The Friday after Thanksgiving is National Native American Heritage Day, although it is perhaps more commonly thought of as Black Friday, a coincidence that some have rebuked, as it links a reverent celebration of Native peoples and culture with the start of the holiday shopping season and the busiest most consumer-driven day of the year. Some have suggested alternatives to the rampant consumerism of the day: acknowledge native land, explore the many digital exhibits available online at the National Museum of the American Indian, or lift up indigenous voices by learning more about the continuing struggle to give Native Americans equal access at the ballot box. Review the links provided within.
Read moreFeel Good Friday: National Ampersand Day
Today, September 8, is National Ampersand Day. In addition to sharing a few fun facts about this squiggly symbol, we will discuss a not-so-recent but still-so-trendy practice in the naming of law firms. Over the last 15 years or so, BigLaw has adopted a more polished, less conventional approach to branding. Instead of the more traditional practice of identifying all named partners in the title of the firm, larger firms have opted for more airy austerity. In 2010, just three Am Law 100 firms officially used a single surname, but in 2023, these abbreviated brands are the rule more than the exception. Shortened names may help build stronger brand identity, as those in favor of the trend like to point out, but these elegant eponyms, according to others, lack a critical element – the ampersand, a most elegant emblem itself.
Read moreMartin Luther King Jr. Day 2023
Martin Luther King Jr. Day, celebrated the third Wednesday of January, recognizes the birth, life, and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., born January 15, 1929. For more background information on the legal history of this federal holiday and resources for accessing Dr. King’s works, check out these past Ex Libris Juris blog posts:
Read moreHISD Chávez-Huerta Día/Day
Hoy, 28 de marzo, es un día feriado para los estudiantes y personal del Distrito Escolar Independiente de Houston (HISD) que conmemora el legado de activistas César Chávez y Dolores Huerta.
Today, March 28, 2022, is a holiday for students and staff of the Houston Independent School District (HISD) that commemorates the legacy of civil and labor rights activists César Chávez and Dolores Huerta.
Read moreGideon’s Legacy
On March 18, 1963, the United States Supreme Court ruled in Gideon v . Wainwright that the Sixth Amendment’s guarantee of counsel in criminal cases is a fundamental right, essential to a fair trial, as provided by the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The court battle leading up to this ruling was truly a case of David v. Goliath. In recent years, there has been a push to advocate for a “Civil Gideon” – the right to legal counsel in civil cases. If Civil Gideon should ever come to pass as a universal Constitutional right, the legacy of Clarence Earl Gideon, whose own case was decided on this day 59 years ago, would be fulfilled for all so that “justice should be the same, in substance and availability, without regard to economic status” and irrespective of the type of offense.
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