Thursday, October 27: Halloween Open House!

Come out to the Riesenfeld Rare Books Center's special Halloween Open House on Thursday, Oct. 27, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.! 

Stop by to see spooky treasures from our collection - including witch trials, murder trials, a macabre torture manual, and other sensational works - and pick up snacks, drinks, and Halloween candy!

Come out in costume - we're happy to post pics on our Tumblr site!

When: Thursday, Oct. 27th, 12 p.m - 3 p.m.
Where: Riesenfeld Rare Books Center
What: Rare books, snacks, drinks, candy (and costumes)!


(The Center is in N30, on the subplaza past Student Orgs. in N20.)

 

 

 

Wednesday, October 12: Rare Books Open House!

Come out to the Riesenfeld Center's first monthly open house of the year on Wednesday, October 12, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.!

Enjoy snacks and drinks, and see treasures from the library's rare books and special collections.

When: Wednesday, October 12, 12 p.m - 3 p.m.
Where: Riesenfeld Rare Books Research Center*
What: Rare books, bagged snacks, cookies, and refreshments!

(*The Riesenfeld Center is in N30, on the subplaza past Student Orgs. in N20.)  

 

 

Thursday, Oct. 13: Book Talk by Professor John Bessler

Join the Human Rights Center and Riesenfeld Rare Books Center for a book talk with Professor John Bessler (U. Baltimore). Bessler will discuss his new book, Private Prosecution in America: Its Origins, History, and Unconstitutionality in the Twenty-First Century (2022), the first comprehensive and historical examination of a practice that dates to the colonial era. In Private Prosecution in America, Bessler shows how private prosecutors—acting on their own behalf, as next of kin, or through retained counsel—have initiated and handled prosecutions and sought the punishment of offenders, including in capital cases.

Private prosecution is still with us today. After reviewing current state laws and locales that continue to allow private prosecutions by interested parties, Bessler makes the case that such prosecutions violate defendants' constitutional rights and should be outlawed. This talk will give an overview of the arguments and stimulate discussion on an important and ongoing issue relating to the due process rights of defendants.

        

"What Process Is Due? The History and Use of Private Prosecutions in American States, and an Exploration of Constitutional Rights and the Contours of Due Process"

Thursday, October 13
4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Mondale Hall, Ballard Spahr Conference Room (3rd floor)

Professor John Bessler has taught at the University of Baltimore School of Law since 2009, becoming a tenured faculty member in 2014. He has also taught at the University of Minnesota Law School, the George Washington University Law School, the Georgetown University Law Center, Rutgers School of Law, and the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. He has written or edited eleven books, ranging from the history of capital punishment, to an intellectual biography of Cesare Beccaria, to the craft of writing. His books have received numerous awards, including the Scribes Book Award for The Birth of American Law: An Italian Philosopher and the American Revolution (Carolina Academic Press, 2014).

1 standard CLE Credit has been requested

A reception will follow the lecture in the Ballard Spahr Conference Room

If you are unable to attend in-person, a video recording will be available following the event.

Thursday, Oct. 13: Seminar and Discussion with Professor John Bessler

Join us in the Riesenfeld Center for a lunch hour seminar and conversation with Professor John Bessler (U. Baltimore) about the tools and methods of research in legal history, with a discussion of work that he has done on the renowned 18th-century penologist and death penalty reformer, Cesare Beccaria, and other projects. Join a broader conversation following about approaching historical topics of legal research, choosing and reading sources, and bringing these to bear on important legal issues today.

 

Topics and Methods: Doing Legal History Research

Thursday, October 13
12:15 – 1:15 p.m. Riesenfeld Rare Books Research Center (N30 on the Subplaza) 

 

Professor John Bessler, a law professor and legal historian at the University of Baltimore School of Law since 2009, has also taught at the University of Minnesota Law School, the George Washington University Law School, the Georgetown University Law Center, Rutgers School of Law, and the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. He has written and edited eleven books, including extensive work on the history of capital punishment, intellectual biographies of Cesare Beccaria, and the craft of writing. His law review articles have appeared in the American Criminal Law Review, the Arkansas Law Review, the Northeastern University Law Review, and elsewhere, and his books have received numerous awards.