Rare Study Guides (and Good Luck on Finals)!

Legal study guides have a long history. An English study guide from 1600, penned by the lawyer William Fulbecke (1560-c.1603), includes advice on when and how to study (and what kind of student would succeed). Some advice is humorous, while a final chapter gets down to business, with a schema of property law based on Thomas Littleton's famous Tenures and basic points from English common law. Legal study guides proliferated in 18th-century England, and some helped to meet a need for self-guided study. It was also a period of decline in rigorous legal education at the traditional Inns of Court. 

A more eccentric study guide, probably the most famous of its genre, is a mnemonic aid devised by Johannes Buno (1617-97) for use with the complex books of Roman law taught in continental law schools. The difficulty in learning Buno's system, and the improbability that it aided much in studying Roman law, should have guaranteed the work a single published edition. But the attractive book must have had a good curiosity value, as it does today. It went through three editions in a short period (1672-74); the Law Library holds a copy of the rare first edition, once held by the great jurist Hermann Kantorowicz.

Buno's illustrated system associated the chapter titles of Roman law with images meant to help students remember their respective subject matter. He keyed each numbered title to  corresponding alphabetical letters (1=A, etc.), and chose an image or scene to represent them. The first title of Justinian's Institutes, for example, is on "Justice and Law" (De Justitia et Jure), for which Buno chose an eagle (A=Aquila, in Latin, pictured above), with scales of justice, a crown and book. For the second chapter, Buno opted for (bearded) oxen, corresponding to the topics of "Natural Law, Civil Law and the Law of Nations," since natural law (at least!) applies to all animals. Other images are stranger, and the system became more convoluted when Buno ran out of letters. Some images are certainly clever or humorous, but on balance Buno's work must have befuddled students as much as it enlightened them. That was the opinion at least of a later law professor and legal bibliophile, Karl Ferdinand Hommel (1722-81), who castigated the work in his Litteratura Iuris, calling some of the depictions "inept" and "foolish." 

                      

Best wishes to all our students, from the Law Library and Riesenfeld Center, on this year's final exams. We hope that you have close at hand all the right tools, including books, notes, and outlines (even mnemonics), for good success.

   - Ryan Greenwood, Curator of Rare Books and Special Collections

Monday, April 18: Celebrate Clarence Darrow's Birthday!

Come out and celebrate Clarence Darrow's birthday with the Law Library on April 18th!  

Visit the Law Library lobby and pick up donuts, coffee, and snacks.  In addition, take a quiz about the great American trial lawyer, Clarence Darrow, and learn more about his life and career.  (The Law Library holds the preeminent national collection of Darrow's letters, speeches and writings in its Riesenfeld Center.)  

Finally, don't forget to take a selfie with Clarence!  

When: Monday, April 18, 11 a.m - 1 p.m.
Where: Law Library Lobby
What: Donuts, coffee, snacks, and a quiz!

 

Wednesday, April 6: Rare Books Open House!

Come out to the Riesenfeld Center's April Open House this Wednesday, 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.!

Enjoy snacks and drinks, and see treasures from the library's rare books and special collections.

When: Wednesday, April 6, 12 p.m - 3 p.m.
Where: Riesenfeld Rare Books Research Center*
What: Rare books, individually bagged snacks, and refreshments!

(*The Riesenfeld Center is in N30, on the subplaza past Student Orgs. in N20.) 

 

Rare Books Puzzle Challenge: An Escape Room

Come out and solve a puzzling "escape room"! The Riesenfeld Rare Books Center is hosting an "escape room" for law students, as single competitors or in teams of two. Laptops are necessary, but no knowledge of rare books or foreign languages is needed. Just sharp minds and eyes for clues.   

Compete against your friends: see how fast you can solve the puzzle and win. The fastest-timed "escapee" wins $30 ($60 for a team) in Law School swag at the bookstore.

The puzzle takes about 15 min., or a little less or more. The competition is open through April 15, 2022. Please contact the Center to set up a convenient time during the week, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

The puzzle scenario is below:

"Renowned UMN history professor, Roberta Langton, was until recently doing secretive research in the rare books collection. The research was rumored to be funded by a wealthy and shadowy group named the Guardians.

Two weeks ago, Professor Langton disappeared, leaving few traces. Police have been unable to locate her. UMN alumni and entrepreneurs Elenora and Edmund Andersen have offered a $1 million reward for information that aids in finding her.

You have been granted brief access to Professor Langton’s research at the Riesenfeld Center, left undisturbed since her disappearance. You have a hunch that it holds important clues to her whereabouts. If you find the right clues, you can understand her project, meet with her, and claim a reward."

Good luck!

   

Wednesday, March 2: Rare Books Open House!

Come out to the Riesenfeld Center's March Open House this Wednesday, 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.!

Enjoy snacks and drinks, and see treasures from the library's rare books and special collections.

When: Wednesday, March 2, 12 p.m - 3 p.m.
Where: Riesenfeld Rare Books Research Center*
What: Rare books, individually bagged snacks, and refreshments!

(*The Riesenfeld Center is in N30, on the subplaza past Student Orgs. in N20.) 

 

 

Student Essay Competition: AALL Morris L. Cohen Competition

The Legal History and Rare Books Section (LHRB) of the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL), in cooperation with Gale, a Cengage Company, announces the annual Morris L. Cohen Student Essay Competition. The competition is named in honor of Morris L. Cohen, late Professor Emeritus of Law at Yale Law School. Professor Cohen’s scholarly work was in the fields of legal research, rare books, and historical bibliography.

The purpose of the competition is to encourage scholarship in the areas of legal history, rare law books, and legal archives, and to acquaint students with the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) and law librarianship. Essays may be on any topic related to legal history, rare law books, or legal archives. The competition is open to students currently enrolled in accredited graduate programs in library science, law, history, and related fields. Both full- and part-time students are eligible. Membership in AALL is not required.

The winner will receive a $500 prize from Gale, a Cengage Company and will present the essay at an LH&RB-sponsored webinar. The winner and runner-up will have the opportunity to publish their essays in LH&RB’s online scholarly journal Unbound: A Review of Legal History and Rare Books.

For more information about the competition, including the application materials, please see the competition website. The deadline for the essay entries is May 16, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. 

New Digital Exhibit: Commemorating Walter F. Mondale ('56) (1928 - 2021)

The Law Library and Riesenfeld Center are pleased to announce the release of a new digital exhibit:

"Commemorating Walter F. Mondale ('56) (1928-2021): A Lasting Legacy"

Through decades of public service, Walter Mondale ('56) (1928-2021) left an indelible legacy regionally, nationally, and globally. His achievements in Minnesota, Congress, and the White House are a testament to his great courage and integrity. The Vice President’s enduring contributions were driven by his vision for a country bound by its commitments to fairness, justice, and opportunity. His passing in 2021 marked the loss of a great leader, as well as a loyal alumnus and friend of the University of Minnesota Law School community. 

The new digital exhibit commemorates Vice President Mondale’s extraordinary career, from his formative years in Minnesota through his contributions as a global statesman. The exhibit also emphasizes his valued relationship of more than sixty years with the Law School whose building bears his name. 

For more information or to visit the physical version of the commemorative exhibit, which is open through spring 2022, please contact Ryan Greenwood (rgreenwo@umn.edu; 612-625-7323).