This Week in the Law Library ... November 9, 2026
This week in the Law Library we're teaching AI and the Law, Advanced Legal Research, and Law and the Legal Profession. We're also thanking our veterans, exploring Human Rights resources, previewing US Supreme Court oral arguments, celebrating Native American Heritage Month, and wishing those taking the MPRE good luck.
Good Luck on the MPRE!
For all of those taking the MPRE this week, good luck and we know you'll do great!
Honoring All Who Served
Wednesday is Veterans Day. Veterans Day originated as “Armistice Day” on Nov. 11, 1919, the first anniversary marking the end of World War I. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and November 11th became a national holiday beginning in 1938. There were an estimated 17 million veterans in 2026. There are more than 800,000 veterans in Ohio. Thank you to all who have served!
The College of Law will hold classes and the Law Library will be open on Veteran’s Day.
Learn More About Veteran's Day & Resources for Veterans
- Veterans law is an area of law that covers the legal treatment of military veterans and veterans' families. This guide will point you to helpful research resources.
Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library Veterans History Project
- The Veterans History Project, coordinated by the Library of Congress, calls for Americans to play a personal role in preserving the nation’s history by collecting first-hand accounts of those who defended the United States during wartime. The Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library Veterans History website features a database of locally recorded interviews, documentary materials, and video streamed versions of selected interviews. The original documentary materials for the Veteran’s Archives will be housed at the Main Library, which was dedicated as a Memorial Library when it opened in 1955.
Ohio Department of Veterans Services
- The Ohio Department of Veterans Services works to help Ohio's veterans in a variety of ways:
- Conduct outreach to veterans and provides training and oversight to the 88 County Veterans Service Offices (CVSOs).
- Coordinate programs and operations with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which provides benefits to Ohio veterans.
- Work with the Ohio General Assembly and Congressional representatives to craft legislation in support of veterans and their families at the state and federal levels.
- Communicate and coordinate with other state agencies concerning veterans’ programs and support to veterans.
- Operate the Ohio Veterans Homes in Sandusky and Georgetown which are open to Ohio-resident veterans who served in periods of armed conflicts.
- Manage the State Approving Agency, which protects the integrity of the GI Bill® through program reviews and approvals, compliance, oversight, training, and outreach activities.
- Host several veterans’ ceremonies, including the Governor’s Wreath Laying Ceremony which honors Ohio's killed in action, the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame induction ceremony, and the Ohio Veterans Convention.
- Maintain custodianship of more than 1.9 million veterans’ records dating back to World War II. Request your military record.
US. Department of Veterans Affairs, History of Veterans Day
- The page provides a timeline of the history of Veterans Day from the 1918 armstice to current day.
- Resources and benefits page of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
This Week's Research Sessions
Tuesday, November 10, 2026
AI & the Law
- 1:30am - 2:50pm
- Profs. Laura Dixon-Caldwell, Shannon Kemen, Ashley Russell, and Michael Whiteman
Introduction to Law & the Legal Profession
- 12:30pm - 1:50pm
- Electronic Resources Instructional Services LibrarianRon Jones Electronic Resources Instructional Services Librarian Ron Jones
Wednesday, November 11, 2026
Advanced Legal Research: Transactional Law
- 11:10am - 12:05pm
- Instructional & Reference Services Librarian Laura Dixon-Caldwell
Thursday, November 12, 2026
Introduction to Law & the Legal Profession
- 12:30pm - 1:50pm
- Electronic Resources Instructional Services LibrarianRon Jones Electronic Resources Instructional Services Librarian Ron Jones
AI & the Law
- 1:30am - 2:50pm
- Profs. Laura Dixon-Caldwell, Shannon Kemen, Ashley Russell, and Michael Whiteman
Asynchronous
Advanced Legal Research: Beyond the Basics
- Instructional & Reference Services Librarian Ashley Russell
Celebrating Human Rights!
Last Thursday and Friday, the Urban Morgan Institute for Human Rights held their “Human Rights 2026: Current Challenges & Strategies” conference. The event addressed urgent global challenges and strategies for social justice through panels and presentations; along with networking opportunities for alumni, students, and the public to engage with renowned human rights experts and practitioners. The conference highlights included sessions on Islamophobia; global LGBTQIA+ issues; corporations and human rights; immigration; the environment; human trafficking; human rights and the arts; and other topics, including “The Art of Judging,” featuring the UMI's Arthur Russell Morgan fellows now serving as judges, as well as a special presentation of the play Lemkin’s House by playwright Catherine Filloux.
In keeping with this conference, our featured resources will focus on International Human Rights.
Featured Study Aids
Black Letter Outline on International Human Rights
- Available via West Academic study aid subscription, this study aid provides an outline of the history of the rights of individuals, human rights and the UN, fundamental human rights, newlyt emerging rights, derogation from the protection of rights, the International Courts, regional organizations, regional human rights laws and institutions, humanitarian intervention by the states, humanitarian law of armed conflict, sources of human rights law, general principles of law, extradition, and enforcement of human rights law in the US.
- Available via West Academic study aid subscription, this book tells the story of 15 human rights cases from around the world, including cases adjudicated by a court or commission as well as controversies decided outside the courthouse. The cases illustrate key themes, including the development of human rights norms and the work of human rights organizations; the function of individual and collective identities in human rights struggles; the role of international criminal norms in protecting human rights; globalization, foreign policy, and the economy; and human rights in a world at war.
International Human Rights in a Nutshell
- Available via West Academic study aid subscription, this study aid provides a comprehensive overview of the international, regional and domestic human rights systems, as well as the treatment of human rights treaties and norms within the U.S. legal system. Reviews recent developments in the field, including in the UN, European, OAS and African human rights systems, as well as the adoption of new conventions and the issuance of key new judicial decisions. Introduces the history behind international human rights, including the institutional context from which they evolved.
Featured Database
HeinOnline: International Commission of Jurists Library (ICJ)
- Created in 1952, the ICJ aims to ensure the progressive development and implementation of international human rights and humanitarian law. It also safeguards the independence of the judiciary and legal profession. This collection includes books, practitioner guides, reports, and serials focused on human rights.
Featured Guide
International Human Rights Law Guide
- Human rights may be inalienable rights but they depend on State actors to enforce through laws and policies. This guide helps you research those laws and policies.
Featured Treatise / Book
Max Plank Encyclopedia of Public International Law
- This major online reference work contains 2,300+ peer-reviewed articles on every aspect of the substance and procedure of international law.
Featured Video
UN Human Rights 75 Flagship video narrated by Morgan Freeman
- Describes the importance of the Universal Declaration of Human rights and the role each human being has to play as a torch bearer of change.
Featured Website
United Nations Official Document System
- The Official Document System (ODS) is the online database and electronic repository of official documents published by the United Nations (UN) It contains full-text, born-digital UN documents from 1993 to the present (including Security Council, General Assembly, and Economic and Social Council records), as well as scanned historical documents dating back to 1946.
November Arguments at the United States Supreme Court
US Supreme Court by Jarek Tuszyński CC-BY-SA-3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
From SCOTUS Blog:
Monday, November 9, 2026
Nielsen v. Watanabe - whether the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit erred in recognizing a Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents of Fed. Bureau of Narcotics cause of action.
Hoffmann v. WBI Energy Transmission, Inc. - whether in private condemnations under the Natural Gas Act, just compensation should be determined by reference to state law.
Tuesday, November 10, 2026
U.S. Dep't of Labor v. Sun Valley Orchards, LLC - (1) whether Article III of the Constitution precludes the Department of Labor from adjudicating proceedings to collect monetary remedies from employers who have allegedly violated the terms and conditions of employment of H-2A workers and domestic workers in corresponding employment; and (2) whether 8 U.S.C. §1188(g)(2) authorizes the Department of Labor to adjudicate proceedings to collect monetary remedies from employers who have allegedly violated the terms and conditions of employment of H-2A workers and domestic workers in corresponding employment.
American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month
November is American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month! Celebrate with us as we explore the contributions and history of the Native people in the United States of America. On Aug. 3, 1990, Congress finally passed Pub. L. 101-343 which designated the month of November 1990 as “National American Indian Heritage Month.” Then, in 1991, Congress passed Pub. L. 102-123 which “authorize[s] and request[s] the President to proclaim the month of November 1991, and the month of each November thereafter, as ‘American Indian Heritage Month.’” President George H.W. Bush issued Proclamation 6368 (PDF) on October 30, 1991.
Learn More About American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage and Law
American Indian and Alaskan Native Documents in the Congressional Serial Set: 1817-1899
- The Serial Set is a compilation of U.S. Congressional publications published by the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives about the bills and resolutions involved in lawmaking. It also includes reports of executive departments, government-funded institutions, and other independent organizations. This collection offers detailed contemporaneous documentation of political, military, and governmental activities related to indigenous peoples of the continental United States and Alaskan territory during the 19th century. These government documents were scanned from the print collections of the Oklahoma Department of Libraries and the University of Oklahoma Libraries.
- Available via West Academic study aid subscription, this book covers the often complex and unfamiliar doctrine of federal Indian law, exposing the raw conflicts over sovereignty and property that have shaped legal rulings. Fifteen distinguished authors describe gripping cases involving Indian nations over more than two centuries, each story emphasizing initiative in tribal communities and lawyering strategies that have determined the fate of nations.
Principles of Federal Indian Law
- Available via West Academic study aid subscription, this book covers the basics of federal Indian law, the relationships between tribal, state, and federal sovereigns, also touching on federalism, agency law, civil rights, and criminal jurisdiction aspects of Indian law. This concise hornbook offers comprehensive coverage of the blackletter law, with statutory, regulatory, and historical context. The origins behind important doctrines of Indian law and critical statutes are explored in detail.
Restatement of the Law, the Law of American Indians
- Available in print, on HeinOnline, on Nexis Uni, on Lexis, and on Westlaw, this work covers the foundational principles of American Indian law. Comprehensive in scope, it provides descriptions of fundamental terms and addresses Indian statutes and treaties, tribal governance, the federal-tribal relationship, and Congressional powers over Indian affairs.
- Available via West Academic study aid subscription, this study aid surveys tribal law through the words of tribal legislators, tribal judges, tribal administrators, and the Indigenous People that ratified tribal constitutions and explained tribal customary and traditional law. The Nutshell focuses on the areas where there is the most common ground between tribal nations. For example, tribal elections, tribal citizenship requirements, and other tribal constitutional matters are common to the large majority of tribal nations. The Nutshell samples tribal governmental structures and the legal disputes that arise, as well as tribal civil rights laws, which tend to follow the model set by Congress in the Indian Civil Rights Act. The Nutshell delves into tribal immunity, business arrangements, child welfare, cultural property, criminal justice, and other substantive areas of law.
Posted November 9, 2026 by Susan Boland