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Leadership and Organization |
Legal Division Quarterly Special Libraries Association Spring, 2000 - Vol. 6, No. 4, Issue 2 The Intranet: The 'Alice' of the Wonderland, Part 3
The Intranet: The 'Alice' of the Wonderland, Part 3 "Dear, dear, how queer everything is today! And yesterday things went on just as usual." Lewis Carroll To say these are confusing times would be repetitive, although right in line with Alice's world of Jabberwocky. But sometimes, repetition is necessary -- even desirable. For example, as we evolve from print to electronic formats, we often keep both media until the user becomes comfortable with the new. We may also reproduce the format and content of a traditional resource, giving it nothing more than a new wrapper. This is the case with some electronic books whose words duplicate the the print version but are presented on a monitor rather than paper. They are the same words, the same knowledge, just presented differently. In the rush to be new and different, we sometimes abandon time-tested and useful library services. Not so long ago, it was the charge of someone on the library staff to clip articles from the daily paper and file them in a folder that then went in a file drawer. With the advent of online searching, paper files were discarded because of their datelines. Why keep files, even of computer-generated printouts, when you can initiate an online search that will produce up-to-date information? Experience has taught us that besides cost, these online searches takes time and effort, whereas an automated clipping service does not. Clippings can also be posted as compared to routed-- perhaps their most valuable advantage. In addition, electronic bulletin boards can be set up on intranet sites so that the same information can be viewed by all users. By using the WestIntraClip™ service on Westlaw®, combined with the West Intranet Toolkit™, all members of a group or department working on the same project can receive timely, identical information by posting clipped articles on the intranet site. This has been found to be extremely valuable in a law firm environment in which all attorneys working on a matter need easy, equal access to updated information. Posting such information as the traditional new-acquisition lists was formerly handled in a monthly newsletter promulgated by the research center--first in paper, then online. But again, the intranet provides the perfect forum for the announcement of new titles; not only is a list produced, but hyperlinks can take the user straight to the catalog entry. From there, the user can either e-mail the library staff to send the materials or, in the case of electronic books, go directly to the book itself Finally, whereas the research center once kept an orientation/policy manual on hand to assist users with questions and procedures concerning the library, most user mysteries now can be solved by simply going to an online list of FAQs (frequently asked questions). Acquisition forms, routing lists, research requests and the like all can be mounted on the page to be cut and pasted or e-mailed to the research staff. Another online benefit is the troubleshooting link that can be established to provide detailed explanations of hardware requirements, downloading, printing, etc. Actual screen shots that have been circled and highlighted can be mounted on the intranet to give end users a clear visual on how to manage a potential problem and help themselves. Clipping articles and posting new acquisitions, policy manuals and self-help guidelines are traditional, time-tested library staff responsibilities. The intranet, however, can give a new glow to these data-dispensing duties. There are those of us who would argue with Alice when she asks, "what is the use of a book ... without pictures or conversations?" There is however, a generation accustomed to having its knowledge illustrated, and for them, the intranet is the key. Linda Will can be reached at willl@gtlaw.com or 305-579-0834. She is always ready to talk the 'net or Alice, for that matter. This is the last issue before our annual conference in June. We have a included message not only from our chair, Larry Guthrie, but also from our chair-elect, Anne Abate. Also, please take a look at Cindy Spohr's PR column, which reintroduces our committees. (Yes, it is a ploy to attract more volunteers, so be forewarned.) Also included in this issue are the biographies of our slate of candidates for office. Please check out our regular columns as well as a new one titled Change Control. Column editor Rob Myers of Arter & Hadden explores various issues relating to the management of law libraries, including alternative models for management, finance, library/IS relations and more. It promises to be an interesting read. We would very much like to thank Linda Will for introducing and contributing to the valuable intranet column. Beginning next issue, this column will be taken over by another Greenberg Traurig librarian, Terry Seale. We look forward to Terry's articles! It's been an exciting year, and we look forward to an even more exciting one. Hope to see you in Philadelphia in June!
Barbara W. Silbersack
Mary Lynn Wagner Legal Division Quarterly is published four times a year. We reserve the right to edit for space and clarity. Please send submissions to Barbara W. Silbersack as an attachment to e-mail in Microsoft Word for Windows, 12-point Times font. Legal Division Quarterly accepts sponsorship of mailing, printing and other services. Inquiries regarding Legal Division Quarterly sponsorship or advertising should be sent to the advertising manager: Alice F. Fosson, Bracewell & Patterson LLP, South Tower Pennzoil Place, 711 Louisiana Street, Suite 2900, Houston, TX 77002, 713-221-1142. The Special Libraries Association assumes no responsibility for the statements and opinions advanced by the contributors to its publications. Editorial views do not necessarily represent the official position of the Special Libraries Association. Acceptance of an advertisement does not imply endorsement of the product by the Special Libraries Association.
