News & Events
The Law Library of Congress provides webinars and onsite classes to give patrons an introduction to legal sources, research techniques, and legal issues in US and foreign, comparative, and international law. Monthly classes are also available to provide an introduction to the collections and services specific to the Law Library of Congress to patrons who are familiar with legal research.
The Law Library of Congress also hosts yearly and biennial lectures on various legal topics.
Recent News
New Chief of Public Services Division
Elizabeth Osborne has been appointed the new Chief of the Law Library’s Public Services Division (PSD). Osborne brings to this position rich experience in law and law librarianship. She has previously served as a Senior Legal Reference Librarian for the Public Services Division of the Law Library of Congress, where she provided reference services to Congress, government patrons, and public researchers. She undertook complex research projects for members of Congress, congressional staff, and federal agencies, taught federal statutory research and regulatory research to congressional staff, and she also served as a recommending officer for the Law Library. During her tenure, Osborne worked on large Library initiatives implemented in the Law Library, such as web archives, LibGuides, LibAnswers, and Reference Analytics. She is a 2022 LOC Leadership Development Program (LDP) graduate, and during her LDP program detail she served as Assistant Section Head of the Office of Education and Outreach (OnE) for the U.S. Copyright Office and as Interim Reading Room Coordinator for the Law Library’s PSD.
Osborne joined the Law Library of Congress in 2018. Prior to that, she worked as a supervisory information specialist at Wahab Public Law Library in Virginia Beach and as a court attorney in Manhattan. As an attorney, she specialized in tort, administrative, and family law. She holds BA in justice from American University, a JD from Brooklyn Law School, and an MSIS from the University of Tennessee. She is a member of the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) and has recently served on AALL’s Committee for Continuing Professional Education. In her new position, Osborne will focus on managing all aspects of the Public Services Division and the Reading Room operations and providing exemplary services to all categories of the Library of Congress’s patrons.
New Chief of Digital Resources Division
Tina Gheen was selected as Chief of the Law Library’s Digital Resources Division and commenced her new duties on October 24, 2022. Tina returned to the Law Library after having served as a Program Analyst in the Office of the Chief Information Officer where she provided consultation, analysis, and recommendations related to strategic planning, risk management, and information technology governance. An OCIO staffer since 2015, she served as the Project Manager for the high-profile Congress.gov website and performed the full range of management functions as well as providing advice and recommendations to senior managers for the successful Congress.gov and the Congress.gov Admin Tool projects. Prior to her service in OCIO, she served in the Law Library of Congress as an Emerging Technologies Librarian and on detail as Chief of the Virtual Services Division.
Justice Stephen Breyer gives 2022 Supreme Court Fellows Program Annual Lecture
On February 17, the Law Library of Congress and the Supreme Court Fellows Program presented a conversation with Associate Justice Stephen Breyer for the Supreme Court Fellows Program Annual Lecture. The Law Librarian of Congress, Aslihan Bulut, introduced the event and Counselor to the Chief Justice, Jeffrey P. Minear, who is also executive director of the Supreme Court Fellows Program, served as the moderator. The event was live-streamed and you can watch a recording of the program here.
James Sweany appointed Assistant Law Librarian for Collections
James Sweany has been appointed Assistant Law Librarian for Collections. Sweany came to the Law Library in 2019 where he served a detail as the Assistant Law Libraian for Collections before becoming the chief of the Digital Resources Division (DRD). As chief of DRD, Sweany directed the management of the Law Library’s digital program, which includes the digitization of the U.S. Congressional Serial Set, Herencia: Centuries of Spanish Legal Documents, and the Legal Reports Archive.
Aslihan Bulut appointed Law Library of Congress
Aslihan Bulut has been appointed as Law Librarian of Congress after serving in that position in an acting capacity for almost five months. Since 2019, Bulut served as the deputy law librarian for collections at the Law Library of Congress, where she oversaw the Global Legal Collections Directorate in establishing priorities, design, launch, and execution of Law Library initiatives related to physical and digital collections.
Celebrating the Life of Deputy Librarian for Library Collections and Services and Law Librarian of Congress Jane Sánchez
Deputy Librarian for Library Collections and Services and 25th Law Librarian of Congress Jane Sánchez has passed away after a courageous battle with cancer. Jane is survived by her husband, Christopher Freitas, and her three children, Adam, Alyson, and Andrew. She will be dearly missed by her family, friends, and colleagues.
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