SMU Underwood Law Library Week 2

Aug 26 & Aug 28 7:45-11:15 (TOTAL: 14 HOURS)

This week I had the chance to meet with Marja Pietiläinen-Rom, who also works in technical services. Beyond her current role, she has a fascinating background as an opera singer in Finland, which I thought was especially impressive. She introduced me to some of the treasures in the McKnight Rare Books collection, including volumes bound with medieval musical manuscripts. What made this particularly memorable was learning that the staff had actually reconstructed the melodies from those notations! It's truly a wonderful blend of history, music, and scholarship that really highlights the depth of the collection.

I also spent some time assessing the archives to get a sense of the current state of the materials and the scope of the project ahead. The work seems manageable, and I’m confident I’ll be able to complete it by the end of the semester. Several staff members have mentioned that pursuing law school might be worth considering if I want to stay in this field long-term. I’ve also had the opportunity to speak with some of the law students in my class, which has been helpful as I think about whether that path might be the right fit for me in the future.

A view of Texas's Unofficial (but functionally official) set of legal codes. All of this is now available online, but it's still nice to have physical copies every now and again.

In my legal research course, we continued building on our skills for case research. This week’s topic focused on DUI cases, which not only provided useful insight into legal precedent but also served as a strong reminder of the real-world implications of these issues. Needless to say, the takeaway is clear: don’t drink and drive—or even sit in your car after drinking while waiting for an Uber. I’m gradually starting to get the hang of how to approach legal research, and it feels rewarding to see progress week by week.