AALL takes a leadership role in shaping the future of the law library profession by promoting the value of law librarians and by supporting our members in a variety of ways. Membership in AALL provides members with myriad opportunities to gain experience as leaders—through committees, special interest sections, caucuses, and AALL chapters. AALL also strives to increase the participation of law librarians within the legal and library communities and to build partnerships and collaborations with outside groups with whom we share common interests.
Encouraging Law Librarian Participation in Pro Bono Legal Activities
The Special Committee on Pro Bono Partnerships was appointed by President Sally Holterhoff to focus on promoting and increasing cooperative efforts between law librarians and the providers of pro bono legal assistance. The committee completed extensive surveys and interviews, gathering information about pro bono efforts in all types of law libraries. The committee's report in the July 2007 Members' Briefing highlighted collaborative pro bono legal efforts underway in various types of organizations and identified potential new collaborations.
Members of the special committee also participated in programs outside of AALL, including the Self Represented Litigation Network (SRLN) and the Equal Justice Conference. The AALL Executive Board approved a recommendation for monetary support for the SRLN. The network is a growing group of organizations and working groups dedicated to assisting self-represented litigants. Committee Chair Sara Galligan also attended the 2007 Equal Justice Conference in Denver, which emphasized leveraging pro bono partnerships to increase access to justice.
Revamping of AALL Committee Structure Underway
A Special Committee on AALL Committee Structure, chaired by Karl Gruben, spent many months during 2006-2007 doing an in-depth study of AALL standing committees and their important role in the work of the Association. Their resulting recommendations concerning the organization and leadership of all our committees are under consideration by the Executive Board for adoption and for implementation for the 2008-2009 Association year. This effort promises to make AALL's committee infrastructure stronger and more efficient to tackle future challenges.
Members Represent AALL to Stakeholders
The AALL Representative Program formalizes certain mutually-beneficial relationships between AALL and some of our partner organizations. One goal of the representative program is to facilitate the dissemination of AALL needs, goals, and thinking to groups whose activities and policies may affect AALL members and their libraries. Another goal is to discover relevant information about the needs of "stakeholder organizations" and communicate them back to AALL members. Among the more than two dozen organizations and entities to which AALL leaders and members currently serve as representatives are:
- American Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar
- American Library Association and several of its technical services committees
- Association of Legal Administrators
- Federal Depository Library Council
- Legal Information Preservation Alliance
- National Center for State Courts
- Self Represented Litigation Network
AALL Sponsors Management and Leadership Institute
In March 2007 AALL sponsored a Management and Leadership Institute in Tucson, Arizona, geared toward law library professionals with at least three years of professional experience. The four-day institute, attended by 35 members, was envisioned and proposed by Michael Chiorazzi. Led by facilitator Maureen Sullivan, the institute presented cutting-edge strategies, essential tools necessary for management and leadership roles, and tips to increase law librarians' abilities to manage and lead effectively. An action-learning approach was used, which included lecture, case studies, small group discussion, self-assessment tools, journaling, and skills practice.
AALL to Host Joint Study Institute 2008
Plans are underway for the 2008 Joint Study Institute (JSI), which AALL will host at Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C. The AALL JSI 2008 Planning Committee, co-chaired by Timothy Coggins and Darcy Kirk, has scheduled the institute for June 25-28, 2008.
The series of Joint Study Institutes began in 1998, sponsored by AALL, the Australian Law Librarians' Association, the British and Irish Association of Law Librarians, and the Canadian Association of Law Libraries. Now the New Zealand Law Librarians' Association has joined the group of sponsoring organizations. JSI sessions are held biennially, with the location rotating among the host countries.
The focus of early institutes was on the host country's legal heritage and traditions, but the perspective of programming has broadened. Programs for the 2008 JSI will center on the role of international law and norms in U.S. judicial decisions.
Members Focus Interest on Competitive Intelligence
Competitive intelligence (CI) is gaining prominence in law firms, and libraries are assuming leadership in the CI arena. Members of the Private Law Libraries Special Interest Section (PLL-SIS) formed a Competitive Intelligence Caucus in 2006 and began proposing programs on the national and local levels. A CI workshop was held in New Orleans, during the 2007 Annual Meeting, in addition to a program on "The Value of CI to Law Firm Librarians," which was directly sponsored by the PLL-SIS. The CI Caucus also created a discussion list and held a brown bag lunch meeting in Houston in June 2007.
AALL Members Contribute to New Orleans Recovery
To help support the recovery of our host city for the 2007 Annual Meeting, approximately 150 AALL members arrived in New Orleans at least a day early in order to participate in community service projects on Friday, July 13. AALL volunteers worked for Habitat for Humanity, the Second Harvest food bank, and the Louisiana State Museum.
"Re-Covering New Orleans: One Book at a Time" was the 2007 version of the annual book drive sponsored by the Social Responsibilities Special Interest Section. This year more than 1,400 books were contributed by AALL members, along with nearly $8,000 in monetary donations, all for the New Orleans Recovery School District. An article about the book drive was featured in the Times-Picayune.
