Foreign, Comparative and International Law

FCIL Schaffer Grant for Foreign Law Librarians

The purpose of the FCIL Schaffer Grant for Foreign Law Librarians is to provide financial assistance to ensure the presence and participation of a foreign librarian at the AALL Annual Meeting.  Foreign attendees enrich AALL events by sharing global perspectives for the benefit of all participants.

The FCIL Schaffer Grant for Foreign Law Librarians for the July 25-28, 2009 Annual Meeting in Washington, DC provides the following support:

1. A waiver of the AALL Annual Meeting full registration fee.

2. A grant of a minimum US $2,000 to assist with accommodations and travel costs.

Note: The FCIL Schaffer Grant for Foreign Law Librarians recipient will be responsible for supplementing the Schaffer Grant funds with other sources if necessary.

Qualifications: An applicant must be a law librarian or other professional working in the legal information field, who is currently employed in a country other than the United States.  An applicant must be in a position of significant responsibility for the dissemination, preservation, and/or organization of legal information.  An applicant may be from any type of law library (public, law firm, corporate, academic, court, etc.).  An applicant  who would not otherwise have the opportunity to attend the AALL Annual Meeting is invited and encouraged to apply. 

The Grant Committee will not consider applications from individuals who have previously received the FCIL Schaffer Grant for Foreign Law Librarians.

Selection Criteria:  The Grant Committee will evaluate an application on the basis of the foreign law librarian’s ability to add to our knowledge of law, legal information, and law librarianship from a foreign perspective. The Grant Committee may give preference to an applicant from an under-represented country or region, to someone who demonstrates financial need, or to an applicant who has never attended an AALL Annual Meeting

In order to ensure diversity, the Grant Committee will endeavor not to select recipients from the same country as FCIL Schaffer Grant for Foreign Law Librarians recipients of the previous three years.

Grant Recipient Responsibilities: At the conference, the FCIL Schaffer Grant for Foreign Law Librarians recipient will be expected to share his or her knowledge and experience with other law librarians by making a presentation, participating in a panel discussion, or taking questions from the audience at an FCIL-sponsored meeting or event. After the conference, the FCIL Schaffer Grant for Foreign Law Librarians recipient agrees to write a short article or report (1-2 pages in length) for the Fall 2009 issue of the FCIL newsletter.  The recipient is welcome to propose alternate or additional means of sharing his or her knowledge.

Application procedure: To be considered for the FCIL Schaffer Grant for Foreign Law Librarians, please submit an Application Form and a résumé of your professional qualifications. The Application Form should be filled out as completely as possible. Simultaneous electronic submission of a completed Application and résumé is preferred but not required.

All documents should be sent together (electronically or traditional mail) to the FCIL Schaffer Grant for Foreign Law Librarians Committee Chair:

Deadline: The Chair of the Grant Committee must receive all applications by March 1, 2009. The Grant Committee will not consider late or incomplete applications.

Notification: The Grant Committee will notify the FCIL Schaffer Grant for Foreign Law Librarians recipient and other applicants of its award decision in early March 2009. The Grant Committee may also post a general announcement in AALL publications and listservs.

The FCIL Schaffer Grant for Foreign Law Librarians recipient will receive a formal letter of invitation to the conference from the American Association of Law Libraries. However, it is the recipient’s responsibility to obtain a United States visa for travel to and from the conference. Since the process of obtaining a United States visa is very slow, the recipient is urged to submit their visa application as soon as possible after receiving written confirmation of selection. If circumstances prevent the recipient from attending the AALL Annual Meeting, the grant will revert to the FCIL Schaffer Grant for Foreign Law Librarians Committee for disposition at the discretion of the Grant Committee.

Past Winners of the Schaffer Grant

The FCIL-SIS gratefully acknowledges the generous contributions of many Donors

Despite valuable support from AALL, FCIL, vendors, and individual AALL members, the Grant Fund does not fully cover the cost of transportation, lodging, and food for grant recipients. Your tax-deductible donations can keep the Grant alive. Contribute Online or send contributions to AALL, 53 W. Jackson, Suite 940, Chicago, IL 60604, and be sure to designate them for the FCIL Schaffer Grant fund. Please mail the AALL Giving Form (PDF) with your contribution.

2008 - 2009 FCIL Schaffer Grant for Foreign Law Librarians Selection Committee

Last revised April 2009

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