Please note that the law library will have the following adjusted hours for the Presidents’ Day Holiday:
- Saturday-Sunday, February 15-16: 10:00am – 6:00pm;
- Monday, February 17: Closed.
See you then!
Holiday
The Zief Law Library Celebrates Veterans Day: Monday, November 11th, 2024
In celebration of Veterans Day, Zief Law Librarian Tim Sanzi explores the holiday’s history, highlights relevant legal research resources, and shares some upcoming Bay Area events of interest.
History of Veterans Day
Veterans Day is a celebration to honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good. – US Embassy and Consulate in Brazil.
As Veterans Day approaches, the Zief Law Library wishes to recognize and honor the veterans among our students, faculty, and staff at the University of San Francisco School of Law. This day also serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made by those who have served with dedication and valor.
Veterans Day is observed every year on November 11th and has a rich history that dates back to the end of World War I. Originally called Armistice Day, it commemorated the official end of the First World War, which occurred at 11 AM on November 11th, 1918 (the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month), and the peace negotiations that followed. In 1954, the holiday was renamed “Veterans Day” after long-term petitioning of major United States veteran organizations. The first Veterans Day Presidential Proclamation was issued by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1954. President Eisenhower’s speech publicly declared the holiday’s name change to Veterans Day. His speech encouraged Americans to “remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly…to preserve our heritage of freedom, and… promot[e] an enduring peace.”
Since 1954, Veterans Day has been recognized annually by presidential proclamations. In his 2023 Veterans Day Proclamation, President Joseph Biden highlighted ongoing challenges that U.S. veterans face, such as access to housing, employment, mental health resources, and legal representation. President Biden ended his speech by detailing national efforts to help support veterans and encouraged Americans to recognize the holiday each November by participating in appropriate patriotic ceremonies or community activities. To learn more about the history and social significance of Veterans Day, visit the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs website.
Commemorating Veterans Day: Research Resources
For those interested in learning more about Veterans Day and its significance, we recommend exploring the following resources:
- The Veterans History Project: The Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress collects, preserves and makes accessible the firsthand recollections of U.S. military veterans who served from World War I through more recent conflicts and peacekeeping missions, so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand what they saw, did and felt during their service.
- Historical documents related to Veterans Day, including the Presidential Actions Archives, an archive of past Executive Orders, Memorandum, Proclamations, and more.
- Print and eBooks from the Zief Law Library Collection: To explore books from the Zief Law Library collection written by veteran authors and/or discussing military service experiences regarding the law, please explore the Zief catalog. Relevant topics include: military law; international law; international human rights law and advocacy; U.S. politics; health law, mental health, and medical benefits; disability law, compensations, and pensions; employment law; national security; and family law.
Bay Area Events
- San Francisco Veterans Day Parade, 2024: San Francisco’s free Veterans Day Parade will take place on Sunday, November 10th, from 11:00 AM- 12:00 PM in Fisherman’s Warf.
- San Jose’s 106th Annual Veterans Day Parade & Ceremony, 2024: San Jose’s Veteran’s Day Parade will take place on November 11, 2024, at 11:00 AM in Downtown, San Jose. Each year, since 1918, the United Veterans Council of Santa Clara County has produced a Veterans Day Parade with support from the City of San Jose, Santa Clara County, and contributions from many individuals and organizations. This parade is the largest Veterans Day Parade in Northern California.
-
Legion of Honor Centennial Weekend Celebration for Veterans Day: On November 11th, 2024, join The Legion of Honor for special Veterans Day programs as part of their Centennial Weekend Celebration. Events include live organ concerts on the museum’s rare Spreckels Organ, docent tours, and a special lecture, The Thinker’s Place, in conjunction with the newly opened exhibition Celebrating 100 Years at the Legion of Honor. Museum admission is free for all active duty military personnel and veterans during Veterans Day Weekend 2024.
For more information on Veterans Day events in your area, visit the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, VA News, or the City and County of San Francisco government website!
References
- “History of Veterans Day and Timeline,” U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- Library of Congress Photography Archives.
- Presidential Actions Archives
- A Proclamation on Veterans Day,2023. Joseph R. Biden Jr. on
- Proclamation 3071—Veteran’s Day, 1954. Dwight D. Eisenhower on October 8th, 1954The American Presidency Project.
- “Veterans Day 2024: Bay Area Parades, Community Events and More Ways To Celebrate,” San Francisco Chronicle.
- The Veterans History Project, Library of Congress.
- “Veterans Day,” United States Embassy and Consulate in Brazil
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Pick Up a Supreme Court-Themed Valentine on the First Floor of Zief Law Library Today!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Love, Zief Law Library
Voting Form: Zief Pets Winter-Themed Costume Contest
USF School of Law, many thanks to those who submitted to the Zief Pets Winter-Themed Costume Contest! It’s now time to determine first, second, and third-place costumes…
STEP 1: Visit the Zief Pets wall located on the first floor of the Zief Law Library to view this year’s talented pet contestants.
STEP 2: Fill out the Zief Pets Winter-Themed Costume Contest VOTING SURVEY.
Winners will be announced on Monday, December 11th, 2023. For community members still hoping to win, it’s not too late to fill out the Zief Pets Winter Costume Contest Submission Form! Visit the original ZiefBrief blog post, “Zief Pets Presents Winter-Themed Costume Contest!” for more information on the contest.
Zief Pets Presents: Winter-Themed Costume Contest!
