Holiday Gifts for Lawyers & Law Students

Around this time of year, the Goodson Blogson features links to unique sources of holiday gifts for lawyers and law students (see 2009 and 2010). Though many of these sites have appeared in our past roundups, their selections of merchandise often change from year to year, and are worth a second (or third) look this holiday season.

Many D.C.-area government attractions maintain online gift shops with a wide range of law- and government-themed gifts, which can be perfect presents or stocking-stuffers to the lawyers and law students in your life:

• The Supreme Court Historical Society Gift Shop includes its latest entry in their annual holiday ornament series, Court-themed greeting cards, and a variety of office doodads like bookends, scale of justice clocks, and decorative statues.
• The U.S. Capitol Historical Society Gift Shop also offers holiday ornaments, in addition to stationery, framed posters and artwork, and (for some reason) decorative baseballs. (Note to our students: be on the lookout for one of their fabulous puzzles in the library reading room during exam period, after the success of our spring 2011 study break puzzle).
• The National Archives E-store features a number of unique items made of “authentic government red tape," posters and prints of founding documents, and even a coffee mug featuring the iconic photo of Elvis Presley’s meeting at the White House with Duke Law’s own Richard Nixon (you can also get it on a t-shirt).
• Some of the more unusual items in the White House Historical Association Gift Shop include needlework kits, cocktail napkins, and scarves inspired by the décor of various rooms. There’s also the usual holiday ornament assortment, and prints, posters, and stationery.
  

More general sources for law-themed gifts include The Billable Hour, which continues to offer its “Survival Kits” for students and new associates in addition to office accessories, board games, and DVDs of the cartoon-lawyer classic Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law. For Counsel is another online site devoted to law-themed gifts, although the featured gifts can sometimes be found elsewhere online with a little research (such as the 4th Amendment-themed doormat, which is available for about five dollars less at Target.com). Attorney and blogger Reid Trautz also offers an annual Holiday Gift Guide: watch for his 2011 entry later this month for more great gift suggestions. If procrastination is your typical approach to holiday shopping, keep in mind that Friday, December 16 is Free Shipping Day for more than a thousand online retailers.

Finally, if you find yourself on the receiving end of an odd and useless law-themed gift this year, (a) don't blame The Goodson Blogson, and (b) remember: it's the thought that counts.