FROM THE CHAIR
by Terry
Psarras, Carlton Fields, Tampa, FL
FEATURES
REFLECTIONS ON HAVING A
MENTOR
by Donna M. Fisher, Senniger Powers, St. Louis, MO
AALL 2006 PLL SPONSORED PROGRAMS
by Margarita Bull, Lerach Coughlin Stoia Geler Rudman & Robbins
LLP, San Diego, CA and Karen Silber, BNA, Inc., Washington, DC
PACIFICI NAMED LIBRARY JOURNAL MOVER AND SHAKER FOR 2006
by Randall J. Thompson, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge,
LA
SHOW ME THE BOOKS! - EIGHTH ANNUAL CHILDREN�S BOOK DRIVE
RESOURCE REVIEW
by Andrea Hamilton, Faegre & Benson, Denver, CO
PLL NEWS
NEWS FROM THE CHAIR OF THE
RECORDS/CONFLICTS MANAGEMENT GROUP
By Lee R. Nemchek, Morrison & Foerster LLP, Los Angeles, CA
JAN BROWN STEPPING DOWN AS PLL PERSPECTIVES EDITOR
Terry Psarras,
Carlton Fields, Tampa, FL
"Time is fun
when you're having flies." Kermit the Frog
When I was little and watched The Muppets religiously, the show was
dubbed in Greek, therefore I cannot recall ever hearing Kermit the Frog
actually say this. Regardless, this quote helps define the last few
months of my soon to be completed Chairmanship of PLL. We have had it
all, and it has been so much fun � of sorts anyway - that I cannot even
remember everything that happened.
Like any lame duck president late in his or her final term, I feel
obligated to worry about my legacy. Therefore I felt it would be
appropriate for me to look back at some of what our tireless band of
ragtag PLL volunteers accomplished this past year. These achievements
are listed below, in no particular order.
PLL Professional Achievement Award
After years of talking about this, we have finally put the mechanism in
place, and had our first winner, Genie Tyburski.
PLL Toolkit
For all intents and purposes the toolkit is finished and will be
unveiled by St. Louis. A lot of hard labor has gone into it over the
years and fruition is in sight.
Strategic Plan
Work continues on simplifying and streamlining our strategic plan,
making it more relevant to our world. We are following the new AALL
strategic plan, which stresses leadership, education, and advocacy.
Legal Marketing Association
Work has been done on creating a relationship with LMA. It seems a
natural fit due to the evolving nature of the duties a lot of us have in
our firms and corporations.
AALL Centennial
PLL is participating in the AALL centennial events. St. Louis will also
be PLL�s 30th anniversary.
AALL Annual Meeting Programming Changes
We took advantage of the opportunity afforded to us by AALL�s newfound
programming flexibility; and we scheduled three PLL programs not
accepted by the Annual Meeting Program Committee, yet deemed interesting
enough by and for our members.
AALL Education Summit
We participated in this event in September 2005. A lot of work was done
on developing career development and continuing education opportunities
beyond the Annual Meeting.
eVoting
Oh, and let us not forget the first electronic elections. They went like
clockwork, nothing exciting about them�NOT!!!
J.
-
We had
several procedural problems, for which I apologize and take full
responsibility. This was our first experience with electronic
voting, and I hope we took good notes on what worked and what did
not, and next year�s will run a lot more smoothly.
-
Unfortunately (or maybe not, as we all benefit from discussion), we
experienced participation issues during the election. This brought
out a spirited discussion, which, I hope, will benefit us
individually, as well as an association. Several postings from Al
Podboy, Nina Platt, Chris Graesser, and others, brought to the fore
issues relating to PLL and elections, ours as well as AALL�s. As
American Express used to say �Membership has its privileges,� and
that is very true. True membership though is so much more than just
privileges given to us.
Technical
Services and Corporate Groups
Both have been inactive for a while. This pat year we were able to fill
in leadership positions for both and their rebirth has started slowly
but surely.
Association of Legal Administrators
We have tried to continue our relationship with the Association of Legal
Administrators, which started in San Antonio with the presence of John
Michalik, ALA Executive Director, as our PLL VIP. One of the things we
are doing in this regard is inviting St. Louis based law firm leaders to
our Luncheon. We believe that exposure of such individuals to our
association can only benefit our members.
