Articles Posted in Lawyers and Law Librarians, News Humor Etc.

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Although retired as an active law librarian, I try to keep up with current developments by maintaining memberships in AALL, SLA, ABA, and maintaining contacts with friends currently active in the profession. I also have been publishing articles on the Criminal Law Library Blog since 2007 on various subjects, including those related to law, law librarians, and artificial intelligence.

I am grateful to have been able to maintain all of these relationships through the years and hope the below article will help my professional colleagues realize the potential of AI as a powerful ally. In my view, AI has the potential to revolutionize the services provided by law librarians through various means including those outlined below.

  1. Enhanced Legal Research
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From the ABA Science and Technology Section:

The Science and Technology Section will be holding a webinar, Responsible Generative AI Usage for Attorneys, on Tuesday July 9, 2024, 1-2pm E.T. the webinar  is designed to introduce attorneys to one of the most powerful tools available to attorneys: generative artificial intelligence. We’re all aware of the opportunities and pitfalls that A.I. presents to attorneys. This discussion will help you understand how to responsibly use A.I. to further your practice, whether you work in transactional law or litigation, all while complying with your ethical obligations and avoiding mishaps.

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Law libraries are undergoing a transformation fueled by Artificial Intelligence (AI). While AI isn’t replacing librarians, it’s becoming a powerful tool that’s changing how legal research is conducted and how libraries serve their patrons.

The history of artificial intelligence in law libraries is a fascinating journey marked by technological evolution, legal industry demands, and the gradual integration of advanced tools to support legal research, information management, and decision-making processes. Here’s a historical overview of this subject:

Early Beginnings and Development

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Feedspot has recently updated their listing of 50 Best Law Librarian blogs and websites (updated January 18, 2024). According to Feedspot, the law librarian blogs and websites included in this listing were selected “from thousands of blogs on the web and are ranked by traffic, social media followers and freshness”.

The Criminal Law Library Blog is proud to have been included in this list. As publisher, I  would like to take this opportunity to thank all who have contributed articles to this blog throughout  the years (since 2007) and especially Justia for their continuing support.

 

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The current edition of Sci Tech e-Merging News published by the Science and Technology Section of the American Bar Association,  contains announcements of upcoming events and updated research discussing issues of special interest to both members of the legal profession and others outside the legal profession who face similar concerns. These events include the following:

Open-Source Software Security: Areas of Long-Term Focus and Prioritization

Thursday, January 18, 2024 | 1:00 – 2:00 PM ET

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Following the release to the public of Chat GPT by Open AI on November 30, 2022, there has been much discussion, both pro and con, about the future impact of AI on humanity. I have written the following poem, to both inject some comic relief into the present discourse and to illustrate through poetry how a future robot endowed with artificial intelligence might interact with local human towns people in a humorous and friendly manner.

AN AI ROBOT COMES TO TOWN

In a town alive with human chatter,

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“Google launched its most ambitious AI model called Gemini on Wednesday [December 6, 2023], which is described as Google’s “largest and most capable AI model.” The company announced a “Gemini era” where the model will be used widely in companies and consumer devices like Google Pixel phones. Unlike existing AI models that focus on one type of input like text or images, Gemini is “multimodal” and can accept different types of media like text, images, audio and video as inputs. Google’s AI chatbot Bard has been upgraded with Gemini, and Google plans to add Gemini to widely used products like Search, Chrome and its cloud services”

Benzinga News, December 7,

INTRODUCTION

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In a previous posting on this blog, Reflections of a Retired Law Librarian: From Mimeograph to Generative AI, I urged professional organizations, including the American Bar Association (ABA) and the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL), to appoint committees or commissions at the highest level to  facilitate the development and implementation of standards sufficient to address the real ethical and safety concerns related  to the increasingly rapid adaption of AI, including  Generative AI, as a technology of choice in the workplace.

It is gratifying to learn from recent announcements from the American Bar Association that it has already been taking steps to address the legal challenges of Ai faced by the legal community. As Mary L. Smith, President of the American Bar Association, has said: “As a national voice for the legal profession, the ABA must play a  leadership role in helping to identify for the legal community the benefits and risks of continually changing AI and machine learning systems and capabilities.”

Measures already taken by ABA include Resolution 112 adopted in August, 2019, Resolution 604 adopted in February, 2023, various articles and podcasts published by its various Sections, including the ABA Business Law Section and the Sci Tech Lawyer published by the ABA Science and Technology Section.

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Being a retired law librarian of a certain age, I am now often asked to reflect upon my 50 years serving in various capacities as a law librarian. I have noticed that most questions asked can be grouped into discrete categories. For example, people want to know what lessons I have learned along the way as a law librarian, what I found most rewarding being a law librarian, what changes in law librarianship I have observed since I started approximately 50 years ago, and who have been my mentors or people who have greatly influenced me along the way. In this posting, I offer responses to these questions based on my current views.

What are some of the lessons you have learned as a professional in your field and in life?

I have come to appreciate the importance of understanding that change as it relates to all aspects of work and life is constant. And in order to be truly successful and to avoid stagnation, we must learn to become highly adaptable and flexible. Of utmost importance is the need to maintain enduring and useful connections with others.

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We recently received an announcement from the American Bar Association regarding a collaborative effort to mobilize  lawyers to work with and assist poll workers during  the upcoming 2022 election. The ABA announcement reads in part:

”  The American Bar Association is collaborating with the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) and the National Association of State Election Directors (NASED) to once again issue a call aimed at mobilizing lawyers to assist as poll workers for the upcoming 2022 election. The Poll Worker, Esq. Initiative encourages lawyers, law students and other legal professionals to assist in upcoming elections by serving as poll workers… ”

Reading this announcement prompted us to search  for some other examples of lawyers organizing, assisting and advising poll workers involved in the upcoming midterm elections. On a more general level we have also identified sources which should provide lawyers and others with useful information related to working at the polls.

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