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Join the Legal Division Discussion List In addressing our next stage of growth, we must keep in mind that we are a grassroots organization, composed of members still excited about our profession and organization, expert in our respective aspects of the field, vigilant of new challenges on the horizon and our place within them, and unified in spirit with our colleagues. The expertise in the Legal Division is in individual members, from students to veterans. We value this aspect of the organization--that the power comes from the grassroots, not only the hierarchy. We want members, as well as the elected officers, to have control. For this reason, in our next stage of growth, we ask members to take authority, particularly those who have volunteered to serve as advisors, chairs and liaisons. These are points for initiating action. Based on their expertise and judgement, the chairs should feel free to initiate programs, surveys and seminars, such as a survey proposed this year on the Copyright Clearance Center, the reaction to the threatened NTIS restructuring and our place in the dot-com revolution. These ideas are good ones and could be supervised by individual chairs and their committees. Some will be coordinated with SLA organization committees, such as the Copyright Committee on the CCC survey. Others can operate totally independently. If you have an idea, it's probably a good one! Present it to the chair and board to keep them informed, then pursue it by taking action independently through chairs on the Advisory Board and enlisting members for your committee. If each committee chair brought one idea to fruition in the course of the year, many benefits would be reaped. Currently, ideas take shape in the division primarily through conference programs, articles in the Legal Division Quarterly and on the Web site and soon in the division yearbook. Idea-generators are in the directory. We can expand the avenues for bringing ideas to life to include seminars, programs, surveys, petitions and cooperative presentations with other organizations. The Executive Board of Directors of the Legal Division serves as the division's conscience and decision-making body. Any major decision affecting the division is voted on by the executive board so that major concerns are decided by seven elected representatives. Other actions do not require voting and can be initiated by appointed chairs and their committees. So, if you have an idea that will benefit the field of law librarianship, please pursue it! Contact an appointed chair, or, if an appropriate committee does not already exist, ask to create one. The Legal Division encourages such action, came into existence by such action and will continue to flourish by such initiatives! Thank you for your help and support this year. We have made great strides and look forward to more in the future. I look forward to seeing you in Philadelphia in June!
Greetings from the New Year! Please be looking forward to an exciting ride this year for the Legal Division. I will be leading you on the trip as the incoming chair. The Legal Division is now the fourth largest within SLA. We have had tremendous growth over our short seven year life span due to your interest and involvement. Please keep it growing! My focus for the year will be the impact of technology on our profession. I will be unfolding the details of this theme during various talks at the annual meeting and in messages to the members of the Legal Division during the year. We have a very busy conference program in Philadelphia and hope that many members will be able to join us. If this will be your first SLA conference, do not fear. Just watch for Legal Division events in your program and join us at every opportunity. A complete list of events will be available on the Web site as the conference draws near. Most important, we need your help. Since the division has grown so large, we need more volunteers than ever before. You will find a partial list of committee descriptions in this issue. Please review the list and let me know where you fit in to the growth of the division. Even if you have only a few minutes of the year to give, we can find a place for you. I particularly need to hear from you if you will not be able to attend the annual meeting. We still want you along for the journey. Hop on board--it'll be a great trip!
