FDsys: Free Federal Resources

With legal employers looking for cost-efficiency in their new employees, an official government website with free documents in PDF is one you'll want to bookmark and remember.  FDsys, the U.S. Government Printing Office's Federal Digital System, provides easy access to Congressional bills, hearings, and reports, the U.S. Code, the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations, as well as Presidential documents and other materials.  Some of the materials on FDsys are not available on HeinOnline, and all of them are accessible to anyone with internet access. Be sure to note the date coverage for each of the resources, which varies.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Lincoln: Master of Words

Did you miss Lincoln Speaks: Words That Transformed a Nation, an exhibit at the Morgan Library & Museum in Manhattan that closed on June 7?  Well, you can still experience it.  A complete online version of the exhibit, along with supplemental materials, is available at the website of the Lincoln Institute.  The focus of this exhibit is Lincoln's skill with language--the many ways that the successful litigator and President used the power of his written and spoken words to persuade, lead, and inspire diverse audiences, including his constituents, his army, his friends, his country, and the world.  Relax and enjoy any of the exhibit items during short study breaks, or browse particular areas of interest more extensively.  This exhibit has a lot to offer.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

It's All Presidential

From the Presidential Inauguration to executive orders on gun control and Cabinet appointments, the President and presidential documents have been much in the news lately.  One of the best overall sources combining various types of presidential documents, election data, and an audio/visual archive, is the American Presidency Project.  Established in 1999 as a collaboration between professors John T. Woolley and Gerhard Peters at the University of California, Santa Barbara, this free internet resource now provides searchable access to over 103,000 documents, including the Messages and Papers of the Presidents, Washington - Taft (1789-1913); the Public Papers of the Presidents from Herbert Hoover to George W. Bush; and presidential documents from the first term of Barack Obama. 

For an official source of presidential documents in PDF, try the Government Printing Office's website, FDsys. Here you'll find easy access to the Compilation of Presidential Documents Collection, with supplementary materials such as nominations and press releases. Coverage is from 1993 to the current week. For access on the go, GPO Mobile's Presidential Documents app provides mobile access to documents released by the White House Press Secretary beginning in 2009, including searchable executive orders, speeches, statements, approved acts, nominations, and press releases.  The app works with any smart phone at http://m.gpo.gov/dcpd.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Presidents' Wills and Estates

My virtual prowling on Presidents' Day weekend led to some fun facts for future lawyers. For example, did you know that Abraham Lincoln, a prominent attorney with years of litigation experience, died without a will? After Lincoln's death, his estate, including what would become the Lincoln Papers, was administered by U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Davis at the request of Lincoln's son.

On the other hand, George Washington, with no formal legal training, hand wrote his entire 29-page will, which was detailed and provided for life estates. Stating in the will that "no professional character" had been consulted, he admitted that it had occupied many leisure hours. Perhaps Washington's experience as a county court justice and a state legislator provided the requisite knowledge for the task. The story of President Washington's will is told by the Fairfax County Circuit Court, its custodian. A facsimile of the original will, with some background and a transcription, is provided by the University of Virginia, the home of the George Washington Papers.
Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Presidents past

With so much talk about who will be our next President, I found it useful to look at presidents in the past. You can now see the presidential papers and much more at the U.S. Presidential Library available on HeinOnline.



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat