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Archive: March 2017 (24 Posts)

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James Madison Birthday Commemoration—Pics of the Week

Posted by: Liah Caravalho

On Thursday, March 16, 2017, the Law Library of Congress and the Library Manuscript Division commemorated James Madison’s 266th birthday. The event was held in the James Madison Memorial Building, which is the United States’ official memorial to the fourth president. The Law Librarian of Congress, Jane Sánchez, spoke about James Madison’s contributions to the …

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The Administration of a Probate Estate: A Beginner’s Guide

Posted by: Barbara Bavis

This post is coauthored by Barbara Bavis, instructional librarian, and Robert Brammer, senior legal information specialist We frequently receive reference requests for resources related to the administration of an estate. In this Beginner’s Guide, we will direct you to general and state-specific resources that concern probate administration. If you are interested in resources for drafting a will, please …

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An Interview with Sarah Cooper, Scholar-in-Residence

Posted by: Donna Sokol

This week’s interview is with Dr. Sarah Cooper, the Law Library scholar-in-residence.  Dr. Cooper made extensive use of the Law Library’s collection to conduct research for her next book.  During her short time here, Dr. Cooper significantly changed the structure of her book due to the materials she discovered at the Library. Describe your background. …

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The Saudi Arabian 2012 Arbitration Law

Posted by: Kelly Buchanan

The following is a guest post by Abdalrahman Alangari, a student from Saudi Arabia who was a foreign law intern at the Law Library of Congress for a few months in late 2016. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the largest economy among the Gulf countries. Developments in the Kingdom in recent years have transformed it into a new regional and global hub for …

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Happiness on the Shelf

Posted by: Jennifer Davis

Are you happy today? If not today, are you happy with your life generally? If you’re wondering why that question matters, and you tend to think about pursuing happiness as a poetic flourish rather than a  mission statement, you might want to look at the United Nations’ (UN) declaration in support of its 4th International …

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60-Year Anniversary of the Rome Treaties

Posted by: Jenny Gesley

On March 25, 1957 – 60 years ago tomorrow – the governments of France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg signed the “Treaties of Rome”, thereby establishing what would later become the European Union (EU). The “Treaties of Rome” consist of two different treaties: the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community (EEC Treaty) and the Treaty establishing the European …

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World Meteorological Day

Posted by: Jennifer González

Today, March 23rd, is World Meteorological Day, as dubbed by the United Nations in WMO/EC-XII/Res. 6 and celebrated around the world. The United Nations’ World Meteorological Organization (WMO) provides the framework for international cooperation on weather issues that know no political boundaries. This year’s theme for the event is “Understanding Clouds,” and their website has …

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Elor Azaria and Alexander Blackman: Adjudication of Unlawful Military Shootings

Posted by: Ruth Levush

What impact do prolonged periods of stress and fear have on a soldier’s behavior? Do the horrors of war and terrorist acts justify conduct that would otherwise be unlawful? While such circumstances do not seem to amount to justification for violating the law, it is notable that “exceptional stressors” and constant threats faced by soldiers were recently considered …