February 1, 2007 Law Library of Congress To Celebrate 175th Anniversary in 2007

In celebration of its 175 years of service to Congress and the nation, the Law Library of Congress is launching a yearlong series of events designed to celebrate its achievements and showcase its unparalleled resources.

The celebration began with a special ceremony held at the Library of Congress on Jan. 18. The American Bar Association presented the Law Library with a resolution recognizing this historic milestone, and the American Association of Law Libraries presented the Law Library with a commemorative plaque.

The Law Library has created both a film and speaker series to celebrate this anniversary year. Sponsored jointly with Tufts University, the legal film series began with a screening of “Mario’s Story” on Jan. 31. Other screenings include “Sisters in Law” on April 4 and “Twelve Angry Men” on July 11. All films will be shown at 6 p.m. in the Pickford Theater, located on the third floor of the Library’s James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C. With a theme of “National Security and the Rule of Law,” the speaker series will feature renowned speakers from Congress, academia and the media. The speaker series will be held at 6 p.m. on March 29, June 28, Sept. 20 and Dec. 13 in the Whittall Pavilion of the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First Street S.E., Washington, D.C. The films and lectures are free and open to the public.

The anniversary will be celebrated at the Global Legal Information Network Foundation’s inaugural gala on May 9 at the Library. The featured speaker will be former United States Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.

In cooperation with the Burton Foundation, the Law Library in its anniversary year has created the Law Library of Congress Global Award to recognize legal writing that conveys a global message. The inaugural award will be presented at the Burton Awards dinner on June 4 at the Library. The featured speaker will be broadcast journalist Bob Schieffer.

The 175th anniversary gala will be held in the Great Hall of the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building on July 14, the date that President Andrew Jackson signed the bill authorizing the creation of the Law Library of Congress. This event will be attended by members of Congress and feature an internationally renowned speaker.

On Oct. 18, the Law Library of Congress will host a staff reunion to honor the individuals who have contributed their time and talents to the institution.

The Friends of the Law Library of Congress, a nonprofit organization created to support the Law Library in promoting a better understanding of the law, will conclude the anniversary celebration with the revival of the Wickersham Award Dinner on Dec. 6 at the Library. The event will honor an individual for active participation in and contributions to the legal profession.

Founded in 1832, the Law Library of Congress is the de facto national law library. Its mission is to provide research and legal information to the U.S. Congress, U.S. federal courts and executive branch agencies, and to provide reference service to the public. To accomplish this mission, the Law Library has amassed the world's largest collection of law books and other legal resources from all countries, now comprising more than 2.5 million items. The Law Library is playing a leadership role in the creation of a Global Legal Information Network, a consortium of 46 government agencies and international institutions that contributes and shares global legal resources online.

For more information, visit the Law Library’s Web site at www.loc.gov/law.