MONTHLY FEATURES: MAGNA CARTA & CONSTITUTIONAL LAW RESOURCES

During the month of June, the Harris County Law Library is commemorating Magna Carta. Don’t miss our digital exhibit and the exhibit currently on display in the Law Library's lobby, where you can explore the origins of this historically significant document and its impact on both the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights, as well as its influence on the rule of law in Texas.

To complement our Magna Carta exhibits, the Law Library has adopted a theme, Constitutional Law Resource Month, which will feature items from our collection, including treatises, reference works, CLE course materials, form books, and other practitioner tools that may be useful in conducting constitutional law research.

The Law Library will also feature a small display of commentaries and related examples of case law that demonstrate the connections between Magna Carta and American law. All of these resources and exhibits will be featured until the end of June. Don’t miss your chance to see them, and please feel free to ask the Law Library staff any questions about the materials you discover.

Legal Conferences & Events: TBD Law

For the third consecutive year, Lawyerist and Filament will team up to host a sort of summer camp for lawyers. Known as TBD Law, this unconventional conference/retreat/summit/workshop is an event designed for innovative solo and small firm legal practitioners who are serious about shaping the future of law. Generating fresh ideas and new approaches to improving the practice of law is the goal, and only those who demonstrate a commitment to engaging with big ideas will be invited to attend. Restricting the number of participants will allow for diversity of thought and ensure that all voices have a chance to be heard. To request an invitation, submit your application by July 14th. Fifty-five innovative, forward-thinking lawyers with a vision for improving the future of law office management, client relations, and law-firm business models will be selected to take part in this one-of-a-kind experience. Don't miss it!

AALL Recognizes the Harris County Law Library

The Harris County Law Library is honored to be awarded the American Association of Law Libraries 2017 Excellence in Marketing Award for the second consecutive year. The award, which recognizes outstanding achievement in public relations activities, was previously granted, in 2016, for the promotion of the Law Library's centennial celebration, A Century of Service. This year, AALL recognized the Law Library for the comprehensive marketing campaign designed to promote its three-part lecture series, Immigration Law and Internment Camps in Texas: Legal Perspectives on The Train to Crystal City by Jan Jarboe Russell. The Law Library is grateful for the recognition!

Deputy Director Joseph Lawson was also recognized by the American Association of Law Libraries as a well-deserving recipient of the 2017 Emerging Leader Award, a distinction granted to newer members of AALL who, early in their careers, have made significant contributions to the field of law librarianship, and have demonstrated the potential for leadership and service within the Association. Congratulations, Joe!

Equal Protection and Transgender Rights

Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/7369441@N08/8594644828

Throughout the month of May, we have highlighted civil rights law resources from the Law Library's print collection. Titles currently on display include Transgender Persons and the Law, Section 1983 Litigation in a Nutshell, Americans With Disabilities Practice and Compliance Manual, and Sexual Orientation and the Law. We have also been celebrating the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution. This cornerstone of landmark civil rights legislation has been a source of inspiration for equal justice advocates for nearly 150 years.

The 14th Amendment has been invoked in a great number of historic cases including the trial of Susan B. Anthony (1873), Brown v. Board of Education (1954), Loving v. Virginia (1967), Obergefell v. Hodges (2015), and as recently as yesterday, Whitaker v. Kenosha Unified School District, a case in the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals with important implications for transgender rights.

In Whitaker, a three-judge panel cited the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, arguing that anti-discrimination laws apply to transgender students. They upheld the lower court's injunction, stating that sex discrimination based on gender identity is unconstitutional. This decision, the first ruling of its kind by a court at the federal level, will protect the individual student at the heart of the case and could extend to transgender students as a class. By invoking federal civil rights laws, this ruling has the potential to ensure equality for all transgender people and prohibit discrimination in education, housing, and employment. 

Legal Reference Services for the Public

The reference staff at the Harris County Law Library is always happy to help you find the resources you need to answer your legal research questions. Whether you are a legal professional or a self-represented litigant, we strive to provide the most appropriate and thorough information to meet your legal needs.

Our print materials, especially the titles shelved at the Reference Desk, are heavily used on a daily basis. O'Connor's annotated codes and the O'Connor's legal form books are requested most frequently, along with the State Bar of Texas Practice Manuals for Family, Probate, Real Estate, and Guardianship matters.

The do-it-yourself legal website, TexasLawHelp.org, is another indispensable tool. It provides library patrons with the information they need to file for divorce, arrange for child custody, request name changes, apply for occupational licenses, and expunge criminal records. It also provides a wealth of information about common legal matters including court structure, basic civil procedure, and what to expect when going before a judge in a court of law. 

The Harris County Law Library is a self-service, public law library committed to providing open and equal access to justice for all. We aim to offer the best service possible for every individual who walks through our doors. We partner with the Houston Volunteer Lawyers to offer you the legal advice that we as librarians are not permitted to provide. As a constant reminder to ourselves and to those we serve, we post signs clearly displayed throughout the library, informing patrons of our dedication to providing legal information but not legal advice. We can point you to resources that we know to be reliable, accurate, and authoritative, but we cannot interpret legal forms, statutes, or cases. We must remain neutral and impartial, providing legal definitions and procedural explanations that facilitate access to and understanding of the legal system without providing advice, research, opinions, legal counsel, or subjective evaluations.

As providers of legal reference -- not legal research -- we must remain objective and unbiased. Law librarians are passionate about facilitating access to legal information and empowering library patrons to educate themselves about the law. Ensuring that all library patrons -- especially pro se litigants -- have the tools they need to successfully navigate the complex legal machinery of our justice system and gain access to the legal process is our goal.

To answer any questions about the kind of service we can provide, please refer to this helpful quick reference guide. We're happy to clarify any of the points covered. We look forward to serving all your legal reference needs.