specialty libraries, the English
Visions of the future for BCLS? The Bodleian Law Library at Oxford.
Faculty (the lending library for English majors) and the Institute of Economics and Statistics.
St. Cross is located about ten minutes from Carfax (the City Centre) and much of "traditional" Oxford. The entrance of the Bodleian Law Library is a row of center stairs which contains the English Faculty entrance to the left and the Law Faculty offices to the right (the Institute of Eco nomics and Statistics is entered at a ground level entrance on the side of the St. Cross building). Appropriately (?), the Law Li brary is at the top of the "temple" (the "temple of the law"?) housed in what looks like a large block completing the "temple look."
Once you have entered and presented your readers' card, you see a large inner courtyard of marble, chrome and dark wood. It looks like a private law firm library writ large. However, it is still Ox ford, a plaque in Latin thanks (I think) the generosity of one A.L. Goodhart. The "in ner courtyard" dominates the entire center area with a large sky light (always risky in Oxford because of the rain), and, what
might be disconcerting for the American students, long tables almost the width of the "inner courtyard." Readers, please be assured the tables are of high quality mahogany with long brass lamps the length of the table (complete with green shades). On three sides of the courtyard are more shelves of books and carrels (individual and smaller tables). The re served Faculty carrels are located along windows overlooking the "the Parks". On the second level, a "balcony" sur rounds the courtyard and is again filled with shelves of books and carrels. There are also two lower stack levels.
The real test for any library is its usefulness for students and I wondered if I could have done my Advocacy Memo without dragging my cases across the Atlantic? The answer was yes! In writing a memo, one often starts by researching materials you don't need but are often more interesting than the actual assign ment. With over half a million volumes in the Bodleian Law Library, these materi-
Continued on page 7
eoMMFNf
Goal: A bigger, better Alledger By David Feldman Editor-in-Chief
· This is the first issue of the 1994-95 Alledger. Our overall goal remains the same as in the past: to provide an informative and entertaining amiy of articles and features for the BCLS community. Another, more specific goal may be reached this year, but only with added contributions from students and other potential contributors: The Alledger is seeking to expand to a 12-page format. With many advertisers already lined up for the year, we probably have the funds. Plus, we've got the desire. The other required ingredient for expan sion is simple: more articles and features. This can come about only through further contribution from the BCLS community.
The Alledger staff enjoys putting out its printed product every 3 weeks. We are, however, always striving to improve. Improvement will probably be facilitated once some myths are dispelled. Two common myths:
Myth 1: Controversial articles cannot be printed in The Alledger. Not true. No professor or dean edits The Alledger prior to publica tion. With one exception (where an article posed potential danger to BCLS students), no Alledger article has ever been rejected due to the content of the article. If you've got something to say or reveal, say or reveal it in The Alledger!
Myth 2: The Alledger is not serious enough for professor con sumption. The Alledger does pride itself on providing some wacky relief to the sometimes mundane nature oflaw school life. However, the paper also values serious editorials and articles. One thing which has been totally lacking from the paper recently is professor contri butions. Hey professors! Got comments or complaints about the 90s law student? Got something to say about the law that's more suited for our pages than for class or law reviews? You know where our mailbox is. Use it!
So, enjoy this issue of The Alledger. If you think you might want to enjoy more pages of The Alledger in the future, how about getting the ball rolling? After all, this is the newspaper of the BCLS community.
Boston College Law School 885 Centre Street • Newton, MA 02159 • (617) 552-4339
The Alledger is produced by the students of Boston College Law School. Views presented herein represent those of the author and do not necessarily express the opinions of The Alledger staff, Boston College, or Boston College Law School. Submissions from our readers are welcome, provided they include the name and telephone number of the author. The Alledger reserves the right to edit, adapt, revise and check all submissions to have them conform with the standards and style of The Alledger.
