Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Judy G. Russell @legalgen.bsky.social · 8d

I'm really excited about this new two-part workshop I'm doing with Family History Academy! Coroner's records are so rich in information -- and, frankly, so fascinating for research in the US, UK, Australia, NZ, Canada, even Ireland. C'mon out and join us, Wednesdays (7 pm US ET), starting Oct 8!

Understanding Coroner's Historical Records

Course participants will gain practical experience working with actual coronial records from different periods and places, building skills in interpreting case details, witness statements, and inquest...

www.familyhistoryacademy.com.au

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Judy G. Russell @legalgen.bsky.social · 29d

It is, once again, September 11. And, once again, it is time to stop, to reflect, to remember... #Genealogy #FamilyHistory www.legalgenealogist.com/2025/09/11/y...

Year 24… never forget…

24 years later... It was 24 years ago today. A stunningly beautiful day, one of those early fall days in the northeast that fills your heart with joy as you inhale the crisp morning air under deep blu...

www.legalgenealogist.com

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Judy G. Russell @legalgen.bsky.social · Jul 4

When in the course of human events it becomes necessary... #Genealogy #FamilyHistory www.legalgenealogist.com/2025/07/04/j...

July 4, 2025

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776. The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen United States of America, WHEN in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands w...

www.legalgenealogist.com

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Judy G. Russell @legalgen.bsky.social · Jun 19

A "new" federal holiday -- for an event 160 years in the past. And definitely worth celebrating! #Juneteenth #Genealogy #FamilyHistory
www.legalgenealogist.com/2025/06/19/j...

Juneteenth 2025

A cause for celebration It's only been a federal holiday for four years. But it isn't new... not at all. It all started back 160 years ago today, on the 19th of June 1865. Juneteenth. That's the day o...

www.legalgenealogist.com

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Judy G. Russell @legalgen.bsky.social · Jun 2

t's the start of the season for summer camp for genealogists -- and The Legal Genealogist hopes to see you there! #Genealogy #FamilyHistory www.legalgenealogist.com/2025/06/02/c...

Coming up: June-July 2025

Upcoming presentations It's June already! That means we're here at the start of the summer institute season. GRIP’s virtual session, then MAAGI’s hybrid courses, then GRIP’s in-person session, then… N...

www.legalgenealogist.com

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Judy G. Russell @legalgen.bsky.social · May 26

Remembering Philip... and those who knew him. Memorial Day 2025. #Genealogy #familyhistory
www.legalgenealogist.com/2025/05/26/m...

Memorial Day 2025

Once again remembering the fallen and those who remembered them It is Memorial Day here in the United States–the official holiday and the end of the three-day weekend during which we honor those who g...

www.legalgenealogist.com

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Judy G. Russell @legalgen.bsky.social · May 9

Okay, we genealogists HAVE to come off the sidelines. Enough is enough is enough already yet -- hands off the libraries, archives and museums! #Genealogy #FamilyHistory www.legalgenealogist.com/2025/05/09/e...

Enough already yet!

Hands off the libraries, archives and museums! The words were written by a Lutheran pastor years before The Legal Genealogist was even born: First they came for the Communists And I did not speak out ...

www.legalgenealogist.com

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Judy G. Russell @legalgen.bsky.social · May 1

Conferences, webinars, and institutes, oh my... The Legal Genealogist has a busy upcoming schedule... #Genealogy #FamilyHistory www.legalgenealogist.com/2025/05/01/c...

Coming up: May-June 2025

Upcoming presentations The Legal Genealogist has been slacking. Well, if you consider traveling overseas and prepping roughly a kazillion lecture handouts slacking at least... In any event, it's the f...

www.legalgenealogist.com

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Judy G. Russell @legalgen.bsky.social · Mar 6

The regime change has hit hard in the genealogical community. Bad enough when politics caused the firing of the National Archivist. But slashing the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) funding???? So much for commitment to veterans and their families...

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Judy G. Russell @legalgen.bsky.social · Mar 2

Surprised and pleased to have viewers give this the highest ranking for a February webinar! Free online through March 5. #Genealogy #FamilyHistory familytreewebinars.com/webinar/shoo...

Shootout at the Rhododendron Lodge: Reconstructing Life-Changing Events - Legacy Family Tree Webinars

A 1929 shootout left the Bath County, Virginia, sheriff dead. Learn to follow the trail through all the records to reconstruct a life-changing event, and...

familytreewebinars.com

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Judy G. Russell @legalgen.bsky.social · Mar 1

I don't know their plans.

Judy G. Russell @legalgen.bsky.social · Mar 1

From RootsTech to Connections to Lighting Up Genealogy, March and April are packed with family history happenings! #Genealogy #FamilyHistory www.legalgenealogist.com/2025/03/01/c...

