The Alvin B. Rubin Papers LLA0003 Inventory Compiled By
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The Alvin B. Rubin Papers LLA0003 Inventory Compiled by Travis H. Williams Sara V. Pic Emily Gundlach, Ellen Wagner Archival Collections Paul M. Hebert Law Center Library Baton Rouge, Louisiana State University 2015 ALVIN B. RUBIN RECORDS LLA0003 1967-1991 PAUL M. HEBERT LAW CENTER LIBRARY CONTENTS OF INVENTORY SUMMARY . 3 BIOGRAPHICAL/HISTORICAL NOTE . 5 SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE . 5 PROCESSING NOTE . 6 SERIES DESCRIPTIONS . 6 CONTAINER LIST . 7 Use of archival materials. If you wish to examine materials in this collection, consult the container list and make note of which items you wish to see. Then inquire at the circulation desk about making an appointment to view those materials. Photocopying. Should you wish to request photocopies, please consult a staff member. Do not remove items to be photocopied. The existing order and arrangement of unbound materials must be maintained. Reproductions must be made from surrogates (microfilm, digital scan, photocopy of original held by the Paul M. Hebert Law Center Library), when available. Publication. Readers assume full responsibility for compliance with laws regarding copyright, literary property rights, and libel. Permission to examine archival materials does not constitute permission to publish. Any publication of such materials beyond the limits of fair use requires specific prior written permission. Requests for permission to publish should be addressed in writing to the Director, Paul M. Hebert Law Center Library, 1 E. Campus Drive, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803. When permission to publish is granted, two copies of the publication will be requested for the Law Center Library. Proper acknowledgement of Law Center Library materials must be made in any resulting writing or publications. The correct form of citation for this manuscript group is given on the summary page. Copies of scholarly publications based on research in the Law Center Library are welcomed. Page 2 of 87 ALVIN B. RUBIN RECORDS LLA0003 1967-1991 PAUL M. HEBERT LAW CENTER LIBRARY SUMMARY Collection Overview This collection consists of case files compiled by Judge Alvin B. Rubin during his time as a judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana and as a judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, in addition to personal files relating to conferences, correspondence, and courses taught at LSU Law. Collection Number LLA0003 DACS Reference Code us-lul-lla0003 Repository Paul M. Hebert Law Center Library, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Collection Title The Alvin B. Rubin Papers Inclusive Dates 1967-1991 Bulk Dates 1979-1988 Extent Approx. 100 linear feet Creator The Hon. Alvin B. Rubin Arrangement Arranged in 8 series: I. Personal; II. 5th Circuit Court; III. Constitutional Law; IV. Research; V. District Court; VI. Negotiations; VII. En banc; VIII. Oral Arguments. These series reflect the original order created by Judge Rubin. Access Restrictions Personnel files and records containing confidential information are not available to view. Items of concern will be determined on a case by case basis. The rest of the collection is open for research use. Physical Access Use of these materials requires an appointment. Technical Access None (this collection contains no digital materials). Languages Materials entirely in English. Finding Aids A box contents list is available below. Page 3 of 87 ALVIN B. RUBIN RECORDS LLA0003 1967-1991 PAUL M. HEBERT LAW CENTER LIBRARY Custodial History These records were created and compiled by Judge Rubin during various points in his career. Upon his death they were boxed and donated to the LSU Law Library by his family. Acquisition Source Donated by the Rubin Family, circa 1991. Appraisal/Destruction This donation included roughly one dozen commercially published books Judge Rubin had collected and these were integrated into the library’s main collection. Approximately 3 boxes worth of material was retracted by the Rubin family (2013-2014) and 40 others were discarded due to their poor condition. All other materials were retained. These records remain in their original folders and boxes. Retention Schedule Collection will be maintained indefinitely. Materials should be reappraised in five years (2020) to check their physical condition. Accruals N/A Originals This collection consists entirely of original materials. Copies No copies have been created, as the originals are available for use. Related Collections N/A Publications Citing The None known. Collection Preferred Citation Alvin B. Rubin Papers, Archival Collection LLA0003, Paul M. Hebert Law Center Collection, Paul M. Hebert Law Center Library, Baton Rouge, La. Copyright Physical rights and copyright are retained by the Paul M. Hebert Law Center Library. Copyright of original materials is retained in accordance with U.S. copyright law. Page 4 of 87 ALVIN B. RUBIN RECORDS LLA0003 