And if I play the same three chords,
Will you just yawn and say--

It's all been done
It's all been done
It's all been done before

--Steven Page, Barenaked Ladies

Another October, annother Message from the FCIL-SIS Chair. The breathless recounting of programs from the annual meeting; the full-speed-ahead rallying cry for the upcoming year; the vague-yet-sincere invitation to send in your ideas, thoughts, concerns, questions...yes, it's all been done before.

Nonetheless, because many people worked hard for the SIS this year, it should be done again. Thanks to all the members who proposed, coordinated, moderated, and spoke at FCIL programs in St. Louis. Barbara Garavaglia's collection development program, with its panel of FCIL all-stars, was worth its weight in educational gold. Chenglin Liu's International Health Law session kept us on the cutting edge. Maxine Grosshans' Consular Relations program, with its great research component from Barbara Bean, and John Wilson's Empirical Research session, both offered high-quality speakers and information typical of an American Society of International Law meeting. Thanks to David McFadden for pulling off the long-awaited Law Library Exchanges program. Wei Luo bagged perhaps the most distinguished speaker of the conference, Prof. Leila Sadat, whose terrorism lecture rounded out an excellent lineup.

Special thanks to the SIS members who created programs opposite the regular AMPC (Annual Meeting Program Committee) slots: Mark Engsberg and Teresa Miguel, and Mary Strouse and Lucy Cox. These extra efforts paid off in more foreign and international learning opportunities for all of us. We also benefited from the expertise of our Schaffer grantee, Hind Al-Helaly, who spoke on the Egyptian Legal System.

At the New Orleans meeting in July, we hope to use local civil and comparative law talent to bulk up our offerings. Programs on the Napoleonic Code and the Latin civil law tradition are in the works. Other proposed topics include internally displaced persons, an introductory program on finding international law, preserving legal heritage (France), indigenous peoples, international disability law, indigenous government in the Americas, using film to teach Roman law, economic analysis of international law, and legal research training.

Meanwhile, strategic planning has reared its ugly head again. Many FCIL members responded to a call for volunteers to serve on a committee to review and revise our strategic plan. Committee members include Victor Essien (Fordham), Barbara Garavaglia (University of Michigan), Molly Mackey (Rutgers-Newark), Carolyn McKelvey (Covington & Burling's DC office), me, and Dan Wade (Yale). Consider this message your first invitation to let us know your ideas, frustrations, or impressions.

Other volunteer opportunities abound, or at least exist. The Membership Committee needs a new chair. This committee recruits new members and makes new members feel welcome. Its work has usually taken place during the annual meeting, so it's a good slot for someone who likes brief flurries of activity. The Membership Committee could also use a few new members.

Last, AALL has a pot of money available for educational programs outside the annual meeting: http://www.aallnet.org/prodev/grant_program.asp. If anyone has an interest in developing a web-based educational offering, or even a more traditional presentation, the FCIL-SIS would happily sponsor such a proposal on an FCIL topic.

If you're interested in any of these volunteer opportunities, please contact me at rumse006@umn.edu. And of course, send in your ideas, thoughts, concerns or questions anytime.