Introducing…Traci Emerson Spackey as the February 2021 FCIL-SIS Member of the Month

1. Where did you grow up?
I grew up in a small town outside of Portland, Oregon called Canby. I was born and raised there. The town is very typical, rather quaint, and unremarkable except that it is known for its world-class dahlia farm. Very random.

2. Why did you select law librarianship as a career?
I actually didn’t know law librarianship was a thing until law school. I went to law school knowing I wanted to pursue the law, but not necessarily in what capacity. At my law school, during 1L year the law librarians co-taught legal research and writing with adjunct professors and that’s how I learned that law librarians existed. However, it wasn’t exactly “love at first sight” with terms and connectors and The Bluebook, etc. But, not far into 1L year our class’s law librarian announced that the library was hiring RAs to work some evening shifts. My immediate thought was “I want to work at the library!” I have ALWAYS loved libraries and books. 

Well, I loved working at the law library. I would pick up extra shifts when I could, and the library director or the law librarians would sometimes give me extra projects because they saw my interest. Over the next year and a half I asked questions and got to know them all. I was shocked to learn they all had law degrees AND library degrees. I was also struck by the fact that they all seemed very happy, were very well-respected within the law school, and were just generally wonderful/knowledgeable people. However, it wasn’t until my 3L year when it was manifestly clear to me that I really dreaded a) the adversarial nature of practicing law, and b) the pressure of billable hours. So, I seriously began to consider other options. 

It sounds kind of cliché, but I literally had an epiphany one day. One particular afternoon I was perusing blogs about law librarianship as a potential option and I realized that I had considerably less angst about getting a whole new graduate degree in MLIS than I did taking the bar exam. I figured I should probably listen to that. So, I marched into the library director’s office, announced my decision, and asked what I needed to do. She asked how I felt about Seattle–because she recommended the University of Washington program–and I said “great!” (since I was from the PNW). Next, I requested a book on law librarianship from ILL. I read all about all kinds of different areas of law librarianship and when I read Mary Rumsey’s chapter on FCIL librarianship my mind was blown…and set. That was it! I did end up taking a year off between law school and library school, taking the bar exam, and practicing a bit, but my goal stayed the same (was even more solidified, actually): FCIL librarianship.

3. When did you develop an interest in foreign, comparative, and international law?
My interest in FCIL was really just an extension of my general life interests. I have always been drawn to “other”: other languages, other cultures, other places…food! So, when I started law school I naturally wanted to take international law. After that first class, I ended up taking every international law class I could–all my electives were somehow related to international law or things. I studied abroad in Rome both rising 2L and 3L summers, and I did one clinic that went to the United Nations for a week. I also did immigration law clinic where I got to help someone from the Democratic Republic of Congo apply for asylum–to this day this is still one of the most meaningful things I’ve been able to do with my legal education. During law school I also became friends with my international law professor (I’m still in contact with him), and I joined the board of the International Law Association at my law school too. I’m so grateful for all my international experiences that gained from my legal education. 

4. Who is your current employer? How long have you worked there?
I work for the Jacob Burns Law Library at The George Washington University Law School. I started here in September 2019.

5. Do you speak any foreign languages?
I speak French most fluently. I majored in French and then lived in Paris for a year teaching English. I also speak Italian (I’m in love with the place), and I can read Spanish enough to find materials in it. I also took advantage of being a university employee last semester and took a beginning course in Latin. While I am unable to continue at the moment, I hope to carry that on at some point. I also have a life goal of learning Russian.

6. What is your most significant professional achievement?
This is more of an “opportunity” than achievement, however I had the opportunity to intern at the Dag Hammarskjöld Library at the United Nations in New York for a few weeks at the end of library school. It had been a dream of mine and I’m still so grateful that I was able to do that. In terms of actual achievement I’d have to say two things. As previously mentioned, I’m very proud of being involved in getting our client granted asylum in the US in immigration clinic in law school. I was humbled and grateful to be able to use my legal and language skills to impact someone’s life so meaningfully. Second, in library school my colleague and I wrote a piece on Ghost Guns that got published in ALA’s Documents to the People. I’m early on in my career, so it’s the first I’d seen my name in print. I can’t wait to reflect on this question in years to come! This is…three things–whoops!

