Harris County Law Library
Finding Historical Harris County Records
Its Tuesday morning in Houston, and you suddenly remember that you do not know how to research Harris County’s historical records. You set down your morning coffee and find your way to the Ex Libris Juris series, and as luck would have it - you discover this topic is about to be covered in this post.
Read moreStarting July 1, the Law Library will offer its patrons two new databases from EBSCO: Legal Information Reference Center and Legal Source.
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By Michael Whiteman & Peter Scott Campbell
Published by William S. Hein & Co., Inc.
KF 105.9 .W49 2017
We all like things that make our life easier, especially if they are things that save us time, money, or effort. In the case of this particular Latest & Greatest post, we have something that quite possibly satisfies all three. A Union List of Appellate Court Records and Briefs: Federal and State is a compilation of sources that a legal researcher can consult when trying to track down court records and briefs. The authors recognize that these resources can be quite valuable, yet quite difficult to locate, so they’ve done the tough work and compiled the addresses and telephone numbers of the clerks of court and court libraries and researched the availability and possible fees associated with accessing any electronic holdings of these documents. Arranged in four sections, A Union List of Appellate Court Records and Briefs: Federal and State includes pertinent contact information for the United States Supreme Court, United States Circuit Courts of Appeals, State Final Appellate Courts, and State Intermediate Appellate Courts.
Next time you are in the need of appellate briefs or records, consult A Union List of Appellate Court Records and Briefs: Federal and State first. It will make your job easier, and who doesn’t like that?
By Lauren M. Collins
Published by William S. Hein & Co., Inc.
KF 7709 .C65 2017
Throughout the month of February, the Harris County Law Library is featuring legal research and writing resources. Today's blog post highlights a resource that doesn't show you how to perform legal research but rather helps you find specific sources to get you the answers you need. The 69th volume in a collection of research guides, Veterans Benefits: A Legal Research Guide provides researchers with a resource for locating benefits that available to veterans and their families. From the outset, author Lauren M. Collins stresses the need for a research strategy prior to embarking upon a search of this kind because of the difficulty involved with finding information regarding benefits. She notes that the most common resources available are secondary sources, specific federal statutes and laws, and relevant state laws and programs and provides some examples of each type of resource. She briefly explains the procedural steps for filing a claim for benefits and for filing an appeal should the request be denied. She also describes some benefits that are available for family members of veterans and some benefits that are provided by federal agencies other than the Department of Veterans Affairs and how to locate them. Ms. Collins also points out several internet resources, including government websites, websites maintained by advocacy groups, blogs, online training resources, and news alerts.
Although not meant to be a comprehensive guide, Veterans Benefits: A Legal Research Guide provides some of the tools necessary to locate the benefits that veterans need and deserve. Stop by the Harris County Law Library to have a look at this vital research tool.
February is Legal Research & Writing Resource Month at the Harris County Law Library. Whether you are an attorney drafting a motion or a self-represented litigant navigating the court system, writing is a necessary component of your legal work. Visit the Law Library all month long to find resources on display that you can use to improve and enhance your legal research and writing skills.
To improve your legal writing skills, look for the following:
To improve your legal research skills, look for the following:
What’s behind the name? “Ex Libris Juris” is Latin for “from the books of law” and much of the information here will relate to the legal information collected and curated by the Law Library. Additionally, “Ex Libris” has long appeared on bookplates – labels appearing inside the front cover of books – and has acquired the connoted meaning “from the library of” to show ownership of the book. Using this connotation, the phrase becomes “from the library of law” and better describes the posts about digital resources, event announcements, and research tips that will regularly appear here.
