These News Briefs and Decision Summaries are from the the New Jersey State Bar Association. They are an exclusive benefit of the Association in partnership with the New Jersey Law Journal. A subscription may be necessary to access the full text of some of the items listed
NEWS BRIEFS:
Temporary Fix to Public Notice Law Easily Approved in NJ Senate
Chappell, James. The Golden Years, How Americans Invented and Resisted Old Age. Basic Books, 2024 (publication date November 19, 2024).
Chappell shines a light on the early idealistic efforts to repair lives disrupted by war and slavery in the post-Civil War era. These movements, though ambitious, were thwarted by political deadlock and systemic inequalities. The author paints a vivid picture of how old-age support became a prominent issue, yet remained mired in compromises that excluded many, particularly African Americans. The 1935 Social Security Act—a cornerstone of the New Deal—marked a turning point, but its benefits were initially restricted to industrial workers, leaving agricultural and domestic laborers, disproportionately Black, on the sidelines.
December, 2024.
WHAT’S NEW:
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The Justice Department’s potential move to compel Google to sell its Chrome browser could significantly reshape the digital landscape, with direct and indirect consequences for the ability of law libraries to utilize computer-assisted legal research (CALR) to serve patrons effectively. This essay explores how such a divestiture might affect CALR resources, access, and functionality, while also considering implications for law libraries’ broader operational frameworks.
Most computer-assisted legal research tools, such as Westlaw, LexisNexis, and Bloomberg Law, are optimized for popular web browsers, including Chrome. Google Chrome’s dominance in the browser market (approximately 60% as of recent statistics) has led developers to prioritize compatibility with Chrome over other browsers. If Chrome’s ownership changes, there is a possibility that its development priorities, security protocols, or support for certain legal research tools could shift. This could necessitate costly adjustments by CALR providers and law libraries.
David Badertscher Honored at the 14th Annual FellowshipLIFE Foundation Gala
David Badertscher, a resident of Fellowship Village in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, and former resident of Westfield, and publisher of the Criminal Law Library Blog was honored at the 14th Annual FellowshipLIFE Foundation Gala. The event took place at the Heidrich Hotel in New Brunswick, where David was recognized with the following citation:
David Badertscher, Fellowship Village Gala Honoree Citation:
An AALL/Bloomberg Partner Webinar.
November 19, 2025 at 1:00PM (CST).
“Participants will hear from research experts at Bloomberg Law as they present the survey findings and discuss how Bloomberg Law is equipping students with the necessary tools and knowledge for successful legal careers. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights and learn how to better prepare law school students for the challenges of the legal profession.”
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.
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
AALL will hold it’s 2004 Annual Meeting at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. to bring together collaborators from across the legal information profession for four days of innovative learning and networking. Here is the Schedule At-A-Glance of the Annual Meeting.
The American Association of Law Libraries was founded in 1906 to promote and enhance the value of law libraries to the legal and public communities, to foster the profession of law librarianship, and to provide leadership in the field of legal information.
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.
Criminal Law Library Blog