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Access To Justice
The AALL Access to Justice Special Committee wants to know what law librarians know about Access to Justice Commissions. Please take a few moments to fill out this short survey about your knowledge and experience with access to justice. Thank you so much for you time.
If you have questions or comments, please let me know.
Sarah Mauldin
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FROM THE CHAIR
by Jean P. O'Grady, DLA Piper, Washington, DC
Welcome to 2014: Making Lemonade, Kissing Frogs
The past 5 years have been hard for law firms and hard for legal information professionals. Even though there is a cautious optimism about 2014, law firm finances may improve and work may pick up, it would be foolish to think we are headed back to the abundance and even excesses of the 1990's. Things have fundamentally changed and we can only succeed if we face the new realities as part of our planning processes going forward. Some times even unwanted change presents a new opportunity that we never would have seized if not forced to by a change in circumstances. Here is a true life example.
I am not a morning person. I have always been in awe of people who rose in the dark and began the disciplines of their day when I was still dreaming. Last September I found myself faced with the prospect of getting my daughter to a bus stop 15 miles from our house by 6:30 every morning. If you do the math you will see that I have been forced to become someone I didn't imagine I could be-an early riser. I have had a gym bag sitting ready for a mid day gym visit for a full seven years. I doubt that I have even averaged one gym visit a year. I have so despaired on the gym front, it was no longer on the New Year's resolution list. Yet on January 2nd when I returned to work, I decided to dress for the gym before I left home at 6 am, put my work clothes in the gym bag and headed to the bus stop and then work. The result is that 3 weeks into the year, I not only go to the gym every morning but I now look forward to going to the gym before work.
My point is that by not fighting the new reality of my life as an early riser - a new door has opened - and frankly a month ago I didn't even notice that door of opportunity. I told a friend the secret I had discovered - exercise first before the day gets in the way- and she too has discovered that she can get to the gym by doing it after she drops off her son.
For me there are two lessons that transfer to setting professional goals for 2014.
1. Embrace the new realities of law firm economics and organization
2. If you want to get something done - schedule it early in the day so it is less likely to be displaced.
The new law firm reality is that we may have fewer staff, a tighter budget, and higher demands. This is an invitation to reinvent your workflows and your priorities. Are there now things you can stop doing in order to make room for something which is more strategic? Centralize, streamline, even outsource, the routine, the redundant, and the unexamined. Stretch, embrace new skills, collaborate outside your department, learn non-traditional skills, write an annual report, host a brown bag lunch with colleagues in other departments to discuss big data, write an article, start a blog, embed the research team, take your firm's new pricing director to lunch......There are hidden gifts in embracing change. |
Calling ALL PLL Members to Volunteer for AALL
Holly Riccio is both a PLL member and AALL Vice President/President Elect. She has asked PLL leadership to encourage PLL members to volunteer for AALL committees. There are 24 standing committees and they need PLL members to volunteer. The deadline is Feb 14th. Please take the time to review the list of Committees. Most committees have indicated how much of a time commitment is involved. We encourage you to volunteer for an AALL committee to assure that the special issues of concern in the private firm environment are represented at the national level. Once you are ready complete the volunteer form. |
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Update to the Model Law Firm Copyright Policy
A task force to review and revise the Model Law Firm Copyright Policy has been established. The members of the Task Force to Revise the Model Law Firm Copyright Policy are:
Patricia Barbone, Hughes Hubbard, New York, NY
Deborah Cinque, Weil Gotshal, New York , NY
Toral Doshi, Alston & Bird, Atlanta, GA
Elaine Egan, Shearman & Sterling, New York, NY
Andrea Hamilton, Davis Graham & Stubbs, Denver, CO
Wendy Lyon, Akin Gump. Dallas, TX
Lisa MacDonald, Cooley, Reston, VA
Kevin Miles, Norton Rose Fulbright, Dallas, TX
Nancy Scibelli Bouthilet, Locke Lord, Dallas, TX
The Task Force will be requesting feedback from our fellow PLL members on the existing policy - what works, what doesn't, and what needs to be added. Look for our communications in 2014. In the meantime, if you have any thoughts on the policy, please feel free to email them to any of the task force members. |
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AALL Webinar
Librarian in the Know: Copyright for Private Law Librarians
Thursday, February 27, Noon-1 PM Eastern
AALL Members: $30, Non-AALL Members: $60
Site Registration (one physical location) $150
What do you need to know about copyright to assist your law library? How do you convey copyright law do's and don'ts to your users? You can use copyright knowledge to increase your library's visibility and provide a valuable service to the firm. Please join Paula Cozzi Goedert, AALL's legal counsel and partner in the Chicago office of Barnes & Thornburg LLP. We will cover issues such as rights a copyright holder can enforce, rights of licensees, derivative works and who owns them, fair use and a discussion on copyright registration requirements. Be a librarian in the know who provides a valuable service to your firm.
