A Service from the ABA Criminal Justice Section, http://www.abanet.org/crimjust
Michigan v. Jeremy Fisher
United States Supreme Court No. 09-91
The State of Criminal Justice 2009
An American Bar Association publication sponsored by the ABA Criminal Justice Section
The State of Criminal Justice 2009
“Authors from across the criminal justice field provide essays on topics ranging from white collar crime to international law to juvenile justice. This annual publication examines and reports on the major issues, trends and significant changes in the criminal justice system. As one of the cornerstones of the Section’s work, the publication serves as an invaluable resource for policy-makers, academics, and students of the criminal justice system alike. The 2009 volume contains 21 chapters focusing on specific aspects of the criminal justice field, with new addition of full text and reports of all of the adopted official ABA policies passed in 2008-2009 that address criminal justice issues”.
Placement: Preservation Librarian Opportunity at GPO
Librarian (Preservation)
Salary Range: 102,721.00 – 133,543.00 USD /year
Open: Monday, December 07, 2009 to Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Special Libraries Association Members Fail to Approve Proposal to Change Organization’s Name
We just received word about the outcome of the vote on the proposal to change the name of Special Libraries Association (SLA) to the Association for Stategic Knowledge Professionals. The name change proposal stemmed from the findings of the Alignment Project, an intensive two year research effort aimed at understanding the value of the information and knowledge professionals in todays environment and how to communicate that value.
Although not a member of SLA, I have followed developments related to this issue on the SLA listserv and have been very impressed with both the dedication and passion exhibited by the SLA membership.
As for the outcome, I think this is good news. As a professional librarian (an information and knowledge professional) I am very concerned about libraries and librarianship being viable now and remaining so in the future. An important part of that viability, it seems to me, relates to the essential need for libraries and librarians to maintain a clear identity as the preeminent information and knowledge professionals in the world, both now and in the future. There is a danger that proposals such as the one we are discussing here will, if ratified, result in a dilution of that identity and by extension diminish the perceived value of librararies and librarians (whatever their names) in the marketplace as compared to other organizations and occupations that are somewhat comparable. I commend the SLA membership for its decision.
David Badertscher
Here is a note from SLA Headquarters concerning the outcome of the vote of the SLA membership:
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Journal: Criminology
The Journal:
Criminology is a journal, published quarterly, devoted to crime and deviant behavior. Disciplines covered include sociology, psychology, design, systems analysis, and decision theory. Major emphasis is placed on empirical research and scientific methodology. The journal’s content also includes articles which review the literature or deal with theoretical issues stated in the literature as well as suggestions for the types of investigation which might be carried out in the future. It is published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. on behalf of the American Society of Criminology.
Contents of Current Issue:
Hon. Randall T. Shepard Selected as Recipient of the Sixth Annual Dwight D. Opperman Award for Judicial Excellence
Hon. Randall T. Shepard, Chief Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court, has been selected as the recipient of the Sixth Annual Dwight D. Opperman Award for Judicial Excellence. Chief Justice Shepard was chosen by a three-member panel: Hon. Judith S. Kaye, former Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals; Justice Ronald Robie, California Court of Appeal–Third Appellate District; and Judge Frederic Rodgers, Gilpin Combined Courts, Colorado. The award will be presented in early 2010.
See this American Judicature Society News Release for more details.
U.S. Senate Floor Schedule 2010
The following is the announced U.S. Senate floor schedule for 2010:
Jan. 5 – Second session convenes in a pro forma session
Jan. 19 – Senate reconvenes for legislative business
Q&A: Can a Librarian With Skills in Reference, Research, and Other Areas Potentially Become a Good Paralegal?
Question (as asked):
“With times being as tough as they are, and job opportunities not being great, I’m considering getting certified as a paralegal. It seems from what I’ve read so far that a Librarian’s skills could translate well into a paralegal’s duties, and I wanted to ask if anyone has any knowledge, experience, or opinion in the matter.
Does being a Librarian with skills in research and reference and other areas mean such a person could potentially make a good paralegal? And if so, does anyone recommend a particular course of action over another for getting certification or experience?”
Remarkable Work by New York State Judges
Letter:
Remarkable Work By State Judges*
In “10 Suggestions for Court Reform,” New York City Corporation Counsel Michael A. Cardozo notes that our nation’s state courts are in crisis. Many of society’s most intractable problems end up in the state courts, particularly during economic downturns. In New York, this has been especially true. Throughout the state, filings continue to spiral, in every case category. Over the past five years, filings in New York City have risen in Family Court by 24 percent and in Criminal Court by 19 percent, as well as in Civil Court and in Supreme Civil and Supreme Criminal. One result of this, for example, is that a judge in the Civil Term of Supreme Court in New York City has a caseload that exceeds 600 cases, and a judge in the New York City Family Court can handle over 1,000 cases at any one time. Recent efforts to create additional judgeships, which will help alleviate these massive inventories, have yet to meet with success.
Use of Internet Technology by Jurors and Others During a Trial
David Badertscher*
Some jurors have always had an urge to visit a crime scene or research a case they’re considering while on jury duty, but now the Internet is making it much easier to play detective.
“As simple as it might have been to research facts on their own in the past, now jurors don’t have to have a brother-in-law who’s a doctor or a next-door neighbor who’s a dentist. Everyone has access to the world of doctors and dentists,” says Laura A. Miller, the chair of the criminal litigation section of the American Bar Association and a partner at Nixon Peabody.