Thursday, October 23, 2014

LLAGNY - SLA NY Joint Education Series Project Management

News of interest from SLA NY and LLAGNY:



Mark your calendars - SLA NY and LLAGNY are pleased
to present SESSION ONE of the Fall Project  Management Series:
Introduction to
Project Management


Wednesday, October 29,  8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
$40.00 Members and $60.00 for Non-Members (until Oct. 15)
$50.00 Members and $75.00 for Non-Members (after Oct. 15)

Register no later than October 24 at


PayPal or Credit Card payment is required. No checks or payment at the door.


Building on your professional experience and organizational skills as an information professional, this session will introduce you to concepts and best practices that you can immediately apply to any project. The session will provide an overview of the methodology endorsed by the Project Management Institute, the professional organization that sets the standards for the globally recognized PMP (Project Management Professional) certification.

This session will be presented by Mimi B. Rosenfeld, MBA, PMP - Mimi is a project manager who specializes in
leading cross-functional teams with a focus on process, documentation and training.

Mimi holds Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management Institute and an MBA from the Johnson School at Cornell University. She currently serves as Program Manager of Outreach Communications for the Project Management Institute, New York City Chapter (PMINYC).


Location: All sessions will be held at The SUNY Global Center - 116 East 55th Street.

Food will be served at all sessions!

Discount: Session 1
Registrations received by October 15 will receive a 20% discount.
Cancellation for Session 1 must be received no later than October 27 or no refund will be granted.

Session 2, Project Management Tools, will be held on
November 24.

Session 3, Project Management Case Studies, will be held on December 18.

There is a discounted price to attend all three fall sessions in the series:
$100 for Members and $175 for Non-Members.
For details and registration, click here.

Hosts:  Donna Severino, SLA NY; Elaine Eagan, Amy Carr, and Steve Lastres, LLAGNY
               

Please contact Donna Severino for any questions related to this event.

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Caselaw is Set Free, What Next?

Caselaw is Set Free, What Next?

Monday, October 20, 2014 | 2:41 PM
The next article in our 10th Anniversary Series is by Thomas Bruce. He is the director of the Legal Information Institute at Cornell. He co-founded the LII in 1992. Today, its legal collections are used widely and have inspired the Free Access to Law Movement which has helped citizens worldwide learn about the laws that govern them. Thomas is also the author of Cello, first Web browser for Microsoft Windows. -- Anurag Acharya


Caselaw is Set Free, What Next?

Thomas Bruce, Director, Legal Information Institute, Cornell

http://googlescholar.blogspot.com/2014/10/caselaw-is-set-free-what-next.html

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Grants & Awards for ALLUNY's Annual Meeting

Don't forget to submit applications for the following grants. Also if you would like to nominate someone for the Katie M. Deveau Spirit Award please do so by the deadline.

The deadline for both is Friday September 26.

Ernest H. Breuer Memorial Grant
One grant in the amount of $250 will be awarded to a member to attend the ALLUNY annual meeting. The application may be submitted online or printed and mailed.

Library Studies Student Grant
One grant in the amount of $150 may be awarded to a library science/studies student to attend the ALLUNY annual meeting. The application may be submitted online or printed and mailed.

Katie M. Deveau Spirit Award
The Katie M. Deveau Spirit Award honors those individuals or groups who perform volunteer service for the greater good without regard for personal gain and who inspire others through their community service. Eligible nominees for this award, which is presented annually at the fall conference, include members of ALLUNY in good standing who volunteer in ANY community service organization OR any individuals or groups (not necessarily ALLUNY members) who make volunteer contributions directly benefitting ALLUNY. The nomination form may be submitted online or printed and mailed.

Questions?
Contact Jean-Paul Vivian, Grants & Scholarship Chair, email: jvivian@courts.state.ny.us

Friday, September 5, 2014

ALLUNY Annual Meeting Registration Now Open

I am very excited to finally invite you all to register for the Annual Meeting, to be held Oct. 17-19 at the Crowne Plaza in Syracuse. Details about the meeting and registration forms are available at the ALLUNY webpage: http://www.aallnet.org/chapter/alluny/am2014/

This year we have amazing speakers lined up, a great venue with a wonderful view of the City of Syracuse, and the option for online registration and payment. Here at the Syracuse College of Law we are particularly excited to be able to offer tours of our brand new facilities!