Anne K. Abate
your pr update The Legal Division organization has been built by volunteers and it needs you! As stated on our Web site,"The Legal Division intends to play a leading role in the Special Libraries Association as it becomes the premier association of the library world. Our profession is our central focus, and our activities will promote professional development and competence." In order to be the premier association of the library world, we need the participation of as many Legal Division members as possible. New committee appointments will be confirmed shortly after the annual meeting in June. Our incoming chair, Anne Abate, needs to know of your interests in order to complete these appointments. Following is a listing of committees and a brief, informal description of each. While some chair and committee member positions will continue from this year into next, member participation is needed in many areas. Please note that several committees are marked by the * symbol. The division has special needs in these areas, so please give them special consideration. To express interest in a committee, please call Anne at 513-489-9599 and let her know your preferences regarding committee appointments. Anne will contact you by the end of June to discuss your appointment. Archivist: Maintain the records and events of the association. * Bylaws & Division Manual: Work with the Executive Board of Directors regarding any additions or changes to the Legal Division bylaws and manual. Communications Committee: Facilitate communications within the division. Division Directory Editor: Organize content for the Legal Division Directory. Division Photographer: Responsible for the pictorial history of division events and activities. Employment: Manage the job-placement and postings process. European Liaison: Maintain communications between the Legal Division and members of the European Chapter of SLA. Government Relations: Facilitate communications between the division and SLA Government Relations. Legal Division QuarterlyAdvertising Manager: Responsible for working with vendors regarding advertising placements. Legal Division QuarterlyWriter: Responsible for working with editors on the content development of the newsletter. Liaison to Other Divisions and AALL: Manage the Legal Division's relationship with and other SLA Divisions as well as with the American Association of Law Libraries. Liaison to the ABA: Manage the relationship between the Legal Division and the American Bar Association. Listserv Administration: Responsible for supervising listserv activities. * Membership: Provide information to new members of the Division and track existing membership. Nominating: Responsible for developing the slate of candidates for Executive Board of Directors offices for the 2001- 2002 division year. * Professional Development: Assist in the planning of the educational offerings of the Division. Public Relations: Promote the division both within and outside of the division. Scholarships and Grants: Administer all scholarships and grants offered by the division. * Strategic Planning: Work with the Executive Board of Directors to establish the long term plans for the division. Student Chair: Work with library schools to promote membership in the division. Vendor Relations: Responsible for soliciting vendor sponsorships for division events and programs. Web Site Advisor: Oversee Web site content. Yearbook Editor: Prepare a review of the year. Your considerable talents are needed to continue the dynamic work of the Legal Division. Please e-mail Anne today! Candidates for Office
For Director (20002002) Linda K. Fowlie Prior to joining Akerman Senterfitt in 1998, Linda was Manager of Library Services at Rumberger, Kirk & Caldwell, P.A., in Orlando, Florida, for six years. She was Deputy Director of the Law Library at Steptoe & Johnson in Washington, DC, for 8.5 years before relocating to Florida. She received her M.L.S. degree and her B.S. in journalism from the University of Maryland.
For Secretary (20002002) Jenny Kanji Jenny has been actively involved at the national level in the Special Libraries Association during the past three years as a member of the Legal Division Planning Committee for the annual meetings and chair of the Strategic Planning committee. The past year, she was nominated as a chair-elect-elect for the SLA Legal Division. At a local level, Jenny is on the planning committee of SLA Professional Development and the education chair of the Northern California Association of Law Libraries. Additionally, she serves as the chair of the Private Law Librarians committee, responsible for strengthening relationships with the Association of Legal Administrators. Jenny has been a featured speaker at regional and national library association conferences, including SLA conferences where she has spoken on topics such as "Outsourcing in the Library" and "Sixty Sites in Sixty Minutes." Jenny received a B.A. degree in History from the American University of Beirut in Lebanon and a Master of Library Science degree in law librarianship from the University of British Columbia in Canada. Jenny makes her home in Northern California with her husband and Sasha, the lovable Lab retriever.
For Chair-Elect-Elect Jeffrey R. Stickle Education: Master of Library and Information Science, Catholic University of America, 1992; Juris Doctor, Cleveland Marshall School of Law, 1986; Bachelor of Business Administration, Cleveland State University, 1976. Professional Activities: Special Libraries Association (SLA) member, 1996 present; Chair of SLA Legal Division Bylaws Committee, 1999 present; Law Librarians Society of the District of Columbia (LLSDC), member 1991 present; President of LLSDC Inter Library Loan Special Interest Section, 1993 1994; AALL member, 1991 1999; Southeastern Chapter of AALL member, 1993 present. Publications: Author of "L'Eagle Eye" column in the SLA Legal Division Quarterly newsletter 1999 present; Editor of Illuminations LLSDC ILL SIS monthly newsletter, 1993 1995.