And There
Were More Things I Should Be Mentioning Here, But�
It is very, very late at night, and I am already way, way past the
original deadline to turn in my column. I beg the forgiveness of the
people whose projects escape my fading memory at this moment but who
should have been mentioned here.
To all the people who have helped - a little or a lot, it does not
matter - make this last year what it became, thank you all.
Volunteers -
this also includes all the friends and acquaintances I arm twisted into
volunteering for PLL duty this past year � make an association such as
ours what it is. Hopefully the spirit of giving part of our time and
effort will continue on for this coming year and many more to come.
Those of you, who volunteered and were not called, rest assured that the
incoming chair knows where and how to find you.
Hope to see you all in St. Louis.
REFLECTIONS ON
HAVING
A MENTOR
by Donna M. Fisher,
Senniger Powers,
St. Louis,
MO
Finishing library school and,
more importantly, finding a job as a law librarian is exhilarating,
exciting, and very fulfilling. It's so satisfying to do research and all
of the other challenging projects that go along with working in a legal
environment. It can also be very frightening. Suddenly there are
projects to complete and important deadlines to meet that can affect an
entire law firm, with no free Westlaw and Lexis use to ease the pain of
research mistakes.
Co-workers and professional
colleagues are often available to help new librarians find their way.
But as a solo, I didn't have the luxury and privilege of working
directly with other librarians. Colleagues in other law firms graciously
and consistently offered to lend their expertise, and I intermittently
accepted their kindnesses. But I was uncomfortable with the idea of
taking up their time when they certainly had their own responsibilities
and obligations to fulfill.
To improve my job skills, I took
advantage of many beneficial professional development opportunities. I
also occasionally posted a request to a listserv, but that came with its
own problems. I was not pleased at the prospect of exposing what I
perceived to be my job deficiencies to the entire law library community.
I was, rightly or wrongly, fearful of asking a question so obvious that
I would enter the annals of the "Dumbest Law Librarian Question Ever"
Hall of Fame.
That left me with one
alternative�finding a mentor. After a year in which I spent the bulk of
my time cataloging and organizing the library from the ground up, my
duties expanded more into the area of reference and research. I found
myself in desperate need of sound and seasoned advice from an
experienced and willing colleague. When AALL sent information about the
mentoring program, I realized that this was indeed the answer I needed.
I would finally have someone committed to answering my questions and
someone I could depend on. Even better, I would have an ongoing
relationship with a person who had volunteered and was officially
assigned to assist me. I would no longer have to feel like I was
imposing on a fellow librarian. Since I work in an intellectual property
boutique firm, I would need someone proficient in the area of patents,
trademarks, and copyrights, as well as the myriad other types of
requests that come up in any type of librarianship.
I was extremely fortunate that
the mentor assigned to me was Jacqueline L. Grossman, Information
Services Manager at the San Francisco office of Townsend and Townsend
and Crew LLP, a firm specializing in intellectual property. Jackie began
her career at Townsend after working at a firm that did labor and
employment law. She developed her strong IP skills on the job and by
taking classes and reading. Jackie also has a deep knowledge of law
firms and law librarianship and database searching and research.
Jackie and I have never met. Our
relationship is primarily an electronic one, although we've spoken by
phone on occasion. Jackie has given me guidance on a variety of
projects, including legal research, publication choices, competitive
intelligence, and patent searching. She has helped me navigate through
the maze of online resources. Sometimes months go by without my
contacting her, but just knowing she's available has given me more
confidence to tackle projects that previously would have left me
floundering. Partly that is because of my own increased experience, but
I believe it's also partly because I feel Jackie is my safety net. She
is unfailingly responsive and patient with all of my requests and gives
thoughtful, clear, and detailed answers.
Having a mentor forces me to
define the specifics of a problem for myself, which can help me arrive
at a workable solution on my own. Sometimes I need detailed help, and
sometimes all I need is a fresh and objective perspective on a task. My
mentor provides both. She also points out related issues that can be
very relevant to my situation, but that I may not have considered.