I look forward to seeing you all in Syracuse to celebrate ALLUNY's diamond anniversary year conference, the theme of which will be "ALLUNY: A Foot in the Past, an Eye to the Future."

-- Christine

Christine Demetros
ALLUNY Vice President and Education Chair
Syracuse University College of Law
(315)443-9531
cmdemetr@law.syr.edu

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Recent landmark trucking case from WDNY - Graves Amendment

“A landmark decision affecting the trucking industry nationally was recently made in U.S. Federal Court, the Western District of New York.
For the first time, the Graves Amendment, a 9-year-old federal statute protecting car rental and truck companies from liability in operator accidents, was rejected from being used in a civil action against the vehicle’s owner.”




You can find a copy of the decision on PACER or Google Scholar. The case Stratton v. Wallace, No. 11-CV-74-A(HKS).
United States District Court, W.D. New York.
July 31, 2014.

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

July/August Issue of ALLUNY Newsletter available


The July/August issue of ALLUNY Newsletter is now available at http://www.aallnet.org/chapter/alluny/2014-02summer.pdf .

Back issues and other information is available at http://www.aallnet.org/chapter/alluny/newslett.asp

Congratulations to editor Barbara Briggs and all contributors on a wonderful issue!

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Job posting: Administrative Law Information Systems Manager (Secretary of the State, Hartford CT)

The following position has been announced:

Administrative Law Information Systems Manager
Secretary of the State, Hartford CT

Closing Date: Sept. 5, 2014

Description:
  • This position will manage a currently-in-development information system for electronic adoption, publishing and public access to state administrative law and related information resources. 
  • A more detailed description is provided in the official job class specification available at: http://das.ct.gov/HR/JobspecNew/JobDetail.asp?FCC=6882
Qualifications Summary:
  • A Master's degree in Library or Information Science from an ALA accredited program.
  • Four years of professional experience in an academic, government or firm law library or similar setting providing legal information services.
  • The four years of experience must include one year of specialized experience in electronic services or a related technology-oriented professional library position involving substantially similar duties.
  • A JD or equivalent degree from an ABA or AALS-accredited institution may be substituted for one year of the experience excluding the specialized experience.
The official eligibility requirements and application instructions for this position are specified in the job posting available at: 
http://das.ct.gov/HRDocs/JobsExams/Admin_Law_Info_Systems_Mgr_Job_Posting.pdf

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Job posting: Legal Librarian/Online Research Technician (Buffalo or Rochester)

Goldberg Segalla, a dynamic and rapidly growing law firm with a national and international practice, seeks a Legal Librarian/Online Research Technician in its Buffalo or Rochester office.  

Job Description:
  • Managing the operations of the law library, including monitoring book purchases and allocating, organizing, and disseminating legal resources
  • Conducting in-depth research in a wide range of areas including practice-specific areas of law, business intelligence, public records, legislative history, medical, and news/media
  • Training lawyers, paralegals, legal assistants, and others on the use of Internet-based legal research programs such as Westlaw, Lexis/Nexis, and emerging electronic resources such as Google Scholar, electronic journals, on-line court dockets and legislative materials
  • Conducting periodic reviews of new and existing electronic resources with an eye toward improved service and research efficiencies
  • Coordinating vendor relationships and regular training programs as well as reviewing usage, and evaluating resource needs
  • Managing firm subscriptions
  • Promoting library services and resources to all 12 offices
  • Performing various cataloging procedures for all types of library resources
Requirements/Skills:
  • MLS or MLIS from an accredited library school preferred
  • Minimum of 3 years of experience in an academic or law library
  • Extensive experience with various technical services and software platforms is highly preferred
  • Ability to handle pressure, interruptions, and multiple projects with frequently changing priorities and deadlines
  • Ability to perform legal research, in-depth knowledge of legal terminology and principles
  • Exceptional organization, writing, and communication skills
  • Interact professionally with clients, attorneys, paralegals, secretaries, all other staff, and other representatives outside of the firm
  • Positive attitude!!
This position offers a very competitive salary, bonuses, and a full benefits package. Qualified applicants should email their resume with salary history and requirements to Heather Pudlewski at resumes@goldbergsegalla.com.

