This blog post was originally published on April 24, 2020, and was last updated on April 25, 2024. Today is Arbor Day, a national event held annually on the last Friday in April, and earlier in the week, on April 22, we celebrated Earth Day. In recognition of these twin occasions, we at the Hainsworth Law Library have compiled a brief list of resources about trees and the law. Image credit: https://www.loc.gov/resource/cph.3b48810/ Do you specialize in an unusual branch of the law? Or does the law leave you stumped? What exactly is the root of your legal concern? On this Arbor Day, leave it t ..read more

This blog post was originally published on March 29, 2022 and was last updated on April 16, 2024. The Texas Supreme Court Judicial Committee on Information Technology approved new State Mandated Technology Standards for e-filing, effective March 6, 2024. This blog post features updated information on e-filing in Texas for pro se litigants and includes a list of helpful resources and answers to questions most frequently asked by our patrons. Pro se (self-represented) litigants may e-file their documents without the assistance of an attorney. However, the e-filing process may be complicated. If ..read more

The unauthorized practice of law (UPL) is something that law librarians who work directly with the public have to always keep in mind. In Texas, the practice of law is defined as: 1.      The preparation of a pleading or other document incident to an action or special proceeding or the management of the action or proceeding on behalf of a client before a judge in court. 2.      A service rendered out of court, including the giving of advice or the rendering of any service requiring the use of legal skill or knowledge Anyone who is found practic ..read more

Much has been written and said about Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States. He has been the subject of countless books (over 60,000) and numerous documentaries and films (including one where he was a vampire hunter). Despite this media saturation, Abraham Lincoln, the man, still has the power and ability to captivate and appeal to generations because of his heroism and courage, his empathy, his civility, and of course, his honesty. These qualities are often trumpeted as ideals that ought to be applauded and imitated. Jonathan Shapiro, a writer, producer, and attorney, think ..read more

Image by SpiderM from Pixabay Lunar New Year or Chinese New Year is this Saturday, February 10, 2024. Lunar New Year “is a celebration of the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year on the lunisolar calendar.” It is widely celebrated in countries like China, South Korea, Vietnam, and any other countries with “a significant overseas Chinese population”.  You may find many colleagues who celebrate the holiday to be busy with festivities for quite some time around this time of year, as the events are spread out over a 11 day time period and end in a Lantern Festival, which takes p ..read more

The Texas primary election will take place on March 5th, 2024. Register to vote by next Monday, February 5th to participate in the primary election. Image by Venita Oberholster from Pixabay. The Texas Secretary of State is the chief elections officer of Texas; the SOS website provides a variety of resources for voters, including calendars, election results and data, and information about voting technology. Visit the Current Elections Information page for calendars, candidate information, and other ballot information. For a quick overview of offices up for election in 2024, review this candida ..read more

So it is obvious that if man is to redeem his spiritual and moral lag, he must go all out to bridge the social and economic gulf between the “haves” and the “have nots” of the world. Poverty is one of the most urgent items on the agenda of modern life…There is nothing new about poverty. What is new, however, is that we have the resources to get rid of it…There is no deficit in human resources; the deficit is in human will. The well-off and the secure have too often become indifferent and oblivious to the poverty and deprivation in their midst. The poor in our countries have been shut out of o ..read more

Harris County Robert W. Hainsworth Law Library Bookmas Tree 2023 We at the Harris County Robert W. Hainsworth Law Library wish all of our library patrons and visitors, as well our law library colleagues, our community partners, the legal community, and the residents of Harris County, a warm and joyous holiday season and a prosperous, happy new year. As you pause to celebrate the season, you may wish to visit an old literary classic. Consider the following list of reading materials, available in the public domain on the Project Gutenberg website, when looking for a holiday story to enjoy. A ..read more

On November 30, 2023, the American Bar Association released its fifth annual Profile of the Legal Profession. This free report, a 140-page compilation of statistics and trends about lawyers, judges, and law students, includes sections on demographics, wages, law schools, judges, pro bono work, women in the profession, legal technology, lawyer well-being, and lawyer discipline. One additional chapter — a review of civil legal aid in the United States — is the feature we wish to explore in today’s blog post. Among the report’s many findings is a striking insight: the percentage of paid civil le ..read more

Image by idaro3 from Pixabay When the blustery winds blow steadily from the north and a dusting of snow carpets the ground, it’s easy to picture a scene from a Hallmark holiday movie – people strolling down a festive street, cups of hot cocoa warming mittened hands. It certainly seems appropriate that National Cocoa Day falls on December 13, the time of year when the days are getting longer and colder and when bakers and confectioners are whipping up dreamy, chocolatey concoctions. As picture-perfect as this scene might be, let’s step away from this winter wonderland, and take a moment to exa ..read more