Becoming a mentor was an easy
decision for Jackie. "I decided to volunteer for the mentoring program
because I have been in the field for many years and I wanted to share
some of my experiences with newer librarians. I have found that speaking
to other librarians about issues that were new to me when I started this
job has helped me decide how I want to approach things. IP (and
especially the prosecution side) is very specialized and requires
knowledge of unique resources. For that reason, I felt that I could be
most helpful to someone who also worked with IP attorneys."
Along with her technical
expertise, Jackie has imparted to me her overall vision of
librarianship, which "boils down to service, service, service." Her
library staff "has a great reputation in the firm because we provide
excellent reference services to attorneys and staff. We are responsive
and try as hard as we can to provide them with the information that is
requested as quickly as possible." Jackie also understands the
importance of "good communication with attorneys, clarifying what they
are looking for, understanding how they will use the information they
are requesting, and making them aware of the limitations of the
resources you are searching."
Being a successful mentor
requires a commitment of time and energy. In Jackie's view, "The key to
being a successful mentor is to be a good listener, be positive and
encouraging, and also be willing to invest the time it takes to answer
questions thoroughly." Jackie feels that she has also benefited from the
mentor relationship. "It is also interesting to see what other law firms
are doing and how other librarians approach things. I think mentoring is
a two way street. We learn from each other."
I will finally meet Jackie at the
AALL conference in July, in my hometown of St. Louis. She will be a
first-time speaker, co-presenting the program "60 Key Intellectual
Property Research Sites in 60 Minutes." I'm looking forward to hearing
this worthwhile session, and to having the opportunity to thank Jackie
in person for selflessly sharing her experience and her time.
Deciding to ask for a mentor was
one of the smartest things I have done for my career. My experience has
been nothing but positive. I strongly recommend the mentoring program to
anyone who is considering becoming either a mentor or mentee. Both
participants will enjoy tremendous personal and professional rewards.
For more information on AALL's mentoring program, see
http://www.aallnet.org/committee/mentoring/mentor_project.html or
contact the Mentoring Committee Chair, Stephanie Fox, at
stephanie.fox@thomson.com.
AALL 2006 PLL SPONSORED
PROGRAMS
by Margarita Bull,
Lerach Coughlin Stoia Geller Rudman & Robbins
LLP, San Diego, CA and Karen Silber, BNA, Inc.,
Washington, DC
It is the mission of the PLL-SIS
Education Committee to encourage the development of and foster programs
for presentation at the AALL annual meeting that best address the needs
of and the issues facing private law librarians today.
Karen and I and the Officers and Board of PLL-SIS feel that the PLL-SIS
programs that were chosen this year for inclusion in the educational
portion of the annual meeting are among the very best and strongest
programs our SIS has ever sponsored.
We wish to extend a hardy THANK YOU to all PLL-SIS members who offered
program proposals and who worked so hard to put together this list of
terrific programs which PLL-SIS members and all AALL members will surely
benefit from attending in St. Louis.
Saturday, July 8 8:30am � 5:00pm
W-3 Knowledge Management in Law Firms: Evaluating,
Selecting and Living with Firm-wide Information Management Solutions
This all day workshop is designed to give guidance to librarians
whose firms have agreed to pursue a firm-wide information management
strategy or �knowledge management.� How does one choose from all the
available products? The morning session will focus on product selection,
and the afternoon session will consist of reports from librarians who
have solutions up and running. The twelve member panel consists of law
librarians and vendors.
Sunday, July 9 10:00am � 11:30am
A-2 Competitive Intelligence: Transitioning from
Librarians to Analysts
Librarians have long provided the research data that serves as the
basis of competitive intelligence. Now they are being asked to expand
their responsibilities to include analytical skills, technical writing
and sophisticated knowledge of information delivery and presentation.
The panel will examine the role of competitive intelligence
professionals, discuss the skills needed and offer suggestions on how to
obtain those skills.
Sunday, July 9 2:45pm � 4:00pm
B-5 From Railroads to the Internet: The Impact of Technology on
the Practice of Law
The word technology, for most, brings to mind computers, PDAs or
other handheld devices. Have these devices changed the practice of law?
Join Professor Arthur Miller to ascertain how all types of technology,
from the railroad to the Internet, have impacted the practice of law.
