On November 30, 2023, the American Bar Association released its fifth annual Profile of the Legal Profession. This free report, a 140-page compilation of statistics and trends about lawyers, judges, and law students, includes sections on demographics, wages, law schools, judges, pro bono work, women in the profession, legal technology, lawyer well-being, and lawyer discipline. One additional chapter — a review of civil legal aid in the United States — is the feature we wish to explore in today’s blog post.
Read moreLifting Native American Culture and Voices
The Friday after Thanksgiving is National Native American Heritage Day, although it is perhaps more commonly thought of as Black Friday, a coincidence that some have rebuked, as it links a reverent celebration of Native peoples and culture with the start of the holiday shopping season and the busiest most consumer-driven day of the year. Some have suggested alternatives to the rampant consumerism of the day: acknowledge native land, explore the many digital exhibits available online at the National Museum of the American Indian, or lift up indigenous voices by learning more about the continuing struggle to give Native Americans equal access at the ballot box. Review the links provided within.
Read morePrison Banned Books Week 2023
The inaugural Prison Banned Books Week led by PEN America launched on October 25, 2023. The campaign was introduced to spread awareness of censorship in prisons and how censorship uniquely affects people who are incarcerated, many of whom are part of an already statistically marginalized community.
Read moreTrans Day of Visibility
via Adobe
March 31st marks Transgender Day of Visibility which is observed “to raise awareness about transgender people.” “It is a day to celebrate the lives and contributions of trans people, while also drawing attention to the poverty, discrimination, and violence the community faces.” Too often, trans people are only mentioned in the media due to some form of violence or harm being committed against them. Transgender Visibility Day is an opportunity for people to “re-focus on celebrating the lives of transgender people, empowering them to live authentically, while still acknowledging that due to discrimination, not every trans person can or wants to be visible.”
Read moreWomen's History Month
Women’s History Month has historically taken place during March and in 1980 “President Carter issued the first Presidential Proclamation declaring the Week of March 8th 1980 as National Women’s History Week.” Though this proclamation was made 43 years ago women still experience a gender gap to this day. The Harris County Robert W. Hainsworth Law Library would like to focus on the important women in the legal field, the achievements they have made throughout history and those they continue to make today.
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