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.

Federal Practice Resources Month

March is Federal Practice Resources Month at the Harris County Law Library. Throughout the month, federal practice legal resources will be on display, including the titles listed below. Additional resources can be found via our online catalog and in the FEDERAL SECTION of the library.

• Federal Procedure : A Problem-Solving Textual Analysis of Federal Judicial and Administrative Procedure
• Federal Procedure Forms : Federal Courts and Administrative Agencies
• O'Connor's Federal Civil Forms
• O'Connor's Federal Rules, Civil Trials : Practice Guide and Annotated Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
• Bender's Federal Practice Forms by Louis R. Frumer
• Moore's Federal Practice and Procedure by James William Moore
• Federal Practice and Procedure by Charles Alan Wright

Look for even more resources online, including the Federal Practice Manual for Legal Aid Attorneys, a free resource from the Shriver National Center on Poverty. For a wealth of additional digital sources, visit the Texas State Law Library. When you register for a library card online, you will have access to a number of e-books that address various areas of federal practice and procedure. Just a few of the titles available for online checkout are:

• Federal Appellate Practice and Procedure in a Nutshell
• Federal Standards of Review
• Pretrial Litigation in a Nutshell
• Section 1983 Litigation Forms

Free Westlaw CLE from the Legal Tech Institute

The Legal Tech Institute at the Harris County Law Library is hosting a free Westlaw CLE this week. To register, visit the Course Calendar on the Legal Tech Institute website.

Join us on Thursday, February 16, 12:00pm to 1:00pm for a Vendor Visit from our Westlaw representative who will discuss Legislative and Statutory Resources available for free on the Law Library’s Westlaw computers. Texas attorneys can earn 1.0 hour CLE credit.

You can also watch past CLEs anytime on the Legal Tech Institute On-demand Learning webpage. CLE credit is available in Texas for viewing the video up to a year after the live event.

Legislative Histories of Cybersecurity Laws Enacted by the 113th and 114th Congresses

January is Data Privacy and Information Security Law Month at the Harris County Law Library. All month long, we are promoting the data privacy resources in our collection to raise awareness of the need for data security in the practice of law. We are also featuring relevant electronic sources, including the Cybersecurity Law Institute at Georgetown University, and the Cybersecurity Law Report, both of which are freely available on the Internet.

The Law Library's subscription databases provide access to even more good resources, including legislative histories of key cybersecurity laws. HeinOnline has just added several new cybersecurity law resources to its U.S. Federal Legislative History Library. The new collection, Legislative Histories of Cybersecurity Laws Enacted by the 113th and 114th Congresses (William H. Manz, ed.) (2016)  is a compilation of eight laws enacted in 2014 and 2015 including: 

• Cybersecurity Workforce Assessment Act
• Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2014
• National Cybersecurity Protection Act of 2014
• Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014

Four additional Acts grouped into the Cybersecurity Act of 2015 are also part of the compilation. The legislative histories include the text and chronology of the Acts, bill versions, related bills, committee reports, congressional debates and hearings, GAO reports, and presidential materials. 

To access these legislative histories and a world of other content, visit the Law Library or access HeinOnline on your mobile device.

Labor and Employment Law Research Guide

January is Employment Law Resource Month at Harris County Law Library. Selected labor and employment law resources are on display in the library, and others are highlighted here on Ex Libris Juris. Another excellent tool for locating our most frequently consulted employment law resources can be found on our website under the Legal Research tab on our homepage. The Labor and Employment Law Research Guide features Practice Essentials, including treatises, form manuals, and pattern jury charges, along with annotated statutes and codes, CLE coursebooks, and legal periodicals. Additional titles on workplace discrimination, labor relations, occupational safety, and workers' compensation are recommended. Access this Guide online, download or print a PDF copy, or pick up a hard copy at the Reference Desk.