Notice
Due to the temporary shutdown of the federal government beginning midnight, October 1, all Library of Congress buildings are closed and all public events are canceled until further notice. More.

Top of page

Category: In the News

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

Regulating the Winter Olympics in Russia

Posted by: Kelly Buchanan

The following is a guest post by Peter Roudik, Director of the Global Legal Research Directorate in the Law Library of Congress.  Peter is our Russian law specialist and has previously written posts for In Custodia Legis on Soviet law and the assassination of JFK, laws of the Russian Federation, the 95th anniversary of the …

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

Rugby, Apartheid, and the Law

Posted by: Kelly Buchanan

The recent passing of Nelson Mandela saw much sorrow expressed around the world, as well as a great deal of reflection and celebration of his life.  Many articles were written from a wide range of angles and perspectives.  And many people related their personal experiences of how the events and achievements of Mandela’s life had …

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

Christmas Movies and the Law

Posted by: Margaret Wood

James (Jim) Martin, Andrew Weber and I were talking about Christmas movies several weeks ago.  Jim describes himself as a cynic, who “developed a taste for what I call ‘alternative Christmas,’ films such as The Lion in Winter and Desk Set.”  Jim defines alternative Christmas films as “films that take place during the holiday period, but …

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

To Shop or to Stop?

Posted by: Kelly Buchanan

I’m betting at least a few of our readers braved the Black Friday shopping crowds to get their hands on particular products at bargain prices.  You may have even ventured out to shop on Thanksgiving Thursday, with a number of stores deciding to open much earlier than in previous years.  Of course, as was widely …

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

Report on the Adjudication of Sexual Offenses in Foreign Military Justice Systems

Posted by: Ruth Levush

The handling and adjudication of sexual offenses in the military have drawn much public and Congressional interest in recent months following the disclosure of several high profile cases involving allegations of sexual assault by U.S. service members.  Several proposals for reforming the way such allegations are handled within the U.S. military justice system have been …

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

Soviet Law and the Assassination of JFK

Posted by: Kelly Buchanan

The following is a guest post by Peter Roudik, Director of the Global Legal Research Center at the Law Library of Congress and a foreign law specialist covering Russia and former Soviet Union jurisdictions. In a recent interview with NPR, the Librarian of Congress Dr. James H. Billington said that “the assassination of President Kennedy …

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

Boarding School Scandal in Sweden

Posted by: Ruth Levush

The following is a guest post by Elin Hofverberg, a Swedish law specialist working at the Law Library of Congress. Elin was featured in an In Custodia Legis interview on October 19, 2011. What happened? A debate about the existence, operation, and legal aspects of private boarding schools is currently raging in Sweden. Such schools remain …

Ornate red and ivory wall decoration, with plaque and symbols

1680 – the Pueblo Revolt

Posted by: Margaret Wood

For my cousins, growing up in New England, American history began with the Pilgrims and settlement at Jamestown.  But for me, growing up in New Mexico, history began with the 16th century Spanish Conquest and the drive up into New Mexico territory followed, a century later, by the Pueblo Revolt.  The history of the United States …