© 1994, The Boston College Law School Alledger
STAFF Editor-in-Chief ............................................................. David Feldman Executive Editor ............................................................ Larry Dobrow Managing Editor ..................................................... Kristen Corbellini News Editor .................................................................... Sean Kennedy Features Editor .. .. ...................................................... Stephanie Munro Sports Editor ................................................................. ; ... Brian Falvey Associate Editors ........................................................ Dave Kalikhman
Alexis Shapiro, Gary Kaisen
CONTRIBUTORS Sean Denniston
Ban forces smokers outside- for now By Dave Kalikhman 3L Associate Editor
The day: July 1, 1993. The event: Boston College institutes a
"Smoking Policy." The Irony: There is no smoking in this
Smoking Policy. Shunned and insulted by the Adminis
tration, the smokers ofBCLS have taken to the outdoors to satiate their nicotine hunger. Not heat, not rain, not snow, not frost, not wind, nor any combination of the above can stop these resilient smokers from lighting up. They flock outside by the one, two, or even three with Marlboros in mouth. And because desperate times call for desperate measures, some students have resorted to less conventional means to get around the smoking ban. A source who requested to be left unnamed has disclosed to this reporter that smoking law students conduct nightly "smoke-ins" in our beloved Room 315 dur ing the weeks before fmals.
The smoking policy has drawn a spec trum of opinions from both smokers and non-smokers. One non-smoking student stated: "I like the policy but I sympathize with the fact that life as a smoker is be coming more and more difficult."
Another non-smoker commented: "I think [the smoking policy] is good." And one non-smoker exclaimed: "I agree with it because you couldn't smoke pot any way."
Comments from BCLS smokers in cluded this gem: "I don't understand this recent concern with smoking. If people don't want to inhale things that might hurt them, why don't they not breathe?"
Another student pointed out," smok ers are people too." One student, with smoke coming out of her mouth, stated, "We'd like a little room in the basement somewhere, at least in the winter."
Sorry my little Camel light, but rules are rules, and the smoking restrictions stand. For now.
Menu of activities on tap Continued from page 1
a great opportunity for that "networking" thing that the Career Center is telling you to do.
The new LSA bulletin board outside of room 315 is designed to be a helpful guide to information about life at BCLS. It features two memo boards with events happening "Today at BCLS " and "To morrow at BCLS," as well as monthly calendars for the entire year.
LSA still has its usual office hours in the usual office, but this year they are also having an LSA table in the snack bar. This is an informal atmosphere in which to ask questions, raise concerns, or just meet some members of your student govern ment. Both Julie and Joan stress that input from the entire student body is welcome. LSA has a host of committees to be joined; there is something for every interest. Sign up and straighten out the parking situation (or achieve world peace, whichever comes first); plan social events; work on BCLS curriculum choices (PLEASE); 3Ls, help plan your Commencement Week events.
Another new opportunity to make yourself heard to the Powers That Be is to sign up for a "Chat With the Chief," and do lunch with Dean Soifer. Signup sheets are located outside the LSA of fice (by the bookstore). But move fast, because rumor has it that 1Ls have al ready monopolized one or more ses sions. The Town Meetings will con tinue, but with a change in format. LSA would like to keep this channel of com munication with the faculty open; any suggestions are welcome.
Activities like Bar Review, the book co-op, the fall semi-formal, the debate series, and the infamous annual Hallow een party will, happily, continue in their fine tradition. These are excellent oppor tunities to hone your razor-sharp client interviewing skills (see if you can find anyone who really knows what in the
world they're doing in law school) and, most importantly, to remember how to relax and be a real person (NO weighty~ philosophical, roundabout, irrelevant hy pos allowed). And yes, everyone really does dress up for the Halloween party. It's all part of being a creative, innovative, highly paid- sorry, I was having an 80s flashback- I mean, highly liked BC law yer.
Other activities include, of course, sports! The fall softball league is under way, and interest has been expressed in a co-ed intramural soccer league. Signups are available at- you guessed it- the LSA office. Watch for flyers in the hall ways and announcements in The Counse lor. Any questions or comments, contact LSA Sports Commissioner Christine Spinna (3L).