back room Is technology becoming more of a challenge in your firm than it is a friend? Do your new associates constantly complain about how long it takes for them to get software access or why they aren't allowed to load Shockwave software on their own desktop browser? Until the Internet arrived, I was never aware of any associates at the firms I worked for seeming particularly interested in what was on their computers. I still remember interviewing a fifth-year female associate on the library committee who told me she didn't really want a computer in her office because she worried the partners would see her ability to type as clerical proficiency. She was quite happy to have the librarians do all her searching online so she wouldn't need a computer. Times have changed, however, and I don't think that attitude exists anywhere today. When the library acts as gatekeeper for passwords and software, there is constant tension between the haves and have-nots. Most firms require some sort of preliminary training on their network software for new hires-- both staff and attorneys. If an attorney manages to put off the word-processing training or avoid the e-mail training to learn on his or her own, no one really complains. But if training is missed for software that requires a password now that's a different story. A new associate who can't get Internet access immediately may go into a tizzy. It's as though "Internet withdrawal" sets in, and the associate can become very unsettled. A similar reaction can set in with initial denial of access to Westlaw® or LEXIS. Some new associates can't believe anyone would doubt their ability to use these services in an efficient, cost-effective manner. Their general response is: "Don't you realize how much trouble you're causing me?" It would be nice to roll all of the training into one long orientation session, lasting a day or so, just to get it out of the way. I'm curious about how other firms handle this issue. I've worked at firms where the library was very much a part of the orientation process and also at locations where the library was the last place shown to someone new. We do have an off-network account for the Internet to help with the most desperate needs. For an associate, going an entire day without Internet e-mail seems to be the main concern; no one seems quite as anxious about Westlaw or LEXIS. I presume that restrictions concerning adding on software to your desktop are typical in firms where the desktop is part of a network. Virus concerns and network interference are the most obvious reasons. Does your firm allow associates to customize their desktops or is such access blocked? Most of the firms I have worked for have assumed that the library staff is computer literate, and software restrictions haven't applied quite as strictly to us. We try to keep this from any frustrated new associates no use in pointing out their lack of freedom. If a particular software package is needed to "aid them in the practice of law," every effort is made to get it loaded as quickly as possible, but the associates are not allowed to load it themselves. As new associates join the firm, I find the frustration level to be highest among the youngest. Like cell phones and Palm Pilots, computers are second nature to them. It will be interesting to see how these young associates influence the access available at their desktops. Oftentimes, I find they know more about software and the Internet than the IT staff does, because they use it more and have done their own troubleshooting for years. Right now, if I need to deny a new associate access to a program or account, my standard response is, "That's the way the firm handles access. It isn't just you." If you have comments or suggestions about software access and training, please e-mail me at folensbb@pepperlaw.com. I'll be glad to pass them along in my next column.
change control Change Control is a new column that will appear in the Legal Division Quarterly on a regular basis. The column will be devoted to diverse issues surrounding the management of law firm libraries during an era of unprecedented technological change. Future articles will investigate the use of application service providers, library technology benchmarking, morphing the collection and billing policies for electronic resources.With luck, the column will have broad appeal, as I am neither a techie nor a Luddite. As a librarian, I highly value technology, but am also somewhat intimidated by it. Hence, my first article focuses on merging the law firm library with the firm's technology department. In recent years, several law firms have merged their libraries with their technology departments. In most of these firms, the two departments remain separate entities but report to a single director--usually, the chief information officer (CIO). Typically, the CIO has risen from the technology side of the merged departments. (A fact that, in and of itself, could and should be the subject of a separate article.) For many of these firms it's too early to tell whether this merged organizational structure has been a success and whether it will have staying power. Indeed, the structure has fallen apart at some firms; in a few firms it appears to be working but this is an area that does not easily lend itself to benchmarking. An overriding factor that can be discerned in firms where the merger appears to function well is that success is highly dependent upon the personalities and working relationship of the CIO and library director involved. Many librarians are mortified at the thought of merging their libraries with IS. Isn't this sleeping with the enemy? Journal articles from the 1990s talked of turf wars between librarians and the IS department, focusing on topics such as who owns the firm's intranet. An examination of the benefits of merging the two departments shows that such a merger is not a far-fetched idea from the management perspective. A sampling of the benefits of a unified department follows. Benefits of a Unified Library/IS Department
Responsiveness
Planning
Communication
Funding
Staffing
Mutual Respect and Understanding
Strengthening Each Other Drawbacks Stemming from a Merger While some librarians may feel that a merger of their department with the IS department is a sign of weakness or defeat, it is arguably quite the opposite. It takes a self-confident librarian, one looking out for the best interests of the firm to support such a merger. It's important that the library director has earned the respect of the firm's top management before considering the move. It's also advisable that the library director initiate the merger rather than having it forced upon her or him. The reasons these factors can be drawbacks in a merger situation are examined next.
Impeded Interaction with Top Management
Man-over-Machine Philosophical Dilemma
CIO Interested Only in Technological Aspects of the Library
Loss of Library Director Prestige
Loss of Library Identity In sum, merging the library and IS departments can lead to some beneficial results. Such a merger also has its potential drawbacks. The jury is still out on how beneficial these mergers tend to be. Only a few firms have gone this route and benchmarking is difficult to perform in this area. For a merger to be truly effective, the personalities of the CIO and library director must be compatible and their working relationship harmonious. Obviously, a merger is not the answer for all or even most firms. If, however, upon careful analysis, you find that the benefits outweigh the possible drawbacks, and you feel both departments are up to the challenge, a merger may be the right move for your library and firm. Robert R. Myers can be reached at rmyers@arterhadden.com.