Professor Miller will end the session by discussing evolving technology
and how it will change the face of the legal work in the years ahead.
Sunday,
July 9 4:15 pm - 5:15pm
C-5 Interns = Opportunity!
Attendees will learn how they can coordinate their needs with those
of graduate library school programs and play a role in encouraging
library students to enter the field of law librarianship. Detailed
discussion will cover needs of the intern, types of projects, and the
feedback required for effective evaluation of interns.
Monday, July 10 9:00am � 10:00am
D-1 Public Speaking: A New Frontier?
For most, public speaking is stressful, but it does not have to be.
Learn techniques that reduce stress related to public speaking and
skills to improve public speaking. This program demonstrates some of the
components of a Toastmasters meeting. Get set to overcome your fear of
public speaking and learn how it has helped others advance their
careers.
Tuesday, July 11 10:15am � 11:30am
G-2 Getting to Know You: Increase Your Visibility and Value to
Firm management
Learn how to increase your visibility, add value to your firm and
build internal partnerships as an information professional. Participants
will take a guided tour of the research services the Association of
Legal Administrators has developed for its members and learn how these
services can help with projects for their firm�s administrator.
Participants will see a working model for collaborating with other
administrative departments in the firm.
Tuesday, July 11 10:15am � 11:30am
G-4 Marketing Your Library Through CLE Programs
Attorneys are always looking for ways to fulfill continuing legal
education requirements. Librarians have created successful CLE programs
that fill a need and create goodwill and recognition for their
libraries. Speakers on this panel discuss CLE programs they have
developed and implemented.
Tuesday, July 11 4:00pm � 5:00pm
H-3 60 Key Intellectual Property Research Sites in 60 Minutes
The specialty of intellectual property law has exploded in recent
years due to the growing importance of technology in the U.S. and
changes wrought by a growing global economy. The response has been the
development of a wide variety of databases and services, which are
constantly being upgraded and changed. Participants will evaluate which
resources will be most useful in their particular work environment.
Wednesday, July 12 2:15pm � 2:45pm
K-1 Survey Skills: Asking the Right Questions
Regardless of whether we work in corporate, private, public or
academic libraries, we all strive to deliver quality service. How do we
know if we�re meeting our users� needs? Surveys are effective tools to
gather information about what we are doing well and where we can
improve. Speakers demonstrate how librarians are using survey tools.
Wednesday, July 12 3:00pm � 3:30pm
L-3 Do My Statistics Say What I Want Them to Say?
Most librarians in management position compile statistics for their
administrators, library partners, managing partners, CEOs or deans.
Speakers demonstrate the value of statistics that are compiled in the
course of daily library operations and how those statistics are used to
advocate change in their libraries.
The following three programs were �unofficially� accepted and will be
sponsored through the PLL:
Sunday, July 9 4:15 - 5:15pm
America�s Center, Room 260
Creating New Best Practices Through Law Firm Expansion: How to Avoid
Having to Circle the Wagons
The trend in law firms is to use mergers as a way to expand their global
presence. With over 170 law firm mergers in the last three years, the
chances of it happening to you are becoming increasingly likely.
Participants will be able to better analyze and identify collection
management, staff integration, and reference services issues inherent in
law firm mergers/expansions. The panel consists of law firm librarians
who have successfully survived mergers and have used them proactively to
create new best practices within their departments.
Tuesday, July 11 9:00 - 10:00am
America�s Center, Room 263
Marketing 101: Five Easy Steps to Successful Library Marketing
Building on the 2005 program Marketing Schmarketing!, this program asks,
and answers, the question Is a marketing plan really needed? How do you
evaluate the success of your marketing effort? Speakers offer five tips
they have devised to help any Librarian focus on marketing.
Tuesday, July 11 � room TBA
The Butterfly Effect: Are You Ready for Change?
Attendees will analyze which skills and competencies should be
developed over the next 20 years and also gain insight into law firm
library trends over the next 20 years. The panel discusses predictions
of what the next 20 years will hold for law firm libraries based on
changes that they have seen over the last 20 years.
See you in St. Louis!
