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Smaller in size and less formal in structure than special interest sections, AALL caucuses connect members with more focused areas of interest.
Don’t see your particular interest below? We may have a special interest section for you.
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Caucuses have leadership and other volunteer positions that are a great way to get involved and grow professionally while expanding your network.
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Explore Our Caucuses
Animal Law Caucus Purpose
The AALL Animal Law Caucus was formed in 2010 to support the efforts of law librarians, academics, and practitioners in the research, teaching, scholarship, and practice of animal law. Its purpose is to recognize and further the ongoing work of AALL members in this growing area of law.
The Animal Law Caucus is a legal resource for non-human, animal related humane issues, which arise from and have an effect upon our legal system. Members:
- monitor and provide comment on relevant legislation and policy-making decisions at various levels of government;
- offer legal education programs on animal law;
- compile and provide access via the website to relevant statutes, court decisions, and administrative determinations and reports and
- raise the profile of the field of animal law.
Contact
Sarah C. Slinger
Librarian Assistant Professor & Reference Librarian
University of Miami School of Law Library
sslinger@law.miami.eduAsian American Law Librarians Caucus Purpose
The object of the AALLC shall be: to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and information on, and to represent its members’ interests and concerns within the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL). It shall promote law librarianship; promote the study of Asian law; develop and increase the effectiveness of Asian American law librarians; foster cooperation among Asian American members of the profession; and provide for the further continuing education of Asian American law librarians.
Contact
Lei Zhang (he/him)
Student Services Coordinator
Tarlton Law Library
lei.zhang@law.utexas.eduBaseball Caucus Purpose
To provide a forum for legal information professionals to connect, share, and learn about baseball within AALL nationally, regionally, and locally. All members are welcome, from seasoned fans to members new to the sport.
Contact
Diane Rodriguez
Assistant Director
San Francisco Law Library
diane.m.rodriguez@sfgov.orgBusiness and Corporate Research Instruction Caucus Purpose
The Business and Corporate Research Instruction Caucus is a collective of law librarians formed in 2020 to promote and facilitate quality instruction in researching business and corporate information. As there is more demand for law librarians to teach business and corporate research to upper-division law students, law librarians need a forum for developing ideas and sharing instruction experiences. To this end, we work together to:
- Discuss and explore pedagogy related to teaching business and corporate research;
- Explore best practices that will benefit instructors in their teaching;
- Encourage caucus members to share successes and failures to benefit and inform caucus members;
- Engage in other activities that serve the mission of the caucus.
Contact
Iantha Haight
Howard W. Hunter Law Library
277A JRCB
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT 84602
haighti@law.byu.eduEducating and Diversifying the Next Generation Caucus Purpose
A forum for AALL members who are interested in diversifying our profession and educating the next generation of law librarians. We will strategize how to break down barriers to the profession, create pipelines of diverse students to law librarianship, and recruit and train LIS professors, including practicing law librarians. The caucus will support and promote the goals that AALL is currently developing in this area.
Objectives
- LIS Education: share syllabi, collaborate on course development, and explore options to provide support, financial and otherwise, within our organizations for staff who want to pursue MLS degrees.
- Professional Development: keep abreast of literature, trends, conferences and other opportunities for continued learning.
- Recruit LIS Professors: recruit and train law librarians who would like to teach in LIS programs.
- Support and collaborate with AALL as they execute their related Pillar of the forthcoming 2022-2025 Strategic Plan.
- Engage in other activities that serve the purpose of the Caucus
Membership
Any AALL member interested in collaborating with colleagues to explore ways we can break down barriers to the profession, create pipelines of diverse students to law librarianship, and recruit and train LIS professors.
Contact
Teresa Miguel-Stearns
Associate Dean & Director
University of Arizona College of Law Library
tmiguelstearns@arizona.eduEmpirical Research Caucus Purpose
The Empirical Research Caucus was organized in January 2011 to:
- encourage law librarians to expand their knowledge of trends in empirical research, empirical research methods, and multidisciplinary resources related to legal topics and research.
- facilitate librarian instructional efforts to increase information literacy in regards to empirical research
- encourage law librarians to engage in research and publication regarding empirical evaluation of patron services, patron literacy, and other related topics such as law and society
- maintain a listing of publications by librarians on conducting empirical research or reporting empirical research
- partner with AALL Special Interest Sections, including ALL-SIS, PLL-SIS, and CS-SIS, to support and publicize programming and professional development opportunities addressing empirical research and the organization and administration of empirical research support programs
- provide a forum for sharing knowledge related to empirical research including development and archiving of data, availability of existing data, and requirements for institutional review boards.
Contact
Alissa Black-Dorward
Fordham University School of Law
blackdorward@law.fordham.eduEncore Caucus Purpose
The purposes of the Encore Caucus are:
- To provide a forum for AALL members who are approaching the end of their careers or who are already retired, to continue long-time connections with colleagues, with the AALL, and with their profession;
- To create a vibrant and strong network for effective communications among Encore Caucus members, to share common interests and to further their personal and professional activities;
- To represent the interests of Encore Caucus members within the Association and to support the continued involvement of Encore Caucus members with AALL educational and advocacy activities;
- To promote the skills, expertise, and knowledge of retired members;
- To assist in mentoring and advising of AALL newer members and to collaborate, as needed and appropriate, with all AALL members; and
- To serve as resources and sources of expertise for the AALL and its chapters and special interest sections.
