JAN/FEB 2009, v.36, no. 3
The SCALL Newsletter is published electronically five times per year (September/October, November/December, January/February, March/April, and May/June by the Southern California Association of Law Libraries, a chapter of the American Association of Law Libraries. PDF versions of the SCALL Newletter can be downloaded here: http://www.aallnet.org/chapter/scall/newsletter.htm
FROM THE PRESIDENT... Jessica Wimer
We are fast approaching the annual SCALL Institute, our chapter’s premier continuing education event of the year. Once again SCALL members are provided with the opportunity to add to their professional knowledge and to socialize with valued colleagues. I hope you will be able to attend this year’s Institute on March 27-28, 2009 in the desert resort community of La Quinta, located about five miles east of Palm Desert. The Institute will be held at the Embassy Suites La Quinta—Hotel & Spa, which is just across the street from Old Town La Quinta, and its variety of shops, restaurants, and galleries.
This year’s Institute, themed “Near and Far with ADR: Exploring the Many Facets of Alternative Dispute Resolution,” promises to be both informative and entertaining. Vice President/ President-Elect Brian Raphael and the members of his Institute committee are hard at work planning the programs that begin on Friday afternoon, March 27 and conclude with a luncheon on Saturday, March 28.
An impressive array of individuals will participate at this year’s Institute. Among those who will be speaking are former California Attorney General John Van de Kamp, Scott Gilmore, a partner with the law firm Hill, Farrer and Burrill LLP, and Louise LaMothe, a mediator and arbitrator who has been recognized as one of California’s top 50 neutrals by the Los Angeles Daily Journal.
In addition, Professors Tom Stipanowich and Anthony Miller from the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University School of Law, and Mary Culbert, Director of the Center for Conflict Resolution at Loyola Law School will also lead sessions. These speakers will address a variety of ADR related topics, including an overview of the various types of dispute resolution, how ADR is used in specific fields such as family and employment law, as well as mediation confidentiality and other ethical issues.
You can also look forward to attending sessions that focus on resources and research tools in the ADR field. Michael Saint-Onge, Team Lead, LexisNexis Librarian Relations Group, and Michele Lucero, Librarian Relations Manager, West, a Thomson Reuters business, will highlight dispute resolution resources available on LexisNexis and Westlaw respectively. Additionally, Paula Hoffman, Foreign and International Law Librarian at LA Law Library, will speak about international ADR research, and Gina McCoy, Research Services Librarian at Pepperdine University School of Law, will introduce Pepperdine Law Library’s extensive collection of ADR resources.
We are pleased to have Carol Bredemeyer, Assistant Director for Faculty Services at Salmon P. Chase College of Law Library, Northern Kentucky University, join us as our AALL Executive Board VIP for the Institute. Carol is actively involved in AALL, and I am sure our Institute will provide her with an excellent chance to reconnect with valued SCALL colleagues. In addition, she will provide the AALL update at the Saturday luncheon.
I know that many of you are eager to register for the Institute and make your travel plans. I am happy to announce that you can make your hotel reservations through the following link:
http://embassysuites.hilton.com/en/es/groups/personalized/LAQCAES-CLL-20090327/index.jhtml
A block of rooms has been reserved at the special room rate of $159 per night. The group block will only be available until February 24 or until the block is sold-out, whichever comes first. Be sure to make your hotel reservation as soon as possible to be included in the special rate! Also, I am very excited to announce that in an effort to do our part in helping the environment, this year the Institute registration information will be distributed electronically. The form to register for the Institute itself will be sent out to the SCALL listserv and e-mailed to all SCALL members by the end of January. Hard copies will be made available to members upon request. Simply contact Brian Raphael (braphael@law.usc.edu) if you need paper copies mailed to you directly.
Institute Grants
If there are economic pressures affecting your ability to attend the Institute, please don’t forget that SCALL grants are available to members. According to Grants Committee Chair Judi Bikel, grant applications to attend the Institute will be accepted until February 27 and recipients will be notified by March 6. The application is available at:
http://aallnet.org/chapter/scall/pdf/scallgrant.pdf
Future Institute Planning
I would be remiss if I did not take a moment to highlight the activities of our Special Committee on the Future of the Institute. While I cannot say enough positive things about our Institute, it is always a good idea to reevaluate to see if the current practices best meet the needs of the membership. In order to gauge this, I have formed a special committee assigned to explore our options when it comes to future Institute planning. The members of the Special Committee are very interested in your thoughts on your past Institute experiences and what you would like to see in the future. The committee is currently working on drafting a survey that will be available at the Institute. An electronic copy will be available after the Institute for those SCALL members who were unable to attend. Members can also contact Diana Jaque (djaque@law.usc.edu) directly with any Institute related comments or concerns.
In closing, we are fast approaching an exciting time of year for SCALL members. We have much to look forward to in 2009—the Institute, our two additional SCALL meetings, and for some, the AALL Annual Meeting. Additionally, our committees are still hard at work on the new and improved website, exploring our options for an online membership database, and working to expand our mentorship program. I look forward to seeing you in Palm Desert where we can discuss this and so much more!