We look to hire only those people who are excellent at what they do and are dedicated to the highest standards of client service, quality representation, and team-spiritedness — the core tenets of our Best Practices philosophy. Our novel approach to the law firm environment helped earn us top-tier placement in employer surveys numerous times, including 2013 rankings among the 20 Best Companies to Work for in New York State (the only law firm to make the list) and as the Best Place to Work among large employers in Western New York by Business First. Our commitment to diversity within our firm and to promoting it in the greater legal community has been recognized by organizations such as the New York State Bar Association and the national Minority Corporate Counsel Association.

Monday, June 16, 2014

Job posting: Reference Librarian (Syracuse)

Reference Librarian

Hiscock & Barclay, LLP, a full service, 210 lawyer firm with ten offices throughout New York State and the Northeast, has an immediate opening for a part-time (20 hours per week) Reference Librarian in the Syracuse office.

Candidate will be responsible for providing legal and non-legal reference assistance to attorneys and staff. Duties include providing current awareness services through relevant news dissemination, locating and providing legislative history research, training attorneys and staff on the use of all legal resources and exploring/evaluating new resources for possible acquisition. Outstanding oral and written communication skills a must. Applicants must have the ability to work independently as well as in a team, prioritize assignments and work in a deadline oriented environment. MLS preferred or education trending toward the MLS/MLIS from an ALA accredited school is required. Must be proficient in use of online legal and non-legal resources to include Lexis, LA, Checkpoint and government website while maintaining accuracy.

Qualified applicants should submit a cover letter with salary requirements and resume in confidence to:

Human Resource Coordinator
Hiscock & Barclay, LLP
One Park Place
300 South State Street
Syracuse, NY 13202

Contact: Human Resource Coordinator
Phone: 315.425.2858 Fax: 315.703.7366
Email: hrjobs@hblaw.com

Hiscock & Barclay is an Equal Opportunity Employer. 
EEO M/F/V/H 

Link to posting: http://www.hblaw.com/current-openings-staff/reference-librarian-syracuse

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit library jobs

The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has recently posted two library job announcements:
  • Library Intern (temp position: June-Sept. 5, 2014)
  • Librarian
More information, including links to the job announcement and how to apply, is available at http://www.ca2.uscourts.gov/job_postings.html

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Research Guide for UN Criminal Tribunals



I thought this research guide, written by Anthony Bestafka-Cruz and posted on GlobaLex, might be interest, especially in light of the topics presented at our recent spring institute:



http://www.nyulawglobal.org/globalex/UN_Criminal_Tribunals_Research_Guide1.htm

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Job Posting at NYS Court of Appeals

The New York State Unified Court System has posted for a Chief Legal Reference Attorney, Court of Appeals, Albany, NY.

The full job description is available at http://www.nycourts.gov/careers/3jd/40021.pdf

Please note that applications must be postmarked or received by: May 14, 2014.

Monday, April 21, 2014

From SLAW: One Simple Ingredient for a Happier Workplace


The tips in this column from SLAW, a neat web site ("Slaw is Canadian, co-operative, and about any and all things legal") are applicable to all areas of life.  One of SLAW's contributors is Friend of ALLUNY Connie Crosby.

http://www.slaw.ca/2014/04/16/one-simple-ingredient-for-a-happier-workplace/?sf25135103=1

Monday, April 7, 2014

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Position announcement: Legal Librarian/Online Research Technician

Goldberg Segalla, a dynamic and rapidly growing law firm with a national and international practice, seeks a Legal Librarian/Online Research Technician in its Buffalo office. 

