Explore legal research trends | Learn critical research skills | Network | Visit exhibits | Meet the experts
Keynote Speaker: Michelle Wu
Michelle Wu is the Associate Dean for Library Services and Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center, where she has also served as the Interim Associate Dean for Administration & Finance and Head of Law Center Human Resources. Before joining the law faculty in 2010, she wore several hats at Hofstra University School of Law including, Associate Dean for Information Services, Director of the Law Library Professor of Law, and interim senior vice dean for academic affairs. Michelle has also worked at the George Washington University Law School and the University of Houston Law Center in positions ranging from government documents librarian to computer services librarian to Interim Director. While at Houston, she oversaw the disaster recovery process following Tropical Storm Allison, including projects to renovate the library, rebuild the collection, and restructure services.
She has served as chair of the AALS Committee on Libraries and Technology, the chair of ALL-SIS, vice-president of LLSDC and the editor of the CRIVSheet. She teaches, publishes, and speaks in the areas of copyright, intellectual property licensing, and information management.
We are delighted to have Michelle share her reflections on what she has learned as a Library Director (and as a Law Librarian generally), as well as her thoughts on the future of law libraries and our need to adapt and evolve to stay ahead of emerging trends like about big data, artificial intelligence, robotics, etc. that will inevitably impact the legal research landscape.
Programs
Gain insightful, practical, and efficient strategies for anticipating trends and performing basic to advanced legal research delivered along three tracks to match your level of experience in the field.
Track 1: Lift Off
Learn the basics of finding legal information-best free sources, legal forms and fundamental terminology.
Introduction to Legal Research in Maryland – Honorable Danielle M. Mosley
This program will introduce basic concepts and sources for researching Maryland laws, including an overview of the Maryland legal system, primary and secondary authority sources, and legal reasoning. The goal is for participants to develop a basic approach to legal research. If you are new to the world of Maryland legal research, this program will prepare you to begin performing research using legal resources.
The Honorable Danielle M. Mosley is currently an associate judge on the District Court for Anne Arundel County. She was appointed on December 14, 2005. Judge Mosley is a current member on the Court of Appeals of Maryland Standing Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure. Since fall 2008, Judge Mosley has served as an adjunct Professor with the Anne Arundel Community College.
Prior to her appointment, she was an assistant state’s attorney with the Office of the State’s Attorney for Anne Arundel County. During her tenure with the office she served as the Chief of the Glen Burnie District Court Office. Besides being a prosecutor, Judge Mosley has also worked in private practice as an associate with the Law firm of Alexander and Cleaver, Fort Washington, Maryland and a staff attorney with the Office of the Inspector General, United States Postal Service. Judge Mosley has worked as a law clerk in private practice, and clerked for the Honorable Warren B. Duckett, Jr., in the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County. Further, Judge Mosley is currently a member of the Anne Arundel County Bar Association, she served as a member of the Board of Trustees, the President of the Association from May 2009-May 2010.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations from the University of Virginia in 1989, and earned her law degree from Washington and Lee University, School of Law in 1992. She resides in Annapolis, Maryland.
Forms! Forms! Forms! – Mary Jo Lazun
This introductory program to forms and templates will walk participants through the different types of legal forms (e.g., court forms, templates for court documents, legal documents not filed with the court). After reviewing the resources available online and in print, there will be hands-on exercises with the Maryland Courts’ standardized forms.
For the past two years, Mary Jo Lazun has been the solo law librarian at the Charles County Public Law Library after working nearly a decade at the Maryland State Law Library. Previously, she worked at Towson University as their Electronic Services Librarian and was also one of the first webmasters in the Federal government. Mary Jo received her MLS from the University of Maryland and has also completed a paralegal certificate program. Mary Jo’s first career was as a high school history teacher. She still loves teaching and has taught legal research classes for the Maryland Judiciary and public librarians and was adjunct faculty with the Legal Studies program at Anne Arundel Community College where she taught online legal research.
