The Evolving Role of Law Librarians with Self-Represented Litigants
Program A-2, Sunday, July 13, 1:30-2:45 p.m.
Room: OCC-Portland Ballroom 252
Coordinator: Judy Meadows, Director and State Law Librarian, State Law Library of Montana.
Speakers: Sara Galligan, Manager, Dakota County Law Library, Hastings, MN; Coral Henning, Director, Sacramento County Public Law Library; Marcus Hochstetler, Director, King County Law Library, Seattle; Frances Thompson, Lead Court Assistance Officer, Idaho Court Assistance Services, Moscow; Jessica Van Buren, Utah State Law Librarian.

Public law libraries and, to a lesser extent, academic law libraries, are searching for the best way to provide for self-represented litigants (SRLs) who need information. The speakers will concentrate on how to strategically plan for SRL programs and services, and give practical advice for directors, public service and reference librarians to make changes at the system level, including whom to network with, and how that networking can strengthen the image and perceived worth of the law library in the larger legal environment. Two law librarians will speak about their work in determining their communities' needs for service to SRLs, how to identify and network with the other important players (such as the Bar, Legal Services & the Courts), and how to evaluate the effectiveness of their programs. Another speaker will discuss how a court's services could be replicated by law libraries. The conclusion will be a short explanation of AALL's support of the Self Represented Litigant Network and how its information gathering and networking can assist those working in this field.

We Are the World: Dealing with Foreign Issues in a U.S. Law Library
SCCLL Direct-sponsored program, Sunday, July 13, 4:15 - 5:15 p.m.
Room: OCC-E148
Coordinator & Moderator: John Cannan, Assistant Law Librarian, Montgomery County Circuit Court Law Library, Rockville, MD.
Speakers: Jean M. Wenger, Government Documents/Foreign & International Law Librarian, Cook County Law Library, Chicago; Luis M. Acosta, Legal Information Analyst, Public Services Division, Directorate of Law Library Services, Law Library of Congress

Upward trends in immigration and increasing globalization mean that law librarians will need to assist more foreign patrons with legal concerns and/or domestic patrons with legal issues overseas. To evolve to meet these patrons' needs, law librarians must "globalize" their perspective. This program will propel this evolution through highlighting resources available to assist lawyer and pro se patrons with foreign legal issues. Jean Wenger, from the Cook County Law Library will discuss sources available for addressing some of the frequent questions public law librarians may encounter, i.e. enforcement of judgments, litigation issues. Luis Acosta from the Law Library of Congress will talk about the Law Library of Congress’s resources for foreign law research, including its Guide to Law Online research portal, the Global Legal Information Network (GLIN) database, and the foreign research activities of the Directorate of Legal Research.
Handouts
PowerPoint presentation

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Lawyers in the Library: Exploring New Ways to Serve Our Public Patrons
Program E-1, Monday, July 14, 9:45-10:30 a.m. Co-sponsored by LISP-SIS.
Room: OCC-F150/151
Coordinator, Moderator & Speaker: Mareth Wilson, Sacramento County Public Law Library.
Speaker: Sandy Marz, Law Library Director, Washoe County Law Library, Reno, NV

"Lawyers in the Library" programs are innovative partnerships between librarians and their legal community's pro bono sector. This enhancement to library services helps fill a critical need among low income people for access to the information that can help them function within the legal system. Speakers will cover their programs' origins and evolution, and give planning and operational details. Participants will learn what has and hasn't worked in these trailblazing programs, pitfalls to avoid on the path to success, and methods of evaluating the effectiveness and measuring the outcomes of this win-win-win relationship.

Giving Credit: The Law Library as CLE Provider
SCCLL Direct-sponsored program, Monday, July 14, 10:45-11:45 a.m.
Room: OCC-D140
Coordinator & Moderator: Patricia Monk, Reference/Electronic Services Librarian, Bernard E. Witkin Law Library Alameda County, Oakland, CA.
Speakers: Judy Meadows, Director and State Law Librarian, State Law Library of Montana; Cossette Sun, Law Library Director, Bernard E. Witkin Law Library Alameda County, Oakland, CA.

