Harris County Law Library
Congrats to our hometown Houston Rockets on winning Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals. In support of our team, the Harris County Law Library has created a very bookish tribute that will remain on our shelves throughout the Rocekts' playoff run. Stop by, take a #shelfie, and tag @HCLawLibrary to show your book-loving, team spirit!
By Larry E. Holtz and Warren J. Spencer
Published by Blue360 Media
KFT 1761 .A7 H6 2017
A new edition of Texas Law Enforcement Handbook (Contemporary Criminal Procedure) has arrived here at the Harris County Law Library. Written for those engaged in the practice of criminal justice, this book sets out clear and concise discussions of important concepts in criminal law and criminal procedure. Explanations are supplemented by leading cases for which the authors have delineated the key issue presented, the holding, and the court’s reasoning for the decision. The authors have also provided additional notes and comments that further clarify some terms or themes presented in the case. Topics include: arrest, search and seizure, privacy expectations, confessions, and eyewitness identification.
Texas Law Enforcement Handbook (Contemporary Criminal Procedure) is a handy reference resource to have when faced with an issue involving the activities with which law enforcement personnel handle daily. Don't be put off by the words “law enforcement” in the title. This book is a good source of information for issues involving criminal procedure in its early stages.
The State Bar of Texas Computer and Technology Section worked with TexasBarCLE to create a series of short videos on tech-related topics. The program, called Tech Bytes, launched just one year ago in the spring of 2017. Already, there are more than 40 videos available, and the collection is growing.
The videos focus on technology's role in the legal profession and its application to the practice of law, with a special emphasis on tech tools and trends that impact legal ethics and current Rules. Topics vary from simple (redaction) to sophisticated (cybersecurity) and from the everyday (legal apps) to the esoteric (EXIF data). There is something for everyone no matter your level of tech knowledge. Even the most cyber-savvy lawyers will learn something useful. In each 4-7 minute video, explore a new topic. Cloud computing, data encryption, metadata, forensics, electronic data preservation, ransomware, and the ethics of social media are just a few.
Whether you're simply curious about trends in legal tech and want to keep abreast of the benefits and risks of using technology in the practice of law, or you're interested in earning CLE credit through self-study, the State Bar of Texas Computer and Technology Section has a Tech Byte video for you!
Law librarian uniform, standard issue.
Law librarians are no strangers to fashion. Anyone familiar with our cardigan game knows what I’m talking about. Increasingly, other lawyers are catching up, with fashion law rapidly expanding as both a practice area and a field of general interest.
What even is fashion law? It covers everything from intellectual property, to business, to international human rights.
Classic cinema.
Traditionally, fashion has enjoyed only limited intellectual property protection in the United States, where clothing design has been considered such an essential (or maybe inessential, depending who you ask) part of culture development that copycats have been encouraged by the market and the lack of legal constraints. Readers may recall the classic scene in “The Devil Wears Prada,” when Runway Magazine editor Miranda explains this phenomenon to fashion neophyte Andy, who had no understanding of the lofty origins of her "lumpy blue sweater."
A recent Supreme Court ruling, however, has shifted the conversation. In Star Athletica, L.L.C. v. Varsity Brands, Inc., 580 U.S. ___ (2017), the Court held that graphic designs applied to useful articles can be subject to copyright, even if those designs are apparently essential to the usefulness of the article. This ruling certainly favors large shops with the resources to create novel designs, register them with the Copyright Office, and litigate against smaller operations with fewer resources. However, it also means that independent artists will now have recourse when their designs are mass produced without permission by behemoths like Walmart or Urban Outfitters.
The cheerleader uniforms at the heart of the Star Athletica case.
View of the Dhaka, Bangladesh river walk.
The fashion industry is using the law to combat human rights abuses long associated with “fast fashion.” An international organization called Fashion Revolution is leading the charge to provide safe working conditions and fair wages for everyone employed by the industry, including floor shop laborers in developing nations. International scrutiny of these issues increased significantly in the wake of the November 2012 Tazreen Fashion factory fire, which killed at least 117 workers in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Attorneys and legal professionals can now obtain specialized degrees in fashion law. The Fashion Law Institute at Fordham Law School offers both an LLM and MSL in this burgeoning space, as well as two CLE “bootcamp” events, one in New York and the other in San Francisco.
Interested to learn more? Check out The Fashion Law, which tracks legal developments in the fashion industry.
By Barbara J. Gislason
Published by American Bar Association. Section of Family Law
KF 390.5 .A5 G57 2017
Leona Helmsley, the late real estate billionaire and hotelier, made news (again) in 2007, when she left her dog, a Maltese named Trouble, a $12 million trust fund. Bequests and estate arrangements such as hers are no longer newsworthy and have become more and more commonplace. Pets have evolved from being characterized as property to being named as beneficiaries and considered family members and companions. In her new book, Pet Law and Custody, author and animal law pioneer Barbara J. Gislason examines the developing jurisprudence surrounding how we treat our pets and how the law treats our furry, and maybe not so furry, companions.
At the outset, the author notes the difficulties courts have faced when confronted with questions concerning pets and how they should be classified and treated under the law. To alleviate some of the confusion, she sets forth selected criteria for identifying a companion animal and some characteristics that might indicate that the pet is not a companion animal. From this introduction, the author launches into the heart of her book: an analysis of specific areas of law as they relate to pet law and pet custody issues. Subject areas include: family law and replevin actions; alternative dispute resolution; estate planning, wills, and trusts; contract law and the Uniform Commercial Code; property law; and tort law. She also looks into how the law treats cases involving animal cruelty and the certain amendments to the U.S. Constitution impact such laws. In addition, Gislason presents the nuts and bolts of a dangerous dog proceeding and provides some points to consider when owning an at-risk animal. Other chapters address the legal issues surrounding science and technology, such as genetic testing, cloning, and animal patents.
Filled with summaries of applicable case law and practical advice, Pet Law and Custody is a useful book for lawyers and all those interested in animals to aid in the understanding of this developing and emerging area of law.
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.
