May 1993
Revised June 1995 by Lyonette Louis-Jacques
[Bracketed text indicates 1995 revisions]
The Foreign, Comparative, and International Law Special Interest Section (FCIL SIS) serves as a forum for the exchange of ideas and information on foreign, comparative, and international law librarianship and represents its members' interests and concerns within the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL). The SIS strives to promote the participation of AALL members in its activities and takes a leading role in the education of a new generation of foreign, comparative, and international law librarians.
The Foreign, Comparative, and International Law SIS was originally organized in 1947 as the Committee on Cooperation with Latin American Law Libraries. The name was changed to the Committee on Foreign Law in 1950 and then the Foreign and International Law Committee in 1966. In 1985, an AALL Executive Board resolution reorganized the Committee into the Special Interest Section. [Chairs of the FCIL SIS from 1985 to 1995 have been: Claire Germain, Linda Thompson, Ellen Schaffer, Dan Wade, Tim Kearley, Janet Zagorin, Amber Lee Smith, Mila Rush, Jonathan Pratter, and Lyonette Louis-Jacques.]
The SIS is governed by an Executive Committee composed of the Chair, the Vice Chair/Chair-Elect, the Secretary/Treasurer, and the Immediate Past Chair.
Annual elections are held for Vice Chair/Chair-Elect, and on odd years to also elect a Secretary/Treasurer. The Nominating Committee recommends candidates for the FCIL ballot and the Secretary/Treasurer conducts SIS elections.
Ad hoc committees are created to respond to current SIS needs and to implement charges from AALL.
The SIS has [nine] working and issues groups that meet during the AALL Annual Meeting to exchange information and share experience with colleagues who have similar interests or expertise on more specific jurisdictions or topics. These include working groups on African Law, Asian Law, Latin American Law, CIS and East European Law, Teaching Foreign and International Legal Research, Electronic Issues, Processing Issues, [and International Issues (with a sub-group on International Organizations/Human Rights)].
The FCIL SIS sponsors a number of educational panels and programs on foreign and international law at the Annual Meetings. The SIS also offers its members' expertise for AALL institutes on foreign, comparative, and international law librarianship.
The SIS and its predecessors have a long history of publication accomplishments, including the Union List of Basic Latin American Legal Materials and the creation of the Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals. More recently, the SIS sponsored the Directory of Foreign Law Collections in Selected Law Libraries (AALL Publication Series No.41) edited by Schaffer and Bruce. The FCIL Newsletter is published three times a year. In addition to carrying news items, announcements, committee reports, and the Chair's update reports, it contains feature articles, survey reports, and bibliographies on topics of interest. It is the main vehicle for information that reaches all SIS members.
Membership in the SIS is open to any member of AALL. For information on membership, application, or any of the activities of the FCIL SIS, contact:
American Association of Law Libraries
53 West Jackson Boulevard, Suite 940
Chicago, IL 60604
Telephone: 312-939-4764
Telefax: 312-431-1097
RETURN to the FCIL Newsletter Home Page.