7. What is your biggest food weakness? Tortilla chips. It’s a funny one but I can literally eat almost any size bag of tortilla chips (salted, of course) in a sitting. Costco size might be pushing it, but I’m not going to test that one.

8. What song makes you want to get up and sing/dance? Boston’s More than a Feeling. It’s one of those “stop where you are, lip sync, and air guitar right now” kind of songs for me. 

9. What ability or skill do you most wish you had (that you don’t have already)?
I wish I could play a musical instrument! I would love to be able to play the cello, or viola, or jazz piano. My husband is an amazing saxophone player so it would be incredible to be able to join him in that. Maybe someday. 

10. Aside from the basic necessities, what is one thing you can’t go a day without? Maybe this falls under the “basic necessities” category, but I’m going to surprise myself by saying: Tea. Being from Portland, I was once such an avid coffee drinker that it was a common joke among my family and friends. Health problems required me to quit that habit and I found solace in black tea a few years ago. It feels weird to say, but I now actually prefer tea! I start every day with a pot of English Breakfast Tea. (What a lame thing to say–maybe I should think more on this.)

11. Anything else you would like to share with us?
1) For anyone considering law librarianship and is still deterred by the student loan burden, the vast majority of government and academic law librarian positions make you eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. It was a law librarian that told me about this in law school, and I am passing this along to any prospective law librarians still trying to figure things out. It was this fact that pushed me over the edge to take the dive into this career, and I haven’t looked back.

2) Less importantly, this photo is my first “shelfie” that I ever took…last week. I don’t know how I never knew a shelfie was a thing, but when I learned the word of course I had to. The mug was a gift from a dear friend in Italy that clearly understands what makes me tick.

Introducing…Scott Vanderlin as the November 2020 FCIL-SIS Member of the Month

Scott in Lockdown Business Casual

1. Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Dixon, IL–a small town 100 miles west of Chicago best known as the home town of Ronald Reagan, former Dixon Comptroller Rita Crundwell, who perpetrated the largest municipal fraud in U.S. history, and for Class of 2001 DHS Student of the Year and Best Sense of Humor Yearbook Award winner Scott Vanderlin.

2. Why did you select law librarianship as a career?

I realized two things in law school–that I loved studying the law, and that I did not want to be a practicing attorney. I have an aunt who is a law librarian (shout out to Aunt Pam!), and I quickly realized that it was the perfect career for a kid who just wanted to read and research the law and help people. I couldn’t be happier that I made the decision.

3. When did you develop an interest in foreign, comparative, and/or international law?

As I’m sure many would report, one of my favorite things to do is travel, and I have been lucky to have visited 21 countries so far, and (hopefully) counting. While I’m sure it’s possible to divorce the two, I think that a love of travel is usually accompanied by a curiosity about different cultures, and a love for the sense of discovery that comes with experiencing different ways of life. Combine natural wanderlust with a recent…dissatisfaction, let’s say, with our home country and legal system, and I think that more and more of my thoughts, both professionally and personally, have been focused abroad. 

4. Who is your current employer? How long have  you worked there?

I have been at the University of Chicago’s D’Angelo Law Library for a little over 3 years.

5. Do you speak or read any foreign languages?
Not nearly as competently as I would like. In spite of being in a 13+ year relationship with a Polish partner whose second language is English, I am not nearly as proficient as I should be (as I’m reminded frequently by her mother). Once upon a time I was fairly proficient in speaking Spanish, but after years without practice outside of taquerias, I’m afraid it would be a stretch to claim anything resembling fluency.
Spoiler alert: I think I would say that this is the ability or skill I most wish I had.