PACIFICI NAMED LIBRARY JOURNAL MOVER & SHAKER FOR 2006
by Randall J. Thompson, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
Long time PLL member Sabrina
Pacifici was recently honored by Library Journal as one of the nation�s
Movers & Shakers in libraries for 2006. Pacifici is the editor and
publisher of her own monthly online journal, LLRX, and of her daily
blawg, beSpacific. LLRX is one of the oldest webzines and has long been
renowned as one of the premier sources for legal and technological news
for the law librarian. It was also recently named by Law Technology News
as one of the top ten legal web sites for the past decade. beSpacific
provides daily links to primary source materials regarding governmental
electronic information policy and to developments in the law of
electronic intellectual property. It also tracks changes in all aspects
of the laws dealing with cybercrime. beSpacific was named the top blawg
for 2004.
Both LLRX and beSpacific are
recommended as a part of the regular reading list for all PLL members.
Please join in congratulating Sabrina for her well deserved honor and
thank her for her ongoing contributions to the world of legal research.
SHOW
ME THE BOOKS! EIGHTH ANNUAL CHILDREN�S BOOK DRIVE
The Social
Responsibilities Special Interest Section (SR SIS) is coordinating the
8th annual children�s book drive in St. Louis. The theme this year in
the Show Me State is Show Me the Books! This year�s efforts will
benefit two of the more needy schools in the St. Louis area, Central
Elementary and Vashon 9th Grade Academy.
The
Wellston School District was established in 894 and currently
educates 600 students in four facilities, including an early childhood
center and the Central Elementary School. Wellston, like many small
inner suburbs, was plunged into economic depression and social chaos
after the losses of population and declining home values of the post
World War II era. Test scores had declined to such an extent by the
1990s that the State of Missouri was forced to place the district into a
form of receivership.
The City of
Wellston has made efforts to stabilize its political, commercial and
physical infrastructure and attract new residents. They have also
consolidated and reorganized the school system with Central Elementary
now serving grade levels 1 through 4. Central has slightly less than 200
students and has begun rebuilding the library collection.
Vashon
High School is one of a number of schools in the St. Louis City
school district that has suffered a plague of financial, political, and
severe discipline issues. In January 2006, as part of an immediate
effort to create smaller, more manageable student communities, the new
superintendent of the city school system took the bold step of removing
the current 9th grade class to an off-site facility. The freshman class
was relocated to a vacant middle school facility in the downtown area,
now known as the Vashon Williams Ninth Grade Academy. The academy�s
library is in the process of building a collection to support the new
program. They are in need of all appropriate materials for 14 - 16 year
old students. The small amount of funding provided by the school
district has allowed the library to purchase only a few reference titles
and some fiction items. Currently they have 594 titles (and 653 copies)
in their collection. According to the state, the library should have the
following in order to meet minimum standards: 350 reference titles, 3080
nonfiction titles, and 1530 fiction titles.
Think about
how you would like to donate this year. It is easier than ever! You can
go to Amazon.com to choose from the Book Drive Wish Lists (go to
Amazon.com and click on the �Wish List� link and then search for �AALL�).
Books appropriate for the Wellston students are listed on the �2006
Elementary School List,� and Vashon�s preferred titles can be found on
the �2006 9th Grade List.� Your donation will be shipped directly to the
Book Drive Team. Other options include bringing your donation with you
to the conference and donating at the SR SIS table, or sending your
donation check made out to AALL to:
Show Me the
Books c/o Ann Puckett
University of Georgia Alexander Campbell King Law Library
Herty Drive
Athens, GA 30602-6018
apuckett@uga.edu
RESOURCE REVIEW
by Andrea Hamilton, Faegre & Benson, Denver, CO
Have you ever been asked to find
information regarding a U.S. Congressional Committee hearing? Perhaps
you needed to find who testified at a particular hearing and would like
access to the transcripts of that testimony? Then LexisNexis�
Congressional is the source for you (http://www.lexisnexis.com/academic/universe/congress/)!
From the "Basic Search" screen under "Congressional Publications", you
can conduct a search by hearing name, subject, expert, and/or date.
After locating the testimony you need, you may find that you are able to
link directly to the full text of that document. Otherwise, the SuDoc
number is provided so that you can locate the document in an area
library.
