Social Movements & the Law

By Jacquelyn Francisco Published April 9, 2026. Tribal and Indigenous legal research requires something traditional legal training does not always emphasize: treating Indigenous Nations as sovereign governments with their own lawmaking authority, judicial systems, and legal traditions. [1] A

Skimming Google News for articles on AI and law libraries, I came across a white paper published last October: Building the Future of Law Libraries:

The Voting Rights Act over its six decades became one of the most consequential laws in the nation’s history, preventing discrimination against minorities at the ballot box and helping to elect thousands of Black and Hispanic representatives at all levels of government.

"Inside Out: Men Behind Bars," opening this week at The Invisible Theatre, brings the real stories of incarcerated men to the stage through research conducted inside Arizona's prison system.

Explore U.S. public belief in democracy with data from over 20,000 adults in the inaugural Kettering Foundation-Gallup study.

This post has been authored by members of DLF’s Digital Accessibility Working Group. As the April 2026, Title II compliance deadline approaches, members of the DLF Digital Accessibility Working Group began comparing notes on the misconceptions, half-truths, and “urban legends” circulating about ADA enforcement and digital accessibility requirements. What started as a lively discussion evolved into Read More

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court considered a case that could reshape the concept of birthright citizenship. During two hours of debate, the justices raised several key questions about an executive order’s definition of a right established in the Constitution’s 14th Amendment.

The proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 federal budget released today by the White House would cut funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the school library program Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL).

From person-to-person coaching and intensive hands-on seminars to interactive online courses and media reporting, Poynter helps journalists sharpen skills and elevate storytelling throughout their careers.

Stony Brook University Libraries hosted Confronting Censorship and Battling Book Bans, which included a screening of the 2025 documentary The Librarians.

It's known by the name Velvet-Wood, and the project's Canadian owner got the go-ahead back in May as the first to undergo an "accelerated," two-week environmental review, during which tribes had only seven days to reply.

This article provides an overview of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), a federal law enacted in 1978 to protect Native American children, families, and tribe

pspanAn unprecedented surge in laws, policies, and court decisions has limited the rights of LGBTQ youth and transformed societal institutions that are cent

pspanThe role of police in U.S. democracy is at a dangerous crossroads. Although George Floyd’s murder in the summer of 2020 sparked a movement that put pol

On April 9, 2026, the American Library Association (ALA) – the largest library association in the world – and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) – the nation’s largest union of cultural workers – reached a settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice that protects the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and ensures the agency will continue carrying out its congressionally mandated work.

Within hours of explosive sexual abuse allegations against labor leader César Chavez, officials at a California university took swift action and covered a statue of him.

Dolores Huerta gives Maria Hinojosa her first interview after a New York Times investigation, speaking about being sexually assaulted by Cesar Chavez and the “dark sacrifices” she made for the movement.

archived 20 Feb 2026 19:46:35 UTC

Columbia University’s Incite Institute offers more than 450 perspectives from the Obama White House and beyond.

U.S. Secretary of State and national security adviser Marco Rubio is no longer the acting archivist of the United States, a spokesman of the National Archives and Records Administration said on Thursday.

In May 2025, President Trump's removal of the Librarian of Congress and attempted removal of the Register of Copyrights precipitated a constitutional crisis tha

The American Library Association praised the Prison Libraries Act, introduced today by Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II (D-MO-5), along with co-leads Rep. Shontel Brown (D-OH-11), and Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-NC-4).

As public confidence erodes and Trump-era funding cuts mount, colleges are launching ad campaigns and joint messaging to defend their value.

The UNC Systems' Committee on University Governance gave an initial nod Wednesday to a formal definition for academic freedom.