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Posted by: Nathan Dorn
A walk through the stacks of the Law Library of Congress will give you a vivid sense, if you had ever wondered, of what more than a million books looks like. Current statistics show that the Law Library houses 2.78 million physical volumes in its collection. Nearly all of these are stored in four gigantesque …
Posted in: Collections, Global Law, Law Library
Posted by: Nathan Dorn
Imagine a court that could force you to incriminate yourself. It might go about its work like this: you are made to stand before a judge who refuses to give you any details about the charge laid against you. You are forced to take an oath before your God to answer truthfully any questions that …
Posted in: Collections, Law Library
Posted by: Nathan Dorn
Today’s pic of the week highlights an item from our collection that finds itself in the spotlight very often, whether as part of a display in one of the Library of Congress’s many fascinating public exhibitions, or as a quasi-sacred book in the swearing-in ceremony of public officials. It is also one of my favorite …
Posted in: Collections, Event, In the News, Law Library, Pic of the Week
Posted by: Nathan Dorn
“There may be room there, though not here for such an holy experiment.” William Penn (1644-1718) wrote these words to a friend in America before he set sail across the Atlantic to found a colony in the New World. The holy experiment he spoke about was a plan to establish a new polity founded on …
Posted in: Collections, In the News, Law Library
Posted by: Nathan Dorn
The idea of republican simplicity is a relic from the age of the American Revolutionary War. To get at its meaning, it’s easiest to meditate on its opposite. Think to yourself: How do I address a king? Am I meant to bow/curtsey? How low? What do I do with my hands while I bow? Do …
Posted in: Collections, Event, Global Law, In the News, Law Library, Pic of the Week
Posted by: Nathan Dorn
Today is the anniversary of the ratification of the first written constitution in American history, the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, which took place on January 14, 1639. The Fundamental Orders outlined the form of government that would be established over the Connecticut River Towns, enumerating its powers and describing the duties of citizens active in government. A fascinating document …
Posted in: Collections, In the News, Law Library
Posted by: Nathan Dorn
New Jersey was once “the Two Jerseys” (East and West). Kentucky started out as Virginia’s backyard. Connecticut once harbored imperial dreams—claiming a Western Reserve that stretched all the way to the banks of the Mississippi. The shapes of our States have a complex and unexpected history. It’s easy to forget that history owes a debt to …
Posted in: Collections, Education, Law Library