In addition to Committee
Hearings, LexisNexis� Congressional provides access to Congressional
Research Service Reports, Official Committee Prints, U.S. House and
Senate Documents and Reports, Senate Executive Treaty Documents, and
Legislative Histories. Coverage varies by type of document and your
institution's subscription, but some available materials date back to
the first Congress (1789-1791)!
Do you have a resource you�d like to feature in this column? Please send
your submission (including the name of the resource, the publisher, and
a brief description of the resource) to Andrea Hamilton at
ahamilton@faegre.com. Please
use Resource Review in the Subject field of your email.
NEWS FROM THE CHAIR OF THE RECORDS/CONFLICTS MANAGEMENT GROUP
by Lee R. Nemchek,
Morrison & Foerster LLP,
Los Angeles,
CA
Cross-Association Networking
in 2006!
It's very exciting to see that professional associations other than
AALL and ARMA Int'l. are offering significant educational programs in
the area of legal records management. For those who might have an
opportunity to attend these, or to acquire the program materials, here
is information about two annual conferences from related associations in
the legal field, plus preliminary program information on ARMA's annual
legal pre-conference:
Association of Legal Administrator's (ALA) 35th
Annual Educational Conference and Exposition, Montreal, Canada, May 1 -
4, 2006
As part of the annual conference, ALA is offering a records
management-themed Sessions in Series entitled "Implementing Records." If
your administrator attends ALA, you can perhaps ask him/her to bring you
back tapes and/or program materials for one or more of these sessions.
There are three RM-themed sessions, but each session stands alone; so
you can attend one or all to fit your needs. Here are the session
details for all three sessions.
Intake - Monday, 10:30 � 11:45 a.m. LI10
Law firm mergers and acquisitions are on the rise. How do you manage the
intake of inherited materials through lateral hires? What types of
technologies are available to help track physical files? This session in
series will explore the important aspects of records intake. You will
learn: (1) Which technologies are most effective in tracking physical
files; (2) How to use bar-code and radio frequency identification
technologies; (3) How to match the tool with your specific needs.
Moderator: Christopher C.
Gaines is the Document and Records Area Manager with Oc� Business
Services. He has 32 years of records and information management
experience and uses his unique combination of expertise to develop
content management strategies. Gaines is the Treasurer for the Chicago
Chapter of ARMA International.
Panelists: George Cunningham
is Co-Founder of Cunningham & Montana, Inc. He has more than 20 years of
experience developing and implementing records and information
management programs throughout the United States and internationally.
Cunningham has served as an expert witness and is a frequent conference
speaker. John Phillips is a Senior Consultant with Information
Technology Decisions. During the last 25 years he has been a management
consultant, data systems project manager, computer research associate,
librarian and records manager. Phillips is an author and frequent
speaker on computer technology and information management issues.
Retention - Tuesday, 8 � 9:30 a.m. LI21
We have seen legislation, federal law and industry standards change
records retention policies over the years. Thus, having an effective,
up-to-date retention policy is critical for any organization. This
session in series will focus on how to create a records retention
policy. Since statutes, rules and best practices govern retention, it is
important for firms to identify each and its applicability to records in
their firms. You will have an opportunity to review the general
statutory, ethical and multi-jurisdictional issues controlling records
management, and then to discuss these implications.
Speakers: Christopher C.
Gaines is the Document and Records Area Manager with Oc� Business
Services. He has 32 years of records and information management
experience and uses his unique combination of expertise to develop
content management strategies. Gaines is the Treasurer for the Chicago
Chapter of ARMA International. John Montana is the Co-Founder of
Cunningham & Montana, Inc. He has developed records retention schedules
and information management policies for many of the foremost companies
in the United States. Montana is an expert on information management and
records retention law.
Destruction of Records - Wednesday, 10:45 a.m.
� noon LI30
As records storage costs increase, firms cannot afford to waste valuable
resources on inefficient records management and misuse costly office
storage space. This session in series will focus on managing records
files that have become obsolete. You will learn: (1) How and when to get
rid of files; (2) What you need to know before you destroy records; (3)
What to do if your firm is storing boxes with unknown content; (4) How
to select an off-site storage vendor.
Moderator: Christopher C.
