RIPS Law Librarian Blog

Managing the Stress of Exams with Mario Kart December 1, 2023
Exams can be incredibly stressful for law students. Walking around the library in early December, the stress is palpable. Although many contributing factors—such as the competitive nature of the legal profession and the opacity of the exams themselves—are beyond our … Continue reading →
Gerard Fowke
The Robot Who Wrote My Homework Suggests a 4th Law November 28, 2023
I have been evaluating the best practices for using AI and AI detection tools in writing, including how to approach plagiarism checks. In my research, I came across a recent article in the SMU Law Review Forum that offers a comprehensive … Continue reading →
Genevieve Zook
Hidden Potential (Book Review) November 21, 2023
Success is more than reaching our goals — it’s living our values. There’s no higher value than aspiring to be better tomorrow than we are today. Hiddden Potential, p. 233. I recently read Adam Grant’s book Hidden Potential, which … Continue reading →
Julie Tedjeske Crane
Curriculum Change Creates Opportunities November 20, 2023
Creating new programming can be both challenging and exhilarating. My law school debuted a new curriculum this fall. It engages the students on a variety of levels. Students are expected to be on campus five days per week. The concept … Continue reading →
duanestrojny
Evaluating Legal Research Generative AI Tools (Work In Progress) November 20, 2023
The hype around rapidly advancing generative AI products (Gen AI) for legal research has reached another peak. Lexis recently released its Gen AI product and announced more developments, including Lexis Snapshot and the integration of its AI tool with Lexis … Continue reading →
Christine Park
‘Tis the Season for Finals & Study Aids November 15, 2023
We’re in November, and finals are just around the corner. That means busier libraries, stressed students, and, for many, study aids. Can your students get these materials through your institution, or must they look elsewhere? Study aids (or “supplements”) are … Continue reading →
Olivia Smith Schlinck
The Death of a ‘Cool Tool’ — RIP Jamboard November 14, 2023
Following up on Christina Boydston’s great write-up of Google Pinpoint – I also have a Cool Tools update (though not a very happy one!). At the 2023 AALL Conference, I had the pleasure of presenting at the Cool Tools Cafe. … Continue reading →
Nicholas Norton
Guest Post: Making Space for a Student Library Advisory Committee November 13, 2023
By Latia Ward, Research Librarian at the University of Virginia School of Law Origins Student library advisory committees (or boards or councils) are groups of students that meet to discuss library spaces and services. The functions and responsibilities of these … Continue reading →
Julie Tedjeske Crane
Google Pinpoint November 10, 2023
Last spring, I was investigating alternative no-cost databases and research tools for a talk I planned to give to the ALR students. During my research, I stumbled upon an application called Google Pinpoint. It didn’t quite fit into the subject … Continue reading →
Christina Boydston
Cozy Workspace, Cozy Headspace – Institutional Happiness November 8, 2023
With our jobs consisting of 40-hour work weeks (sometimes more), we want the place we spend more time at than home to be as comfortable as possible. Studies show that physical space plays a significant role in happiness at work. … Continue reading →
Joy Hollerbach