6. What is your most significant professional achievement?

This year, I was honored to receive the 2020 Class Award by the University of Chicago Law graduating class. It’s awarded to one faculty or staff member each year for “Outstanding contributions to improving the quality of student life and the spirit of community at the Law School.” In a school full of celebrity faculty members, it was incredible to be singled out by students for having done a good job. I told people that I either won an award that Barack Obama won, or I won an award that Barack Obama couldn’t win, and both of those are cool (I haven’t been back in the law school to check which one it is).

7. What is your biggest food weakness?

Tide pods.

8. What song makes you want to get up and sing/dance?

I’ll let you know when I hear it. In the spirit of the question, however, I’ll reveal that I’m a big fan of indiepop, and there are many songs that make me smile and sort of rhythmically nod my head. Here are a few (feel free to let me know if these cause anyone to get up and sing/dance):

The Lucksmiths — T-Shirt Weather

Martha — Ice Cream and Sunscreen

Aberdeen — Sink or Float

Summer Cats — In JuneT

he Smittens — These Days

Allo Darlin’ — Still Young

9. What ability or skill do you most wish you had (that you don’t have already)?

Legitimately not playing to my audience, but it would definitely be the ability to speak more languages. For personal reasons, I would love to be fluent in Polish (for obvious reasons) and then Japanese (because I love the country and culture). For professional reasons, I guess I would choose French.

10. Aside from the basic necessities, what is one thing you can’t go a day without?

I want to say “books,” but 1) I’d probably get push-back from some on the definition of “necessity,” and 2) the more accurate answer these days is probably “podcasts.”

11. Anything else you would like to share with us?

Please vote.

Introducing…Katie Siler as the October 2020 FCIL-SIS Member of the Month

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1. Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Fort Mill, South Carolina! If you haven’t been, it’s a lovely little town outside of Charlotte, North Carolina. Fort Mill is known for its excellent peaches, which are shipped nation-wide. As a side note, my first job in high school was at the famous Fort Mill Peach Stand.

2. Why did you select law librarianship as a career?

I went to law school knowing I didn’t want to be a lawyer. I was lucky enough to work with the librarians at Wake Forest Law School as a student employee. The research projects were fun—it was an easy decision after that to head into law librarianship!

3. When did you develop an interest in foreign, comparative, and/or international law?

When I started at Stanford, our Head of Reference, Alex Zhang (now Assistant Dean for Legal Information Services at Washington and Lee School of Law), encouraged me to explore FCIL projects. Her mentorship drove my interest in foreign, comparative, and international law!

4. Who is your current employer? How long have you worked there?

I work at the Stanford Law Library, and I’ve been here about three years.

5. Do you speak or read any foreign languages?

I can read and speak some French, though my accent is horrendous! I spent a summer in Bordeaux and quickly realized my southern accent doesn’t help my French pronunciations. 

6. What is your most significant professional achievement?

Earlier this year, I was promoted from Reference Librarian to Outreach and Reference Librarian. I LOVE all types of library outreach, so this has been especially exciting for me! It’s also given me more occasions to work with SLS students, who are some of the most incredible people I’ve had the opportunity to meet!

7. What is your biggest food weakness? 

I am a huge raw oyster fan! I lived in Boston for two years after law school, and I think my oyster obsession really started there (Row 34, anyone?!). At our wedding, my husband and I had a raw oyster bar for our guests with oysters brought in from each of the places we’ve lived together: North Carolina, New England, and San Francisco.

8. What song makes you want to get up and sing/dance?

I’m not much of a dancer, but my go-to karaoke song is Mr. Brightside!