Gaines is the Document and Records Area Manager with Oc� Business
Services. He has 32 years of records and information management
experience and uses his unique combination of expertise to develop
content management strategies. Gaines is the Treasurer for the Chicago
Chapter of ARMA International.
Panelists: George Cunningham
is Co-Founder of Cunningham & Montana, Inc. He has more than 20 years of
experience developing and implementing records and information
management programs throughout the United States and internationally.
Cunningham has served as an expert witness and is a frequent conference
speaker. John Montana is Co-Founder of Cunningham & Montana, Inc.
He has developed records retention schedules and information management
policies for many of the foremost companies in the United States.
Montana is an expert on information management and records retention
law.
International Law Technology Association's (ILTA)
29th Annual Educational Conference, Orlando, Florida, August 21-24, 2006
Registration is now open for ILTA 2006: Evolving Together. Information
about the event and a link to online registration can be found at
https://conference.iltanet.org. Ask your Technology Manager whether your
firm is an ILTA member and try to get in on these programs. Note: ILTA
often posts program materials and/or power points on its website after
the conference is over.
Records Management Peer Group Records Management Track, chaired
by Rudy Moli�re of Kelley Drye & Warren LLP
Moving beyond the physical record
� with technology rapidly changing the way organizations conduct
business, the Records Management Track focuses on the notion of the
record as being more than just paper. We will discuss challenges of ERM
(electronic records management) for multi-office firms, discuss new
technologies such as RFID, tackle the challenges of new business intake
and automated workflow, and present an "ask the experts" session, where
you will have the opportunity to present your ERM concerns to a panel of
seasoned RM experts. The sessions include:
Ask the Experts: Everything You Want to Know About ERM
Case Study: Automating the New Business Intake Workflow Process
Life Cycle Management of Records in a Matter Centric Environment
RFID: Emerging Technology for Your Records Department
ARMA International's (ARMA) 51st Annual
Conference & Expo, San Antonio, Texas, October 22-25, 2006
Plan now to attend the Legal Industry Specific Group Pre-Conference,
which is usually held two days before the opening day of the Conference.
The first day is all about conflicts, featuring speaker William
Freivogel (www.freivogelonconflicts.com).
The second day is all about records management, including the following
topics:
1. DM/RM/EM/Images in a Law Firm
Environment
Upon completion of this
session, participants will be able to:
� Understand the
risks or benefits of using repositories/systems other than records
management systems to manage information
� How and where systems that integrate (like records management,
document management and email management) interrelate
� Have a foundation for creating a strategic records management plan for
a firm's multiple information/records stores
2. How Recent Court Cases Affect Law Firms
Upon completion of this
session, participants will be able to:
� Understand how
recent court cases affect law firms
� Know where to reference recent case law
� Determine how to apply case law to the policies and procedures of
their firm
3. Ethical Walls and Information Security
Upon completion of this
session, participants will be able to:
� Distinguish the
different types of information security (ethical walls, confidential
matters, contractors access to a single matter, etc.) that are necessary
to protect a law firm
� Understand the systems integrations required to fully protect the
information within a firm
� Develop the key components of an effective information security policy
4. When Your Firm Gets Sued........Defining the Elements of a Litigation
Hold Process at a Law Firm
Upon completion of this
session, participants will be able to:
� Develop
procedures and policies for establishing a litigation hold process
� Understand the unique aspects of developing a litigation hold process
at a law firm
� Articulate the risks and benefits that are associated with discovery
JAN BROWN
STEPPING DOWN AS PERSPECTIVES EDITOR
After nine
years as editor of PLL Perspectives, with this issue Jan Brown is
stepping away from the job. Jan has labored in the trenches these many
years to produce a newsletter that is high quality, informative, and
attuned to the issues confronting private law librarians. She has spent
countless hours soliciting authors, suggesting topics, and editing copy
all with the goal of making Perspectives one of the best SIS
newsletters. I think you will agree with me that she succeeded. On
behalf of Jan�s co-editor, Sarah Mauldin, and the entire Newsletter
Advisory Committee, I want to thank Jan for all her efforts and wish her
the very best.
Randall J. Thompson
Chair, Newsletter Advisory Committee
Editors Note: Thanks so much for
taking me on as your co-editor. It has been a joy to work with you! All
the best! Sarah Mauldin