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CMLawLibraryBlog

The CM Law Library Blog seeks to inform the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law community about key legal education, research, practice, and law library news, with a particular focus on Cuyahoga County and Ohio as well as faculty research interests.

Example of Inaccuracy in Wikipedia

Sue Altmeyer, Electronic Services Librarian, sue.altmeyer@law.csuohio.edu | November 28, 2007 - 17:51

Thanks to Professor Steven Steinglass for pointing out this inaccuracy:

Check out the Wikipedia entry on the Ohio Constitution. Here is a quote:

"With the tremendous growth of the state's population, and the strains and exigencies of the Great Depression and both World War I and World War II, it became clear that the 1912 Constitution was inadequate to the needs of a modern state government. A fifth constitutional convention drafted a new constitution, which was duly adopted by state voters, taking effect on September 1, 1951."

This is total fiction. In reality, there was no fifth constitutional convention in 1951, nor was a new constitution drafted at that time. See Steven H. Steinglass, The Ohio State Constitution, A Reference Guide, Introduction , (2004) KFO401 1851 .A6 S74 2004 . There were only four constitutional conventions, the first produced the first Ohio Constitution in 1802, the second produced the Ohio Constitution of 1851, the 1873-74 convention produced a constitution which the voters rejected and the last convention in 1912 created amendments which were adopted by voters. The 1851 Constitution, as amended is the Constitution currently in effect.

Wikipedia can be edited by anyone, so inaccuracies do occur. To see who wrote an article in Wikipedia, click on the History tab at the top of the article. The Ohio Constitution entry was originally written by a group known as Wikiproject Ohio, but the entry may have been edited by others. To find out who has edited a page, click on the "Edit this Page" tab at the top of the Wikipedia article, then click on "this page's edit history".

Either I or Professor Steinglass will edit the error in the near future.

Thanks to David Monniaux for some corrections to my original post.


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Open Book=Easy...I don't think so!

Jessica Mathewson-Library Media Technical Asst.-jessica.mathewson@law.csuohio.edu | November 28, 2007 - 15:47

Some may breathe a sigh of relief at the thought of an open book exam. Oh Contraire!

Preparation for exams, closed or open book, should be approached in the same manner. While the information is in front of you, you will not have time to flip through your notes to search for the information you need. Most open book exams are not just testing the law but the application of the law to a certain set of facts, and the questions are more complex. You need all the time you can get. Having a well written outline will assist you in finding the information and organizing your answer. See The Eight Secrets of Top Exam Performance in Law School by Charles Whitebread and “When you come to a Fork in the Road, Take It, and Other Sage Advice for First-Time Law School Exam Takers” (Spring 2006) 22 Ga.St.U.L.Rev 653

For additional tips on exam prep, check out Preparing for Exams.


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