Job Description: 
  • Managing the operations of the law library, including monitoring book purchases and allocating, organizing and disseminating legal resources. 
  • Conducting in-depth research in wide range of areas including practice-specific areas of law, business intelligence, public records, legislative history, medical and news/media. 
  • Training lawyers, paralegals, legal assistants and others on the use of Internet-based legal research programs such as Westlaw, Lexis/Nexis, and emerging electronic resources such as Google Scholar, electronic journals, on-line court dockets and legislative materials. 
  • Conducting periodic reviews of new and existing electronic resources with an eye toward improved service and research efficiencies. 
  • Promoting library services and resources to other offices 
  • Coordinating technical services and troubleshooting technical issues. 
  • Performing various cataloging procedures for all types of library resources. 
  • Supervising and evaluating the work of file clerks, office services and other staff.
Requirements/Skills: 
  • MLS or MLIS from an accredited library school preferred 
  • Minimum of 3 years of experience in an academic or law library 
  • Extensive experience with various technical services and software platforms is highly preferred 
  • Ability to handle pressure, interruptions, and multiple projects with frequently changing priorities and deadlines 
  • Ability to perform legal research, in-depth knowledge of legal terminology and principles 
  • Exceptional organization, writing and communication skills 
  • Interact professionally with clients, attorneys, paralegals, secretaries, all other staff, and other representatives outside of the firm 
  • Positive attitude!! 
This position offers a very competitive salary, bonuses, and a full benefits package. Qualified applicants should email their resume with salary history and requirements to Heather Pudlewski at resumes@goldbergsegalla.com

We look to hire only those people who are excellent at what they do and are dedicated to the highest standards of client service, quality representation, and team-spiritedness -- the core tenets of our Best Practices philosophy. Our novel approach to the law firm environment helped earn us top-tier placement in employer surveys numerous times, including 2013 rankings among the 20 Best Companies to Work for in New York State (the only law firm to make the list) and as the Best Place to Work among large employers in Western New York by Business First . Our commitment to diversity within our firm and to promoting it in the greater legal community has been recognized by organizations such as the New York State Bar Association and the national Minority Corporate Counsel Association.

Monday, March 31, 2014

Position announcement: Access and Research Services Librarian, Cornell Law Library

Cornell Law Library (http://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/library/) has posted for the position of Access and Research Services Librarian.

Cornell University is located in scenic Ithaca on a hill above Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York. The town and University offer a unique cosmopolitan and international atmosphere in a beautiful natural setting of waterfalls, gorges, and lakes. The Law School has approximately 600 J.D. students, 84 LL.M. students, 18 J.S.D. students, 57 full-time faculty, and is the home of the Legal Information Institute. The Law Library promotes a challenging environment which supports the use of new technologies with a tradition of excellent services. Professionals and support staff work closely with the Law School and the University Library. The Law Library is part of the Cornell University Library (CUL) system, and advancement is through the CUL promotion process.

Responsibilities: Under the supervision of the Assistant Director for Access Services, the Access and Research Services Librarian is responsible for:
  • Managing the daily operations of the Access Services Department, including circulation, reserves, document delivery, and stacks;
  • Maintaining an active presence at the circulation desk;
  • Ensuring a high level of public service by developing, implementing, interpreting, and enforcing policies and procedures;
  • Supervising Access Services staff, including monitoring and approving time worked, conducting performance evaluations, and coordinating and maintaining departmental communications and cohesion;
  • Addressing and resolving complex situations with library patrons;
  • Supervising the recruiting, hiring, training, and scheduling of student workers;
  • Working closely with other Law Library departments including Reference, Information Management and Collection Development;
  • Serving as an active member of the Cornell University Library access services committee including representing the interests of the Law Library Access Services Department and coordinating policies and procedures between the units;
  • Performing research and reference services;
  • Serving as a liaison to Law School faculty;
  • Depending upon qualifications, teaching legal research courses as needed;
  • Participating in library planning committees and task forces and engaging in campus, regional, and national professional organizations and collaborative activities;
  • Fulfilling additional responsibilities as assigned. 
This position may require some evening or weekend hours.

Requirements: M.L.I.S. or equivalent graduate degree from ALA accredited institution; two years’ experience in an academic or law library access services department or related experience; strong service orientation; strong organization skills and attention to detail; excellent written and oral communication and interpersonal skills; ability to work with diverse individuals at all levels of a complex organization; ability to work independently and function in a collegial, teamwork-oriented environment which emphasizes excellent customer service and delivery of exemplary library reference and research services.