Contact
Sarah (Sally) Holterhoff
sally.holterhoff@valpo.eduMichele Finerty
mfinerty3782@gmail.comFederal Law Librarians Caucus Purpose
To promote collaboration, resource sharing, and best practices among federal law librarians.
Contact
Jennifer L. McMahan
Deputy Director, Library Staff
US Department of Justice
jennifer.mcmahan@usdoj.govFirst-Gen Professionals Caucus Purpose
To connect and support all AALL members who are the first in their families to cross a threshold into a professional career, including, but not limited to, those who:
- are the first in their families to attend or complete an undergraduate, graduate, or professional degree program;
- come from a low-income or working-class background; or
- are the first in their families to become a U.S. citizen or immigrate to the United States.
Specifically, the objectives of the caucus are to:
- Provide a forum in which first-gen professionals can network and share experiences;
- Coordinate mentorships between members;
- Promote law librarianship as a career for first-generation professionals and participate in AALL’s recruitment efforts;
- Promote professional development for first-gen professionals; and
- Represent the interests and concerns of first-generation professionals within the AALL community and the profession of law librarianship.
Contact
Joseph Lawson
Deputy Director
Harris County Law Library
joseph.lawson@cao.hctx.netJewish Law Librarian Caucus Purpose
The objective of the Jewish Law Librarians Caucus shall be to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and information on Jewish and Israeli law and to represent its members’ interests and concerns within the American Association of Law Libraries. It shall promote law librarianship; promote the study of Jewish and Israeli law; develop and increase the effectiveness of Jewish law librarians; foster cooperation among Jewish members of the profession; and provide for the further continuing education of Jewish law librarians.
Contact
Avery Vinson
Student Services Specialist & Legal Research Professor
University of Florida Levin College of Law Legal Information Center
vinson@law.ufl.eduLatinx Caucus Purpose
To provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and information on issues of interest and concern to Latino law librarians and to represent them within AALL. To promote law librarianship and further the continuing education of Latino law librarians, and to develop and increase their visibility within AALL. To foster cooperation among Latino members of the profession. To recruit and mentor Latinos to the profession.
Contact
Victor Chavez
Legal Research Specialist
Sheppard Mullin
vchavez@sheppardmullin.comLaw Repositories Caucus Purpose
The Law Repositories Caucus is a platform-neutral group that supports law repository coordinators by providing a community for sharing information and resources. The caucus provides leadership and guidance on repository issues by looking both in and outside of the law library community to disseminate repository innovation and promote the future of repository work. It also provides professional development opportunities for the law repository community.
Contact
Valeri Craigle M.L.S.
Access Technologies Librarian
University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law
craiglev@law.utah.eduMindfulness in Law Librarianship Caucus Purpose
The Mindfulness in Law Librarianship Caucus was formed in 2013 to support the efforts of law librarians, academics and practitioners in the research, teaching, scholarship, and practice of mindfulness in law. Its purpose is to recognize and further the ongoing work of AALL members that improves the quality of life of all individuals in the legal profession. Members:
- compile and disseminate relevant resources and programs supporting mindfulness in legal education and practice;
- offer education programs on mindfulness in legal education and practice; and
- raise the profile of how libraries contribute to mindfulness in legal education and practice.
Contact
Kyle K. Courtney Esq.
Copyright Advisor
Harvard University
kyle_courtney@harvard.eduNative Peoples Law Caucus Purpose
The aim of the Native Peoples Law Caucus is to provide a forum in which Native law and other issues that impact Indigenous Peoples worldwide can be discussed, ideas shared, information exchanged, and education offered. The Caucus encourages and facilitates the analysis, cataloging, collection, dissemination, management, organization, and preservation of Native law in accordance with cultural tradition.
Contact
Anne Lucke
Library Director
National Indian Law Library/Native American Rights Fund
alucke@narf.orgNext Generation Bar Exam Caucus Purpose
The Next Gen Bar Exam Caucus provides a forum for AALL members discussion on the ways to implement and equip students with the right tools and skills to be prepared for the NextGen bar exam. The caucus will discuss critical research and analytical skill sets relevant to the practice of law, how these proficiencies could be assessed, and how these skills should be included in law school curricula.
Contact
Dennis Kim-Prieto
Reference Librarian & Associate Professor
Rutgers University Law School Library
dprieto@law.rutgers.eduPublishing Initiative Caucus Purpose
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. Encourage publishing as a way of promoting individual law librarians and the profession.
Contact
Jan Bissett
Arthur Neef Law Library
Wayne State University
ag3508@wayne.eduResearch Crits Purpose
The Research Crits Caucus is a collective of law librarians, legal scholars, and legal information professionals dedicated to studying, promoting, and practicing critical approaches to legal information, legal research, and law librarianship, including but not limited to Critical Legal Research (CLR) and critical legal information literacy.
Contacts
Julie Graves Krishnaswami
Associate Law Librarian for Research Instruction
Yale Law School Lillian Goldman Library
julie.krishnaswami@yale.eduTeaching Legal Technology Caucus Purpose
Librarians interested in teaching legal technology in law schools and other settings. Any technology interest and skill level is welcome, the intended focus will be inclusive of any current or future technology used in legal practice.
Contacts
Michael J. Robak
Library Director
University of St. Thomas
michael.robak@stthomas.edu