Register today for our upcoming CLE from the Legal Tech Institute at the Harris County Law Library! This program is presented by our local Westlaw trainer and will focus on Statutory and Legislative History resources on Westlaw that you can access for free at the Law Library.
New Year, New Laws for Texans
As the new year begins, Texans are seeing a handful of changes in the law. Many of the legislative developments of the last Congressional session took effect on September 1, 2017 (including the right to carry swords and machetes in public and the prohibition on texting while driving), but a few additional laws -- 26 to be exact -- were slated to launch on January 1, 2018, along with specific sections of eight additional bills. Milk transport, prepaid calling cards, property appraisals, credit card transactions, bingo halls, and the transfer of motor vehicles are all impacted by the changes. To learn more about the 85th legislative session and the laws that took effect on January 1st, visit the websites listed here.
Latest & Greatest – Friedman and Smith on Contracts and Conveyances of Real Property
By Milton R. Friedman & James Charles Smith
Published by Practising Law Institute
KF 670 .F7 2017
With the recently-released, Friedman and Smith on Contracts and Conveyances of Real Property, author and editor James Charles Smith took on the monumental task of revising one of the key treatises in the area of real estate law. Ever since its first publication in 1954, the original Friedman on Contracts and Conveyances of Real Property, written by the late Milton R. Friedman, has been an authoritative reference resource for real estate attorneys and has been a reliable source for instructing lawyers as to what they should and should not be doing.
Divided into three volumes, Friedman and Smith explores practically every aspect of a real estate transaction from the contract of sale to the closing process and everything in between. Featuring over 140 sample forms, clauses, and checklists, Friedman and Smith also includes in-depth discussions of issues such as misrepresentation, mortgages and other encumbrances, marketable title and title examination, adverse possession and prescription, easements, covenants, and remedies for defaults. The text does not focus merely on one party to the transaction, but rather provides information that is useful to both buyers and sellers.
Before you take part in that next, or perhaps your first, real estate transaction, have a look at Friedman and Smith on Contracts and Conveyances of Real Property. It may just have all of the essential information you need.
Tech Tuesday: Library Technology Exhibit
The Harris County Law Library has seen many changes since it opened on October 1, 1915, including many changes in technology. This month's exhibit features several treasures from the past century representing the evolution of technology in the Law Library and in the practice of law. Don't miss the exhibit, which will be located in the library's lobby throughout January.
The electric light bulb was the first technology introduced to the Law Library, followed three decades later by a new development in sound recording technology.
The Soundscriber Dictation Machine, which featured an amplified microphone and soft-vinyl recording discs was introduced in 1945. It allowed attorneys to dictate notes, letters, and other documents while conducting research in the Law Library.
Westlaw Automated Law Terminal (W.A.L.T.) (c. 1982) - a similar terminal was available in the Harris County Law Library as early as 1985. {photo courtesy of Thomson Reuters}
In the 1980s, electronic legal research made its debut with W.A.L.T. (West Automated Legal Terminal), Harris County Law Library's portal to the Westlaw database. This dedicated computer terminal allowed users to access the Westlaw database over the Internet, but the cost of online legal research was prohibitive for most users. Electronic searching could cost up to $150 per hour, so print materials remained popular.
Demand for print resources guided the Law Library's collection development decisions throughout the 1990s. The library began purchasing books on computers and the law, but developments in tech quickly outpaced their usefulness. Fortunately, Westlaw and Lexis were becoming more accessible and robust. Today, the Law Library relies heavily on electronic resources. With 25 public legal research computers available for patron use, a great variety of digital content is readily available.Computers are Internet-connected, allowing for access to several databases, including Lexis, Westlaw, HeinOnline, O’Connor’s Online, and the State Bar of Texas Practice Manuals.
The library's presence on social media -- Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram -- has also grown, providing users with up-to-date access to information about Law Library resources, services, and events, including the CLE sessions presented by the Law Library's Legal Tech Institute.
The Legal Tech Institute is an ongoing series of free learning opportunities focused on using technology for more efficient legal work. Since October of 2016, a new learning session has been offered each month with content designed for a diverse audience of legal tech beginners and experts. Microsoft Word for Lawyers, Excel Essentials, and Finding & Formatting Legal Forms are just a few of the courses that LTI has presented so far. Representatives from Westlaw and Lexis have rounded out the schedule with regular Vendor Visits.
LTI continues to grow with an ever-expanding menu of learning opportunities both in person an online. Earn CLE credit and improve your tech proficiency by visiting the LTI webpage where on-demand recordings of previous events are available. Look for even more offerings via our Hands-On Legal Tech Training courses which are scheduled to launch in 2018.
Recognition for Ex Libris Juris in 2017
This has been quite an active year for the Harris County Law Library. We're proud of our many accomplishments, and we're looking forward to a number of new and exciting projects in 2018.
As a reader of this blog, Ex Libris Juris, you're familiar with the kinds news and information we provide. We cover everything from new library resources and tips for more effective legal research, to trends in legal technology and, on occasion, legal history. This year, we were honored to be recognized dozens of times by Texas Bar Today, the State Bar of Texas daily roundup of the best blog posts published in the state. On eight occasions, Texas Bar Today selected our blog for its weekly compilation of the top ten blog posts. Subject matter for the selected blog posts has varied considerably, covering such diverse topics as digital currency, the right-to-repair movement, legal chatbots, access to justice, daylight savings time, and geography and the law. We have been proud to share the Texas Bar Today Top Ten Badge on social media and grateful for the attention -- and blog traffic -- it has brought us.
We have also been included several times on the American Association of Law Libraries KnowItAALL daily email newsletter. Being recognized by our professional peers is a true honor. We appreciate the attention from AALL and always feel proud to be included among our law librarian colleagues,
We're excited about the upcoming year and eager to begin contributing more news and ideas to the diverse array of content that those in the Texas law blog community create and share online. Happy New Year, everyone!