Getting Started – Free Legal Resources – Vickie Yiannoulou
Are you looking for free legal research resources, but don’t know where to start? This program will introduce you to reputable online legal research resources as well as free and low-cost print publications. The program will focus on Maryland resources, but also touch on federal and general resources.
Vickie Yiannoulou is currently the Assistant Law Librarian at the Prince George’s County Circuit Court Law Library, a position she has held since March 2011. Previously she had worked at the Baltimore County Circuit Court Law Library, LexisNexis and the Maryland State Archives. Vickie’s LLAM participation has included positions with the Placement and Programming Committees and as a Board Member.
The Art of the Legal Reference Interview – Jessica Mundy and Chi Song
This program explores the nuances of the legal reference interview and conversation. You will learn about the difference between legal information and legal advice, helpful questions to ask your patron, and how to break down your patron’s needs. Participants will have the opportunity for hands-on exercises.
Jessica Mundy is the Head of Collection Management at the Thurgood Marshall State Law Library and is responsible for the overall management of the library’s physical and digital collections. Her library career started at the Caroline County Public Library with focuses in reference services, technical services, and teen services. Her first position at the State Law Library focused on reference and technical services. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Salisbury University and Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from Drexel University. Jessica is currently the chair for the Placement Committee of the Law Library Association of Maryland (LLAM).
Chi Song is the Web Services Librarian at the Thurgood Marshall State Law Library, which she joined in 2016 as the Discovery Services Librarian. Chi received her MLS from the University of Maryland iSchool and her JD from the University of Illinois College of Law. Chi is the current Vice-President/President-Elect of LLAM, and her previous LLAM participation includes serving as LLAM’s Treasurer and chairing the Communications and Technology Committee.
Track 2: Deep Space
Delve into practical strategies for solving your most challenging research questions.
Advanced Business Research – Business Development – Elizabeth Kenderdine
DIY CI: How to Build and Grow a Legal Competitive Intelligence Program from the Ground Up. So, you’ve been tasked (or have tasked yourself) with establishing a formal competitive intelligence function to help your organization make data-driven, strategic decisions. Where to begin? Chances are, you’ve already begun. The research and organizational skills used in law librarianship are equally useful in CI.
This presentation will address:
- Mapping out a business and competitive intelligence research framework;
- Working within limited resources;
- Getting “buy-in” while creating a CI culture that counts on the library.
Elizabeth Kenderdine graduated from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 2010. Prior to and throughout law school, she worked in the firm library of Tydings & Rosenberg. Additionally, while in law school, she worked as a research assistant to the Director of the UB Law Library and assisted in the UB law library on weekends. After graduating, Elizabeth briefly practiced family law in a small firm and then became the first Venable Access to Justice Fellow at the House of Ruth Legal Clinic. When the fellowship ended, she decided to pursue an “alternate” law career and turned back to a research-oriented career path. In 2013, Elizabeth started at Miles & Stockbridge as a reference librarian. Within a year, she was approached by the library director and the firm’s director of business development to develop a full-fledged Competitive Intelligence program for Miles. Elizabeth has been managing that function for the past 5 and a half years and has grown the CI program from a totally informal process to an organized, research-based, and systematic support function for the firm’s strategic growth.
Understanding the Mediation Process to Assist Mediators, Self-Represented Litigants, and Attorneys – Honorable Steven I. Platt
The use of mediation and all types of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) continue to expand. Courts, law firms, businesses and self-represented litigants are choosing mediation as an alternative to costly litigation.
Judge Platt will share his experiences as he addresses:
- The history of ADR;
- The development, use and future trends of ADR in Maryland;
- Relevant rules and procedures;
- The use of tools such as dispute resolution systems;
- The selection, vetting and use of neutrals and experts;
- The types of data relied upon and sought.
Judge Steven I. Platt (Ret.) retired as a full-time Circuit Court Judge on January 15, 2007. He has since been approved by the Court of Appeals to be recalled in all eight Circuits and the Court of Special Appeals to try cases and conduct Settlement Conferences as a Recalled Judge. He is also engaged in Private Mediation, Arbitration and Neutral Case Evaluation of Complex Civil Litigation including Medical Malpractice cases, Legal Malpractice cases, Product Liability cases, Construction Litigation and Business Disputes as well as other civil cases, including multiple party Contract and Tort cases.