Spring Preview: for second semester entertainment, we have the ever-popular Law Revue show (BCLS students parody ing life here), the Dean's Prom, Field Day, Diversity Month, and a talent show; pro ceeds from the latter will benefit charity. January or February will see the begin ning of a faculty search; if you desire to put in your two cents, please sign up with the search committee.
Finally, 3Ls will be happy toknowthat our graduation ceremonies are in the com petent hands of the 3L representatives: Rebeca Perez, Denise Pelletier, and Paul Mastrocola. Planning is already under way for obtaining a speaker and for orga nizing Commencement Week events, in cluding the traditional Ritz Hotel Gala. Rebeca noted that suggestions for fun and exciting events to do before the Big Event are welcome; one idea was a day trip to Newport. And keep in mind that the Graduation Committee will need many more members by springtime.
In short, LSA is your voice here in the wonderful world of law school. If you would like to make changes, waves, or just new friends, get involved!
September 23, 1994 • THE ALLEDGER • Page 3
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Page 4 • THE ALLEDGER • September 23, 1994
Emptying the.drawer of a legal mind By Anthony DePaolo 3L Staff Writer
"Mama, I don't want to go to school today!/ think/' d rather go outside and play."
- Extreme
To everyone affiliated with BCLS, I wish you a hearty welcome back to New ton- the Anal Retentive Neighborhood Association Capital of Massachusetts. In case you were wondering, that big hole in the ground just to the left of Stuart House is where the college is putting an extra 6,000 seats to bring the capacity of Alumni Stadium to an even 50,000. As these seats are obstructed view, season tickets for them will only cost you either one of your great-grandchildren or a Boston Red Sox World Series champion wall pennant whichever comes first. As the school administration has told us, unfortunately, the excavation work and heavy machin ery "may" cause a parking problem or two on campus.
No way? Way. Anyway, I'm having trouble coming
up with something to write about. Sure, I've had three months to experience some thing sufficiently interesting to embellish in one of these articles, but I really can't think of anything. Don "Train" Fehr and Dick "Horse" Ravitch, the two people I would like to see drifting in a raft off the
coast of Florida, have ruined my rotisserie baseball season. Sure, I was in seventh place and had no chance of winning, but I had the Big Hurt on my team, and I miss the box scores. No matter, however, be cause at least I'll get a refund for the 9,000 tickets I bought for the season-ending Sox-Yanks series at Fen way. I had to take out an extra Law Access Loan to pay them off (please don't mention that to Laurie Hogan).
I could write about the young lady I saw on the "T" today. For you uninformed, recent LSAT-taking One-L's, see if you can answer this question:
"T" is to transportation as: a) Post office is to mail delivery b) Dominoes is to pizza c) Clinton is to universal coverage
health care d) Castro is to travel agent e) all of the above, maybe Answer: e, maybe. If you answered
correctly, you have just gained admit tance to Harvard Law School. If you an swered incorrectly, you still have gained admittance to Harvard Law School be cause ( 1) your father just donated the GNP of Japan to the school's endowment, (2) your mother was a Kappa, and (3) your golden retriever is a member of the DAR the Dogs of the American Revolution. If I've learned anything in law school, suc cess is not about what you know, but about who your parents know.
Where was I? Oh yeah- the chick on
the T. I was returning from my first day of my ULL placement (ULL stands for "Ur ban Legal Lawnmowers." Supposedly, it's supposed to train you for your post-gradu ation legal career. Gosh, I hope the name was a joke ... ) when I saw this young lady reading a newspaper called "The Law Register." I think it was BU's law school newspaper because I saw some pages ripped out of the middle of the issue. Anyway, I think she was trying to make the world realize she was a law student. What's my point? I guess I am of the belief that it is betternot to advertise your present education situation, especially on public transportation. You know, with all those crazy people out there. Like Kimberly on "Melrose Place." Or worse, the people that watch "Melrose Place." ·
Well, I'm still at a loss for subject material for this article. I could take the safe route and write an advice column for lLs, but that's a dead horse beaten every year in the first issue. Anyway, I'm not sure I can relate to what they're going through anymore.· I went to a party last weekend and met a guy who just started at another law school. We were talking shop over a couple Dixie pints of Otto's Special Warm D-U Stout when he asked me ifl still did briefs in preparing for class. When I responded "No, I only wear boxer shorts," he kind oflooked at me funny and walked away. Hey, it was his loss: I was about to offer to sell him my copy of The Buffalo Creek Disaster at cost. When he got wind
of my offer, he traversed a long bridge and started to cross back over it, but I revoked the offer before he fully crossed it. What is the significance of that? I have no idea, but I'd say ask Ingrid about it in a couple of months.
