Harris County Law Library
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March marks Wills & Probate Law Resources Month at the Harris County Robert W. Hainsworth Law Library—a time to focus on organizing, planning, and preparing for the future. As we move into a new season, the Law Library invites you to treat estate planning as part of your spring reset—an investment in organization, preparedness, and care for those who matter most.
Read moreRes judicata (claim preclusion) prevents an entire case from being relitigated once a court has finally rendered a decision, while collateral estoppel (issue preclusion) prevents specific questions that were already decided from being argued again. Together, these rules help courts avoid repeat litigation, thereby avoiding the Groundhog Day phenomenon, and ensuring that court decisions bring real closure.
Read moreThe start of a new year often invites reflection, goal‑setting, and practical planning for the future. We resolve to care better for our health, our finances, our relationships, and our responsibilities. One resolution that rarely makes the list—but can be one of the most meaningful—is preparing for the end of life. This post provides general, educational information about end‑of‑life planning, including checklists and links to trusted public resources. It is intended for those who are looking for a place to begin.
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Image Source: https://ndla.no/r/engelsk-2/frankenstein-or-the-modern-prometheus-by-mary-shelley/0d3f85047e, Creative Commons
Much like Frankenstein’s Monster, every researcher begins with a kind of linguistic infancy—punching in a few keywords, seeing what comes up, and hoping for the best. This is the “fire bad” stage of searching: simple, direct, but often imprecise. Then comes the next phase—the learning, the refinement, the humanizing process. As we grow more skilled, we start using controlled vocabularies Boolean operators, and Terms & Connectors to sculpt our queries with precision. We might even engage with AI-powered tools or Large Language Models that can parse meaning, context, and nuance—much like Shelley’s creature learning to manipulate words and master the expression of complex human emotion. This increases the specificity and relevance of our results, and we exclaim: “It’s alive. It’s ALIVE!” The feeling can be electric!
Read moreWhen most people hear “law,” they imagine courtroom dramas or criminal trials. The truth is, legal issues impact our daily lives much more than we realize—especially civil law. From leases to medical bills, knowing basic legal terms can protect your rights, help you make informed decisions, and prevent costly mistakes.
Read moreWhat’s behind the name? “Ex Libris Juris” is Latin for “from the books of law” and much of the information here will relate to the legal information collected and curated by the Law Library. Additionally, “Ex Libris” has long appeared on bookplates – labels appearing inside the front cover of books – and has acquired the connoted meaning “from the library of” to show ownership of the book. Using this connotation, the phrase becomes “from the library of law” and better describes the posts about digital resources, event announcements, and research tips that will regularly appear here.