tax file Attorneys need the latest IRS rates for tax calculations, and they usually need them "yesterday," which puts a bit of pressure on both the practitioner and the librarians to find these rates quickly and inexpensively. It's maddening to search using the popular name for a rate and then not find the rate table or, equally frustrating, to find 140 hits when all you want is the latest COLA table. The following guide to finding tax rates provides the cites for the source documents containing the rates. For each rate given in the table, you'll be able to find the ruling without keyword searching. The rates can be found in the Tax Notes Today (TNT) files, available on LEXIS, Westlaw, and Dialog. The recommended strategy for finding these rates is to search by a document type and to add a search term that describes the rate you are looking for (e.g., kiddie tax). However, the following guide simplifies the process of finding the latest rates by providing a document cite for each rate. An alphabetical list of frequently requested tax rates is shown in the first column, the specific source document for the last five rates appears in the middle column, and the tax period the rate covers is shown in the third column. Use the sample searches below in conjunction with the information in the guide to quickly locate the rates you need--or share this column with your attorney. Sample Searches: To retrieve Revenue Procedure 99-14:
LEXIS, File TNT:
WESTLAW, File TNT:
DIALOG, File 790: Source Documents for IRS Rates
water cooler Scene: March 911, Gulf Coast, Naples, Florida Players: West Group and a cast of talented information innovators Purpose: Three days of learning, teaching and sharing for the greater goal of a continuing successful marriage of information, technology and those who find it, create it and use it The Information Innovator's Institute brought together approximately 80 people who shared ideas, created solutions and looked to the future of information delivery. The technology highlighted during the conference nearly overwhelmed me. Discussions about the interrelations between librarians and IS inspired me, as did the segments related to such "traditional" library themes as cataloging and training. Trendy terms portal, XML and Cold Fusion were discussed, as were more comfortable concepts content and delivery, access and training. I want to give you, in a few paragraphs, my impressions of the major themes of the institute. These will not be of the stamina or stature offered up by Bob Berring in his closing address, but I hope you find them interesting enough to explore the topics further and draw your own conclusions about how you see things changing. Theme 1 The personalization of technology is increasing. Technology soon will be even more pervasive in our lives, invading our homes as well as our offices. Technology developers are working to make our lives more manageable. (I may not have to live at the grocery store when I'm not working. What will happen to my social life?!) The move is toward creating multiple access for each person, whether at the office, in the car, on the phone or at home. Theme 2 Management of the law firm is changing. The arranged marriage of IS and libraries is entering the "welcome with open arms" era. Librarians have always made efforts to play well with IS; now IS is starting to do the same with librarians. The goals of ease of use, technical stamina and getting information when it's needed are finding common ground in both departments--to the benefit of the end user. Firms are also changing their management structure and while "partners" are not dead, some are seeing the need to change how things work in law firms. The conference's session with Arthur Miller brought to light several interesting facts. First, accounting firms are enlightening law firms as to how they need to do business in order to meet client needs. Second, the infrastructure of firms will change, and West Group (apologies to all competitors, but West Group sponsored this dialog) will be there to help firms make that change. Third, Librarians will be more powerful because of their content knowledge. The discussion became lively when it was offered up that librarians will leave firms then return as consultants! Fourth, education of attorneys will change. Exactly when that will happen is up for debate. Fifth, more power will come to rest in the hands of associates. Theme 3 Librarians want power. This may not be a new theme, but there were many interesting proposals about how to get that power. Some people prophesy that power will come from places outside the firm, especially in dot-com companies and consulting businesses. Some librarians see themselves gaining power as their new reporting structure puts them on a higher level of the firm hierarchy. Other librarians are moving from the library into Information Services and gaining their power within that realm of the corporate culture. All of these are viable opportunities for power-seeking librarians. Theme 4 Librarians care about their users and the service provided to those users. Despite their hunger for power, their itch for change in management, their cry for recognition and the overwhelming opportunities offered by new technology, librarians care about their work. We care about the users, their training and education, and the functionality and usability of the information provided to them. The Technology Suite at the conference highlighting intranets, extranets and catalogs really brought that point home. We care about providing quality information to our users through quality catalogs, top-notch intranets and usable extranets. We care about training attorneys to use technology to get what they need when they need it. Theme 5 Vendors want to help. In a market that is sure to become even more competitive, vendors should be considered a valuable resource and ally. They talk with their customers, spend money to make their products meet customer needs and continue research and development efforts that reflect the way information is processed and applied. The Institute was a learning opportunity I was proud to participate in. I overcame my fear of XML, portals and wireless communication and broadened my understanding of law librarians' role in information innovation. Granted, not all of our ideas will be implemented successfully. But change is constant, and sitting around waiting for it to slow down or stop is not an option. I want to be in the forefront--working toward the changes I want instead of working with the changes that others make. I think the participants in the Information Innovator's Institute would rally behind that statement.
