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Archive: July 2020 (25 Posts)

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

Birthday of First US Patent

Posted by: Jim Martin

On this day in 1790, the United States government issued a patent to Samuel Hopkins for an improvement in the means of making potash and pearl ash. Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 of the Constitution of the United States of America provides the Congress the power to pass laws to protect intellectual property. However, …

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ISSN 2691-6592

Posted by: Jennifer Davis

On June 25, 2020, the Library posted ISSNs on the pages of all of its blogs, including In Custodia Legis, which now bears ISSN 2691-6592 right under the “About this Blog” link on the upper left side of the page, and also on the bottom of the “About” page. If you are a serials cataloger, …

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Find a Member of Congress by Address on Congress.gov

Posted by: Andrew Weber

In June, Margaret shared that we had added district maps to member profile pages on Congress.gov. Each map on a member profile can be expanded to show a larger size version of the map. With today’s update to Congress.gov, we build upon the district maps by adding a new search box to help you find your member. …

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The Law Library of Congress Celebrates the 30th Anniversary of the ADA, Recognizing Library Staff Who Promote Accessibility

Posted by: Anna Price

Special thanks to Willa Armstrong, Natalie Buda Smith, Karen Keninger, Katie Noethe, and Hope O’Keeffe for their assistance in putting together this post. Thirty years ago, on July 26, 1990, President George H. W. Bush signed into law the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). Among its provisions, the ADA prohibits disability-based discrimination in …

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

The Abdication of a Queen

Posted by: Margaret Wood

On July 24, 1567, an imprisoned Mary Queen of Scots was forced to sign the instrument of her own abdication, thereby handing over the throne of Scotland to her 13-month-old son, James, and his regents. She was only 24 years old and had been queen of Scotland since the first week of her life. She was forced …

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Remote Interns for Summer 2020

Posted by: Jennifer González

The Digital Resources Division at the Law Library has had years of experience with remote interns, so we were well-prepared for this pandemic situation and quarantine! We were able to host over 50 remote interns and volunteers this summer to help further our goal of providing access to legal materials. We were also so glad …

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When the Former Vice President of the Confederacy Debated Civil Rights with an African American Congressman

Posted by: Robert Brammer

On January 6, 1874, Robert B. Elliot, an African American representative, from South Carolina debated a landmark civil rights bill on the floor of Congress against the former vice president of the Confederacy, Alexander Stephens. Robert B. Elliott served as a prominent delegate to the 1868 South Carolina State Constitutional Convention and was later elected to the …