9. What ability or skill do you most wish you had (that you don’t have already)?

I would love to be able to sing, so my Mr. Brightside renditions would sound a little better 

10. Aside from the basic necessities, what is one thing you can’t go a day without? 

This isn’t a “thing,” but I couldn’t go a day without my dog, Salem. She is a four year old Shetland Sheepdog, and we do everything together. She’s even joined in on a few of my Zoom advanced legal research classes! I’ve attached a picture of Salem here (captaining a boat at the lake) for all to see!!

11. Anything else you would like to share with us?

Because I told you about Salem, I couldn’t go without mentioning my sweet horse, Glide. Though Glide is a registered American Appendix Quarter Horse, he sometimes acts a little more like a puppy than a horse. He loves carrots, peppermints, and bubble baths on hot days.

Introducing…Sue Silverman as the September 2020 FCIL-SIS Member of the Month

Sue Silverman

1. Where did you grow up? Freehold, NJ

2. Why did you select law librarianship as a career? I was a young, miserable lawyer and my roommate at the time was a librarian. She encouraged me to consider librarianship because I loved research, but I was wary of making a career change. So I bugged several NYC law librarians for informational interviews and much to my surprise they all loved their jobs so I went for it.

3. When did you develop an interest in foreign, comparative, and/or international law? I’ve always had an interest in it! When I went to law school, I had visions of practicing international law, but things didn’t quite work out as I had planned. Fast forward to over 10 years since graduating law school, I was offered the opportunity to teach an FCIL course, which in my opinion, is even better than practicing, as I love teaching.   

4. Who is your current employer? How long have you worked there? Brooklyn Law School, almost 2 years.

5. Do you speak or read any foreign languages? I can read Spanish (sort of)    

6. What is your most significant professional achievement? It’s only been two years, so for now, successfully teaching one full semester of international and foreign law research (and during a pandemic!)

7. What is your biggest food weakness? Nutella. I will eat the whole container and then open a second.

8. What song makes you want to get up and sing/dance? Whitney Houston, I Wanna Dance With Somebody

9. What ability or skill do you most wish you had (that you don’t have already)? A photographic memory.  I read a lot and it would be wonderful if I actually retained any of it!

10. Aside from the basic necessities, what is one thing you can’t go a day without?  A hug (virtual if I’m not home) from my 2-year old son.  

11. Anything else you would like to share with us? I feel incredibly lucky to be here!

FCIL-SIS 2020 Business Meeting Recap: FCIL-SIS Awards

The FCIL-SIS hosted its annual business meeting on Wednesday, July 22, 2020. It was our first ever virtual meeting and it gave us all an opportunity to connect with and celebrate each other in these trying times. Several of our members received FCIL-SIS awards for their outstanding achievements this year.

DANIEL L. WADE OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARD

The Daniel L. Wade Outstanding Service Award honors a FCIL-SIS member who has made outstanding contributions to the Section in the areas of section activity and professional service.  

Heidi Frostestad Kuehl is the 2020 recipient of this prestigious award. Heidi is the Director of the Northern Illinois University David C. Shapiro Memorial Law Library. Before her current position, she was the FCIL librarian and Associate Director at Northwestern Prizker School of Law Library.  Despite her busy day job(s), Heidi consistently volunteers in service of the FCIL-SIS.  She served as our webmaster back in 2005 and received a Spirit of the FCIL-SIS Award for her service in 2007.  In 2008, she began serving a six year tenure as a member of the FCIL-SIS executive board: Secretary/Treasurer (2008-2011); Vice Chair/Chair Elect (2011-2012); Chair (2012-2013); and Past Chair (2013-2014). She has served as a speaker for numerous FCIL-SIS sponsored programs, including last year’s pre-conference workshop. She’s also quite prolific.  Heidi recently co-wrote a textbook with fellow FCIL-SIS member, Megan O’Brien, called International Legal Research in a Global Community. This book earned Heidi (and Megan) the 2018 Thomas H. Reynolds & Arturo A. Flores FCIL-SIS Publications Award, which honors the FCIL-SIS member who has greatly contributed to the professional development of their AALL colleagues during any given year.  Overall, Heidi’s contributions to both the FCIL-SIS and the field of FCIL librarianship have indeed been exceptional. Congratulations, Heidi!

