Today is the 75th anniversary of the invasion of Normandy by Allied forces during World War II, usually referred to as D-Day. The amphibious and airborne invasions secured a beachhead in northwestern France, which allowed for the rapid build up of forces needed to secure France’s liberation. The invasion was part of an overall strategic plan, Operation Overlord, […]
Washington, D.C. is a nexus for high achievers, accomplished folks, and never-satisfied attention-seekers. In the wash of history, some of Washington’s brighter lights get lost—especially those whose history gets lost because of intersectionality. Mary Ann Shadd Cary is a prime example; she was a polymath whose unswerving quest for equality made her less popular than […]
The In Custodia Legis team has developed a tradition of looking back and reporting on those foreign law reports published that year on the Law Library of Congress website. Our team members also routinely review and report on the most viewed foreign law reports, Global Legal Monitor articles, and In Custodia Legis posts during the passed […]
One day, when I was taking my morning stroll into work, I saw unusual vegetation in our gardens outside the Madison Building. There was this gigantic pumpkin resting on the little corner of the sidewalk garden. I mean unusual of course, since you would expect a pumpkin of this magnitude to be growing in an open […]
Many have written about the importance of parental love for a child’s emotional development. But what happens when a father resents fatherhood? As I am not a psychologist, I will not address the mental health implications of such sad circumstances for the child or for the father. Rejection of paternity, however, raises a serious legal […]
Today’s interview is with Sarah Ettedgui, a foreign law intern working with Nicolas Boring at the Global Legal Research Directorate, Law Library of Congress. Describe your background. I was born in Montreal, Quebec, in Canada. My mother is Sephardic (Jewish of Moroccan and Spanish descent) and my father is Salvadoran, which has enabled me to […]
Today’s interview is with Anthony Breton, a foreign law intern working with Tariq Ahmad at the Global Legal Research Directorate, Law Library of Congress. 1. Describe your background. I had the pleasure to grow up in a very loving family in Quebec’s countryside north of Ottawa in a small town named Cantley in Canada. As […]
Bernardo Vicente Apolinar de Gálvez y Madrid is one of those unsung heroes of American history. Today, I would like to share a few highlights about this giant of Americana. Born on July 23, 1746, in Macharaviaya—a town and municipio in Málaga within the autonomous community of Andalusia, which is situated in the south […]
It is not uncommon for people nowadays to seek out assisted reproductive technology, such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), to conceive children. The technology allows freezing the embryos created through IVF for use at a later date, when for example fertility may become an issue. Disputes over who owns the frozen embryos may arise later, typically when […]
Everyone is talking about the European Union‘s (EU) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which takes effect today. Recent news reports about misuse of personal data suggest that rules to protect personal data are essential in today’s interconnected (online) world. But what is the GDPR exactly? And why should you care about an EU law if […]