I attended my first Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction (CALI) Conference for Law School Computing in Seattle at the new William Gates Law School. Here are some reflections on the experience from fellow ALL-SIS members.
Ken Hirsch, Director of Computing Services at Duke University Law Library, applauded Mark Folmsbee’s Cyberethics session. According to Hirsch, “it generated excellent discussion.”
Eric Young, Assistant Director for Information Technology at Northern Kentucky University’s Salmon P. Chase College of Law, also had a great experience. “Looking back over the past several CALI conferences, I rank this at the top. The environs were great, the food was awesome, the dinner cruise was a blast, and the programs were useful for both pure techies and tech managers like myself.”
Sally Wise, Director of the University of Miami Law Library, also gave overwhelming approval of the conference. “I love the opportunity to meet and talk ‘technology shop’ with librarians, faculty, administrators, and computing professionals. I came away with so many ideas and insights that I can't wait for the next conference.”
My favorite session was Brian Huddleston’s program entitled “Graphic Tips and Techniques for CALI Lessons (and other applications).” As exemplified by the high quality of graphics in Huddleston’s CALI Lesson, How To Find Case Law Using the Digests, he has earned himself the reputation as being a CALI graphics expert. Of course, Huddleston’s presentation was technical, but that was expected because of the subject matter covered. Huddleston prepared an excellent handout that I secretly call “Brian’s Graphics Bible,” available at www2.cali.org/conference/2004/presentations/CALIGraphics.pdf.
ALL-SIS Members overwhelmingly approved the CALI Conference as a worthwhile experience. Chicago-Kent College of Law will be the site of the next CALI Conference. For more information about CALI or the next CALI Conference for Law School Computing to be held June 16-18, 2005, visit CALI’s website: www.cali.org.