 

THOMAS H. REYNOLDS & ARTURO A. FLORES FCIL-SIS PUBLICATIONS AWARD

The Thomas H. Reynolds & Arturo A. Flores FCIL-SIS Publication Award is named after the indomitable Thomas H. Reynolds and Arturo A. Flores, the authors of the Foreign Law Guide: Current Sources of Codes and Basic Legislation in Jurisdictions of the World, better known as “Reynolds & Flores” to the many grateful FCIL Librarians who habitually use the Foreign Law Guide. It honors a FCIL-SIS member who has greatly contributed to the professional development of his/her colleagues during any given year.

Thomas Mills is the 2020 recipient of this prestigious award. Thomas is the Director of the Kresge Law Library at the University of Notre Dame Law School. Before his current position, he was the Director of Collections and Faculty Services at Cornell Law Library.  Thomas received the 2020 Reynolds & Flores FCIL-SIS Publication award due to his long tenure as the book review editor of the book review column on the International Journal of Legal Information. His efforts to recruit us to read FCIL books and write book reviews about those books certainly contributed to our professional development.  Congratulations, Thomas!

 

SPIRIT OF THE FCIL-SIS AWARD

The Spirit of the FCIL-SIS Award honors members whose work furthers our mission, serves the entire FCIL-SIS, and inspires to act.  We celebrated three Spirit Award recipients this year!

Caitlin Hunter received the first of our 2020 Spirit of the FCIL-SIS Awards. She is a reference librarian at UCLA Law Library and the inaugural Chair of our FCIL-SIS Continuing Education Committee.  Under Caitlin’s leadership, the Continuing Education Committee has already produced several educational webinars for our members (satisfying Goal #1 of our FCIL-SIS Strategic Plan 2018-2021). Additionally, thanks to Caitlin’s exceptional organization skills and tech competence, the FCIL-SIS workshop, Demystifying Civil Legal Systems for a Common Law Audience: Historical Traditions, Modern Developments, and Practical Research & Instruction Applications, occurred without a hitch (furthering Goal #2 of our FCIL-SIS Strategic Plan 2018-2021).  Caitlin has plans to produce more webinars for our members in the upcoming year, so we can look forward to those.  In the meantime, join me in congratulating Caitlin!

 

Jessica Pierucci, the research librarian for foreign, comparative, and international law at the University of California Irvine Law Library and co-Chair of our FCIL-SIS Publicity Committee, also received a Spirit of the FCIL-SIS Award this year.  Jessica has done a phenomenal job maintaining the global reach of our FCIL-SIS blog, DipLawMatic Dialogues, and contributing to the blog with her own scholarship. Jessica also served as a moderator last December for a webinar on Cross-Border Cultural Competency (produced by the FCIL-SIS Continuing Education Committee). Thank you, Jessica and congratulations!

 

Last, but not least, Marcelo Rodriguez, the research and training librarian at the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the Chair of our Latin American Law Interest Group, received the third of our 2020 Spirit of the FCIL-SIS Awards. Marcelo is a recent member of the FCIL-SIS and he has already invigorated our Section with his energy and enthusiasm.  His particular gift is to gather together librarians within and outside of the FCIL-SIS to create projects, programs, and webinars of interest to all. For example, he recruited and organized a group of law librarians to track  government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America & the Caribbean. This project resulted in webinars and scholarship on the topic as well as inspiration for other FCIL-SIS jurisdiction interest groups, who initiated their own tracking projects related to their jurisdictions of focus. In addition to doing all that, Marcelo also regularly proposes and creates presentations for the AALL Annual Meeting on FCIL-related topics.  He is a fantastic asset to our Section. Congratulations, Marcelo!

