On December 22, 1799, twenty-two-year-old Gulielma “Elma” Sands left her family’s boarding house, telling her cousin, Catherine Ring, that she was going to marry one of the boarders, Levi Weeks, that night. Elma disappeared and, a few days later,
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A Week in Residence as the 2026 Guggenheim Scholar
Last week, we announced that we are now accepting applications for the 2027 Guggenheim Scholars Program on the blog. This week, the following guest post is from the 2026 Guggenheim Scholar, Charlotte Alexander. Charlotte is the Esther R.
The Law Library of Congress Invites Applications for the 2027 Guggenheim Scholars Program
The Law Library of Congress invites applications for the Daniel and Florence Guggenheim Scholars Program.
The purpose of this program is to fund a scholar whose research will draw upon the Law Library’s world-class collections, target new acquisitions, and
The Story Behind Latin America’s Civil Codes: Shared Roots, National Traditions
What Is a Civil Code?
In many Latin American countries, one title appears again and again: Código Civil. A civil code is a systematic body of rules governing many of the legal relationships of everyday life, from owning property to
Upcoming US Law Webinars – November 2026
We hope you will join us for the continuation of our U.S. law webinars for 2026. The next offering of the Lunch and Learn webinar will focus on using secondary sources in legal research, followed by an Orientation to Legal
FALQs: Israel’s Upcoming Election on October 27, 2026
The Knesset (Israel’s parliament) dissolved on July 17, 2026, clearing the way for elections. The dissolution of the Knesset marks the end of the current parliamentary term and triggers the electoral process, with Israelis returning to the
Thomas Nugent: Translator of the Revolution’s Library
In recognition of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, which took place earlier this year, I have taken the opportunity to publish a few posts on this blog (this one, for example) about the idea that
An Interview with Matt Bernstein, AHHA Intern
Today’s interview is with Matt Bernstein, an Archives, History, and Heritage Advanced (AHHA) intern in the Public Services Division of the Law Library of Congress.
Describe your background.
I grew up in New Jersey and upstate New York and
Upcoming US Law Webinars – October 2026
Happy Fall! We hope you can join us for some of the remaining U.S. Law Webinars being offered in 2026. The next offering in the Orientation to Legal Research webinar series will focus on Federal Legislative History. To close out
Law Library Publishes New Report on Sectoral Bargaining in Selected Jurisdictions
Today’s post is a guest post by a foreign law specialist at the Law Library of Congress, Louis Gilbert. Louis has previously authored the following for In Custodia Legis: “Wait, It Is Not About Wigs?” – The Story