The Harris County Robert W. Hainsworth Law Library has partnered with the Houston Bar Association to display artwork from area students submitted for the HBA Law Week Committee Poster Contest throughout the summer.
Read moreHarris County Law Library Renamed to Honor Civil Rights Leader Robert W. Hainsworth
Robert W. Hainsworth, Attorney
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Houston, TX (February 9, 2021) — Today, Harris County Commissioners Court adopted a resolution, introduced by Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis and led by Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee, to rename the Harris County Law Library in honor of Robert W. Hainsworth.
In 1951, Mr. Hainsworth filed a lawsuit challenging the “one-table rule,” which was a Law Library rule requiring African-American attorneys to use a single, designated table while working in the library. While the courts denied his call for equality, it is only fitting that the Law Library be rededicated to acknowledge the victory of his vision. Today’s Law Library is a place where everyone has a seat at any table.
“Mr. Hainsworth’s determination in the fight for equality is an inspiration for us all, especially those attorneys and self-represented litigants who so often use the Law Library,” County Attorney Menefee said. “He was a trailblazer. His work on this case and in later founding the Houston Lawyers Association shows that he was relentless.”
“I am very proud to support renaming the Harris County Law Library after Robert W. Hainsworth, especially during Black History Month,” said County Commissioner Ellis. “Hainsworth’s fight to desegregate the courthouse and law library paved the way for generations after him. It is only fitting that we would name our law library, which helps to make the legal system more accessible to all, in his honor.”
“We are planning projects with community partners to create a permanent exhibit in the library and to offer educational programs to raise awareness about Robert W Hainsworth and his work for equality in Harris County,” said Law Library Director Mariann Sears.
Today’s Law Library rededication was widely supported by local leaders and legal organizations at Commissioners Court, including the Houston Lawyers Association (HLA), the Houston Young Lawyers Association, the Houston Area Law Librarians, the Houston Bar Association (HBA), HLA president R.J. Blue, HBA president Bill Kroger, and several former HLA leaders.
About the Harris County Robert W. Hainsworth Law Library
The Harris County Robert W. Hainsworth Law Library opened its doors in 1915 as the Harris County Law Library, and it has continued to serve Harris County’s legal information needs for more than a century. After becoming a part of the Office of the Harris County Attorney in 2011, the Law Library greatly expanded its technology offerings and services to the public. Visit www.harriscountylawlibrary.org for more information.
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Being thankful for access to legal information
Even though we can’t be together to celebrate this season of thanksgiving, we share a great appreciation for all that we have, especially our good health and each other. Not everyone has been so fortunate during this unprecedented time, when people across the globe are losing their jobs, their homes, and, in some cases, their loved ones. While we’re keeping all of those less fortunate in mind this holiday season, we are also wishing everyone — our colleagues, friends, library patrons and all their families — abundant happiness for a safe, healthy, socially-distanced holiday. From our family at the Harris County Law Library to yours, Happy Thanksgiving.
As we reflect on the last year and all the unexpected change that 2020 has visited upon us, we’re taking a moment to reflect on the many things for which we are grateful. As law librarians, we see the positive impact access to legal information can have on individuals' lives each day, so we are always grateful for the partnerships that allow us to make information available to our patrons. We are thankful for the partnership between the Harris County Attorney's Office and the Houston Bar Association, whose ongoing support we value tremendously. We are grateful for the Houston Volunteer Lawyers and Lone Star Legal Aid to whom we refer many self-represented litigants seeking to connect with a licensed Texas attorney for free and accurate legal information and services. We are also grateful to work with TexasLawHelp.org to be a point of access for Houstonians who are in need of the legal information posted there. And we are thankful for the great many community resources, from Houston Lawyer Referral Service to TexasLegalAnswers.org to AVDA, who play such a vital role in the community. When the best information we can provide our patrons is a specialized service that connects them with a licensed attorney, these organizations are indispensable.
Finally, we are grateful for the publishers, including Westlaw, Lexis, O'Connor's, the State Bar of Texas, HeinOnline, and many more, who work with us to make their wealth of legal information open and available to all within steps of the courthouse and, this year, by remote access. We are thankful, as well, to the State Law Library of Texas, whose partnership in providing access to even more terrific databases is invaluable.
Overall, we are fortunate to work with so many dedicated, accommodating partners who share our mission of ensuring that open and equal access to legal information isn’t just a privilege but a right.
Harris County Law Library Offers 19th Amendment Centennial Symposium to All
For Immediate Release
August 14, 2020
The Harris County Law Library announces a virtual 19th Amendment Centennial Symposium on Tuesday, August 18, from 2pm to 4pm. The event, titled “Votes for Texas Women,” will focus on the history of women’s suffrage and the importance of inclusion in law and government.
“We are thrilled to offer this educational opportunity to everyone on the 100th anniversary of the day the 19th Amendment was ratified,” Law Library Director Mariann Sears said. “We hope that sharing the stories from the historical and legal texts of the brave women who fought for the right to vote by protesting and reaching out to their representatives, even as the 1918 pandemic raged on, can connect more people with the rich history surrounding the amendment.”
Mariann Sears, the first woman to serve as director of the Law Library, will welcome three distinguished women from the local legal community to share their expertise. Marie Jamison, a partner at Wright Close & Barger, will share her research into the history of the 19th Amendment and the progress made in the century that followed. Professor Renee Knake Jefferson, the Joanne and Larry Doherty Chair in Legal Ethics Director at University of Houston Law Center and author of Shortlisted: Women in the Shadows of the Supreme Court, will discuss her research concerning the overlooked history of the nine women who were shortlisted for nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court, but not nominated between the 1930s and 1980s. Justice Frances Bourliot, Fourteenth Court of Appeals Texas, will discuss the importance of inclusion on the bench and her experience as an appellate justice.
“The passage of the 19th Amendment, which prohibited denying a person the right to vote on the basis of sex, was an important step toward protecting voting rights in America,” County Attorney Vince Ryan said. “We are pleased with the Law Library’s efforts to celebrate the legacy of women’s suffrage and the contributions of women in law and government over the last century.”
Registration is now open and free to all at https://www.harriscountylawlibrary.org/19thamendment. The program is accredited by the State Bar of Texas for 2.0 hours of continuing legal education credit with 1.0 hour of ethics credit. In addition to the Harris County Attorney’s Office, this Law Library program is made possible with the support of the Houston Bar Association, League of Women Voters of Houston, and Women of Law.
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. 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. To learn more about services and digital collections, visit the Harris County Law Library Virtual Reference Desk at https://www.harriscountylawlibrary.org.
Recognition in the Time of COVID: Judge Daryl Moore receives Law Library Advocate Award
Congratulations to Judge Daryl Moore, Texas 333rd District Court, who is this year’s recipient of the American Association of Law Libraries Government Law Libraries section Law Library Advocate Award! Judge Moore was recognized for his work in support of expanding law library services to all in Harris County, Texas. His tireless work as co-chair of the HBA County Law Library Committee helped the Law Library expand services for self-represented litigants, create new educational opportunities for the local legal community, and increase funding for library programs offered to everyone in Harris County.
Presenting an Award During a Pandemic
In a regular year, Judge Moore would have received his well-deserved award at the annual meeting of the American Association of Law Libraries to a room filled with law librarians from across the country. 2020 is not a regular year. As such, our director presented the award to Judge Moore on Friday at the Law Library to an audience of a socially-distanced photographer.