1967-1991 PAUL M. HEBERT LAW CENTER LIBRARY BIOGRAPHICAL/HISTORICAL NOTE Alvin Benjamin Rubin was born in Alexandria, Louisiana on March 13, 1920. He received his Bachelor of Science from LSU in 1941 and his LLB, also from LSU, in 1942, where he ranked first in his class. He worked as an attorney in private practice in Baton Rouge, specializing in tax law, corporate transactions, and trusts and estates. He also returned to LSU as a professor of law. In 1966, he was appointed by President Johnson to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. In 1977, he was appointed by President Carter to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Rubin had many notable achievements as an attorney. After the Vietnam War, his expertise in civil law led to being asked by the State Department to help South Vietnam draft a constitution. He co-authored Louisiana Pleadings and Judicial Forms Annotated, which he continued to update for twenty years. He was instrumental in the passage of legislation that allowed the creation of trusts in Louisiana, which was previously prohibited. As a federal judge, Rubin was equally active and well-respected. He wrote more than 700 opinions during his tenure, many of them concerned with civil rights and liberties, including ending the exemption on women in juries and applying the Voting Rights Act to local elections. He was known for his clear writing and for the humor that he injected into his opinions, once even quoting Dr. Seuss. He also co-wrote the first law clerk handbook for the federal system. One of his greatest joys as a judge was conducting naturalization ceremonies in open court. He was the son of immigrants from war-torn Eastern Europe and spoke passionately about the rights they gained once naturalized, equal to those who were born in the United States. During the last two years of his life, Rubin battled cancer, but continued to serve as a judge and to teach and travel until the day of his death. He was married to Janice Ginsberg Rubin and had two sons, Michael and David. Sources: Cook, J. (1991). Alvin B. Rubin, 71; Judge was known for rights rulings. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/1991/06/13/obituaries/alvin-b-rubin-71-judge-was-known-for-rights-rulings.html. Louisiana Law Review, July 1996, 52(6), dedicated to Judge Rubin. U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana. (2014). District Judge Alvin Benjamin Rubin. Retrieved from http://www.laed.uscourts.gov/200th/judges/rubin.php. SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE This collection includes files from cases over which Judge Rubin presided, as well as cases in which he had some level of participation (e.g., advising another judge). The cases are from both his time as a District Court judge in for the Eastern District of Louisiana and as a judge on the Fifth Circuit. The majority of these case decisions (even those labeled as “unpublished”) are available through various online legal databases such as Westlaw and LexisNexis. Page 5 of 87 ALVIN B. RUBIN RECORDS LLA0003 1967-1991 PAUL M. HEBERT LAW CENTER LIBRARY The collection also contains personal files which consist primarily of information from various professional organizations, conferences, and correspondence. There are also files related to the classes which he taught at LSU and to research issues. PROCESSING NOTE This collection was minimally processed in the fall of 2013 and spring of 2014 by Law Library fellow/library science graduate student Sara V. Pic. Technical Services undergraduate student workers Emily Gundlach and Ellen Wagner compiled the folder list. These activities took place under the supervision of the Law Library Archivist, Travis H. Williams. Judge Rubin's records remain in the original order he created for personal use (which is mostly alphabetical). The boxes discarded due to their poor condition were from several different series within the collection. Some items of a personal nature were withdrawn and returned to the Rubin family in 2013 and 2014 at their request. The collection is in fair physical condition, with some signs of acidification in the papers and folders. Folder labels remain legible and mostly intact. The collection was deemed appropriate for minimal processing. The collection remains in its original housing and has not received item level processing (such as the removal of paperclips and staples). SERIES DESCRIPTIONS Series I. Personal 23 boxes This series includes a wide variety of items, including Judge Rubin’s personal correspondence, speech materials, and miscellaneous business materials. Series II. 5th Circuit Court 27 boxes Series III. Constitutional Law 2 boxes These materials are related to a course Judge Rubin taught at the LSU Law Center. Series IV. Research 6 boxes Series V. District Court 11 boxes Series VI. Negotiations 4 boxes Page 6 of 87 ALVIN B. RUBIN RECORDS LLA0003 1967-1991 PAUL M. HEBERT LAW CENTER LIBRARY Series VII. En banc 10 boxes Series VIII. Oral Arguments 3 boxes CONTAINER LIST BOX # FOLDER# TITLE SERIES I.