Continuing Education

In addition to our bank of materials from Annual Meeting Programs, Teaching FCIL documents and materials, namely the Syllabi and Course Materials Database, here FCIL-SIS members may explore variety of educational events that our newly created FCIL-SIS Continuing Education Committee, in consultation with the Education Committee, organizes throughout the year.

Upcoming Events

No upcoming events.

Past Events

WHAT IN THE WORLD…IS HAPPENING IN UKRAINE?

On March 7, 2023, the FCIL-SIS Diversity, Equity & Inclusion committee presented What in the World … is Happening in Ukraine? The webinar examined the history and context of the war in the Ukraine, the key legal issues and bodies of law implicated, and suggested useful resources for law librarians. The panel of speakers included Yale University Law Professor Oona Hathaway and Ukrainian American Bar Association Committee Chair, Victor Rud.  University of Louisville Assistant Professor and Social Sciences Librarian Lidiya Grote moderated the discussion.

What in the world…Is happening in Haiti?

On February 22, 2023, the Black Law Librarians Special Interest Section (BLL-SIS) and the Foreign, Comparative and International Law Special Interest Section (FCIL-SIS)’s D.E.I. Committee hosted a webinar focused on the history, current situation, and future of Haiti and a librarian’s suggestions for finding Haitian legal resources. The panelists were Stephanie Delia, Magalie Desince, and Irwin Stotzky. Lyonette Louis-Jacques moderated the discussion.

The Most Improbable War: Legal Transformations in Ukraine and Russia Before and During the Invasion (Foreign and Comparative Law Webinar Series)

On June 16, 2022, FCIL-SIS co-sponsored a Library of Congress webinar on the war in Ukraine. The webinar was created and presented by Peter L. Roudik (Assistant Law Librarian of Congress for Legal Research). Peter provided an overview of the historic roots of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and examined legislation passed in Ukraine and Russia before and during the war. Please access the recording of the webinar titled The Most Improbable War on the Law Library of Congress website.

Implementing International Law Nationally: Incorporating International Law in Argentina, Chile, and Colombia

On May 20, 2022, FCIL-SIS hosted a webinar on the domestic implementation of international law in Argentina, Chile, and Colombia. The webinar was developed and moderated by Juan-Andrés Fuentes (FCIL-SIS Latin American Interest Group chair; FCIL librarian, Harvard Law Library) and featured three panelists: Marcos Nelio Mollar (Professor of Public International Law at the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina and at the University of Buenos Aires; Supervisor of the International Affairs Coordination Department at the National Social Security Administration of Argentina), Javiera Núñez Ortega (Legal Advisor of the International Cooperation Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile), and Maria Fernanda Penagos (Adjunct professor at Universidad Ean, Colombia; Experienced attorney with over a decade working as a legal advisor on issues related to the insurance and transport sector).

Legal Data and Information in Practice: How Data and the Law Interact

On March 22, Sarah Sutherland, the President and CEO of CanLII (Canadian Legal Information Institute, discussed her recently published book titled Legal Data and Information in Practice: How Data and the Law Interact (2022). She addressed the importance of organizations to facilitate the acquisition, management, and use of legal data; why data matters in legal space; and she shared her interest in developing a community vision on how to use legal information and technological solutions in ways that leverage emerging opportunities to build useful tools and improve the way people work.

Canon Law 101

On October 26, 2021, the FCIL-SIS Customary & Religious Law Interest Group presented a webinar on Canon Law 101. The webinar featured Brody Hale, an attorney specializing in non-profits who co-founded the St. Stephen Protomartyr Project, an organization committed to ensuring that alternatives to permanent closure are found for historic Catholic churches and sacred spaces. Hale introduced attendees to Catholic canon law, explaining the history of canon law’s development and how it is enforced through the canonical court system. He described how the system’s lack of modernization and intense secrecy hinders the ability to conduct canonical research and enables abusive and inequitable application of canon law.

The Origins and Progression of the #ENDSARS2020 Movement in Nigeria

On January 21, 2021, the Black Law Librarians Special Interest Section (BLL-SIS) and the Foreign, Comparative and International Law Special Interest Section (FCIL-SIS) hosted a webinar on the origins and development of Nigeria’s #ENDSARS2020 movement, including information on government responses to the movement and background on police brutality in Nigeria. The webinar featured panelists Femi Cadmus (Associate Dean and Director of the J. Michael Goodson Law Library, Duke Law; Former AALL President) and Oludayo Bamgbose (Law Librarian, Ajayi Crowther University; Interim President, Association of African Law Library and Information Professionals).

Please note the introductions are cut off in the beginning but all substantive content is included in the recording.

Access and Preservation of Legal Information in US Territories

A webinar on December 9, 2020 focused on access and preservation of legal information in US territories. Aesha Duval (US Virgin Islands Branch Librarian, US Courts for the Third Circuit) and Geraldine Cepeda (Compiler of Laws, Supreme Court of Guam and Executive Director/Librarian of the Guam Law Library) discussed systemic issues and current experiences in preserving and providing access to their territories’ legal materials. Victoria Szymczak (Law Library Director, William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawaii) described a successful academic partnership at the University of Hawaii Law School that can serve as a model for law libraries in other jurisdictions. Marcelo Rodríguez (Research and Training Librarian, US Courts for the Second Circuit) coordinated this webinar.

Traditional Law in a Modern World: Researching Indigenous Peoples’ Law

A webinar on October 29, 2020 provided an overview of the best resources for researching indigenous peoples’ law and legal rights of indigenous peoples worldwide, with an emphasis on the laws of indigenous peoples of the Pacific Islands and North and Central America. Panelists were Chris Dykes (University of Houston Law Center), Victoria Szymczak (University of Hawai’i, Richardson School of Law), Kurt Meyer (LLMC), and Dr. Jolande Goldberg (Library of Congress).