Judge Platt has been a member of the Bar for over 30 years. He was in private practice for 10 ½ years from 1976 to 1986 during which time he also served as a Judge of the Orphans Court. He was appointed to the District Court for Prince George’s County in 1986 where he was designated Administrative Judge in 1988 and to the Circuit Court (7th Circuit) in 1990. While a Circuit Court Judge, he had management responsibility for all “Complex Civil Non-Family Cases” in the Court, which included the supervision of all settlement conferencing, mediating and scheduling of these medical malpractice, legal malpractice, business litigation, and products liability cases. He also presided over many of these cases. He is the acknowledged architect of the Maryland Business Technology Case Management Program. That Case Management Program has been cited as a model for the Nation in articles appearing in The Business Lawyer, a publication of the Section of Business Law of the American Bar Association, in Case In Point, the periodical of the National Judicial College, and in The Maryland Bar Journal.
Judge Platt is a trained Mediator having completed the basic 40-hour course, as well as advanced courses. He serves as a Panel Arbitrator and Mediator for the American Arbitration Association (AAA), International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution (CPR), Resolute Systems (RS) and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) as well as his own company, The Platt Group, Inc. In addition, he has taught the use of mediation and arbitration in resolving Business Disputes to Judges and Lawyers both in Maryland and Nationally through both The Judicial Education Program of The American Enterprise Institute (AEI)/ Brookings Joint Center for Regulatory Studies, on whose Judicial Advisory Board he has served, and through The American College of Business Court Judges of which he is a past President.
Judge Platt is the Founding and Managing Member of The Platt Group, Inc. a group of Retired Trial Court Judges, an Appellate Court Judge along with senior and experienced practitioners, a PHD Neuro-Psychologist, a former Maryland Commissioner of Financial Regulation, and a former Maryland and County elected official who can provide mediation, arbitration and public policy facilitation services depending on their area of expertise in all areas.
Maryland Legislative History – Ann Baum
This presentation will cover the materials available to compile a legislative history for Maryland laws.
We will cover:
- Locating legislative history references;
- Applying them to online resources and determining what must be pulled in print;
- Resources discussed will include session laws, Maryland General Assembly documents and recordings, and bill files held by Maryland Legislative Services;
- Time permitting, attention will also be given to the resources available for Maryland Rules histories.
Ann Baum is the Research and Training Coordinator at Miles & Stockbridge. She has previously held positions at the Anne Arundel County Public Law Library, the Georgetown Law Center Library, the Department of Justice, and the Howard University Law Library, as well as positions in the practice of law. Ann holds her MLS from the Catholic University of America and her JD from Washington University in St Louis. A lifelong Baltimorean, Ann also holds a master’s degree from the Great Books Program at St John’s College.
A Practical Guide to Finding Maryland Regulatory History – Sara Billard
Walk through the process of discovering how Maryland regulations have changed over time. Real world examples will serve as a guide for information on the Maryland regulatory process, available resources, and best practices along the way.
Sara Billard is the Director of Research Services at the Baltimore law firm Gordon Feinblatt LLC. There, she is known for her 20-minute “Research Coffee Break” or “Research Breakfast” instruction sessions for attorneys and paralegals, covering everything from effective case law searching to finding public records. Sara received her B.A. from Johns Hopkins University and an M.S. in Information Science from Drexel University. She previously worked at NERA Economic Consulting. She was President of the Law Library Association of Maryland for the 2011-2012 year.
Track 3: Back to the Future
Explore the changing demands of research patrons, technology and services. Plus, success stories of how they did it!
