Top of page

Archive: 2015 (228 Posts)

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

Frontier Racing and Injured Pride: The Duel Between Andrew Jackson and Charles Dickinson

Posted by: Robert Brammer

One of things I enjoy about working at the Library of Congress is visiting our Manuscripts Division to read first-hand accounts of historic events. After reading a biography of Andrew Jackson, I looked through the finding aid for his papers and came upon a letter from a Tennessee lawyer named Charles Dickinson. The estimated number …

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

Scholar Nicholas Vincent Delivers Final Magna Carta Lecture

Posted by: Jeanine Cali

The Law Library recently welcomed Magna Carta expert Nicholas Vincent for its final program in the Magna Carta Lecture Series. Vincent, professor of medieval history at the University of East Anglia, gave a lively and visual presentation titled “Magna Carta: From Runnymede to Washington: Old Laws, New Discoveries.” In his lecture, Vincent illustrated Magna Carta’s …

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

International Law Books – Pics of the Week

Posted by: Kelly Buchanan

This week the annual meeting of the American Society of International Law is taking place in Washington, D.C.  Peter wrote about attending the conference a couple of years ago.  Several of our staff members are attending various seminars, where they will learn about the latest developments in international law from scholars and practitioners from all …

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

Lemon Laws: A Beginner’s Guide

Posted by: Barbara Bavis

This post is coauthored by Barbara Bavis and Robert Brammer, senior legal reference specialists. In response to our last post on consumer protection law, we determined there was additional interest in “lemon laws.”  Lemon laws are defined by Black’s Law Dictionary as statutes “designed to protect a consumer who buys a substandard automobile, usu[ally] by …

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

Opening Day and the Law

Posted by: Betty Lupinacci

I read with interest Kelly’s post last week regarding cricket and the law, especially the section on the Indian case where the plaintiffs stated that watching the sport was a matter of “right to life and personal liberty.” Today being the Washington Nationals‘ Opening Day, it got me thinking about our National Pastime and how …

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

Courts around the Library of Congress – Pics of the Week

Posted by: Andrew Weber

There is more than one “court” near the Library of Congress.  The most obvious is the Supreme Court of the United States, which–just as the Law Library–was once also in the Capitol Building. There is also “The Court of Neptune Fountain,” which is at the front of the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of …