Calling all pets! Celebrate the Winter season with Zief Law Library’s Zief Pets Winter-Themed Costume Contest! Submit pictures of your pets in their Winter-themed costumes or festive attire for your chance to win a special prize. Law school community members will vote on their favorite pets and prizes will be awarded to first, second, and third place. Outfits can include themes such as Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, Boxing Day, Lunar New Year, winter season, and more!
All submissions will be featured on the Zief Pets Wall in the Zief Law Library. To participate, please fill out the Google Form by Sunday, December 3rd, 2023, using the QR code on the image below or visit https://bit.ly/3SrYE30. Winners will be announced on Monday, December 11th, 2023.
Zief Pets Presents: Halloween Costume Gallery!
Celebrate the spooky season with Zief Law Library as we introduce Zief Pets Presents: Halloween Costume Gallery! Whether a dog, cat, iguana, or even a pet rock, Zief Pets wants to see your pets’ best Halloween looks!
Submit pictures of your pets in their Halloween costumes or festive attire, and we will display them on the Zief Pets wall in Zief Law Library from Monday, October 30th to Monday, November 6th. To participate, please fill out the Google Form by October 30th, using the QR code on the image below or visit bit.ly/ZiefPetsHalloween23.
UN World Day of Social Justice 2023
This week, ZiefBrief celebrates the UN World Day of Social Justice and reflects on our commitment to social development, well-being, equity, and equality. As part of the USF community, Zief Law Library shares in the university’s and law school’s Jesuit mission towards creating a more just world for everyone, which requires pursuing social justice from multiple angles and perspectives. Here, we take a look at how the law library contributes to social justice work, and invite you to consider how you might pursue social justice causes too.
What is the World Day of Social Justice?
In 2007, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted Resolution 62/10, declaring February 20th as the UN’s World Day of Social Justice, recognizing, among other things, that “social development and social justice are indispensable for the achievement and maintenance of peace and security within and among nations and that, in turn, social development and social justice cannot be attained in the absence of peace and security or in the absence of respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms.” Building on the 1995 World Summit for Social Development, which recognized social justice, equity, and equality as major development goals, this resolution ultimately invites the UN Member States to promote concrete national activities and greater international unity towards eradicating poverty, promoting work opportunities and gender equality, and increasing access to well-being and justice.
This year’s theme, “Overcoming Barriers and Unleashing Opportunities for Social Justice” aims at strengthening global solidarity and trust in government, and initiating conversation on “actions needed to strengthen the social contract that has been fractured by rising inequalities, conflicts and weakened institutions that are meant to protect the rights of workers.” It hopes that this dialogue results in greater investment in decent labor opportunities for young people and in green, digital, and care economies. It poses the following questions to consider:
- What are the key bottlenecks and challenges to overcoming rising inequalities, decent work deficits, including lack of access to social protection, digital exclusion and disruption of trade?
- What are the opportunities in the green and digital economy to reduce inequalities and promote social justice, in particular for youth?
- What actions are needed by governments, the UN system, international financial institutions, employers’ and workers’ organizations, civil society and other stakeholders to increase investments for social justice?
Social Justice at USF, USF Law, and Zief Law Library
The USF Community, home to the Institute for Nonviolence and Social Justice and multiple public interest legal opportunities, is no stranger to social justice work. The law school’s clinics, for example, allow students to participate in social justice-related legal work across various practice areas, such as racial justice, immigration, and human rights. While Zief Law Library supports that work by maintaining research resources, the librarians – and indeed many other law librarians – incorporate social justice across many aspects of our work with students, faculty, and the public, whether it’s in the classroom, in the library, or even behind the scenes. Looking toward the year ahead, the Zief librarians and staff already have more exciting social justice-related ideas to put into action, but some highlights from this past year include:
- creating a diversity, equity, and inclusion resource guide for law school faculty and staff;
- incorporating more critical legal research-related discussions into our legal research instructional sessions, reflecting on power dynamics represented in legal systems and research tools and access to justice;
- creating and revising instructional learning materials with accessibility at the forefront;
- participating in creating a harmful language statement for USF Gleeson and Zief libraries to recognize potentially harmful materials and outdated descriptions;
- maintaining knowledge about and promoting access to free and low-cost legal research resources;
- expanding our collections of legal research materials, including social justice-related books, media, and databases; and
- attending law librarian workshops, conferences, and panels where we share ideas and learn from other social justice-focused law librarians.
With all of the opportunities to further social justice through our work in the law library, it’s hard to imagine setting aside only one day for them all. So, while the UN’s World Day of Social Justice may only be just one day out of the year, Zief Law Library hopes you’ll join us in celebrating social justice every day.
Celebrating Black History Month: Legal History, Research Resources, and Community Events
In celebration of Black History Month, Zief Library Assistant Randall Seder takes a look at the social and legal history of the commemorative month, highlights Zief research resources, and presents some Bay-Area events of interest.
LEGAL HISTORY
(Right) Lincoln Jubilee Choir, Chorus of 650 Voices. Lincoln Jubilee Album 50th Anniversary of Our Emancipation. Compiled by Lincoln Jubilee Photographer John H. Ballard. 1915.
Congress legally adopted Black History Month after passing Public Law 99-244 in 1886, but the true beginning of this annual month-long celebration of African American accomplishment, contribution, sacrifice, and culture began 70 years earlier with the work of the Virginia-born Black historian, author, and scholar Dr. Carter Godwin Woodson. Continue reading “Celebrating Black History Month: Legal History, Research Resources, and Community Events”