head O'(the)PAC Rachel Jones has a unique position in the realm of law librarianship. She is Manager of Professional Education and Training at Dickstein Shapiro Morin & Oshinsky in Washington, DC. As law librarians follow Rachel's lead and begin to provide increased training services to attorneys, her insights into information on training should be particularly instructive. Q You have an interesting position in the world of law librarianship. Describe an average day. A My position has been evolving over the 3 years that I have been Manager of Professional Education and Training. Although initially, my attention was directed at coordinating the in-house skills building programs for the attorneys, I have branched out to developing programs for the para-professionals and secretaries of the firm. DSM&O (Dickstein Shapiro Morin & Oshinsky) is very committed to the premise that professional education and growth should be available to everyone. In the past year, I have taken on more responsibilities for attorneys' CLE compliance. This may involve helping them find outside programs of interest or making sure that our in-house programs get accreditation. I also do a lot of training myself in computer-assisted legal research and the Internet, and apply for CLE accreditation to encourage attendance. And when we are short-staffed, I pull reference duty, which I always love to do! There hasn't been a "typical" day for me since I started this position, and that's what makes it such an exciting position to have!! Q What types of Web usage does your position entail-- such as Web searching for new training topics or the evaluation of online CLE programs? A I have to use the Web all the time. Many of the CLE providers have wonderful sites, and the bar associations have been putting together great stuff on their Web sites. Many of our attorneys have recently taken a liking to the teleconferences that they can do over lunch. And I find these by searching the Web. I also use the Web to keep up with changes in the state regulations of CLE, or to help attorneys with their questions regarding CLE. Q What are some of the most useful Web sites for you in terms of daily work, professional development and/or recreation? A I have a lot of favorite sites, and I tend to use them in my WWW training classes. Here are some of them, in no particular order: http://www.virtualchase.com Educational value http://www.astd.org Training techniques, adult-learning needs, etc. http://barratry.law.cornell.edu/notify/buzz.html Big Ear: Current Legal Resources on the Net http://www.law.georgetown.edu Great legal gateway http://jurist.law.pitt.edu It has everything! Comprehensiveness! http://www.llrx.com Great e-zine for law librarians and researchers http://hg.org Great legal research starting point http://findlaw.com Another great legal research starting point http://www.lawnewsnetwork.com Current awareness in the law http://www.lii.org Librarians' Index to the Internet great for staying current http://www.fastcompany.com Current awareness on corporate happenings from a broad perspective http://www.legalethics.com 50-state coverage on changes in ethics rules and state ethics opinions Q How do you stay current with changes on the Internet? Which sites or e-mail lists do you use most often to find new Web resources? A I read a lot of newsletters, and we are fortunate that the firm's Web master updates weekly what's new on the Web. Other sources include the Scout Report [http://scout. cs.wisc.edu/report/sr/current/index.html], Search Engine Watch [http://www.searchenginewatch.com], The Internet Lawyer [http://www.internetlawyer.com], the Librarians' Index to the Internet [http://lii.org], and Netsurfer Digest [http://www.netsurf.com/nsd/index.html]. Q How do you keep track of these favorite sources memory, bookmarking, adding them as intranet links, etc.? A I bookmark a lot of these sites, in fact all the ones I mentioned are in my favorites list. Our Web master has added some of them to the intranet, which has been rolled out in the last two weeks. I would expect more and more of these types of things will be added as time goes by. Q What print materials do you find helpful in keeping you up-to-date with your position? A The Internet Lawyer is certainly very helpful for keeping up on Internet sources. As for the training component of my job, the magazine produced by the American Society for Training and Development, called Training and Development, is an excellent resource for staying current on techniques, technology used in teaching, all aspects of needs assessment, evaluation, etc. Q If there is any "information gap" that you perceive, describe the perfect Web site or publication that would fill that information need. A As far as an "information gap," goes, one doesn't immediately come to mind. However, I've been doing research on state bar membership and disciplinary actions taken against attorneys, and it would be wonderful to have a site that covered all 50 states. This is a project that requires the old-fashioned way of doing things ... that is, using the phone!
international corner The past two months have been relatively quiet on the law library front. This is possibly because of our long, warm summer, which has led to a more relaxed frame of mind. We are coming to grips with a failed referendum on the republic whilst marvelling at another successful visit by Her Majesty to our shores these past two weeks. Then, we have the impending introduction of the GST in July, and, most importantly for our American colleagues, the all important preparations for the Sydney 2000 Olympics in September!
Austlii Interface Upgrade It also helps to narrow the search to the type of material needed (e.g., case law or legislation. The hosted databases, and the World Law Databases are excellent resources that can be useful no matter where you are located. It is also worthwhile remembering that Austlii is host for Project DIAL Development of the Internet for Asian Law funded by the Asian Development Bank.
