During the month of July, print materials on all aspects of immigration law will be on display throughout the Law Library. Treatises such as Kurzban’s Immigration Law Sourcebook and a number of CLE coursebooks from TexasBarCLE will be featured. You’ll also find immigration law resources in the Law Library’s digital collection, including official immigration forms through Westlaw and the Georgetown Immigration Law Journal on HeinOnline.
CLE Resource Month: Spanish for Lawyers and the Ten Minute Mentor
June is Continuing Legal Education Resource Month at the Harris County Law Library. Explore our new collection of 2017 State Bar of Texas CLE resources, in the Law Library's print collection, for research and self-study.
If you're in search of free CLE opportunities online, take a look at our On-Demand Learning resources on the Harris County Law Library's Legal Tech Institute web page. Here you will find live recordings of our LTI CLE programs on topics such as Legal Practice Technology, Finding & Formatting Legal Forms, The Robot Lawyer: Artificial Intelligence in the Practice of Law, and Excel Essentials for the Practice of Law. Note that the courses can be viewed free of charge, and attorneys can earn MCLE credit for watching them.
The Texas Young Lawyers Association is providing another valuable resource for those seeking free CLE credit and an opportunity to improve communication with Spanish-speaking clients. Spanish for Lawyers CLE Course just launched on June 1st. The program, which was produced at the Texas Bar CLE Studio, is comprised of 10 web-based classes which are 35-45 minutes each for a total of 9 hours of instruction. The course is approved for 5.25 hours of MCLE credit and includes beginner Spanish instruction focused on the use of legal vocabulary in various subject areas, including employment law, family law, civil law, criminal law and immigration law. Class 6, which is focused on engagement and providing advice to Spanish-speaking clients is eligible for .5 hours of ethics credit. In addition to the video instruction, each class is accompanied by a presentation, a pre-class vocabulary list, post-class homework and an MP3 file for oral vocabulary practice.
Don't forget that the State Bar of Texas CLE offers some free CLE courses online, and the Texas Young Lawyers maintain an extensive library of short videos on their website, Ten Minute Mentor. Legal experts in specific areas of the law provide short instructional presentations, which, after viewing, can be reported for self-study CLE credit.
Finally, the Harris County Law Library offers a weekly, one-hour CLE program on some aspect of legal technology as part of its Hands-on Legal Tech Training series. Courses are offered at the Law Library in the Legal Tech Lab every Thursday at 2:00 pm. For the month of June, we will offer Find and Format Legal Forms, MS Word for Legal Work, and Free Legal Tech for Legal Professionals on a rotating basis. For details and to register, please visit the Legal Tech Institute website.
Law Day 2018 - Separation of Powers: Framework for Freedom
Today we are recognizing Law Day. Our regular Tech Tuesday feature will return next week.
Today is Law Day, an annual opportunity to reflect on the legal foundation of our nation and the fundamental role that the law plays in securing the freedoms we as Americans hold dear. At the Harris County Law Library, we're observing the day with a special Law Day exhibit, which will be on display all month long in the library lobby. We are also pleased to be featuring selected winning entries from the Houston Bar Association's annual Law Day essay and poster contest. The winning posters can be seen in the video below, along with a special Law Day message from the Harris County Law Library.
In 1957, American Bar Association (ABA) President Charles S. Rhyne, who provided legal counsel to President Eisenhower, conceived of a day dedicated to the celebration of our legal system, a vision that Mr. Eisenhower would help fulfill. The following year, on February 3, 1958, President Eisenhower issued Proclamation 3221, designating May 1st as Law Day and establishing a tradition. Every administration since has issued a Presidential Proclamation for this special occasion. The 2018 Law Day Proclamation emphasizes the wisdom of our unique structure of government. Consisting of three co-equal branches -- Executive, Legislative, and Judicial -- each with its own authority and limitations, this framework has allowed freedom to flourish for nearly 229 years.
The legislative branch also recognized the importance of this special day. On April 7, 1961, Congress passed a joint resolution (Public Law 87-20, 75 Stat. 43) to officially establish May 1st as Law Day, codifying it into law in Title 36, Section 113. In the years since, Americans have observed Law Day with civic activities, educational programs, and special events consistent with the American Bar Association's annual Law Day theme. Based on a significant aspect of the American legal system (e.g., democracy, civil rights, legal history, the judiciary, or Constitutional law), this theme serves as a focal point for schools, libraries, courts, bar associations, community groups, civic organizations, and others to plan celebratory events.
This year's theme is Separation of Powers: Framework for Freedom, which the ABA explains with a quote from James Madison in Federalist 51: “Ambition must be made to counteract ambition.” On its website, the ABA elaborates:
Madison believed that the Constitution’s principles of separation of powers and checks and balances preserve political liberty. They provide a framework for freedom. Yet, this framework is not self-executing. We the people must continually act to ensure that our constitutional democracy endures, preserving our liberties and advancing our rights. The Law Day 2018 theme enables us to reflect on the separation of powers as fundamental to our constitutional purpose and to consider how our governmental system is working for ourselves and our posterity.
On this day, the Harris County Law Library invites you to reflect on the importance of a legal system designed to guard against tyranny and establish fairness, balance, and justice in the conduct of government. Don't forget to stop by our exhibit throughout the month of May, which explores the Law Day Dialogues presented on the ABA website, and encourages thoughtful consideration of this year's theme, Separation of Powers: Framework for Freedom. Happy Law Day 2018!
Talking With the Taxman About Poetry
April is known for many things including rain showers and reveries of Paris. It also signals the start of spring, a season of birth, growth, and renewal. Clouding the fresh bloom of its arrival, however, is a dreaded annual visitor -- the taxman. Fortunately, April is National Poetry Month as well, the perfect celebration to inspire the spirit and banish thoughts of the tax collector's exacting toll.
We at the Harris County Law Library can think of no better way to send the taxman back to his ledger book than to share a poem. As we celebrate National Poetry Month (as well as Tax Law Resource Month), a bit of written verse may be just what we all need. Recognizing both of April's themes, we've selected a poem by the famous Russian writer, Vladimir Mayakovsky, entitled "Talking with the Taxman About Poetry" which you can read here in full on the Poetry Foundation's website. (Mayakovsky would celebrate his 125th birthday this year. He took his own life on April 14th, 1930, but in the years since his death, his popularity has continued to grow.)
For more poetry and judicial verse, visit the Law Library's National Poetry Month exhibit. Currently on display in the lobby, this exhibit features legal opinions written in rhyme. Inspired by various sources including Edgar Allan Poe, Dr. Seuss, and Leann Rimes, these opinions reflect the wit and wisdom of their authors as well as the occasional levity of the court. For more examples of parody and verse in legal decisions, visit the Gallagher Law Library Judicial Humor page.
Tax Law Resource Month
April is Tax Law Resource Month at the Harris County Law Library. All month long, you will find materials on federal and Texas taxes on display in the Law Library and on our website.
Self-Help Resource: Nolo's Stand Up to the IRS
Written by tax attorney Frederick W. Daily, Nolo’s Stand Up to the IRS is an excellent resource to answer your questions about the IRS, tax returns, audits, federal tax liens, taxpayer advocates, fraud and tax crimes, and penalties and interest.
Houston Volunteer Lawyers Neighborhood Tax Center Tax Clinics
NTC tax clinics are held every third Thursday of each month at Baker Ripley Neighorhood Tax Center for persons seeking assistance with IRS issues. Walk-In legal advice clinic. The first 6 people will be seen
At a legal advice clinic, applicants meet with a licensed Texas attorney one-on-one and receive free advice on their legal issue. Individuals needing continued representation beyond the legal advice clinic generally must be residents of Harris County and have a household income of no greater than 250% of Federal Poverty Guidelines.
Houston Volunteer Lawyers Low Income Taxpayer Clinic
LITC clinics are held once a week at the Houston Volunteer Lawyer's office. They are by appointment only. Please call 713-225-1TAX to schedule an appointment.
At the appointment, applicants will meet with a HVL staff attorney one-on-one and receive free advice on their IRS tax issue. Individuals needing continued representation beyond the legal advice clinic generally must be residents of Harris County and have a household income of no greater than 250% of Federal Poverty Guidelines.
Free Tax Return Preparation for Qualifying Taxpayers
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers free tax help to people who generally make $54,000 or less, persons with disabilities and limited English speaking taxpayers who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns. IRS-certified volunteers provide free basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing to qualified individuals.
In addition to VITA, the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program offers free tax help for all taxpayers, particularly those who are 60 years of age and older, specializing in questions about pensions and retirement-related issues unique to seniors. The IRS-certified volunteers who provide tax counseling are often retired individuals associated with non-profit organizations that receive grants from the IRS.