Most attorneys spend significant amounts of time and money to fulfill their MCLE requirements. By becoming CLE sponsors, law libraries can offer convenient, low cost CLE credits to attorneys while gaining visibility and support from the legal community. The speakers, who both work at CLE provider law libraries, will discuss the factors a library should examine in deciding whether to become a provider, and describe the steps involved in developing such a program. Each speaker will also explain how her library allotted the various tasks among their staff in order to successfully implement and sustain their program.

Avoiding Giving Legal Advice at the Library: Exploring the Ethical and Legal Framework of Assistance to the Self-Represented
Program G-2, Monday, July 14, 4:00-5:15 p.m. Co-sponsored by LISP-SIS.
Room: OCC-Portland Ballroom 251
Coordinator and Speaker: Judy Meadows, Director and State Law Librarian, State Law Library of Montana.
Speaker: John Greacen, Greacen Associates LLC.

Many librarians who work with non-lawyers and self-represented litigants are uncomfortable serving them, because of uncertainty about the line between providing legal information and giving legal advice. As a result, librarians often err on the side of not helping the pro se library user as much as they could. This program will provide clear guidance. The speakers, who have both provided training on the national level, will discuss the standards involved in assisting pro se library users without being accused of practicing law without a license, and explore the ethical framework for self-help services in law libraries. They will also address the importance of the topic and its historical context, and provide participants with a sound policy based on clearly articulated ethical obligations, definitions and guidelines. This program will be part lecture and part audience discussion, based on the types of pro se reference questions the audience has discomfort with. [Note: For additional information on this topic, see John Cannan's article, "Are Public Law Librarians Immune from Suit? Muddying the Already Murky Waters of Law Librarian Liability," at 99 Law Library Journal 7 (Winter 2007).]

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Battling Employee Burnout? Explore Tools and Techniques to Assess and Address Employee Burnout
Program I-5, Tuesday, July 15, 10:45-11:45 a.m.
Room: OCC-Portland Ballroom 254
Coordinator and Speaker: Gail Warren, Virginia State Law Librarian.
Speaker: Jean Holcomb, retired law librarian and former director, King County Law Library, Seattle.

To be successful, law librarians must be ready to address challenges on a daily basis. Over time, the demands placed on law librarians to meet the expectations of their users put many at risk for career burnout; they are no longer able to derive satisfaction from their job. Unchecked, job burnout leads to absenteeism, loss of productivity, and employee turnover. Managers who recognize burnout warning signs and work to assist employees with developing coping strategies will limit the personal and institutional impact of this debilitating condition. The program will highlight a variety of methods library managers and directors may use to identify burnout symptoms, including the use of an inventory tool. Speakers also will focus on designing strategies to prevent employee burnout.

Using WorldCat.org's Social Software to Promote the Law Library
J-3, Tuesday, July 15, 2:45-3:15 p.m. Co-sponsored by RIPS-SIS and OBS-SIS.
Room: OCC-Portland Ballroom 252
Coordinator, Moderator & Speaker: Jacqueline Cantwell, Senior Librarian, Brooklyn (NY) Supreme Court Library.
Powerpoint Presentation

How can law libraries reach out to people who want legal information but are unaware of law libraries? How can we promote law libraries as reliable sources for legal information? The content we develop in pathfinders and legal research guides is often part of the deep web and may not be easily found. We need to take advantage of social software technology supported on OCLC's WorldCat.org. Even with limited budgets and time, law librarians can utilize WorldCat.org to post legal lists (also known as bibliographies or pathfinders), reviews of legal books, and to create canned searches that will help users find useful materials. The speaker will outline WorldCat.org's potential for law libraries, demonstrate ways she has applied it in her own library, and share her experiences working with OCLC staff.

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