2020

2023

2023

MAALL's 47th Annual Meeting, themed Setting the Pace, was held virtually for the first time in MAALL history due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In an effort to make the meeting accessible for everyone during what would turnout to be a global pandemic, the meeting was offered online via Zoom, free of charge. The programs kicked off with 13 programs in total being held and 7 vendor demonstrations.  The first set of programs was held October 15^th-16^th, and the second set was held October 21^st-23^rd.  Among these programs were those focused on removing barriers, teaching in the time of Covid, and a Book to Action program centered around the book Whatever It Takes: Geoffrey Canada’s Quest to Change Harlem and America.  At the business meeting, Lacy Brust (Rakestraw) became Past President, Matt Braun became the President, and Chris Steadham became Vice President/President Elect.  Allison Reeve Davis served as Secretary,  Gail Wechsler served as Treasurer, and Rebecca Lutkenhaus and Rena Seidler served as Members at Large.  After a surge in attacks against individuals related to race, the MAALL Exec Board decided to adopt a 21-Day Racial Equity challenge. This was an attempt to give members a forum to speak out on issues related to the need for impartiality, the presence of racial inequalities, and the need for better access to justice. Exec Board members posted moving videos and promoted books and art they found spoke to the cause.

The 50th Annual Meeting had the theme Back for the Future and was held at Drake University Law School in Des Moines, Iowa, October 12 – 14, 2023. It was the first Annual Meeting held in-person since going virtual in 2020. Programming included five MALLCO Roundtables and a paper workshop; 19 educational sessions; tours of the Drake Law Library; a reception at Drake’s Cowles Library, including a Law School history exhibit; five vendor demos and seven exhibitors. Attendees also had the chance to network over dine-arounds and at a game night at the hotel. Most attendees stayed at the Hilton Home2 Suites, which was just a stone’s throw from the law school and provided a free hot breakfast. Having all the meetings, lunches, and the reception on campus made it possible to keep the registration costs at a pre-pandemic level and finish in the black. Drake President, Earl F. “Marty” Martin welcomed attendees and Prof. Anthony Gaughan gave the keynote address during the opening Keynote Luncheon. Michelle Hook Dewey was the AALL Visitor. This year’s Book to Action program had readers discuss Under the Skin: The Hidden Toll of Racism on American Lives and on the Health of our Nation by Linda Villarosa while book and monetary donations benefited the Gregory & Suzie Glazer Burt Boys & Girls Club of Central Iowa. At the business meeting, Allison Reeve Davis became Past President, Le’Shawn Turner assumed the Presidency, Matt Timko became Vice President/President Elect, Jennifer Mart-Rice became Treasurer, Cindy Shearrer continued as Secretary, Shannon Kemmen continued as Member-at-Large, and Laura Wilcoxon assumed the other Member-at-Large position. Travel grants were awarded to Sherry Taylor and Timothy Gatton (Liz Glanker Travel Grants); Matt Timko and Benjamin Keele (Jo Ann Humphreys Travel Grants); Abdulrahman Alzahrani (Diversity & Inclusion Grant); and Le’Shawn Turner. The inaugural MAALL Service Award went to Gail Wechsler and Cindy Basset for their years of effort with Book to Action. Successes outside of the Annual Meeting included the implementation of Google Account Recovery best practices and instructions for all Board and Committee accounts. MAALL’s Summer Business Meeting was held virtually on June 27 and the annual luncheon was held during AALL’s Annual Meeting in Boston on July 17. The Website Committee started a review of theme templates available through Wild Apricot and will continue work on transitioning the MAALL website into a new design.