1.Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Tempe, Arizona, attended the University of Arizona for my B.A., and then went to the University of Iowa for my Master’s degree in creative writing. I then also spent time in Central America, South Korea, and San Francisco before returning to the Iowa College of Law. I took my library degree from the mighty GSLIS at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, and we moved out to New Jersey shortly thereafter.
2. Why did you select law librarianship as a career?
In law school, half of the students and the faculty were miserable, largely because they weren’t in (or weren’t going to live in) Chicago. The law librarians, however? They were helpful and cheerful and seemed quite happy with their lives. I saw that and thought, ‘Wow, that’s what I want to be when I grow up!’
3. When did you develop an interest in foreign, comparative, and international law?
When I first started interviewing for law librarian positions, I kept getting asked if I was interested in FCIL work. After I fielded that question about three times, I thought that it might be worth looking into. I’ve been very happy with what I’ve found in the FCIL community, and with the work I do bringing awareness about these materials to students.
4. Who is your current employer? How long have you worked there?
I work at the Rutgers School of Law. I’ve been here for 11 years.
5. Do you speak any foreign languages?
I speak Spanish, and a little bit of Korean, French, Catalan, Portuguese, and Italian. But Spanish and then Korean are my stronger languages.
6. What is your most significant professional achievement?
I’d have to say that the highlight of my career was presenting my work on bilingual legal dictionaries with Coen van Laer from Maastricht University, at the IALL Annual Course in the Hague, Netherlands, during the fall of 2010. That was an incredible thrill to participate in one of the leading events in our field, and the location was completely breathtaking.
7. What is your biggest food weakness?
Dark chocolate oranges. I cannot resist them. Especially when paired with a nice Malbec.
8. What song makes you want to get up and sing/dance?
Oh, there are so many. Right now it’s the song “Hein?” by Tom Zé. FYI, this song has NOTHING to do with HeinOnline. Ask me this question in twenty minutes or so, and I’ll be sure to give you a different answer.
9. What ability or skill do you most wish you had (that you don’t have already)?
I wish I knew analysis of variance. But I was too lazy to get a Ph.D. I also wish I knew more about coding. I may take steps to remedy that one.
10. Aside from the basic necessities, what is one thing you do not go a day without?
I try to do the NYT crossword puzzle every weekday. I take a rest on Saturdays and Sundays.
11. Anything else you would like to share with us?
We have two children at home, Jenara and Gonzalo, and they are delightful young people. My oldest, Levi, is a student at the University of Arizona. I hope to return to Tucson to visit him some time soon.
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