Coming up: March-April 2025

Upcoming presentations Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit. Well, that's what The Legal Genealogist is told we need to say on the first day of the month, right? And here it is, the first of March already. Which me...

www.legalgenealogist.com

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Judy G. Russell @legalgen.bsky.social · Feb 28

A memory from SEVENTY years ago... and a birthday to remember. #Genealogy #FamilyHistory www.legalgenealogist.com/2025/02/28/a...

About this getting older bit…

Seventy years ago today The Legal Genealogist is simply astonished by this photograph. Oh, it's a truly sweet image, no doubt about that. I mean, what's not to like about an incredibly smug older sist...

www.legalgenealogist.com

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Judy G. Russell @legalgen.bsky.social · Feb 26

Mark your calendar! Registration opens Saturday for IGHR 2025 courses. #Genealogy #FamilyHistory www.legalgenealogist.com/2025/02/26/i...

IGHR 2025 registration Saturday!

You snooze, you lose Three days to get ready. Three days until Saturday rolls around. Which is The Day not to sleep in if you’re hoping to get in on an unparalleled opportunity for genealogical educat...

www.legalgenealogist.com

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Judy G. Russell @legalgen.bsky.social · Feb 19

Presidential libraries are being impacted by the "slash and burn" tactics of the Musk team. The Kennedy Library yesterday had to close, then reopen, then who knows what will happen because of staff cuts.

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Judy G. Russell @legalgen.bsky.social · Feb 8

The Archivist of the United States has been fired in the purge.

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Judy G. Russell @legalgen.bsky.social · Feb 8

I don't expect any fallout as to records already in the hands of Ancestry and the like. Access in the future however is likely to be greatly impacted -- first because nobody will be left to cut deals for digitization and second because some records won't be made available to digitize at all.

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Judy G. Russell @legalgen.bsky.social · Feb 5

Glad to have been able to write this blog post for Black History Month, and in thanks for all that HeinOnline does to support genealogical education (they're always helpful in our law-related classes!!). home.heinonline.org/blog/2025/02...

Genealogy's Hidden Stories: How Legal Battles Revealed Family Histories - HeinOnline Blog

This post features a guest author, Judy G. Russell, The Legal Genealogist®. A genealogist with a law degree, Judy explores the intersection of law and family history. Her insights reveal how legal rec...

home.heinonline.org

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Judy G. Russell @legalgen.bsky.social · Feb 4

GRIP registration opens today!! Great courses, including an intro law course Rick Sayre and I are co-coordinating (teaser: field trip to the law library!!) in the July week.
www.legalgenealogist.com/.../03/get-a...

Get a GRIP for 2025

Registration opens Tuesday, February 4 An awful lot of folks in the genealogical community had long sad faces last week. Watching online all week along as people who shared their interests in learning...

www.legalgenealogist.com

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Reposted by Judy G. Russell

Kentucky Genealogical Society @kentuckygenealogy.bsky.social · Feb 4

Breaking News: Thanks to the KDLA, Indexed Kentucky Chancery Case Files (1799-1850) are now digitized online! These General Court records, available on the Kentucky State Digital Archives, cover early land disputes and more. #genealogy

kdla.access.preservica.com/portal/colle...

Portal App

https://kdla.access.preservica.com/portal/collection/sdb:SO|269bfdfd-f4ce-48b0-ae0f-03d1bf565a76?fbclid=IwY2xjawIPAqVleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQCwFdmZd3hNtiNFsScHzNvYzOpLDRokHq7jmgUIIczOowrvktejkw2N_Q_aem_atTSiJZzRQoNsKk_YI0kPQ

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Judy G. Russell @legalgen.bsky.social · Feb 4

There isn't a thing about what's going on now that's even remotely "normal."

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Judy G. Russell @legalgen.bsky.social · Feb 4

Whatever happens WILL NOT be good for genealogy. Count on that.

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Judy G. Russell @legalgen.bsky.social · Feb 4

It is clear that data critical to genealogy (and other disciplines) is being systematically stripped from federal websites. Census Bureau data IS being removed, and census data geeks at IPUMS verify and are taking whatever steps they can to preserve the data for the future. Scary times we live in.

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Judy G. Russell @legalgen.bsky.social · Feb 3

Ugh. Yeah, we can hope the website is simply being reorganized, but of course nothing is safe these days.

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Judy G. Russell @legalgen.bsky.social · Feb 2

I can't verify this, don't see missing forms, and IPUMS (University of Minnesota site) has pretty much everything we might ever need online that the Census Bureau has.

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