FCIL-SIS Customary and Religious Law Interest Group (CARLIG) and the Jewish Law Librarians Caucus 2020 Joint Meeting Presenting on Customary Law in a Variety of Jurisdictions and Communities

On July 20, 2020, the FCIL-SIS Customary and Religious Law Interest Group and the Jewish Law Librarians Caucus held a joint meeting featuring three presentations.  Yemisi Dina (Chief Law Librarian, Osgood Hall Law School, York University; Chair, AALL FCIL-SIS African Law Interest Group) provided a general introduction to customary law in Africa and an update on the project, “Customary Court Decisions in Southwestern Nigeria.” David Hollander (Librarian for Law and Legal Studies, Librarian for Judaic Studies and Hebrew, Princeton University Library) presented an overview of issues related to COVID-19, Jewish law, and the Jewish community. Marylin Raisch (Associate Director for Research and Collection Development at the Georgetown Law Library) described the Jewish Law Seminar taught at Georgetown and scholarship comparing Jewish and Roman Law.  Shira Megerman (Senior Legal Information Librarian, Boston University School of Law and Co-Chair, Jewish Law Librarians Caucus) and Lyonette Louis-Jacques (Foreign and International Law Librarian, D’Angelo Law Library, University of Chicago Law School and Chair, CARLIG) moderated.

DEMYSTIFYING CIVIL LEGAL SYSTEMS FOR A COMMON LAW AUDIENCE: HISTORICAL TRADITIONS, MODERN DEVELOPMENTS, AND PRACTICAL RESEARCH & INSTRUCTION APPLICATIONS

On July 21, 2020, the FCIL-SIS sponsored a workshop on Civil Law and Legal Systems. Marylin Raisch (Associate Director for Research & Collection Development, Georgetown Law Library) began by providing an overview of civil law in Introduction to Civil Law Jurisdictions: Traditions, Origins, and Terminology. Olivier Moréteau (Professor of Law, LSU Law) explained the history of civil law codes in The Role of Codes in Mixed and/or Civil Jurisdictions: Historical Traditions and Modern Developments. Xavier Beauchamp-Tremblay (President & CEO, Canadian Legal Information Institute) discussed the increasing role of cases in Quebec in The Role of Cases in Mixed and/or Civil Jurisdictions: Historical Traditions and Modern Developments. Finally, Jennifer Allison (Librarian for Foreign, Comparative, and International Law, Harvard Law School Library), Katarina Daniels (Liaison Librarian, Nahum Gelber Law Library, McGill University), and Janet Kearney (Foreign and International Law Librarian, Fordham Law Library) taught a 90 minute mock class on research in mixed and civil legal systems, with Allison sharing her expertise on Germany, Daniels sharing her expertise on Quebec, and Kearney sharing her expertise on Louisiana. Loren Turner (Foreign, Comparative, and International Law Librarian, University of Minnesota Law Library) moderated. Caitlin Hunter (Reference Librarian, UCLA School of Law Library) managed the technology.

FCIL-SIS Indigenous Peoples’ Interest Group 2020 Meeting Presenting on Law Library of Congress’s Classification System for Works on Indigenous Peoples’ Law.

On July 22, 2020, the Rights of Indigenous Peoples’ Interest Group held a meeting and presentation.  Jolande Goldberg (Senior Law Classification Specialist, Library of Congress) and Joan Policastri (Collection Services and Research Librarian, University of Colorado Law School) provided an overview of the Law Library of Congress’s classification system for works on indigenous peoples’ law and summarized recent legal developments related to indigenous peoples, including the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in McGirt v. Oklahoma and the impact of COVID-19.  Loren Turner (Foreign, Comparative, and International Law Librarian, University of Minnesota Law Library) moderated.

LAW LIBRARIANS MONITORING COVID-19

A two-part webinar on June 18, 2020 highlighted the Latin American Law IG’s Law Librarians Monitoring COVID-19 project, the Asian Law IG’s Asian Legal Responses to COVID-19 project, and similar projects in development by the African Law IG and the European Law IG. Speakers were Alex Zhang (Washington & Lee Law School), Alison Shea (Cornell Law School), Yemisi Dina (Osgoode Hall Law School, York University), Mariya Badeva-Bright (Laws.Africa), Marcelo Rodríguez (US Courts for the 2nd Circuit), Dr. Michele A. L. Villagran (San José State University Law School), and Victoria De La Torre (AALL Latino Caucus Chair). Caitlin Hunter (UCLA School of Law) moderated.

CROSS-BORDER CULTURAL COMPETENCY: TEACHING FOREIGN LAW STUDENTS AND TRAINING INTERNATIONAL LAWYERS

A webinar on December 5, 2019, addressed cross-border cultural competency, helping foreign law students understand the skills needed for U.S. law practice, and understanding the impact cultural differences have on learning and teaching. Jessica Pierucci (UC Irvine School of Law) moderated the discussion of four panelists: Jodi Collova (Berkeley Law), Karina Condra (University of Denver Sturm College of Law), Heidi Frostestad Kuehl (Northern Illinois University College of Law), and Mike McArthur (Duke Law School).

What’s New with UN Resources at Fordham Law School on June 27, 2019

On June 27, 2019 the FCIL-SIS Continuing Education Committee in partnership with LLAGNY (Law Library Association of Greater New York) held a free lecture on What’s New with UN Resources at Fordham Law School, New York. Please see the available materials:

Working with Non-English Materials for the English Speaker Webinar on June 6, 2019

On June 6, 2019 the FCIL-SIS Continuing Education Committee held its inaugural webinar on Working with Non-English Materials for the English Speaker. Please see the available materials: