Today is the last day of National Poetry Month. We’ve been celebrating all month long with an exhibit called Poetry of the Bench and Bar. Today, we conclude the celebration with a few haiku — variations on a theme of bridging the justice gap. Enjoy!
Law Library Recognized by American Association of Law Libraries
Yesterday, the American Association of Law Libraries announced the individuals and institutions honored as part of the organization’s 2019 Awards Program. The Harris County Law Library was recognized with two awards, both of which highlight our work to ensure access to information for those who need it most in Harris County.
JOSEPH L. ANDREWS LEGAL LITERATURE AWARD
The Law Library’s Pro Se Litigant Handbook was recognized with the Joseph L. Andrews Legal Literature Award. The Handbook combines information about sources of forms and local assistance for self-represented litigants with guidance on courtroom procedure and decorum. The Award highlights “a significant textual contribution to legal literature.” Our staff is immensely honored to receive such a prestigious award for our efforts to help those in our community who are unable to afford legal representation access the legal information they need.
EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AWARD
The Law Library was also honored to receive the inaugural Excellence in Community Engagement Award for our Harvey Recovery Resources webpage. When Hurricane Harvey poured record-setting rains on our community, assistance came from all directions. Our law librarians jumped into action - even before our facility reopened - to collect and organize information about programs meant to help our neighbors impacted by the storm with their legal needs. Hundreds in our community accessed the page and community partners shared it with clients. For us, it was a natural way to show the same spirit so many in our community exemplified to pull together and lend a hand to those in need. Our staff is very honored for the recognition and we hope it inspires law librarians throughout the AALL community to lend their talents when their neighbors need access to legal information the most.
For more about the American Association of Law Library and the Annual Awards Program, visit www.aall.org.
Harris County Law Library on The Geek in Review Podcast
Harris County Law Library Deputy Director, Joe Lawson, recently appeared on The Geek in Review podcast to talk with hosts Greg Lambert and Marlene Gebauer about the kinds of services and resources the library provides on a daily basis to the residents of Harris County, most of whom are self-represented litigants.
As discussed in the podcast, “Lawson believes that there is a duty of the law library to help train lawyers, not to just be more efficient in their personal practices, but to help them have more capacity to help assist pro se litigants. Lawson’s calculation is that a 3% increase in capacity, through advancements in technology usage, could help eliminate a majority of the pro se issues in the county.”
Tune in to hear Joe share his thoughts on how the Harris County Law Library and our Hand-On Legal Tech programs in particular can help train lawyers to assist the burgeoning number of pro se litigants who are filing suit in this, the third largest county in the United States. .
New Combined Forms Packets from TexasLawHelp.org
The Harris County Law Library's collection of combined forms packets contain valuable self-help instructions and forms from TexasLawHelp.org. The packets on this page have been assembled to assist institutions that help self-represented litigants who need printed forms, such as county law libraries, public libraries, clerk's offices, and community centers. If you are an individual representing yourself, please visit TexasLawHelp.org to find interactive checklists and chat assistance that will provide additional guidance.
Note: Most of the instructions and forms included in the combined forms packets were originally developed by the Travis County Law Library for use throughout Texas. Countless Texans have benefited from the hard work and dedication of the reference attorneys and law librarians in Travis County and we at Harris County Law Library appreciate their efforts immensely.
As of this month, a few new forms packets are available, specifically forms in Spanish for divorce and annulment. Please visit the Combined Forms Packets page and scroll down to the bottom of the column on the right, where you will find Formularios en Español. Available Spanish forms include
The Combined Forms Packets page is updated regularly as changes to the law are adopted and incorporated into the TexasLawHelp forms. For additional content on any number of legal topics, as well as Toolkits, Checklists, and FAQs that will assist self-represented litigants in completing the TexasLawHelp forms, please visit TexasLawHelp.org in English or Spanish.
Veterans Law Resource Month
November is Veterans Law Resource Month at the Harris County Law Library. Selected titles to help veterans achieve economic security, obtain benefits, and promote stability within their families will be on display throughout the Law Library all month long.
Recommended print resources
Veterans Benefits Manual (National Veterans Legal Services Program)
Federal Veterans Laws, Rules, and Regulations (National Veterans Legal Services Program)
Veterans Benefits: A Legal Research Guide (William S. Hein & Co., Inc.)
Social Security, Medicare, & Government Pensions - Chapter 8: Veterans Benefits (Nolo Press)
Recommended online resources
TexasLawHelp.org — Benefits, Legal Assistance & Support, Family Law & Military Families
HeinOnline (On-site access) — Air Force Law Review, Army Lawyer, Veterans Law Review
