Poetry of the Bench and Bar: Poetic Justice

We've been shining a spotlight all month long on the Poetry of the Bench and Bar with an exhibit featuring poetic judicial opinions and poems written by and about attorneys. Other legal poetry has been highlighted elsewhere including the Gallagher Law Library Judicial Humor page and, very recently, in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.  In a case involving a transgender teen in Gloucester County, Virginia, Judge Andre Davis borrowed the words of Palestinian-American writer and poet Naomi Shihab Nye to comment on the teen's bravery in asserting his rights. 

Some say that poetry and the law are not compatible, that law is prosaic and measured, and that the business of law should deal in pragmatism, not poesy. Others disagree, arguing that poetry is sometimes appropriate if not necessary, as it can convey the sentiment of a decision better than the calculus of reasoned judgment. Historically (and poetically), law and verse have shared origins, as expressed in verse by one JW London over a century ago. In closing, here's London's 1894 poem fromThe Law Times:

In days of old did law and rhyme,
A common pathway follow,
For Themis in the mythic time,
Was sister of Apollo.

Registration Open for Legal Tech Institute CLE

Register today for our upcoming Legal Tech Institute training session! On Thursday, April 27, 12pm - 1pm, our Westlaw representative will lead a training session on family law resources available for free on the Law Library's Westlaw computers. Texas attorneys can earn 1.0 hour CLE credit and all who are interested in learning more about free access to Westlaw at the Law Library are welcome to attend.

For more information and to register, visit the Legal Tech Institute Course Catalog.

Visiting the U.S. Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit Library System - Houston Satellite

March is Federal Practice Resource Month at the Harris County Law Library. Throughout the month we are featuring some of the federal practice legal materials found in our collection. We are also calling attention to a select few online resources, including the Federal Practice Manual for Legal Aid Attorneys.  Law Library staff are always available at the reference desk to help in using any of these materials.

Another helpful resource is the satellite branch of the United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit Library System, located right here in Houston at 515 Rusk.  This Satellite Library, open to the public, is a valuable resource for researching federal legal issues and it's well-worth a visit for those working in federal law.

You can learn about the Satellite Library's services and guidelines using the Visitors' Guide to the U.S. Courts Library in Houston, Texas.  Many of the sources available in the Harris County Law Library collection are also available at the Fifth Circuit Library, but the staff's knowledge and expertise regarding the federal judiciary may add even more value to your research. Federal law is their specialty, and they are happy to help you access the resources you need. The Houston Satellite is also a United States Federal Depository Library, where government publications, including a selection of official sources of our nation's primary legal documents, are housed.