Corporations Law Cases In the meantime, to facilitate location of cases related to corporations law, irrespective of jurisdiction, there is a specific Web site. The purpose of the site is to provide a free, valuable resource for judges and the legal community and, in particular, to assist in achieving consistency of approach between courts following Re Wakim. The address of the web site is: http://cclsr.law.unimelb.edu.au/judgments.
A New Court for Australia The magistrates will be located in capital cities and four major regional centres; Western Australia already has magistrates under the State Family Court System. The publishers involved in providing the reports for the court are CCH and Butterworths (Reed Elsevier). Until the next issue of LDQ, may I wish you all the best, and remind you that the ALLG Symposium in Sydney is coming up July 1921, 2000. You can register online if you want to have a visit down under, away from the Olympics: http://www.allg.asn.au.
Letter from Europe Since I last wrote, the campaign to "free" English law has gained real momentum and developed into a concrete pilot service in the form of the British and Irish Legal Information Institute (BAILII). This is the new name for the project formerly known as UKILELI, which has the aim of making Britain's case law and legislation free over the Internet. I am sure many librarians will agree that this new name is much easier to spell and pronounce. I, for one, find in the onomatopoeic resonance of the new name a clever parallel with that well-known embodiment of English Justice the Old Bailey. From free sources to something that is not now free: Sadly, the United Nations Treaty Collection service is now only available on subscription since 1 March. The good news, though, is that the site has been improved and is much easier to search: http://www.untreaty.un.org/English/treaty.asp. The 1998 Data Protection Act came fully into force in the UK on 1 March 2000: http://www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts1998/19980029.htm. The Act implements in the UK the EU Data Protection Directive (95/46/EC). The Data Protection Registrar also has a useful site with information that includes background and guidance on the new legislation: http://www.dataprotection.gov.uk. There is a link on this site to the Data Protection Register itself http://www.dpr.gov.uk which can be searched. Speaking of searches, the Butterworths Direct product now features two new search tools. Total Search is a function that allows users to execute a single search across the whole suite of Butterworths Direct products to find information. The second feature, Link Direct, puts hypertext links from a customer's intranet to reference information within any or all of the Butterworths Direct products to which that user holds subscriptions. The UK Library Association merger talks with the Institute of Information Scientists continue with the setting up of an Implementation Working Group. The group is working on the constitution of the new body, which will be a registered charity with a Royal Charter. The vesting day for the new body will be April 2002. Last week, we put our clocks forward for British Summer Time, which means longer days. Personally, I love this time of year, as I can pretend the day is not all gone when I get home. Which means, I still have enough energy to look at my preliminary conference programme for Philadelphia. I am going to be there, so let's make a date ... Law Librarian Finalist as Global 2000 Fellow A law librarian is a finalist as a Global 2000 Fellow. As of this writing, the winners have not been announced. The Fellows are funded by SLA for their transportation and expenses to the Global 2000 Conference in Brighton, England. So far the amount of $47,000 has been raised to fund Fellows. Susan O. Johnson, Information Officer, The World Bank Information and Knowledge Sharing Solutions, Information Solutions Group www.worldbank.org, sjohnson3@worldbank.org
Nonlegal Information Is Increasingly Important to Legal Researchers Information is the commodity of the legal trade, and, increasingly, legal professionals need to access and use non-legal information resources. Noted Y2K litigation expert Ron Weikers of Weikers & Co., Attorneys at Law, in Philadelphia, says he spends much of his time researching Y2K news and e-security issues. "For cases I'm handling, and for books and articles I have written or am in the process of writing, I research a wide variety of current events, news and corporate information and public records resources." Information sources and technologies are proliferating at astonishing rates. "The growing number of sources for information has made my research much more efficient and effective than previously possible," says Weikers. "And through online technology, I am able to quickly uncover huge amounts of information that was available only by laborious research in the past." Ironically, improved access to information and the growing number of available resources also can make research more difficult. No one person can know every potential resource for information, but increasingly, keeping track of the "best" resources is the challenge. Weikers notes that this confusion can cause even a seasoned researcher to miss volumes of critical material. Legal researchers are accustomed to powerful, intuitive research tools designed to work the way they do. Services such as Westlaw and LEXIS-NEXIS prioritize documents, create customized reports and shift easily between primary and secondary sources providing true context to search results. [Editors' note: Another interesting new resource is WestIntraClip,™ which allows researchers to track new developments on a daily basis at no charge. Located on westlaw.com,™ it gathers information from news sources and delivers a results link to your e-mail address. You can then link out to Westlaw® to review the results which include the title, publication and first three lines of the text of the article. Once you request a particular article, the cost is the same as a Find ($5 per document). This is an excellent new way for researchers to stay current in today's ever-changing world.] As nonlegal information becomes increasingly critical, law librarians brace their skills against not only information but also source. Instant access to trusted resources and the power to analyze information may give more confidence to legal researchers. BNA, Breakfast and Business 2000 The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. will sponsor its annual breakfast for the Legal Division on the morning of Tuesday, June 13, during the SLA Conference in Philadelphia. This event, now a traditional part of the division's annual meeting schedule, provides time for SLA law librarians to discuss mutual concerns and get better acquainted with other members of the division. The focus of this year's breakfast meeting will be information technology and the changing library landscape. Anne Abate, incoming division chair, will briefly discuss her program plans for the coming year and talk about IT from her perspective as a law librarian, professor and consultant. BNA will send an invitation to the breakfast to all division members in late May. If you plan to attend, RSVP as soon as possible. If you do not receive your invitation by late May, please contact Kammie Hedges at 202-452-4470 or khedges@bna.com.
