Thursday, Oct. 12

Thursday, Oct.12, 8:00-11:30 a.m.

MALLCO programming on Thursday morning is open to all MAALL attendees.

Thursday, Oct. 12, 8:00–9:00 a.m.

MALLCO Roundtable: Acquisitions and Collection Development

• Led by Brett Elder, University of Iowa

The Acquisitions and Collection Development Roundtable will provide an opportunity to discuss trends, challenges, and best practices that affect us and our colleagues in our day-to-day work. Potential topics include responding to budget cuts, implementing cancellation projects, migrating print content to online, and applying DEI principles to collection development. There will also be time for open discussion on other acquisition and collection development issues that are currently affecting us and our profession. 

MALLCO Roundtables are interactive discussions where MAALL attendees can openly converse on the topics at hand. Come ready to join in and learn from your colleagues!

MALLCO Roundtable: Reference and Faculty Services

• Led by Susan Boland, University of Cincinnati

Join your colleagues in discussing the many ways we are providing research and reference assistance to advance the missions of our institutions. Members of the public are back or maybe they never left. How have things changed for either the better or the worse? Are you offering new research or reference services to faculty and students? What do you think about the use of Generative AI in research and reference?

MALLCO Roundtables are interactive discussions where MAALL attendees can openly converse on the topics at hand. Come ready to join in and learn from your colleagues!

Thursday, Oct. 12, 9:15–10:15 a.m.

MALLCO Roundtable: Institutional Repository 

• Led by Paul Callister, University of Missouri-Kansas City

This roundtable will have an open discussion of best practices for copyright compliance and risk management, enabling opening access, and promotion of value and usage of your institutional repository and its content.

MALLCO Roundtables are interactive discussions where MAALL attendees can openly converse on the topics at hand. Come ready to join in and learn from your colleagues!

MALLCO Roundtable: Law Practice Technology

• Led by Timothy Gatton, Oklahoma City University

Join us for an open discussion about all things Law Practice Technology! Topics may include: How do we prepare our graduates (or associates) for the technology demands of law practice in the 21st Century? What are some various techniques for incorporating technology into any training and instruction? And what are some of the cool technology tools that different law libraries have been utilizing? Come to hear what people are doing and share new ideas with colleagues!

MALLCO Roundtables are interactive discussions where MAALL attendees can openly converse on the topics at hand. Come ready to join in and learn from your colleagues! 

Thursday, Oct. 12, 10:30–11:30 a.m.

MALLCO Roundtable: Resource Sharing

• Led by Cindy Shearrer, University of Missouri

Collaborate with your peers at the Resource Sharing Roundtable to engage in conversation about current departmental trends, marketing strategies, interactions with student journals, and tips and tricks of the trade.

MALLCO Roundtables are interactive discussions where MAALL attendees can openly converse on the topics at hand. Come ready to join in and learn from your colleagues!

MALLCO Paper Workshop

• Moderated by Jessie Burchfield, University of Arkansas-Little Rock Bowen School of Law

Join your colleagues as they present everything from scholarship ideas to papers that have been accepted for publication. Each presenter will discuss their idea/paper and leave time to audience comment and questions.

• D.R. Jones, University of Memphis - What's the Plan: Evolving Law Library Collection Development and Management (Abstract for discussion)
• Heidi Frostestad, Northern Illinois University - AI Regulation in a GhatGPT Era: Cross-border Cooperation and Hope in a Sudden Storm (not yet submitted for publication)
• Joe Custer, Case Western Reserve University - Cancel Culture is More Toxic than Censorship (accepted for publication in Detroit Mercy Law Review)
• Paul Callister, University of Missouri-Kansas City - The Persistent Treatise (accepted for publication – details forthcoming)

Thursday, Oct. 12, 1:30–2:30 p.m.

Program 1A
Preparing Future Researchers: Reflections on Legal Research Instruction

• Lee Little, Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law

It’s time to reflect on legal research instruction and how we prepare future researchers. The NextGen Bar Exam is slated to debut in 2026 and will assess legal research as a foundational skill. Additionally, recent changes by the ABA require law schools to establish learning outcomes and assess student learning. How can teaching librarians ensure their courses are preparing future researchers? This session focuses on strategies to revise your research curriculum with a focus on engaging students in the learning process, experiential learning opportunities, and creating learning objectives and assessment methods.

Program 1B
(Re)Searching for Social Justice

• Laura Wilcoxon, University of Missouri

Critical modules are an emerging trend for law librarians seeking to embed social justice frameworks within for-credit legal research curricula. This program will present a definition and history of Critical Legal Research and an overview of relevant critical pedagogy as grounded in critical information literacy and the influential “critical law librarianship” tradition of Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic.  It will then discuss relevant literature for both librarians and student assignments as well as sample lecture topics and student learning activities.  Central takeaways include the limitations of the dominant legal information paradigm for those seeking to research for justice and the corresponding need to consider alternative information resources, approaches, and sites of collaboration.  The presentation will be informed by the speaker’s experience teaching both a Social Justice Module in Advanced Legal Research as well as a standalone for-credit Social Justice Research course.

Thursday, Oct. 12, 3:00–4:00 p.m.

Program 2A
MAALL Book to Action Book Discussion

• Gail Wechsler, Law Library Association of St. Louis
• Matt Timko, Northern Illinois University

Join in the discussion on this year's MAALL Book to Action, Under the Skin: The Hidden Toll of Racism on American Lives and on the Health of our Nation by Linda Villarosa.

Program 2B
Legal Research Instruction for the Future: Undergraduates    

• Rebecca Lutkenhaus, Drake University
• Karen Wallace, Drake University

Engaging in outreach and instruction for undergraduate programs can help academic law libraries demonstrate their value to both the law school and the larger university community. Undergraduates are a fun and rewarding population who require a unique approach to legal research instruction. This program will examine the challenges and benefits of expanding your instruction and reference outreach to undergraduates and offer some strategies for success. Those who are already providing instruction to undergrads, as well as those who haven’t before considered it, are encouraged to attend, as audience members will have opportunities to share their experiences and ideas.

Undergraduate Legal Research Instruction slides

Friday, Oct. 13

Friday, Oct. 13, 8:30–9:30 a.m.

Program 3A
Creating Strong Connections: Taking Lessons from the Past to Form Stronger Bonds in the Present

• Jackie Lemmer, Ice Miller LLP

We have many ways to connect these days, but we struggle to make those connections impactful. In a maze of Zoom, Teams, Webex, Jabber, and Outlook we often forget that it is a real person on the other side of that screen. It is time to take a step back and evaluate how we developed relationships in an analog world to better improve our connection to our users. This session will discuss how to optimize meetings and training sessions, by taking a page from good old fashioned hospitality and applying it to the world’s new virtual model.

Program 3B

The Future is Now: Teaching ALR during a 5-week Summer Session

• Sandy Placzek, University of Nebraska
  

An idea for future me . . . when I have more teaching experience . . . when I think through how to approach the pedagogy for a 5-week class . . . when I have more time . . . when . . . when . . . The future is now. Attend this program and learn how one librarian took the plunge and answers the question: “How much can you pack into a 5-week session?” The program will discuss: class structure; topics covered; organization; assigned readings; in-class and “homework” assignments; and ways to approach grading.

Summer 2023 Syllabus     Slides (PDF)

Friday, Oct. 13, 9:45–10:45 a.m.

Program 4A

Wait a Minute, Doc. Are You Telling Me You Developed a Law Practice Technology Program...Out of a Minimal Budget?

• Susan Urban, Oklahoma City University
• Timothy Gatton, Oklahoma City University

Law firms expect new associates to be tech-savvy, and to that end, many law schools are establishing courses in legal technology or other options for students to be certified in technological competence. For law libraries on a tight budget, there may be concerns about the cost of setting up a program on legal technology. This presentation will cover the continued evolution of the Oklahoma City University School of Law’s Law Practice Technology course since the program was initiated as well as options for students who do not enroll in the course, all done on a minimal budget.

Program 4B

Law Library Marketing and Advocacy: Securing the Future by Writing Our Own Stories

• Matthew Braun, Saint Louis University
• Allison Reeve Davis, Littler Mendelson PC

Attrition, candidate pools, restricted budgets, resource formats, physical space constraints, and fears of looming economic recession pose challenges for law librarians and the institutions they serve. Prepare for changing tides and insure strength and success with foresight, planning, and implementation of targeted marketing and crafted external and internal advocacy. Expertly employing these principles allows law librarians to steer their own ship. Learn from examples and the principles of marketing and advocacy to protect departments and the profession from devaluation and uphold the information profession as a bastion of knowledge and success.

Law Library Marketing and Advocacy Slides

Friday, Oct. 13, 11:00 a.m.–Noon

Program 5A

Collections for the Future, Part I: Shaping Collection Development for the Future: Impacts on Space, Services, and Scholarship

• Carissa Vogel, University of Iowa
• D.R. Jones, University of Memphis School of Law
• Allen Moye, DePaul College of Law

Collection development policies have evolved greatly in the past decade to account for the increasing reliance on online materials, budget constraints (especially as price increases skyrocket as our budgets remain firmly on the ground), and various challenges and opportunities experienced at libraries of different sizes with varying missions.  Additionally, we have seen changes in technology, library staffing, and the way libraries perform collection curation. This panel will consider the following questions:

This session will address how to craft a policy that will help guide the library well into the future.

Collections for the Future, Part I slides

Program 5B

Public Patrons - Challenges and Opportunities

• Harry Lah, University of Arkansas at Little Rock Bowen School of Law
• Jeff B. Woodmansee, University of Arkansas at Little Rock Bowen School of Law
• Susan Boland, University of Cincinnati

Libraries increasingly attract some visitors who pose challenges for library personnel.  Depending on where the library is situated, that could range from individuals dealing with mental health issues to those demanding legal assistance the library cannot provide.  These challenges may come as libraries have fewer resources to address those needs.  What are the best practices for libraries to deal with these types of visitors? Does the library have a reference policy setting parameters for what assistance can be provided? How does the library collaborate with Campus Security?  What resources would facilitate patrons’ need for legal resources? LibGuides? Instructional videos? What training should staff have to deal with a challenging patron, especially in de-escalating one who is upset? Librarians from the UA Little Rock Bowen School of Law and the University of Cincinnati School of Law will discuss their approach to these issues to help provide attendees with ideas to consider for their own libraries.

Public Patrons Presentation Slides (PDF)  Resource List (PDF)

Friday, Oct. 13, 2:15–3:15 p.m.

Program 6A

Collections for the Future, Part II: What is the Future of Print in Law Libraries?

• Carissa Vogel, University of Iowa
• Jessie Burchfield, University of Arkansas at Little Rock Bowen School of Law
• Darla Jackson, University of Tulsa

As libraries increasingly cancel print subscriptions, the cost for libraries to retain print has increased markedly (like the costs of space, staff devoting time to claiming and maintenance, etc.).  Some vendors demand long-term agreements for print or libraries are left with huge costs while other vendors are moving only to electronic access, viewing print as not sustainable or not in their long-term business interest.  With these very real budgetary challenges and uncertain publishing world, libraries’ abilities to meet evolving needs becomes increasingly challenging, as does answering the questions about why one should maintain print collections. With this as a backdrop, the presenters will address how they think through these issues while considering questions:

• What is the path forward for law libraries?
• What are the consequences of the paths we choose? What is lost or gained?
• What should libraries do with rows of stacks holding reporters, periodicals, and other titles that are rarely or never used? 

This panel will offer ways to address these issues, including creative solutions libraries have employed that have greatly benefited patrons.

Collections for the Future, Part II slides

Program 6B

Back for the Future Through DEI Activities in Libraries—Answering the Question: Why Law Librarians?

• Le'Shawn Turner, Oklahoma City University
• Stefanie Pearlman, University of Nebraska
• Gail Wechsler, Law Library Association of St. Louis

Why are law librarians positioned to facilitate DEI practices within their library communities and beyond? What does DEI mean in the law library? This session will explore these topics and highlight ways to implement and build on DEI practices. We will discuss ABA Standard 303(c), resources for classroom instruction, legal research teaching hypotheticals, connecting with our communities and patrons through book clubs and exhibits, and access to justice initiatives in and beyond the library.  

This is submitted as part one of a two-part program presented by the DEI Committee. We hope to invite attendees to share their DEI practices and questions, which will help inform part two, a roundtable discussion for the membership. 

Program 7A
DEI Committee Roundtable

• Moderator: Le'Shawn Turner, Oklahoma City University
• DEI Committee members: Darla Jackson, University of Tulsa; Stefanie Pearlman, University of Nebraska; Larissa Sullivant, Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law; Matt Timko, Northern Illinois University; and Gail Wechsler, Law Library Association of St. Louis. 

Libraries have faced tremendous pressure and hostility over the last couple years, and law libraries are no different. The legal conditions in many MAALL members states have been hostile to academic freedom, diversity initiatives, trans and other members of the LGBTQ+ community, and a host of other values important to the law librarian profession. This roundtable will provide an open forum to discuss these conditions and how law libraries can have a meaningful impact on ensuring our values are protected and secured.

The DEI Committee hopes attendees from the earlier panel discussion will attend and participate in this Roundtable, but attendance at the first session is not necessary to participate in this session. The DEI Committee is eager to get feedback from all MAALL members. If you have a few moments, please provide your feedback or other thoughts in this JamBoard link. Your input is greatly appreciated and will help the conversations in the DEI Roundtable session at the MAALL Annual Meeting. Thank you from the MAALL DEI Committee!

Program 7B
NextGen Bar Exam: Surveying the Landscape and Preparing for the Future

• Troy Johnson, Creighton University

The current rollout for the NextGen Bar Exam shows the first exam administration in 2026. That means that students starting in the Fall of 2023 could be the first to take this new exam, which will include the testing of legal research skills. What should libraries and librarians be doing to help prepare for the new exam, not only for research but for other foundational skills?  What are the implications for those who teach Legal Research?  This session will explore these and other questions so that libraries can be prepared well before the first NextGen bar administration.

NextGen Bar Exam slides

Saturday, Oct. 14

Saturday, Oct. 14 8:30–9:30 a.m.

Program 8A
Legal Technology Competence: Helping Achieve Those Minimums

• Ayyoub Ajmi, University of Missouri–Kansas City

• Artie Berns, Southern Illinois University

• Darla Jackson, University of Tulsa

Assumptions are often made about the technical competence of digital natives or others with whom we work that prove to be incorrect.  What can we do to better ensure that a level of technology competence is being achieved?  This program will explore how to establish what those competencies are, how to measure whether they have been attained, and what role library personnel can play in helping achieve them.

Program 8B
Building a Better DeLorean: Being Prepared for What the Future Brings

• John Edwards, Drake University
• Joe Custer, Case Western Reserve
• Richard Leiter, University of Nebraska
• Carissa Vogel, University of Iowa

The past decade has been one of seemingly unending challenges for libraries, with perhaps the pandemic being one of the more notable. Libraries have had to deal with cuts in funding, staffing, space, hours, etc.  However, with those challenges have come opportunities to do things differently and improve services and resources.  More opportunities are likely to come with the dramatic drop in undergraduate enrollment coming in 2025, which follows unprecedented decreases in students attending college and criticism of higher education.  Law libraries may ultimately feel that impact as fiscal resources tighten.  How can law libraries be better prepared for what may lie ahead?  This session will focus on strategies that can be undertaken now to better seize opportunities, promote the library’s value, and minimize impacts down the line.

Building a Better DeLorean Slides

Sat. Oct. 14 9:45–10:45 a.m.

Program 9A
Our Vision for the Future: The Work of the MAALL Vision Planning Task Force

• Matthew Braun, Saint Louis University
• Allison Reeve Davis, Littler Mendelson PC
• Matt Timko, Northern Illinois University

The MAALL Vision Planning Task Force issued strategic plans for 2016-2019 and 2020-2023. This meeting is an opportunity to share with MAALL members the progress that has been made in regards to those two plans and to address the priorities of association as it considers its next strategic plan.

MAALL Vision Slides   The Vision Planning Taskforce is working on revising and/or extending the current plan, and we need your input. Please provide any comments, critiques, or other feedback in this JamBoard link.

Program 9B
Generative AI's Impact on Law Schools and Practicing Lawyers in a ChatGPT Era

• Heidi Frostestad, Northern Illinois University
• Paul Callister, University of Missouri–Kansas City

Generative AI tools are changing the landscape of businesses, legal practices, and providing new avenues for finding information through innovative techniques. Law librarians and legal educators are quickly pivoting to grapple with these groundbreaking technologies and quickly learning about the advantages and disadvantages of harnessing the power of AI in new landscapes. This panel will first give a background to the evolution of AI and how it searches for accurate and relevant information in a legal research setting. Then, the panel will describe how law school administrations are adapting to providing new support infrastructures and educating students, faculty, and staff about generative AI. Finally, the panel will explain how generative AI complicates human rights “responsible AI” norms in a global setting because of the increased probability for misinformation, deepfakes, and a lack of transparency with continually evolving AI. The EU and the U.S. recently collaborated on a cross-border agreement for AI and the U.S. has proposed laws to be implemented by the FTC, the EU passed a new regulation for AI governance to mitigate AI risk, and China is now a leader for regulating AI after passing a new AI regulation requiring an algorithm registry.

Saturday, Oct. 14 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

Program 10A
Hot Topics: Generative AI in Law Libraries

• Shannon Krueger, LexisNexis
• Paul Callister, University of Missouri–Kansas City
• Karen Wallace, Drake University
• John Edwards (moderator), Drake University

This panel will explore real-world applications of generative AI in the law library. Demonstrations of Lexis+AI and Casetext CoCounsel will illustrate the changing landscape of legal research. We will also consider marketing/administrative uses of AI, looking at how tools like Craiyon and Adobe Firefly can generate images, while others, like ChatGPT and Google Bard, can help you generate and edit text.

Wallace slides (PDF)