Preferred: J.D. from ABA accredited institution; management or supervisory experience; knowledge of legal materials and research strategies; teaching experience.

Salary and Benefits: Salary is competitive. Comprehensive benefits package including 22 vacation days, 12 paid holidays, health insurance, life insurance, and university retirement contributions (TIAA-CREF and other options). Professional travel funding available.

Application: To apply for this position go to: http://careers.hr.cornell.edu/ , search under the job category of Librarians, select job posting 23468 and follow the instructions for online submission. Please include a cover letter, resume, and the names and contact information for three references. Position is available July 1, 2014; however, the start date is negotiable. Applications will be reviewed as received, and the posting will close on April 21, 2014.

For more information: contact Amy Emerson, Assistant Director for Access Services, 607-255-5441, aae25@cornell.edu

Diversity and Inclusion are a part of Cornell University’s heritage. We’re an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities.

Thursday, February 27, 2014

PACERPro: Service Offers a Better Way to Search Federal Court Records Than PACER

Please see a link to Robert Ambrogi's "Ambrogi on Tech" column from the ABA Journal:

http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/service_offers_a_better_way_to_search_federal_court_records_than_pacer


I've been using PACERPro recently. I like the ability to move from court to court easily.



Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Comparative Constitutions Project


I read about this web site on BeSpacific, one of my favorite librarian-written current awareness services (http://www.bespacific.com/).


http://comparativeconstitutionsproject.org/

Description copied and pasted from BeSpacific.com:



The World's Constitutions to Read, Search and Compare
“New constitutions are written every year. The people who write these important documents need to read and analyze texts from other places. Constitute offers access to the world’s constitutions that users can systematically compare them across a broad set of topics — using a modern, clean interface.]
HOW TO USE CONSTITUTE? Constitute allows you to interact with the world’s constitutions in a few different ways.
  • Quickly find relevant passages. The Comparative Constitutions Project has tagged passages of each constitution with a topic — e.g., “right to privacy” or “equality regardless of gender” — so you can quickly find relevant excerpts on a particular subject, no matter how they are worded. You can browse the 300+ topics in the expandable drawer on the left of the page, or see suggested topics while typing in the search bar (which also lets you perform free-text queries).
  • Filter searches. Want to view results for a specific region or time period? You can limit your search by country or by date using the buttons under the search bar.
  • Save for further analysis. To download or print excerpts from multiple constitutions, click the “pin” button next to each expanded passage you want to save. You can then view and download your pinned excerpts in the drawer on the right.”

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Social Security Death Index Restrictions Now Law



http://pibuzz.com/social-security-death-index-restrictions-now-law/

Law Student Guide to Free Legal Research on the Internet

The Law Student Guide to Legal Research, a helpful flowchart, is worth a look.


http://freelaw.classcaster.net/about/

About this guide

This guide is meant to help law students navigate the confusing world of Internet legal resources.  All resources listed here can be considered reliable and accurate.

About the author

Sarah Glassmeyer, JD MLS is the Faculty Services and Outreach Librarian and Assistant Professor of Law at the Valparaiso University School of Law.  In addition to providing reference services, she also teaches in the First Year Legal Research curriculum.   Professor Glassmeyer speaks frequently on the intersection of web technologies and legal research and blogs at SarahGlassmeyer(dot)com.

About the sponsors

This guide is sponsored by the Free Law Coalition, comprised of The Legal Information Institute and Justia.com.  Get your pens and mugs from the other guys. The only thing they give away is legal information.
The Legal Information Institute is a non-profit organization housed at the Cornell Law School.  Their website hosts a collection of federal case, statutory and regulatory law as well as provides links to government sources of state laws.  Additionally, it provides Wex, a community edited legal dictionary and encyclopedia.
Justia is a company that assists law firms with Internet marketing. They also have a strong public service and pro bono mission and provide an extensive collection of federal law, as well as links to state law.  Justia also has links to useful materials such as forms and subject specific guides.
This electronic guide is graciously hosted by the Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction.  CALI hosts electronic lessons that support the law school curriculum as well as course supplements on its Classcaster blogs.