Embedded Librarians – Krista A. Ford, Wesley Wilson, and Joe Neumann
This program explores how librarians can cultivate, maintain, and evaluate partnerships with “non-traditional” patrons or customers inside and outside our organizations. As some of our traditional functions or roles have been de-emphasized or automated away, other opportunities present themselves. The skills and expertise librarians bring to bear can find new outlets in this altered landscape, from assisting the finance department with rate setting in a law firm to developing historical content with the office of alumni affairs in a law school. The panelists will discuss the ways in which our flexibility and curiosity can be organizational assets, look at some pitfalls along the way, and share ideas on how to evaluate and measure this new engagement.
Krista Ford is the Director of Library & Research Services at Steptoe & Johnson PLLC. She is a seasoned knowledge professional with 20 years of corporate, legal research, and library management experience specializing in research, analytics, competitive intelligence, knowledge management, process efficiencies, and asset management.
Currently, she is responsible for all aspects of the firm’s libraries, including but not limited to: supporting the research needs of the firm’s practice groups and strategic planning initiatives; developing and implementing the firm’s knowledge management portal; competitive intelligence and market research; budgeting and library spend; piloting, implanting, and communicating new technologies to the firm; training and onboarding for legal/market research; and continuing education and development of staff. Prior to joining Steptoe, she served as the Manager of the Resource Center for Developmental Dimensions International and the Global Accounts Team for Ernst & Young.
She is a member of the American Association of Law Libraries, where she currently sits on the Leadership Development Committee. She is also a member of the Special Libraries Association, Strategic and Competitive Intelligence Professionals, the EBSCO advisory board, and is an ILTA Knowledge Management volunteer.
Mrs. Ford has been awarded the STAR award for Project Management and frequently presents at local and national conferences on knowledge management, research proficiencies, and process improvements. She received her B.A. of Philosophy from Cleveland State University and her MLIS/MA of Philosophy from Kent State University.
Wesley Wilson is Chief of the Enoch Pratt Free Library Central Library and leads the Library’s roles as the State Library Resource Center for the State of Maryland. He over sees public service at the Central Library and the Library’s role as the State Library coordinating training and program development to the Maryland library community. Prior to his current position he has served as the Special Assistant to the Director as well as Manager of the Library’s Business Department. Annual planning, program and training outcomes, workforce and small business development are areas of specialization.
Joe Neumann joined the University of Maryland School of Law, Thurgood Marshall Law Library in 2014 as Electronic Legal Resources and Systems Librarian. He participates in the management and operation of, and statistical reporting for, electronic legal resources, as well as the evaluation and selection of new resources. He also represents the library within the University System of Maryland and Affiliated Institutions consortium on issues related to systems acquisition and policy.
Prior to becoming a member of library staff, Joe worked for more than 5 years as a consulting archivist and records manager with History Associates Incorporated, the historical services firm in Rockville, Maryland, where he provided assessment, policy development, training and other services to federal, institutional, and private sector clients. He holds an MLS from the University of Maryland-College Park’s iSchool and a BA in history from Brandeis University.
Cultivating Leadership in the Next Generation of Law Librarians – Emily Florio and Kristina J. Alayan
What does leadership or management mean to you? Is it limited to a title in your organization’s hierarchy? Cultivating value in your organization can be challenging no matter the position you hold. If leadership is about influence and vision, it shouldn’t be limited by position. Our speakers will discuss what being a leader means to them within the context of both formal and informal opportunities to influence individuals and outcomes. They will share how attendees can identify meaningful opportunities for themselves and their staff irrespective of position, status, or career stage. The discussion will include strategies that have worked for them and lessons learned. They look forward to questions from the audience in order to facilitate a dynamic and productive dialogue.
Kristina J. Alayan is the Law Library Director & Assistant Professor of Law at Howard University. Before joining Howard, she was the Head of Reference and Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown. During her tenure at Georgetown, she also served as the Head of Content Acquisitions and Management. In that capacity, she was responsible for managing all print and electronic materials for the library’s collection – including the materials budget, license negotiation, and revising the collection development policy. From 2010 – 2015, she was at Duke Law as the Foreign and International Law Reference Librarian and Lecturing Fellow. At Duke, she taught legal research in the required JD and LLM programs. She has also contributed to the first MOOC law course offered through Duke (International Human Rights Law: Prospects and Challenges).
