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Archive: April 2014 (21 Posts)

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

Murder, Movies and the Law

Posted by: Margaret Wood

We are at it again – working on one of our posts about movies and the law.  This time we are looking at movies which depict murder trials.  Although posts about movies and the law might seem somewhat lighthearted, movies are a powerful cultural force which often reflect society’s attitudes and understanding of various ideas. To …

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Shakespeare and King John

Posted by: Margaret Wood

April 2014 marks the 450th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s birth.  As a way of combining a salute to Shakespeare and continuing our fascination with all things Magna Carta, I thought I would take a look at Shakespeare’s play, “King John.”  The play is believed to have been written in the 1590s, but it was not …

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

Bas-Relief of The Merchant of Venice – Pic of the Week

Posted by: Donna Sokol

In honor of National Poetry Month and the 450th anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth, today’s Pic of the Week takes a look at a bas-relief that adorns the Folger Shakespeare Library (which is just a few steps away from the Library of Congress buildings). The bas-relief shows the court scene from The Merchant of Venice (Act 4, Scene I).  Portia, the play’s heroine, …

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Literature and Law

Posted by: Donna Sokol

This is a guest post by Jennifer Davis, a supervisory collection specialist in our Collection Services Division at the Law Library of Congress. Hurrying to work in the morning is a good time to think of to-do lists, song lyrics and snatches of poetry. Like most DC workers, I have been lucky enough to hustle …

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An Interview with Rob Sukol, Deputy Law Revision Counsel

Posted by: Andrew Weber

This week’s interview is with Rob Sukol, Deputy Law Revision Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives.  Rob previously did the guest post titled “The United States Code Online – Downloadable XML Files and More” on In Custodia Legis. Describe your background. I was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The music scene in Philly grabbed …

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Was a 9-Month-old Boy Really Charged with Attempted Murder in Pakistan?

Posted by: Robert Brammer

The following is a guest post by Shameema Rahman, senior legal research specialist in our Public Services Division. You may have heard about an incredible article with the headline, “9-month-old boy on the run after attempted murder charge in Pakistan” that appeared in the Washington Times on April 8th. Several news outlets, including CNN News,  have subsequently clarified …

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SEAALL 2014

Posted by: Robert Brammer

From April 3-5, 2014, law librarians from around the Southeast converged on Knoxville, Tennessee for the annual meeting of the Southeastern Chapter of the American Association of Law Libraries (SEAALL).  There were a variety of excellent presentations to choose from, and the following are just a few of my highlights from the conference. The Conference kicked off with …

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

Pic of the Week – The Digital Commons at the D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Branch Library

Posted by: Robert Brammer

We enjoy bringing you photos of the unique libraries, ancient and modern, that we encounter during our travels. In celebration of this year’s National Library Week theme, “lives change @ your library,”  we bring you photos of a unique library close to home. Since the inception of the personal computer and the rise of the internet, public …