This week’s interview is with David Mao, Deputy Law Librarian of Congress. Describe your background. I have been the Deputy Law Librarian of Congress since June 2010. I was born in New York City, but raised in New Jersey (about 15 miles from Exit 8). Although I’ve lived in the DC metropolitan area for more …
The following is a guest post by Dr. Meredith Shedd-Driskel, Law Curator. With the rise of feudalism in medieval France, the country had evolved into two judicial territories. The provincial parliaments in northern France, acting as sovereign judicial bodies independent of each other and claiming independence from the king, applied droit coutumier, or legal principles …
Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. In 1983, President Reagan signed H.R. 3706, a bill to make the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., a legal public holiday, which became Public Law No: 98-144. The day (and federal holiday) is declared each year via Presidential Proclamation and is in honor of the birthday of …
Today’s Pic of the Week comes to you direct from my office! When I started working at the Law Library, I thought it would be nice to have a couple of maps to decorate my office. In addition to a large map of New Zealand, I also have a Pacific-centered world map, shown below. I …
The following is a guest post by Nicole Atwill, Senior Foreign Law Specialist. The Black Code tells us a very long story that started in Versailles, at the court of Louis XIV, the Sun King, in March 1685 and ended in Paris in April 1848 under Arago, at the beginning of the ephemeral Second Republic. …
This week’s interview is with Elizabeth Moore, a librarian in our Collection Services Division. Describe your background I’m a native New Orleanian, who lived there until coming to the Law Library in 2008. I grew up fourth in a family of six children. My father was a biology professor and a naturalist and my mother …
The following is a guest post by James Martin, Reading Room Operations Coordinator. On January 5, 2011, the 112th Congress assembled in Washington for the beginning of its term. The first order of business for the House of Representatives was administering the oath of office, as set forth at title 5 United States Code §3331, …
The following is a guest post by Margaret Wood, Legal Reference Specialist in our Public Services Directorate. At the start of a new Congress, the librarians at the reference desk in the Law Library of Congress’ Reading Room receive a flurry of questions about Congress, THOMAS, and the legislative process. So, at the start of …
The following is a guest post by Roberta Shaffer, Law Librarian of Congress. It is that time again when so many of us reflect upon achievements, and shortcomings, of the previous year and look forward to keeping ambitious resolutions for the new year. In the past few days as the Law Library of Congress staff …
This week’s Pic of the Week is in honor of Marie Whited and her retirement from the Law Library. This past summer, Marie received the American Association of Law Libraries highest honor, the Marian Gould Gallagher Distinguished Service Award. She is best known for her subject work with the Library of Congress Classification for Law, …