She earned her MLIS with a certificate in Law Librarianship from the University of Washington. She graduated from the University of Oregon School of Law with certificates in the International Law and Pro Bono programs. Her undergraduate degree is from Swarthmore College. She has served in various leadership positions in the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL), the International Association of Law Libraries (IALL), and the American Society of International Law (ASIL). She is also an active member of the Law Librarians Society of Washington, DC (LLSDC) and currently serves as LLSDC President. In 2019, she was recognized as an AALL Emerging Leader.
Her research interests include leadership and change management, information literacy, access to justice, and international and foreign law.
Emily R. Florio is the Senior Research Services Manager at Hogan Lovells, a global top 10 law firm, where she leads the implementation of the global Research Services strategy within the US market. Prior to joining Hogan Lovells, she was the Director of Research & Information Services at Finnegan, an intellectual property firm. Emily began with Finnegan as the Manager of Library Services, before expanding her role into directing all aspects of the research team, including budgeting, staffing, and training, along with leading the firm’s intranet redesign project. She began her career in Boston at Fish & Richardson, where she held various positions resulting in the Manager of Libraries & Library Information Systems role.
Emily has an MLS from Simmons College and her BA in English from the University of Vermont. Emily has held various professional leadership positions, including Treasurer of the Private Law Libraries Special Interest Section of the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) and immediate past president of the Law Librarians Society of Washington, DC (LLSDC). In 2015 she was chosen as an AALL Emerging Leader and she is currently the vice president/president-elect of AALL.
Fair Use & Digitization – Michelle Wu
Controlled Digital Lending (CDL) is an emerging method that allows libraries to loan print books to digital patrons in a “lend like print” fashion. Through CDL, libraries use technical controls to ensure a consistent “owned-to-loaned” ratio, meaning the library circulates the exact number of copies of a specific title it owns, regardless of format, putting controls in place to prevent users from redistributing or copying the digitized version. Michelle will share her experiences with Georgetown’s controlled digital lending (CDL) project. Her discussion will highlight the basic contours of copyright, fair use, and CDL as libraries attempt to perform traditional lending functions using digital technology while preserving an appropriate balance between the public benefit of such lending and the protected interests of private rights holders.
Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Law Library Management – Catherine Kitchell
Artificial intelligence (AI), once merely theoretical innovations in academic labs and fictional stories out of Hollywood, has made its way into the legal profession. With this progression, has it been your instinct to look away or bury your head in the sand? Our speaker will talk about facing innovations brought about by AI in a practical way. She will discuss how new technologies based on AI are transforming the legal information world and the management of law libraries. She will highlight how libraries are educating their patrons in AI approaches to legal research and organizational management, how librarians are using AI to increase efficiency and productivity, and the impact and expected impact of AI on various aspects of the legal profession including legal research, eDiscovery, law services marketing and other areas.
Catherine Kitchell is a Senior Reference Librarian at Bloomberg BNA. Catherine has been a reference librarian with BNA, now Bloomberg Law, since 1990. Since 2001, she has additionally been the editor of BNA’s Directory of State and Federal Courts, Judges, and Clerks. Before 1990, Catherine was a reference librarian at the newspaper USA Today.
She has been a member of the Special Libraries Association since 1991 mostly serving the News Division and the Washington, DC Chapter. She served as Treasurer of DC Chapter from 1999-2002 and received the DC/SLA Board of Directors Award 2001-2002. For the News Division, She was Managing Editor of News Library News and later served as Director of Publications. She served as Treasurer of the News Division and received the Agnes Henebry Roll of Honor Award in 2013 from the Division. She currently serves as Chair of the Legal Division of SLA and presented on technology trends in the legal industry at the SLA Annual Conference in June 2019.
Sponsors
This program is made possible by a grant from the AALL/Bloomberg Law Continuing Education Grants Program and major support from the Maryland State Bar Association, along with LexisNexis, the Maryland Daily Record, and Thomson Reuters.
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