Renovations can uncover many surprises – some unexpected, some forgettable, and then some with historical significance. A renovation at the Cook County Law Library (CCLL) uncovered all three of the above. However, one surprise led me on a quest into the history of CALL and AALL. Continue reading A Gavel and Our Connections to History
Category Archives: CALL Committees
Modern Mentorship
The Mentorship and Leadership Development Committee (MDLC) recently hosted a mentorship brown bag event at Chicago-Kent College of Law on Thursday, January 24, 2019.
With the demands of work, professional development, and our personal lives, it can be challenging to add mentorship to your task list. Because of this, we decided to invite our newer CALL members to an informal mentorship event where we could share our insights and take questions over lunch and cookies.
Mentoring New Members
This approach was successful. Our new members were able to get their questions answered and start forming bonds with some of our CALL leaders. Additionally, they now associate names with faces for the next business meeting.
Some of the questions included revolved around the best committees for new CALL members to ease into involvement, and we encouraged Bulletin writing. Also, there were questions about where to find conferences and how to apply for grants – the MDLC calendar where our members can find this information. Continue reading Modern Mentorship
CALL Elections: Proposed Amendments to the Bylaws
CALL members will consider a proposal to change the existing CALL Bylaws, and vote upon these proposed amendments in the upcoming CALL Election from February 15 through March 15.
If approved, the proposed Bylaws amendments would:
(1) align the CALL membership categories with AALL’s membership categories by eliminating the “associate” member category (allowing those members to become full voting and office-holding members of CALL); and
(2) eliminate the requirement that retired members have been active CALL members for at least 10 consecutive years.
The Bylaws election will be available on the CALL Elections page of the website, so please remember to cast your vote!
Committee Roundup: Mentorship and Leadership Development Committee (MLDC)
The Mentorship and Leadership Development Committee (MLDC) has been busy! Here is some of the great work already completed by the Committee:
- MDLC launched a new page on the CALL website under Members Information – this page includes upcoming events, the mentorship form, key contacts and more.
- The Professional Development Encouragement subcommittee (Lyonette Louis-Jacques and Sarah Andeen) is currently compiling and completing a database of CALL member publications (and forthcoming publications). Please send any contributions you can to the subcommittee so CALL can recognize your terrific work! You can find more information at the CALL MLDC website.
- The subcommittee has also been busy organizing the upcoming opportunities for CALL members to take advantage of in the new MDLC calendar.
- Don’t forget to apply for a CALL grant.
- A special thanks to my Committee for all of their hard work!
- Any questions, please reach out to the MDLC Chair, Lindsey Carpino lcarpino@sidley.com.
Finally, please consider becoming a CALL mentor or mentee. You may contact the Committee with any questions or fill out the Mentorship and Networking Interest Form.
November 2018 Business Meeting Roundup at The Berghoff
The meeting was held on the Berghoff, 17 W. Adams St., Chicago, IL 60603 on November 8, 2018.
CALL president Joe Mitzenmacher opened the meeting at 12:00 p.m. There were 90 CALL members in attendance, including three new members: Angela Arroyo, Foley & Lardner LLP, Kelsey Cox, student member, and Leslie Strauss, DuPage County Law Library.
CALL vice-president Jessie LeMar introduced and thanked the meeting sponsors, Ellen Ryan and Tami Carson from Thomson Reuters. Ellen spoke very briefly about Westlaw’s latest enhancement, Westlaw Edge and it is enhanced search functions and enhance litigation analytics.
Next, Jessie introduced the meeting’s speaker Fastcase’s Ed Walters. Walters just published a book on data driven law called Data Analytics and the New Legal Services. Walters’ presentation to CALL was about data analytics and Fastcase’s analytics capabilities.
He framed his discussion around cartography and travel. In antiquity before good maps travel was rare and if one were traveling a navigator would be hired. Over time navigators began to record travels aggregating maps, which became strategic assets. For example, kings would horde them and in the modern context Churchill’s war room was kept top secret, primarily because of the maps. Over time maps become democratized when they were printed and made available to everyone, and in modern times maps have become even more sophisticated and accessible. Photos for maps are taken from the air by pigeons, satellites, and drones, or information is collected in real time with apps like Waze. Due to the innovations from map design and dissemination to travelers, the act of travel is now less risky and more affordable.
Walters’s stated that the map/travel analogy is applicable to the legal landscape: lawyers are the navigators and clients are the traveler. Clients are no longer content with the “it depends” answer. Before making a decision about how to proceed with a legal matter clients want to know: How much will the matter cost? Will I win? How much should I offer in settlement? In the past, lawyers typically answered these questions based on their past experience or on hunches. This approach to law is like traveling without a map, making legal services risky and expensive. Through analytics this approach is no longer necessary. Lawyers can now answer data driven questions with data driven answers because data analytics (just like maps) lay out the most accurate and predictable choices and outcomes available.
Extending the metaphor, Walters’ used a docket sheet as an example of a “Map of the Case”. As such, once many docket sheets get aggregated you start to see really interesting information. Fastcase has a docket aggregating tool called Docket Alarm that maps docket information, which can be mined to help build business and firm management tools since more information is now available: you can see who is doing what, what arguments are working, and who is winning.
Walters believes that the legal landscape is changing and analytics will transition from “nice to have” to “need to have”. He also believes that legal analytics will live in the law library, and the library will become the map room for firms.
At the conclusion of the presentation, members had several questions:
Q: Do you know of a case where a firm used analytics to drop a case?
A: This tends to be confidential but it happens. Probably happens with settlements.
Q: Who are the new cartographers in this era?
A: It’s information professionals, for the most part not data scientists. AI sandbox is training these skills and competencies within law firms.
Q: What’s the impetus for a court to move into the brave new world?
A: We hope it is generational. The old school clerks are retiring. Or, shame because courts need to get with the times.
Q: Can algorithms determine outcomes that have to be hand coded in the past?
A: Fastcase has an analytics workbench that does this. You can run all sorts of reports and customize them.
Q: What skills do law students need to have use analytics?
A: Curiosity. Never stop asking hard questions.
Q: How do you run the search?
A: It is different for everything that you are doing. You can build a search based on what you need for a particular research problem. It is a multi-stage process but not like computer programming.
After the presentation, several committees made announcements:
- Community Service (Nan Norton):
The committee was collecting for Safe Haven in honor of Veteran’s Day. Collection canisters were on the tables, in kind donations and online donations were also welcome.
- Mentorship & Leadership Development (Lindsey Carpino):
The committee introduced its new page on the CALL website and reminded members, if they are interested they should fill out a mentor/mentee application form.
- Grants & Chapter Awards (Clare Willis)
The committee reminded the membership that grants were available to attend conferences and continuing education events.
- Continuing Education (Tom Keefe)
The committee announced that it will be hosting an introduction to securities webinar.
- Bulletin (Matt Timko)
The committee announced that it was looking for content for the Winter edition of the Bulletin.
- Government Relations Committee (Sarah Sherman)
The committee reminded the membership that AALL was hosting a webinar on the incoming Congress. The committee was also looking for more people to join the committee.
- CALL Listserv Reminder (Jessie Bowman)
Jessie announced that the old listserv was no longer active.
- Nominations & Elections (Todd Ito)
Todd announced the slate for the 2019 election. The candidates were: Vice President Lindsey Carpino and Matt Timko, Secretary Todd Hillmer and Philip Johnson, Directors Sarah Andeen and Megan Butman.
Then, Eric Parker announced the vote for the proposed amendments to the Bylaws. The membership needed to vote to put the Bylaws change proposal on the ballot. The proposal is to eliminate the associate member and eliminate the rule that to be a retired member you had to be a CALL member for 10 years. Eugene Guidice moved to vote. Clare Willis seconded the motion. The membership voted unanimously to make the change and the measure will move to the ballot.
The meeting ended with the door prize sponsored by LexisNexis. Matt Timko and Keith Ann Stiverson were the winners.
Committee Roundup: Archives Come Back to Loyola
After 10 years at the Northern Illinois University (NIU) College of Law, the CALL archives have returned to the Chicago city limits. The archives—which include administrative records, publications, and photographs from CALL events over the years—will now return to the library at the Loyola University Chicago School of Law.
Making the round trip, the archives moved from Loyola in 2007 due to a lack of storage space. The Archives Committee Chair at the time, Therese Clarke Arado, offered to house the archives at NIU, where they remained until September of this year.
Continue reading Committee Roundup: Archives Come Back to Loyola
September 2018 Business Meeting Roundup
CALL held its September Business Meeting on September 20th at Wildfire. Eighty-six members attended the meeting. We welcomed several new members: Molly Caballero from Locke Lord, Michael Hensler from Kirkland & Ellis, Anne Hudson from DePaul University College of Law, and Mary Ellen Murphy from the American Dental Association.
Sponsor
The sponsor of the meeting was Deal Point Data. Tom Quinn spoke on behalf of the company. Mr. Quinn said that the company’s purpose is to help corporate research. He discussed a tool to search and monitor charters and bylaws. Quinn emphasized that Deal Point Data is a small company and it does all of its research, product development, and customer support in the United States.
D’Angelo Law Library, University of Chicago – Metadata and Digital Resources Librarian
Position Description:
Metadata and Digital Resources Librarian
General Summary:
As part of the University of Chicago Library, the D’Angelo Law Library supports the educational and research needs of the University of Chicago Law School and the University of Chicago community. We are seeking a service-oriented and forward-thinking professional as the Metadata and Digital Resources Librarian who possesses the knowledge and experience for the position along with the skill, interest and vision to embrace new technologies and directions in D’Angelo Collection Services.
Responsibilities:
Under the supervision of the Head of Metadata Services, participates in different aspects of the department to support all facets of description and discovery of the library’s collections. Responsible for the creation of metadata in the library catalog, the library website, and through other discovery platforms. Responsible for creating access to the library’s digital resources by ensuring accurate URLs and enhanced discoverability of purchased and subscribed resources. Provides expertise and performs batch loading of vendor supplied records.
Manages projects that support the work of the Collection Services Department and the D’Angelo Law Library. Develops, maintains and enhances use of the library’s collections through digital projects including web exhibits. Adds content and metadata to the Law School institutional repository, Chicago Unbound. Creates reports from the library management system and provides information to support collection assessment.
Performs original cataloging and classification, including NACO authority work, in accordance with national standards and library-wide policies for materials in a variety of languages and formats including print and electronic, continuing and integrating resources, and monographs including rare books. Works as part of a collaborative team on metadata creation and projects across the Library system. Participates in the development and evaluation of Metadata Services section and D’Angelo policies and procedures. Serves as a resource for other library staff. Performs other duties as assigned. Participates on library-wide committees including groups working on new metadata standards and initiatives.
Required Qualifications:
MLS from an ALA-accredited library school; Prior work experience in an academic, research, or law library; Experience with metadata creation, including MARC formats; Experience with access and discoverability of continuing and integrating resources in both print and digital formats; Experience creating discovery using Library platforms and tools, such as web page creation and editing and LibGuides; Excellent communication, interpersonal, organizational, and analytical skills; Ability to work in a collaborative team environment.
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience with cataloging in OCLC including authority work; Experience with MarcEdit or other record manipulation software; Experience extracting content from structured data for analysis and report generation; Experience working with digital image software.
Successful project management experience; Familiarity with data modeling and database design/refactoring; Knowledge of at least one foreign western European language; Problem solving and leadership skills.
Additional Information or Requirements:
The Search Committee will evaluate candidates’ record and accomplishments in order to determine their ability to interact respectfully and effectively orally and in writing with diverse constituencies including faculty, students, colleagues, and community members; ability to work with library users individually and in groups; ability to perform complex problem solving and decision making; and the ability to plan, prioritize, coordinate and implement projects and a record of demonstrated commitment to professional development.
Preferred Qualifications: experience working in a departmental library is strongly preferred.
To Apply: Submit cover letter, curriculum vitae, and reference contact information. Applications must be submitted to https://academiccareers.uchicago.edu, requisition 03950, or via Quicklink: https://tinyurl.com/y8rh6rv7 Contact Kara Hastings, HR Generalist, khastings@uchicago.edu with questions. Review of applications will begin November 20, 2018. Screening of applications will continue until the position is filled or the search is closed.
Salary and Benefits: Appointment salary based on qualifications and experience. Benefits include retirement plan, insurance, and paid time off.
Statement:
The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University’s Notice of Nondiscrimination at http://www.uchicago.edu/about/non_discrimination_statement/. Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-0287 or email ACOppAdministrator@uchicago.edu with their request.
Required Applicant Documents:
Cover Letter
Curriculum Vitae
Reference Contact Info
Posting Link:
CALL Archives Committee 2017-2018 Annual Report
The 2017-2018 CALL Archives Committee was comprised of Committee co-chairs Patricia Sayre-McCoy and Clanitra Stewart Nejdl, as well as Committee members Brittany Adams and Matt Timko. This year, the Committee focused its efforts on determining the best path forward for the digitization of the CALL Archives. As part of this process, the Committee provided an updated inventory of the contents of the CALL Archives to the CALL Executive Board. Additionally, the Committee considered whether there are sufficient “in-house” resources to support the digitization of the Archives or whether the assistance of a third-party company would be needed. The Committee also continued work on a plan for the possible digitization of just the photos within the CALL archives.
At the 2017 MAALL, LLAW, MichALL, MALL, and CALL Joint Annual Meeting in October 2017, the CALL Archives was represented in a panel discussion entitled “Preserving Our Histories, Telling Our Stories: What’s in Your Chapter Archives?”. During this panel discussion, Committee Co-Chair Clanitra Stewart Nejdl shared information about the history, content, and policies of the CALL Archives. Throughout the year, materials were added to the CALL Archives as they were received from CALL members.
CALL Bulletin Committee 2017-2018 Annual Report
The 2017-18 Bulletin Committee started as co-editors Emily Barney, Juanita Harrell, and Philip Johnson and Committee members Tami Carson, Anne Danberg, Debbie Ginsberg, Jill Meyer, Clanitra Stewart Nejdl, and Matthew Timko. Our board liaison was Lindsey Carpino. Juanita transitioned to work in a non-law library in March, at which point Matthew Timko became a co-editor.
The Committee has published three issues this year, with the fourth issue set for publication within a week or so of the writing of this report. Our Summer issue contained most of the CALL Committee annual reports and a number of reports from various meetings and conferences. The Fall issue highlighted pieces on leadership and a fund read on chapter archives “on the road.” The Winter issue featured a piece by Debbie Ginsberg and recapped Lindsey Carpino, Annie Mentkowski, and Clanitra Stewart Nejdl’s presentation at the MAALL, LLAW, MICHALL, MALL and CALL Joint Annual Meeting.
After the publication of the spring issue, Philip will step aside as co-editor and will be replaced by Clanitra Stewart Nejdl.