As an alternative, I could write a bit o1 advice to the 2Ls. I'd do this in a heartbeat, but so many of them look so happy, 1 figure I'll let them be ignorantly blissful for a couple of weeks before things start tc go downhill. Hey kids, I'll let you in on a secret: the second year oflaw school is ten thousand times worse than the first. At least it was for me. I could tell you all about that, but there aren't enough issues of The Alleger to carry the full story. I'll limit my gripes to an occasional relevant snippet in upcoming articles. In the mean time, enjoy those on-campus interviews, and save a big bag to collect all those thin letters telling you how qualified you are and wishing you so much luck in the future. No, I'm not bitter. Lastly, I guess I could give some advice to the 3Ls, but I think you're all sick of me. I'll just say a few things. First, when seeing a friend for the first time after the summer, it is not proper to greet them with, "Did you.. re~ ceive a full-time offer yet. ... ?" Try ad dressing them by their name, then get to the dirty question. Second, we '11 be'Gheck ing attendance at Bar Reviews this year, and if you don't attend at least 80%, you will not be allowed to graduate.
I'm outta here.
Second year: The horror! The horror! By Larry Dobrow 3L Executive Editor
If your second year at Boston College Law School was or is to be anything like mine, you did or will do at least some of the following: offer a thunderously in competent interpretation of Glenshaw Glass in your Tax class; read well in excess of 400 pages' of printed material, including all three Beatles biographies and that smutty adults-only Judy Blull).e novel; screw up your ankle and wind up gimping through pollution-black piles of snow on crutches; use said crutches to pocket an eight ball at Boston Billiards and earn a free drink from the adoring hostess; attend exactly two Constitutional Law II classes; fight crime and intoler ance; and buy a new stereo receiver.
I don't mention all this right off the bat to raise expectations (not that I have an inflated sense of self, but I heartily advise you not to set your sights on the breathtak ing acmes over which I have soared dur ing my time here). I say it only to hammer in the point that any way you look at it, your second year of law school, even at a happy factory like BCLS, isn't so much a miserable experience as a thoroughly pointless exercise.
Sure, this may well be a welcome change from the feelings of scathing hot resentment toward the human species as a whole inspired by nine months as a 1 L. But as bad as your first year of law school at BCLS might have been, at least it held
some kind of promise. If you studied real hard, crossed your
Ks and dotted your Ps, and repressed any and all sexual impulses, there was the chance- albeit a chance slim as Charo being chosen to give the Class of '95 convocation speech- that you could break on through the pearly gates of Law Re view. Second year, there's no such poten tial salvation, just a lot of job-hunting workshops and resume critiquing sessions and mock interviews with leaden-headed alumni who wouldn't be participating in the program if they didn't come across as such losers in their own interviews.
Anyway, let me cut to the chase. Last year I wrote a similarly ill-conceived col umn instructing lLs how to get by at this joint; I'm told one or two of them might even have read it. So, in keeping with a self-created tradition as firmly entrenched in our culture as labor problems in profes sional sports, I hereby present helpful advice for 2Ls.
• Ignore your schoolwork. Consider ing that you can count the number of upper level courses that strictly employ the Socratic Method on one pinky toe, it's pointless to delve into your schoolwork with any more enthusiasm than that nec essary to achieve whatever level of grade you're after. Yes, there are several inter esting courses to take during your second year here---criminal law comes immedi ately to mind-but you should not allow any of these to interfere with your life. There's so much television, so little time.
