Join us on Thursday, March 23, at 12pm for a Legal Tech Institute CLE on The Ethics of Cloud Computing. Our speaker is Sammy Ford, IV, attorney at Ahmad, Zavitsanos, Anaipakos, Alavi & Mensing PC, who regularly presents on legal tech for the Houston Bar Association and the State Bar of Texas. Texas attorneys can earn 1.0 hour CLE credit and 0.75 hours ethics. Click the link below to visit the Legal Tech Institute website for details and registration information.
Spring Forward: The History Of Daylight Saving Time
Don't forget! Daylight savings time begins this weekend at precisely 2:00 am on Sunday, March 12th. For a look at the historical origins of daylight savings time, which was established by the federal government in 1918, visit the links below:
Senate Sergeant at Arms Charles Higgins turns forward the Ohio Clock for the first Daylight Saving Time, while Senators William Calder (NY), William Saulsbury, Jr. (DE), and Joseph T. Robinson (AR) look on, 1918.
credit: Senate Historical Office
Establishing Daylight Saving Time
"Spring Forward, Fall Back -- It's Daylight Saving Time," In Custodia Legis, Law Librarians of Congress
Photo: Changing the Clock for the First Daylight Saving Time, U.S. Senate
Topics in Chronicling American -- Daylight Saving Time, Sample articles, Important Dates, Search Strategies
For access to House Bill 150, which proposes to end Daylight Saving Time in Texas, see the link below. Coverage of the proposed legislation and commentary about the history of Daylight Saving Time in Texas is also provided.
Daylight Saving Time in Texas
Texas HB 150: Relating to daylight saving time (Filed 11/10/2014)
"Hate Daylight Saving Time? Thank Two Presidents from Texas," BirkaBlog, Texas Monthly Politics Blog, R.G. Ratcliffe
"Is Texas Going to Give Up Daylight Saving Time?," Wide Open Country, Elizabeth Abrahamsen
Video: Speaker Barnes Explains Daylight Savings Time for Texas, Texas Archive of the Moving Image
Federal Practice Resources Month
March is Federal Practice Resources Month at the Harris County Law Library. Throughout the month, federal practice legal resources will be on display, including the titles listed below. Additional resources can be found via our online catalog and in the FEDERAL SECTION of the library.
- Federal Procedure : A Problem-Solving Textual Analysis of Federal Judicial and Administrative Procedure
- Federal Procedure Forms : Federal Courts and Administrative Agencies
- O'Connor's Federal Civil Forms
- O'Connor's Federal Rules, Civil Trials : Practice Guide and Annotated Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
- Bender's Federal Practice Forms by Louis R. Frumer
- Moore's Federal Practice and Procedure by James William Moore
- Federal Practice and Procedure by Charles Alan Wright
Look for even more resources online, including the Federal Practice Manual for Legal Aid Attorneys, a free resource from the Shriver National Center on Poverty. For a wealth of additional digital sources, visit the Texas State Law Library. When you register for a library card online, you will have access to a number of e-books that address various areas of federal practice and procedure. Just a few of the titles available for online checkout are:
- Federal Appellate Practice and Procedure in a Nutshell
- Federal Standards of Review
- Pretrial Litigation in a Nutshell
- Section 1983 Litigation Forms
Tech4Justice Hackathon + Veterans - Houston and Chicago, March 11-17
Tech For Justice, an initiative of the InternetBar.org Institute, is hosting a hackathon for veterans. It will kick off in Houston this weekend and continue at the ABA Techshow in Chicago. The event will wrap up in Houston on March 17th, when $10,000 in prizes will be awarded for the best proposals.
What is a hackathon?
A hackathon is a collaborative event that takes place over several days. Hackathons draw people together from a wide variety of backgrounds to solve a specific set of problems. Those who work in technology, research, legal aid, social services, government, business, education, advocacy, the justice system, civic organizations, urban planning, public health, or any number of other fields all have a role to play.
What is the goal of a hackathon?
Ultimately, the goal of a hackathon is to solve problems, often social or civic in nature, by pooling intellectual resources and drawing on the expertise of peers. Hackathon participants create apps, games, or other tech tools that address specific issues. They may also develop new models for using existing technology, such as social media or mobile devices, in original ways.
Who benefits from the outcome?
The Tech For Justice Hackathon is targeted at helping veterans address the challenges they face upon returning to civilian life. Participants will work in small teams to develop tech-based tools for facilitating reintegration, treating PTSD, overcoming homelessness, and addressing a variety of legal, financial, and mental health needs. Although Legal Aid offices offer programs for veterans, they are overburdened and unable to meet the overwhelming demand for their services. Innovative solutions are needed to meet veterans' needs where traditional channels are failing. The Tech For Justice Hackathon will produce real, viable solutions to the problems that veterans of every generation experience post-deployment.
How can people get involved?
Anyone can sign up to be involved in the hackathon happening March 11th-17th, whether you are an attorney, a veteran yourself or close to one, or simply feel passionate about veteran affairs.
Women's History Month at the Harris County Law Library
In 1987, Congress passed a law designating March as Women’s History Month. In his proclamation, President Reagan called upon “all Americans to mark this month with appropriate observances to honor the achievements of American women.” This month, the Harris County Law Library celebrates the achievements of a pioneering Houston attorney, Camille Elizabeth Stanford Openshaw, who overcame bias in the male-dominated legal field of the early 20th century to obtain her law degree and make significant contributions in her legal career.
Camille E.S. Openshaw is the subject of both a physical exhibit and digital exhibit at the Harris County Law Library. In our digital exhibit, you can find Openshaw's yearbook photo from South Texas School of Law, where she was the second woman to graduate with a law degree, and her 1935 notoriety as she represented a member of the Bonnie & Clyde gang. As Openshaw persisted to pursue her legal career in a strongly biased era, she demonstrated a strong spirit worth celebrating.
Today, women continue to make enormous strides in the law in both legal practice and academia. After 130 years, the prestigious Harvard Law Review elected for the first time a black woman, ImeIme Umana, as president , and Yale Law School just named a new dean, Heather Gerken, the first woman to ever hold the position. In a recent Bloomberg Law interview, Ms. Gerken comments on the personal significance of her position, pointing to her role as the mother of a 14-year old daughter while outlining her vision for the future of the institution she now helms. Continued inclusion and promotion of women in the legal profession and increasing overall diversity will remain perennially important topics as the significant contributions of women like Openshaw, Umana, and Gerken continue to receive deserved recognition. Here are a few sources to help you learn about the topic and keep tabs on new developments:
