The Law of Impeachment, a discussion for all

On Monday, December 16, we welcomed attorney and author Barbara A. Radnofsky for The Law of Impeachment, a special continuing legal education event from Office of Vince Ryan, Harris County Attorney, and the Law Library. Radnofsky’s book, A Citizen’s Guide to Impeachment, is a well-researched, non-partisan guide to this timely topic and provided a touchstone for a lively discussion with lawyers and members of the public in attendance.

A Citizen’s Guide for the Citizens

Following the program, Radnofsky met with participants for a book signing in the lobby of the Harris County Attorney Conference Center. She presented a signed copy to Law Library Deputy Director Joe Lawson to be added to the collection and made available to everyone.

“We are honored to add this work to our collection and to make Barbara’s expertise and research available to everyone at the Law Library,” Lawson said.

The Law of Impeachment - the exhibit

To add to the learning opportunity, the Law Library assembled an exhibit of rare books, including original printings of the proceedings of impeachment for U.S. President Andrew Johnson and Texas Governor James “Pa” Ferguson. The exhibit remains on display at the Law Library and online as a digital exhibit.

The Law of Impeachment - the recording

Monday’s program was recorded and will be published as an on-demand video CLE in January, 2020. If you would like to receive an announcement about the recording, please sign up for the Law Library’s email newsletter below.

Law Library Awarded Texas Bar Foundation Grant to Enhance Digital Content Delivery to Self-Represented Litigants

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Texas Bar Foundation awarded the Harris County Law Library a $16,225 grant to improve access to legal aid resources for self-represented litigants through the Law Library’s Self-Represented Litigant Assistive Technology Initiative.

“We are excited to expand opportunities for access to legal information with the support of the Texas Bar Foundation,” Law Library Director Mariann Sears said. “Public access to legal information is necessary to ensure open and equal access to our civil justice system. With this grant, we can leverage technology to help connect more people who are unable to afford representation with community legal services, like those from our partners at Houston Volunteer Lawyers.”

The purpose of the Initiative is to deploy technological solutions at the Law Library and Houston Volunteer Lawyers (HVL) Information Booth located at the Law Library to streamline access to online intake for legal aid, self-help legal forms, and self-help video content. Creation of up-to-date video content for use in Harris County, which leads the state in the number of cases filed by self-represented litigants, is a major component of the project.

“Since the Law Library joined our Office in 2011, we have worked diligently to make it a resource for everyone,” Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan said. “Most of the people who visit are not lawyers, but people who need help finding legal information to access the courts. At the Law Library, they have access to one of our nation’s leading public collections of digital legal resources and professional law librarians to help them navigate it. It’s a tremendous asset to the people of Harris County.”

About the Texas Bar Foundation

Since its inception in 1965, the Texas Bar Foundation has awarded more than $20 million in grants to law-related programs. Supported by members of the State Bar of Texas, the Texas Bar Foundation is the nation’s largest charitably-funded bar foundation. For more information, visit www.txbf.org.

About the Harris County Law Library

The Harris County Law Library opened in 1915 and has continued to serve Harris County’s legal information needs for more than a century. After joining the Office of Vince Ryan, Harris County Attorney, in 2011, the Law Library greatly expanded its technology offerings and services to the public. Today, the Law Library receives more than 60,000 visitors each year, 90% of whom are not lawyers. Ryan’s support for the revitalization of the Law Library was recognized by the American Association of Law Libraries in 2016 when he was named the Law Library Advocate of the Year. The Law Library is open to the public Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Visit www.harriscountylawlibrary.org for more information.

Latest & Greatest – The Military Divorce Handbook: A Practical Guide to Representing Military Personnel and Their Families

By Mark E. Sullivan

Published by American Bar Association. Section of Family Law

KF 535 .S85 2019

The Texas Access to Justice Commission has designated the week of November 10-16 as Texas Veterans Legal Aid Week. Here at the Harris County Law Library, November is Veterans Law Resource Month, and we are featuring titles to help veterans. One such title is The Military Divorce Handbook: A Practical Guide to Representing Military Personnel and Their Families. 

There is no such thing as a cookie-cutter divorce. Elements may be the same, but each case is unique and each is fraught with its own circumstances and situations. Divorce can be especially problematic and difficult when one or both spouses are active military personnel. Issues such as custody and visitation may not be as clear-cut and easily resolved as those involving civilians. To offer some guidance in this matter, attorney Mark E. Sullivan has written The Military Divorce Handbook: A Practical Guide to Representing Military Personnel and Their Families.  This two-volume set begins with a discussion of service of process and its two main concerns: how can one locate someone serving in the military and how can one serve him? The author explains how the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act protects parties who are in the military and how it can affect the timing of lawsuits brought against military personnel. He addresses the unique issues surrounding custody and visitation, especially as it affects cases in which the military parent is mobilized or deployed. Family support and enforcement of that obligation may take on an added dimension in cases involving military families due to the Uniform Code of Military Justice and other military support rules. Sullivan also talks about divorce and what is considered domicile for purposes of filing for divorce. Another area that requires some discussion is the division of property, which includes military benefits and pensions. Sadly, the military does not afford protection from domestic abuse, so the author includes a chapter about this issue as well. 

If you are looking for a fairly comprehensive guide to representing military personnel in a divorce matter, have a look at The Military Divorce Handbook. The appendices after each chapter are especially helpful with extra resources. Moreover, there are practice tips peppered throughout the book.