• Get a resume. At this point, you probably can't distinguish between are sume and a legume (the key difference: employers don't wipe their asses with vegetables). But it's important that you create one of these puppies, if only be cause having one seems to be a necessary prerequisite to getting a job. Which, in theory, is the only justification for the second year of law school.
You weren't good enough,
or smart enough, or good-looking enough, and it is pointless to shift the blame to some entity
which is nice enough to try to avoid hurting your feelings by using
a lame excuse.
• If you play bass guitar, please give me a call. This is important. We've got a drummer and a guitarist who can sing if prodded, but we're missing a bassist ideally, a solid Bill Wyman type with a P.A. system and connections at Columbia Records. If you fit the bill, I promise to be your friend.
• Learn to take rejection person ally. Don't believe that you weren't hired simply because you didn't "fit into the firm's hiring needs at the present juncture" or because the firm "has al ready completed its hiring process for the upcoming summer." If you applied to a job and were rejected, it's your own goddamn fault.
You weren't good enough, or smart enough, or good-looking enough, and it is pointless to shift the blame to some entity which is nice enough to try to avoid hurt ing your feelings by using a lame excuse. Once you learn to cope with your own' particular brand of ineptitude, you may well wonder why potential employers don't like you; on the other hand, you won't really blame them.
• B.C. Law is not a party school. Sure, diversity month was really rockin' last semester, and sure, things got pretty out of hand when we tied those books to our heads during that student-staff hoop contest. But where I come from, you've got to log some serious hours in the 'brary and attend at least four seminars on Pachy derm Law before you achieve the es teemed label of "party school." I'll tell you this for nothing: I don't think we're there quite yet.
• The "National Jurist" law school lifestyle magazine. Do these guys need me, or what? I'm holding out for fifty grand and a date with the chick on the cover.
Best of luck this year. Never call me.
Party_ school hoax exposed BCLS students: Books on brain? By David Feldman Editor-in-Chief
"When students take on faculty mem bers in the annual end-of-the-year basket ball game at Boston College Law School, the professors get an unusual handicap the students must play with books strapped on their heads."
So begins an article in the August/ September issue of The National Jurist, which lists BCLS among five "party schools" which "have their own versions of 'Animal House' fun." BCLS received recognition as a party school based on Diversity Month events, intramural sports and th~t wacky fun that occurs at the end of4he•yeat ·basketball game.
The books-strapped-to-heads reference puzzled many BCLS students. Commonly asked questions included, "Does that ac tu~lly happen?", "Did that ever happen?", and "How could one possibly strap a book to one's head anyway?". CrackAlledger researchers think they have found the an swers: No, no and we don't know. No member of the faculty basketball team nor any student who has ever played against the professors can recall the book-on-the head handicap being implemented, men tioned or momentarily thought about. Last year, no basketball game was even played.
The Alledger was not satisfied with chalking up the books-on-the-head line to another example of journalistic misinfor mation. We wanted to know why and how such a line found its way into the National Jurist article.
Two people are quoted in the BCLS section of the article: Dean of Students Lis'!- DiLuna . and 1994 graduate Tom Ragland. DiLuna was assumed to be clean. Suspecting that Mr. Ragland may have invented the books-on-the-head tradition, The Alledger attempted to track down the 94 grad. Nothing turned up.
Finally, The Alledger got serious: We contacted The National Jurist itself. Mr. Jack Crittenden, publisher of The Na tional Jurist, kindly returned our tele phone call. Although he was unaware of the sources of information for the "Party Schools" article, he informed us that all writers for The National Jurist are "pro fessional journalists" and the magazine is distributed at 85 law schools.
Still unsatisfied, TheAlledgercontacted Ms. Jodi Cleesattle, editor-in-chief of The National Jurist and co-author of the "Party Schools" article. Ms. Cleesattle informed us that the methodology for the article was tocontactvariouslawschoolsandaskdeans,
Continued on page 7
West obtains courl injunction West Publishing News Release-West Publishing Com
pany, announced on September 1 that it has obtained a permanent injunction in U.S. District Court in Atlanta against On Point Solutions, Inc., a CD-ROM publisher operated by disbarred Atlanta lawyer Mitchell Gross. The injunction re quires On Point to destroy the April1993 version of its Florida Cases on Disc CD-ROM product, and prohibits On Point from any future use of the data computer-scanned from West's books in the creation of the product.
