News from the law library
The Zotero for Law research guide has been updated to include a “Zotero for Law” video, which walks through the basics of Zotero, including tips and tricks for capturing cases and legislation correctly.
The sections of the guide have also been updated to include step-by-step instructions for cases and legislation, pinpoint citations and troubleshooting in Zotero.
On behalf of the UVic Graduate Student Law & Society Research Group:
Part of the Personhood Series:
Date: Monday December 11th at 12:30 PST over Zoom.
Title: Repairing our Relationship with Rivers: Water Law and Legal Personhood
Presenter: Professor Erin O’Donnell (University of Melbourne Law School)
Description: Since 2017, rivers around the world have experienced a profound transformation in law: they have become legal persons, legal subjects, living persons, and/or living entities. This alchemical transfiguration from legal object to legal subject renders the river uniquely visible, and legible, to the law in ways it has not been before, and often brings with it new legal rights and powers. In this presentation, I ask what this transformation means for water law, and what the implications are for established water law frameworks. To date, the impact on water law has been relatively minor: new river persons have never yet received any legal rights to the water flowing between their banks. But their existence challenges the foundational assumption of Western water law: that water is merely a resource, capable of exploitation for human consumption. These new river entities demonstrate the power of law as a mode of repair, and create an opportunity to repair and restore our relationship with rivers. So far, water law has maintained its distance from this emerging transnational concept, but this position is becoming increasingly untenable. When a river is a living entity, or a legal person, the question for all water scholars and practitioners becomes: what does it mean to be in good relations with the river?
Bio: Dr Erin O’Donnell is a Senior Lecturer and ARC Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne Law School. She is a water law and policy expert, recognized internationally for her research into the ground-breaking new field of legal rights for rivers. Her work explores the challenges and opportunities these new rights create for protecting the multiple social, cultural and natural values of rivers. Her work is informed by comparative analysis across Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, the USA, Bangladesh, India, Colombia, and Chile. Since 2018, Erin has been a member of the Birrarung Council, the voice of the Yarra River in Melbourne. In 2023, Erin commenced an ARC-funded research fellowship to explore the opportunity of treaty to address aqua nullius, increase Traditional Owner power and resources in water, and create more sustainable and legitimate settler state water laws. Erin’s latest book, Legal Rights for Rivers: Competition, Collaboration, and Water Governance, is available now from Routledge.
Zoom: https://uvic.zoom.us/j/85230608035?pwd=emdOVmNYUFcraFNPVjhacE9ZazJLZz09
Meeting ID: 852 3060 8035
Password: 479621
Contact: estebanvallejotoledo@uvic.ca & evalinde@uvic.ca
On Thursday November 30th, the Law Library will close at 5:30pm, due to a water shutdown in the Fraser building. Mearns Centre-McPherson Library will be open until 11pm.
Enhance your law school studies with Lexis+ Canada, a leading online legal research service for cases, legislation, secondary materials, and more. Angeline Han, a former UVic law grad, will be coming to campus on Monday, Sept. 25, 12:30pm to highlight what Lexis+ has to offer and to share tips and tricks for effective searching.
For more information and to register visit: https://libcal.uvic.ca/calendar/lawlibrary/lexis
To support ongoing construction at the Fraser Building, the Diana M. Priestly Law Library will be closed to the public for a 3-month period beginning June 1, 2023. The Law Library will re-open to the public in early September 2023 to align with the UVic Fall 2023 academic calendar.
The Law Library remains open to UVic employees, faculty, and students during construction. However, students are encouraged to use Mearns-McPherson Library as an alternate study space, if access to the physical collection at the Law Library is not needed.
A reminder, access to the Law Library is via the side stairwell off of parking lot 8 during regular library operating hours.
Members of the public requiring law research help or access to materials can contact the Law Library for assistance (250-721-8565 | lawlib@uvic.ca).
Additional information relating to the National Centre for Indigenous Laws (NCIL) construction project can be found on the UVic website https://www.uvic.ca/campusplanning/current-projects/indigenous-law/index.php
The Law Library would like to wish all students good luck on their exams!
With the exam period quickly approaching, we wish to ensure we offer all law students the support and study environment that is needed at this time. We alert all library users to the following updates and reminders.
Details of the Law Library hours can be found here.
Room bookings
Starting April 6th all group study rooms and individual study carrels will be reserved for law student use only.
During this period group study rooms and study carrels may be booked at the loan desk.
Research and citation help
Research and citation help is available. Drop-by librarian offices or contact us by e-mail or to make an appointment.
Other supports
Remember that Amicus Team support remains available to law students throughout the year and that the law library’s respite room is available in case you need a quick cat nap – just ask for the key at the front desk.
Switch up your study location and take advantage of the law library’s natural light and standing workstations.
Other study spaces on campus
Mearns-McPherson Library will be offering extended hours during the exam period. Starting April 11th you can stay until midnight! See hours & location.
In addition, the campus has multiple computer labs offering bookable project rooms and group work tables.
For more information about studying supports and services visit https://www.uvic.ca/students/academics/final-exams/study-supports/
The Legal Research Refresher Session have been moved to January 24th and 25th
Do the LRW research tutorials seem like a distant memory? Are you staring at your open memo not knowing where to start?
Then come to one of our lunch hour refresher sessions presented by law librarians: Jessie and Emily. Sessions will be happening on Zoom, no preregistration required.
Session 1: Emphasis on secondary sources and resources for researching Canadian state law
January 24 from 12:30-1:20pm
Zoom Meeting Link: https://uvic.zoom.us/j/87616059096
Session 2: Emphasis on citation
January 25 from 12:30-1:20pm
Zoom Meeting Link: https://uvic.zoom.us/j/86822866706
The law library also has a legal research and writing guide: https://libguides.uvic.ca/lrw that you may find helpful as you are working on your open memo assignment. There you can find a research strategy overview, links to a sample research plan, and primary and secondary legal research starting points
To book an appointment with a law librarian visit: https://libcal.uvic.ca/appointments/ResearchHelp?g=5279
If you have any questions… remember, we’re here to help you. Ask us!
The Law Library would like to wish all students good luck on their exams!
With the exam period quickly approaching, we wish to ensure we offer all law students the support and study environment that is needed at this time. We alert all library users to the following updates and reminders.
Room bookings
Starting December 5th all group study rooms and individual study carrels will be reserved for law student use only.
During this period group study rooms and study carrels may be booked at the loan desk.
Research and citation help
Research and citation help is available until December 23rd. Drop-by librarian offices or contact us by e-mail or to make an appointment.
Other supports
Remember that Amicus Team support remains available to law students throughout the year and that the law library’s respite room is available in case you need a quick cat nap – just ask for the key at the front desk.
Other study spaces on campus
Mearns-McPherson Library will be offering extended hours during the exam period. Starting December 7th you can stay until midnight! See hours & location.
In addition, the campus has multiple computer labs offering bookable project rooms and group work tables.
Facilities Management will be shutting off the electricity to the Fraser building, therefore the Law Library will be closing at 5:30pm this Friday.
Visit the Mcpherson Library location for longer study hours– until 11:00pm!
See hours & location.
We are happy to report that the shelving project should be complete by November 28th. Thank you for bearing with the noise of the construction.
Earplugs are available at the Loans Desk.