member news Welcome to your Member News column! Anne Abate accepted a new position on March 30. She will be Director of Internet Strategy for Renaissance Government Solutions (a division of Renaissance Worldwide). Details will appear in a future issue. Jency James is the new Director of Information Resources at Brown McCarroll & Oaks Hartline of Austin, Texas. She will be directing the Austin office information center as well as the Dallas, Houston and Longview, Texas, library operations. Address information is as follows:
Jency J. James As of January 31, 2000 Joan Ogden is the law librarian at the recently opened Chicago office of McGuire Woods Battle & Boothe, LLP. Address information is as follows:
Joan M. Ogden Larry Guthrie of Covington & Burling, Legal Division chair, is mentioned in the acknowledgements of the book Frank and Jesse James: The Story Behind the Legend by Ted P. Yeatman due out in May 2000. (See details of the publication at www.amazon.com under "Yeatman.") Nathan Rosen is again coordinating the Emerging Technologies Roundtable breakfast at the annual conference. Due to the popularity of this event last year, attendees must order tickets (at a nominal cost of $5). A buffet breakfast and a much larger room (sufficient to comfortably accommodate the crowd) are planned. The panel has been expanded to three speakers: Please see the SLA Web site for complete and accurate information (the printed version contains errors). Carol Bean of Taylor Porter Brooks & Phillips, LLP, has been elected vice-president of the newly organized Baton Rouge Area Association of Law Libraries. She was a co-presenter, in March, at a local CLE seminar for paralegals on using Internet search engines. The LASOMI newsletter for January 2000 (find it at http://www.sla.org/chapter/cla/newsletter/january00.pdf) features an article by Carol on her experiences selecting an automation system for her law firm. Don't forget to send me your news at any time, preferably by e-mail (address info is below). Looking forward to seeing lots of you in Philadelphia!
Karen Krupka
new members
Sean M. Barnett
Laurel P. Bell
Jill E. Burke
Peter Coddington
Leigh B. Cohen
Morgan & Finnegan
Diane M. Dangelo
Judy A. Davis
Barbara G. Fingerote
John P. Gall
R. Scott Grove
Susan Janik
Heather K. Maloney Noyes
Jerry Manning
Edward T. Meyer
Nicholas D. Pengelley
Veronica M. Salaam Legal Division Treasurer's Report by Carol Furnish Financial Activities from 1/1/00 to 2/29/00
(Minus $5,000 contribution from LEXIS-NEXIS for 6/2000 SLA conference.)
Executive Board Executive Board
Chair
Chair-Elect
Chair Elect-Elect
Director 19982000
Secretary 19982000
Treasurer 19982000
Past Chair Advisory Board
Advisory from Tribal Courts
Archivist
Bylaws and Division Manual
Communications Committee
Counselor/Advisor to the Chair
Division Directory Editor
Committee Member
Division Photographer
Employment
European Liaison
Government Relations
International Listserv Coordinator (Global 2000)
Legal Division Quarterly
Co-Editors
Mary Lynn Wagner
Design, Layout, Printing and Mailing
Liaison to AALL and other SLA Divisions
Liaison to the ABA
Listserv Administrator
Membership
Nominating
Professional Development Chair
Public Relations
Committee Member
Scholarships and Grants
Sergeant-at-Arms
Strategic Planning
Committee Member
Student Chair
Vendor Relations
Committee Member
Web Site Advisor
Yearbook Editor
County, Courts and Provinces/State Librarians (CCAPS)
Emerging Technologies in the Law
International
Tax
Carol Mohammed
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1 September 2000 Revised: URL: http://www.slalegal.org/ Suggestions: Web Manager |
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© 1998-2000 SLA Legal Division all rights reserved. Some graphics
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