West filed suit in September, 1993, alleging that On Point had included West's copyrighted headnotes on certain older case reports contained on the April 1993 version of the On Point disc, and that a portion of the On Point disc had been created wrongfully by computer-scanning copyrighted vol umes of West's Florida Cases advance sheets.
The injunction, entered by U.S. District Court Judge Marvin Shoob, resulted from a stipulated motion for its entry by West and On Point. As stated in the injunction, On Point
acknowledges that its use of West's headnotes infringed West's copyrights. On Point also admitted that it infringed West's copyrights by scanning West volumes and storing those volumes in its computer database as an intermediate step in creating the April 1993 version of its CD-ROM.
Dorothy M. Molstad, spokesperson for West, said that, "Once the facts were established, On Point quickly agreed to destruction of the infringing material and entry of a stipulated injunction. Computer-scanning of copyrighted material is a copyright infringement even if an attempt is later made to delete the copyrighted material."
Charles Murphy, West's Atlanta counsel, added, "West asks only that other legal publishers compete fairly with West. The fact that it was a relatively simple matter for On Point to replace the data copied from West books with material ob tained directly from the courts proves that there is no need for anyone to copy West's copyrighted compilations in order to compete with West."
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Page 6 • THE ALLEDGER • September 23, 1994
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September 23, 1994 • THE ALLEDGER • Page 7
Legal books as far as the eyes can see at the Oxford ''Bod'' Continued from page 1
als abound. Among those items is an al most complete set of all legal books, re porters, and treatises ever published in the United Kingdom. This is complemented by extensive holdings on the law of Eu rope from the Channel to the Urals (in cluding the European Community, East em Europe, and the former Soviet Union), the old Empire and present Common wealth, and International Law. Among those particularly Oxford items were three shelves of books on the law of Zanzibar. The stereotype of Oxford and its exten sive use of Latin and Greek may perhaps be traced to the large number of books on Roman Law, Canon Law, Legal History, and Jurisprudence. The library also pos sesses a collection of rare books of mul tiple ages and languages. The modern student is "represented" in this continuity by graduate theses bound and secured behind locked bookshelves with wire grates.
The next step in the memo would have been looking up the law and pulling re lated cases. I would have been able to achieve this because the library contains the US Code and Regulations, the Ameri can Digest and National Reporter System (up to the 3d Series of the Federal Report-
ers), early state reports and the consoli dated laws of all 50 states. To make sure one's cases are still good law, one can "Shepardize", using the Bodleian's run of Federal and state Shepards including the latest supplement (February 1994).
Law Reviews and other secondary materials are often important for discus sion on a particular legal matter. The Bodleian Law Library contains many major law reviews including a complete run of Boston College's and other top 24 schools including Harvard, Iowa, NYU, Georgetown, Texas and Minnesota. Ad ditionally, a complete set of ALRs (com~ plete with pocket parts), Corpus Juris Secundum, and Restatements are all avail able for the Oxford Scholar or the procras tinating American. While not required, it is often useful to look up past writings of your professors- BCLS faculty past and present are represented in books by Dan Coquillette (two books, including one on Francis Bacon); Frank Upham; seven books by last year's Huber Distinguished Visiting Professor, John Finnis; and Hugh Ault's Tax Casebook.
These days, one will almost always carry out an initial computer search on their memo topic. The spectrum of Com puter Aided ~gal Research (CALR) at Oxford is assisted by the Bodleian cata-
The National Jurist honored BCLS as a "party school," but why?.
Mystery source baffies pros at The National Jurist, Alledger Continued from page 5
students and faculty what unique social. activities were conducted at the school. The source of the books-on-the-head fabrica tion? DiLuna and Ragland are both inno cent. Cleesattle revealed that there was a third person consulted other that DiLuna and Ragland who "informed" the co-au thors of the books-on-the-head tradition.
