Transcribed from my notes while at the library, because I didn’t take my laptop with me to post while I was there today.
Getting started…
I had intended to get an earlier start today but I procrastinated. Remember my post before I said I found a law library? I was thinking it was only a couple of weeks ago that I said I would be going to the library the week of the post, and the next week, and the next week…
It’s only been two weeks of procrastination right? Wrong. I pulled up that post today because it had a link to the Mercer University’s law library. The date on that post was September 15. I’m disgusted with myself for being intimidated by laws.
Even this morning I didn’t want to go. I almost posted something last night about Monday being Law Library day, just so I could be discouraged from not going. I chose not to post that I was going today so I could back out if I wanted to, and save face because no one would have known I planned on going.
I meant to get an early start today but I put it off. Finally, I decided to just get it over with. I rank laws right up their with spiders. No, wait. I would rather hold a spider than learn antitrust laws.
The library itself is not the problem for me. The books are the problem. The complicated words that are in small print, with no pictures to break up the black letters are the problem.
I called the library which I thought would be the first step to getting me started. The person who answered the phone was very nice. She told me what I needed to do to get a library card. I had hoped to be able to take pictures for my blog, but they preferred no pictures. I respect that. I’m not good with the phrase “It’s better to get forgiveness than permission.” I would rather know up front if there’s a policy concerning something so I don’t break it if it exists.
Andrew over at “Legal Andrew” has a great discussion going on about pictures, and what your rights are as a photographer. Readers, including me, have been commenting about public and private property and I realize the library is technically public property but I still wanted permission, but I wasn’t granted that. So, you only get black text on white background for this post. Now you know how I feel knowing that’s what kind of book I get to read today.
Getting there…
Mercer University has some pretty good driving directions to their Law Library, but if you’re like me, you’ll forget to write down the address and you’ll get lost in Macon because you don’t know what the library looks like, and you don’t know the city streets very well. I’m a country girl. Please don’t let me have to drive through Atlanta or D.C.!
Even driving down I-16 all I could think about was what it would be like going on a road trip with my dog and my art supplies, and finding a unique place to get away and draw. Learning laws is not what I dreamed I would be faced with in life.
I stopped to get gas and suddenly all I could think about was comfort food. Dairy Queen was a hop, skip and a jump away from the gas station, and I envisioned a Chocolate Extreme (add cookie dough) Blizzard. I almost skipped the library for one of those. I had the jitters because I dreaded how complicated the books would be and a Blizzard would have cured the jitters and I could just go home and forget everything.
I remembered I’m in my 2nd week of training for dance, and this week is detox week. That means no sugar and no caffeine, and I didn’t want to have to eat crow because I said I could get through this week with no sugar. I opted to skip the Blizzard and go to the library anyway, but then I couldn’t find it.
I went around in circles in Macon until I ended up at my bank on Walnut Street. A familiar building. I went inside and asked for directions and they gave me easy directions.
The Furmar Smith Law Library…
I finally arrived. The library is inside the law school and I didn’t know yet where the library itself was. A student was in the parking lot and I asked which door to go in. He said he was on his way to the library and to follow him. I entered the building and was impressed. If you categorize buildings, it looked like it should be for law. I went up the stairs to where the library was, and I was impressed with the library too. It’s nice, but since this is the first time I’ve ever been in a law library, I could be easily persuaded to say this is a wonderful library. I wouldn’t know to compare it to any other because I haven’t seen any other.
I was greeted with smiling faces at the front desk. They processed my form and I got my library card. The librarian asked me what I was looking for and I told her antitrust information. She called out to the Reference Librarian who looked up and immediately stood up and introduced himself. With a big wave of his arms, and an ear to ear grin, he motioned for me to come over to his desk. He was so welcoming that any tension I had of being in the library was completely drained. I was no longer intimidated.
He had to find out why I was there and asked if I was a student. No. He asked if this had to do with a complaint filed. Yes. He said if I was a student, he could give me lots of information, but because it has to do with a complaint….I started laughing. I already knew what he was going to say, so I said it for him. “I know, you can’t give legal advice.” He laughed too.
I would have to tell him what I wanted to read, and he would tell me where to find it. That’s fair enough. I already knew it had to do with cause of action for antitrust and the Sherman Antitrust Act. What I really needed was a lawyer to take over my case, but I kept that to myself and told him I needed to look at references for “cause of action” for antitrust.
The apple approach…
He started to rattle off some things that sounded complicated. I told him to think of me as being on a much lower level as what a lawyer could comprehend and give me something easy to read. That should be an oxymoron. “Antitrust, the easy way.”
His method of getting to me to understand was what he called the apple approach. I don’t know what he meant by that, but I snickered inside because of my last name. How fitting.
Here’s how the apple approached worked. I knew I needed antitrust laws. I knew to tell him I needed the “cause of action” for violations of the Sherman Antitrust Act. He took me to the reference shelf of books that were labeled “COA” for cause of action, and there were also books labeled “POF” for proof of facts. Then, in the backs of the books he showed me what’s called a “pocket book” where the updates are located.
My face must have lit up like a light bulb going off over my head when he opened the book to show me how they’re organized. Cha ching! I couldn’t believe it. I spent months and months researching the Internet, and there in a book was everything I needed. These books had parties, proceedings, who could file, checklists, liable parties, defenses, sample complaints and on and on. There were cases I needed. Cross references.
Life is good.
This gives a whole new meaning to the U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Manual. I like sitting here in the library writing this blog post, but now I have to bring this to a close and get busy reading.
I am teachable. I can learn.
