A National Law Library

By Klaus Döring

Law Libraries are within courts, agencies, and legislative bodies to serve the legal information needs of their employees. Some government law libraries also serve the practicing bar and public.

A Law Library is a collection of legal materials such as Case Laws, Constitutions, Legislations, Legal Articles, Reporting Journals, Parliamentary Proceedings, legal. monographs, treatises, Judicial & Administrative decisions and other legal resources.

I remember my time as Managing Editor for law magazines in Berlin and New York. I found it highly interesting to browse through hundreds of pages. Today online services help a lot.

Elaborate indexes guide lawyers where to look when dealing with an issue. No one can know even a fraction of all the laws of his or her nation.

In the Old Testament laws recorded in Leviticus and Exodus, just to mention these two, seem dull and long-winded. These were the entire set of laws, as far as I can tell you. Their most striking feature to a lawyer is brevity and simplicity. You don’t have to study law to understand them.

In comparison with laws from other countries at that time, the Old Testament made a considerable advance. Indeed, these laws have greatly influenced laws of our days: People were more important than property. There was no class system, The punishment fit the crime. Sexuality mattered. The poor and the weak had protection.

Yes, attitudes as well as actions mattered. One of my favorite quotations from Leviticus is 19:33-34: “When an alien lives in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself…”

Now I live with my Philippine wife and family here in the Philippines for the 24th year. Especially in these difficult times I feel safe and loved. Not everyone can say that. I know. But here and now I can only speak for myself.

Email: doringklaus@gmail.com or follow me on Facebook, Linkedin or Twitter or visit my www.germanexpatinthephilippines.blogspot.com or www.klausdoringsclassicalmusic.blogspot.com .