  The new generation of 8 to 10m class telescope is providing us with
high-quality spectral information on the rest-frame ultraviolet region of
star-forming galaxies at cosmological distances. The data can be used to
address questions such as, e.g., the star-formation histories, the stellar
initial mass function, the dust properties, and the energetics and chemistry of
the interstellar medium. We can tackle these issues from a different angle by
comparing the spectral properties of high-redshift galaxies to those of their
counterparts in the local universe. I give a review of recent developments
related to observations and empirical modeling of the ultraviolet spectra of
local galaxies with recent star formation. The emphasis is on the youngest
stellar populations with ages less than 100 Myr. Current uncertainties will be
discussed, and areas where progress is needed in the future are highlighted.