At the Local Advisory Committee's Hospitality booth, Annual Meeting attendees sold out the 200 fleur-de-lis pins to benefit the Friends of the New Orleans Public Library, raising $4,500 for restoration of flooded branch libraries.
Association Resource Wins Award
The Published Articles database of the Publishing Initiatives Caucus (PIC) was named "Best New Current Awareness Service for Law Library Literature" this year by the Law Librarian Blog's IMHO Awards. As of July 2007, more than 150 articles written by AALL members are listed in this growing database. Recent articles have appeared in such publications as Legal Assistant Today, Legal Times, Missouri Lawyers Weekly, National Law Journal, San Francisco Daily Journal, and Wisconsin Lawyer.
PIC was organized in 2004 by a group of AALL members as an outgrowth of the AALL Public Relations Committee. The goal of the caucus is to inspire and motivate law librarians to write articles for legal publications that are read by practicing attorneys, legal administrators, law professors, judges, and others in organizations that employ AALL members. Such articles appearing in publications outside law librarianship serve to promote law librarians as leaders in legal information, research, and technology. This year PIC created a brochure to promote its goals and resources.
Essay Contest Focuses on Value of AALL Membership
"Why I Belong" was the theme of an essay contest conducted by the 2006-2007 Membership and Retention Committee to raise awareness of the benefits of membership in the Association. Open to the entire AALL membership, the contest required entrants to submit an essay of no more than 500 words about why membership in AALL is important to them—what they've gained, and what they value from their membership, including illustrative examples or anecdotes. Submissions were divided into three groups based on years of AALL membership. Judging was done by members of the committee, and the winners were: Kathleen Brown (member for 1-5 years), Joseph Novak (member for 5-10 years), and Julie Tessmer (member for 10+ years). Each of these winners received a complimentary full registration to the 2007 Annual Meeting. Their essays were printed in the June 2007 issue of AALL Spectrum.
A Day in the Life of the Law Library Community
A Day in the Life of the Law Library Community, the popular AALL photo contest conducted by the AALL Public Relations Committee, was back for an encore in 2007. As in the original 2005 contest, AALL members were asked to take photographs of law librarians at work. For 2007, the six categories for submissions were changed a bit, including the addition of a "Most Humorous" category. This time photos could be taken and submitted during the entire month of February. After members of the PR Committee did the initial judging, five finalists in each category were posted on AALLNET. AALL members were invited to view them and select the winners. The voting occurred in April during National Library Week.
Nearly 45 members from 34 different law libraries submitted more than 150 photos for this year's contest. Winning photographs appeared in the July 2007 issue of AALL Spectrum and were recognized at the 2007 Annual Meeting in New Orleans. Photos from the contest are also featured in this 2006-2007 Year in Review.
Welcoming and Supporting Our Newer Colleagues
The AALL Mentor Project provides an informal, personal source of information for newer members; an avenue for experienced law librarians to meet promising new members of the profession; and a network for members contemplating a move to another type of library. This year the Mentoring Committee worked with the Academic Law Libraries; Private Law Libraries; and State, Court, and County Law Libraries Special Interest Sections to match 104 members as mentors and mentees. The committee also hosted a reception at the 2007 Annual Meeting where these Mentor Project participants could meet face-to-face.
Also at the Annual Meeting, the committee hosted 98 law librarians at the Conference of Newer Law Librarians (CONELL). In addition to meeting Executive Board members and other AALL members, CONELL participants learned about AALL and careers in law librarianship and enjoyed a bus trip of New Orleans. On the evening preceding CONELL, participants had an opportunity to meet each other during optional Dutch Treat Dinners held at local restaurants.
Throughout the year, the AALL Recruitment Committee responded to inquiries from people interested in pursuing careers in law librarianship, including questions about graduate education, career opportunities, the future of the job market, and the opportunities available in the various sectors of law librarianship. Many questions came from lawyers or other librarians interested in alternative careers.
Committee member Sara Paul represented the committee and AALL at a webinar for paralegals and legal assistants on other legal careers. It was hosted by the International Paralegal Management Association in October 2006. Paul spoke about her career path and how AALL has enhanced her professional life.
Search Process Results in Hiring of New Executive Director for AALL
When the Association was faced with a vacancy in the position of executive director in November 2006, AALL was fortunate that Stephen Ligda, who had retired in 2005 from his position as our director of finance and administration, agreed to come back as interim executive director on a part-time basis until a permanent replacement for the position could be hired.
An Executive Director Search Committee, chaired by Susan Siebers, conducted a search and, in April 2007, hired Kate Hagan as AALL Executive Director. Hagan has a strong background in legal association management, having served previously as director of the American Bar Association's Section of Family Law from 2003 to 2005. She also worked for the Ohio State Bar Association for 15 years, serving as its assistant executive director from 1995 to 2000. Since 2005 she had been director of fund development for the Radiological Society of North America. She began her new position with AALL in mid-June.