60 Minutes (1/13/2013)

Sonnet Ireland
Head of Federal Documents and Microforms
Reference & Instruction Librarian
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Accounting; Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism; Legal Research;
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Washington Week (4/27/2012)

Watch April 27, 2012 on PBS. See more from Washington Week.

Sonnet Ireland
Head of Federal Documents
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Subject Specialist: Legal Research, Political Science
Urban and Transportation Studies, Engineering

Washington Week (4/6/2012)

Watch April 6, 2012 on PBS. See more from Washington Week.

Sonnet Ireland
Head of Federal Documents
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Subject Specialist: Legal Research, Political Science
Urban and Transportation Studies, Engineering

March 6, 1857: The Supreme Court of the United States rules in the Dred Scott v. Sandford case

Today is the 155th anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision in Dred Scott v. Sandford. The decision, delivered by Chief Justice Roger Taney, declared that slaves were not citizens of the U.S. and, therefore, could not sue in Federal courts. The decision also declared the Missouri Compromise to be unconstitutional, stating that Congress did not have the authority to prohibit slavery in the territories. This decision was overturned by the 13th and 14th Amendments to the Constitution.

For more information, check out these resources...

Primary Documents in American History: Dred Scott v. Sandford, Library of Congress

Missouri's Dred Scott Case, 1846-1857, Missouri State Archives

Transcript of Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857), Our Documents

Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857), Our Documents



Sonnet Ireland
Head of Federal Documents
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Subject Specialist: Legal Research, Political Science
Urban and Transportation Studies, Engineering

Washington Week (10/07/2011)

Watch the full episode. See more Washington Week.

Sonnet Ireland
Head of Federal Documents
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Subject Specialist: Legal Research, Political Science
Urban Studies, Engineering

July 11, 1921: President William Howard Taft Sworn in as 10th Chief Justice of SCOTUS

Today is the 90th anniversary of former President William Howard Taft's swearing in as the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. He is the only person to ever be both President and Chief Justice.

For more information...

William H. Taft, White House

William Howard Taft: Twenty-Seventh President, 1909-1913, NARA

William Howard Taft, History of the Sixth Circuit

Taft, William Howard, Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, Federal Judicial Center



Sonnet Ireland
Head of Federal Documents
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Subject Specialist: Legal Research, Political Science
Urban Studies, Engineering

Washington Week (7/1/2011)

Watch the full episode. See more Washington Week.

Sonnet Ireland
Head of Federal Documents
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Subject Specialist: Legal Research, Political Science
Urban Studies, Engineering

Washington Week (6/24/2011)

Watch the full episode. See more Washington Week.

Sonnet Ireland
Head of Federal Documents
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Subject Specialist: Legal Research, Political Science
Urban Studies, Engineering

June 30, 1986: U.S. Supreme Court rules in Bowers v. Hardwick

Today is the 25th anniversary of the ruling in Bowers v. Hardwick, which upheld a state's right to outlaw homosexual acts between consenting adults. It would not be overturned until 2003, with the ruling in Lawrence v. Texas.

For more information:

Bowers v. Hardwick, Oyez Project

Bowers v. Hardwick Decision, Legal Information Institute (LII), Cornell University Law School

Landmark Cases: Bowers v. Hardwick (1986), PBS

Lawrence and Garner v. Texas, Oyez Project

Lawrence v. Texas, LII, Cornell University Law School



Sonnet Ireland
Head of Federal Documents
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Subject Specialist: Legal Research, Political Science
Urban Studies, Engineering

February 27, 1886: Birth of Hugo Lafayette Black

Today is the 125th birthday of Hugo Lafayette Black, the first of nine Supreme Court justices nominated by Franklin D. Roosevelt. Hugo Black represented Alabama in the United States Senate from 1927 to 1937. He was then nominated as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, where he would serve from 1937 to shortly before his death in 1971.

For more information about Hugo Black, check out these resources:

Hugo Lafayette Black
Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

Hugo Black of Alabama
Webinar, Library of Congress

Hugo Black
Federal Bureau of Investigation

Hugo Black
Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, Federal Judiciary Center

Hugo Black: A Featured Biography
United States Senate




Sonnet Ireland
Head of Federal Documents
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Subject Specialist: Legal Research, Political Science
Urban Studies, Engineering

Face the Nation with Sen. Jon Kyl and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (5/16/2010)

Watch CBS News Videos Online






Sonnet Erin Brown
Head of Federal Documents
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Subject Specialist: Legal Research, Political Science
Earth & Environmental Sciences, Engineering

President Obama Nominates Elena Kagan for Supreme Court Justice (5/10/2010)

Sonnet Erin Brown
Head of Federal Documents
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Subject Specialist: Legal Research, Political Science
Earth & Environmental Sciences, Engineering

President Obama's Weekly Address (5/1/2010)

Sonnet Erin Brown
Head of Federal Documents
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Subject Specialist: Legal Research, Political Science
Earth & Environmental Sciences, Engineering

Meet the Press with Sen. Patrick Leahy and Sen. Jeff Sessions (4/11/2010)

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Sonnet Erin Brown
Head of Federal Documents
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Subject Specialist: Legal Research, Political Science
Earth & Environmental Sciences, Engineering

Face the Nation with Sec. Hillary Clinton and Sec. Robert Gates (4/11/2010)

Watch CBS News Videos Online





Sonnet Erin Brown
Head of Federal Documents
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Subject Specialist: Legal Research, Political Science
Earth & Environmental Sciences, Engineering

President Obama's Weekly Address (1/23/2010)

Sonnet Erin Brown
Head of Federal Documents
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Subject Specialist: Legal Research, Political Science
Earth & Environmental Sciences, Engineering

Judge Sonia Sotomayor Sworn In (8/8/2009)

Sonnet Erin Brown
Head of Federal Documents
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Subject Specialist: Legal Research, Political Science
Earth & Environmental Sciences, Philosophy

Judge Sonia Sotomayor Senate Confirmation

This afternoon, the U.S. Senate confirmed Judge Sonia Sotomayor. She will be the 111th Supreme Court Justice. She is the third female Justice in the history of the Court, and the first Hispanic Justice.

Read President Barack Obama's Statement here.

See exactly who voted yea and nay here.

Judge Sonia Sotomayor: Analysis of Selected Opinions (Congressional Research Service)



Sonnet Erin Brown
Head of Federal Documents
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Subject Specialist: Legal Research, Political Science
Earth & Environmental Sciences, Philosophy

Face the Nation with Sen. Patrick Leahy and Sen. Jeff Sessions (7/12/2009)

Watch CBS Videos Online



Sonnet Erin Brown
Head of Federal Documents
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Subject Specialist: Legal Research, Political Science
Earth & Environmental Sciences, Philosophy

The Supreme Court Appointment Process

For those of you curious about how the Supreme Court appointment process, I thought I would list some resources that might help.

How Supreme Court Appointments Work (from HowStuffWorks)

Supreme Court Appointment Process: Roles of the President, Judiciary Committee, and Senate

Sonnet Erin Brown
Head of Federal Documents
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Subject Specialist: Legal Research, Political Science
Earth & Environmental Sciences, Philosophy