On December 30, 1903, a fire broke out in the Iroquois Theatre in Chicago, Illinois when a broken arc light ignited a muslin curtain. The theatre burned to the ground and over 600 theatre occupants, more than two-thirds women and children, died of asphyxiation, burns, or trampling. It remains one of the deadliest fires in …
The Caribbean is a term for the area that comprises nearly twenty-five sovereign territories, overseas departments, and dependencies in the Caribbean Sea basin. The U.N. Statistical Division and the CIA World Factbook recognize the Caribbean as a distinct geographical subregion for statistical and economic purposes. Historically, the Caribbean has not generated much legal material compared …
Everyone loves pirates. As International Talk Like a Pirate Day approaches, especially this year when it’s falling on a Saturday, there’s a built-in excuse for a party. You get to say “Arrr” quite a bit, fly a Jolly Roger, possibly drink rum or carry a cutlass, although one hopes not at the same time. Pirates …
The following information relies on the recollections and opinions of a retired local jurisdiction law enforcement officer. When Betty wrote her “Legalese” post on terms from legal dictionaries, I mentioned that “mirandize” was one of my favorites. My dad had started his law enforcement career just a few years prior to the Supreme Court’s Miranda …
The following is a guest post by Brandon Fitzgerald, project manager of a Law Library staffing contract, writer and student of poetry and literature. In honor of National Poetry Month, I want to consider the intersections between law and poetry. Each entails persuasion and precision of language. Word choice and word placement are central to …
Both law and poetry require a fluid grasp of language and a critical need for precision and economy with words; possessing these skills can be the key to making one person successful in both endeavors. There are a few times in history when well-known poets started their professional lives in the law (John Donne, Archibald …
January is traditionally the time when a large number of people take stock of their activities from the previous year and vow to make changes in their lives. They work to quit old habits or adopt new ones. Recently two new books crossed my desk that relate to the law and self-reformation, and I wanted …