She recalled that "Tom [Ragland] said he didn't know about that" tradition and in quired, "Did somebody just make that up?".
It seems that the answer to that inquiry is a resounding, "Yes." Perhaps next week The Alledger will track down the mysteri ous "third person" who convinced The National Jurist that strapping books on one's head was a valued tradition atBCLS. Until then, party on.
Among those particularly Oxford items were three
shelves of books on the law of Zanzibar.
The library also possesses a collection
of rare books of multiple ages and languages.
logue (of the entire library of around six million books), the Legal Journal Index for British and European documents, and BARD (Bodleian Access to Remote Data bases) which links Oxford to library com puters all over the world including Harvard, Missouri, and Boston University. Inter estingly, there was no Westlaw or Lexis.
Although I had already pulled my Ad vocacy Memo cases at BCLS, I none theless wondered about photocopying-!
walked into the photocopying room to find the exact same copying system as the oneatBCLS. There were three photocopi ers in excellent shape and all three could
. copy A4(th.eBritish 8 112X 11) and larger sizes, and reduce. To my disappointment, the copy card featured no lions or uni corns, or the shield of the University, but just "Bodleian Law Library" in black let tering. I suppose the library takes itself seriously and realizes it's an invaluable resource without having to invoke the trappings of Oxford . .
I suppose the reason for writing this article, and hoping it will be of interest to the larger BCLS Community, is that when our hole in the ground becomes founda tions, and eventually becomes a library, a future BCLS law student will be able to look up a Trespass Statute from Scotland, France, or Zanzibar and cite a custody case from South Africa, Poland, or Hong Kong with the same ease I could pull a sexual harassment case from the 8th Cir cuit at Oxford.
CROSSW RD® Crossword Edited by Stan Chess
Puzzle Created by Richard Silvestri ACROSS 40 _Friday 68 Piecesof
1 Monkeyshine 41 Imposing eights? 6 Withhold the group 69 Inhibit
tip 42 Ne plus ultra DOWN 11 Bother 43 Go back to 1 Cheta, for one 14 Domino plays page one 2 Guitarist
it 45 Lines Lofgren 15 Bush-league overhead 3 Address 16 Over- 46 Pre-election 4 "The bombs
permissive event bursting_ 17 Whydid 48 Ponzi scheme, . ...
Fitzgerald sing e.g. 5 Issues orders "mi," Holmes? 49 "Hold on Tight' 6 Little, to a
19 Mr.Adams band lassie and _('50s 50 "I Still See 7 Dyeing wish TV show) _"(Paint 8 Following
20 Gives the Your Wagon along once-over tune) 9 Bird or Barkley
21 Villagers 52. Speaker of 10 Dressing type 23 Slum problem diamond fame 11 Where did this 25 Nuts 54 Holds in check fruit come 26 Workout spot 57 Different from, Holmes? 29 Jersey 60 Gallery display 12 Humorist
bouncers? 61 Is this in the Barry 31 Zoo style of a 13 Babe's
attractions devilfish, buddies 34 F9ellousy Holmes? 18 Artificial-fabric 35 Stretched out S4 Spanish sea component
loosely 65 Star in Cygnus 22 Mogul master 37 Alcohol burner 66 Raisethe 24 It's often set 38 Featured spirits 26 Barfood
players 67 Persevere at 27 King or queen
C1992 Crossword Magazine Inc. Box 909 • Bellmore, NY 11710 • (516)679-8608
Turn page upside down lor answers
28 Howdothe sheep get into the pen, Holmes?
30 Certain servicewomen
32 Hitting_ cylinders
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cobbling 44 Biblical brother 47 Torrentof
abuse 51 Young, Ladd
and King 53 Easily-split
rock 54 Summer place 55 Voiced 56 A foe of Pan's 58 Q.E.D. middle 59 Have value 62 Stomach
musdes, for short
63 "_dam tootin'l"
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Boston College Law School
9-23-1994
The Alledger
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