Participants will learn:
* Copyright issues to assist you in your workplace
* Valuable copyright information to take a leadership role and increase your library's visibility
Speaker:
Paula Cozzi Goedert is a partner in the Chicago office of Barnes & Thornburg LLP where she chairs the Associations and Foundations Practice Group. She concentrates her practice on the representation of non-profit organizations, including professional societies, trade associations, public charities and private foundations. Ms. Goedert was listed as a 2013 Leading Lawyer in Association and Non-Profit Law by Leading Lawyers Network. Since 2007, she has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America® in the Non-Profit/Charities area. Ms. Goedert has also been named an Illinois Super Lawyer® every year since 2005 in the Non-Profit, Business/Corporate, and Tax practice areas.
Moderator:
Patricia E. Barbone
Director of Library Services
Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP |
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PLL Webinar
A Profession in Transformation: Including the Five Habits of Highly Effective Information Professionals
Join the Financial Times for "A Profession in Transformation," featuring in-depth commentary on information services for strategic business decisions. There will be a particular focus on the issues facing law librarians.
Tune into this webinar to hear these in-depth, interviews recounted, and matched against data collected from nearly 1,000 information professionals to uncover key expectation gabs between information providers and users.
We will explore the 5 habits of an added value law librarian:
- Habit 1: Communicate your value
- Habit 2: Understand the drivers
- Habit 3: Efficiently manage the process
- Habit 4: Keep up on your technical skills
- Habit 5: Provide decision-ready information
The data, case studies, and interviews will converge to provide actionable insight on how information professionals will transition into client-centric, decision-enabling strategic arms of any type of organization.
Date: Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Time: 1-2 pm EST
Speaker: Ben Kent, Managing Director of research firm, Meridian West. Ben is a former lawyer at Freshfields. He now specializes in undertaking research for law firms. He works with Allen & Overy, Shearman & Stirling, DLA Piper, Hogan Lovells. Moderator: Jean O'Grady, Director of Research Services and Libraries, DLA Piper and current PLL Chair
Register here.
Please contact Emily Florio with any questions. |
The PLL Summit Approaches
The 2014 AALL PLL-SIS Summit, "The Voice of the Client," will take place in San Antonio on Saturday, July 12, from 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
The PLL Summit, now in its fifth year, continues as a vehicle for examining the impact and opportunities presented by change.
In the morning, a keynote presentation and a panel discussion will address the value that librarians can bring to the lawyers and clients they serve by examining how real-world practice innovations and changing models of legal service delivery are combining to create new opportunities for library professionals.
Following a relaxed networking luncheon, interactive afternoon break-out sessions will explore practical means to add value via client facing initiatives, how to have crucial conversations by understanding and utilizing your Emotional Quotient (EQ), and the role librarians can play in advocating for technology and research competency initiatives in our organizations. The breakout sessions will be presented twice so that Summit participants can benefit from two of the three programs.
Please visit the 2014 Summit blog for updates and to obtain more information as the final agenda, programs, and speakers are confirmed. |
Happy 75th Anniversary LLAGNY
The Law Library Association of Greater New York celebrated its 75th Anniversary with an Education Seminar on January 14, 2014. Highlights included a keynote address by Bruce MacEwan a/k/a Adam Smith, Esq., a panel discussion with law school deans discussing the 2 year JD, and a demonstration of Google Glass. There were also three tracks including fifteen educational programs and a closing reception. |
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Happy 75th Anniversary LLSDC
The Law Librarians' Society of Washington, DC has just begun its 75th year of serving the legal community. On Friday, February 28, 2014, LLSDC members will celebrate at the Hamilton Crowne Plaza in Downtown, DC for a festive evening of remembering our past and looking to our future. Much of our success over the years is due to the working relationship within our local society and our greater law librarian community, so we'd love for you to be a part of the celebration. Stay tuned for more information and be sure to visit the LLSDC website for details. |
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CRIV Vendor Roundtable Seeks Topic Suggestions
The CRIV Vendor Roundtable will be held at AALL on July 14 from noon to 1:00pm. The CRIV Committee is seeking suggestions for topics. If you have a topic of interest to librarians that you'd like to cover with vendors, please contact Liz Reppe.
Previous topics have included:
■ E-books (2012, 2013)
■ Creating, Disseminating, Using, and Preserving Legal Information in Challenging Times (2011)
■ Green practice initiatives that vendors and librarians have implemented or are in the process of implementing (2010)
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