 

FCIL-SIS BLOG POST OF THE YEAR AWARD

The FCIL-SIS Blog Post of the Year Award is a new award that honors an AALL member who contributes an outstanding article for the FCIL-SIS blog, DipLawMatic Dialogues.

This year, Alison Shea, the Research & Instructional Law Librarian for Foreign, Comparative & International Law at Cornell University Library and Chair of our FCIL-SIS European Law Interest Group received the Blog Post of the Year Award with her article, Locating UK and EU Guidance on Brexit. Congratulations, Alison!

 

FCIL-SIS NEWSLETTER ARTICLE OF THE YEAR AWARD

The FCIL-SIS Newsletter Article of the Year Award is another new award this year.  It honors an AALL member who contributes an outstanding article for the FCIL-SIS Newsletter. 

Julienne Grant, the Reference Librarian/Foreign and International Research Specialist at Loyola University Chicago School of Law Library, received the Newsletter Article of the Year Award this year with her prescient article, An Introduction to the Muscogee (Creek) Nation’s Legal Heritage & Carpenter v. Murphy. Congratulations, Julienne!

 

 

 

FCIL-SIS COMMITTEE/INTEREST GROUP PROJECT OF THE YEAR AWARD

The FCIL-SIS Committee/Interest Group Project of the Year Award is our third new award this year. It honors a FCIL-SIS Committee/Interest Group that produces an outstanding project for the benefit of FCIL-SIS and/or AALL members. 

Our Latin American Law Interest Group, chaired by Marcelo Rodriguez (see above), received the FCIL-SIS Committee/Interest Group Project of the Year Award this year for its collaboration with the Latino Caucus to monitor the legal response in Latin America and the Caribbean.  Congratulations to this consistently productive group for initiating this timely and collaborative project.

Congratulations and thank you to all the award recipients for their dedication and enthusiasm. We appreciate you!

Introducing…Renu Sagreiya as the August 2020 FCIL-SIS Member of the Month

Renu Sagreiya

1. Where did you grow up?

For the first five years of my life, I bounced around various cities due to the medical residencies of my Asian immigrant parents, ranging from Queens in New York City to the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains of Asheville and Cherokee in North Carolina. However, I spent most of my childhood in the Philadelphia suburbs, in particular, a town called Ambler.  I attended undergraduate at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, GA, and law school at Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law in Philadelphia, PA. 

2. Why did you select law librarianship as a career?

During my Juris Doctor program, I was solidly set on a career in public interest law, such as public defense or working in legal aid for the indigent.  My internship and pro bono experiences during law school, such as my clinic at the Defender Association of Philadelphia, reflected this desire.  I ended up taking several advanced legal research courses taught by dual-degreed law librarians, which I found to be my absolute favorites due to their practicality, as well as a fun course in Anglo-American Legal History, which included a field trip to a rare book collection!  I found that I had a knack for legal research. This sounds nerdy, but finding an obscure legal source brings me so much personal satisfaction.  Lifestyle concerns influenced my decision too, as well as a strong desire to teach and publish. I have yet to publish, however, from 2018 to 2019, I developed and taught a multi-session Continuing Legal Education (CLE) course called “Spanish for Lawyers” for a county bar association in response to the growing need for Spanish-speaking attorneys and support staff.  The course covered commonly used Spanish words and phrases in courtrooms and law offices, and students actively participated in exercises pertaining to vocabulary and grammar. In addition, my course discussed how to bridge cultural gaps with Latin American clients, who come from a civil law system.  This course helped students communicate with Hispanic clients regarding legal matters including domestic relations, immigration, criminal law, etc. Students received comprehensive glossaries of technical terms, and each session included an improvisational element, allowing students to interview mock clients in Spanish.  I am passionate about increasing access to justice.  My course assisted attorneys in providing linguistically and culturally competent services to Latino clients.  In addition, it bolstered my pedagogical skills, which are very pertinent for my goal of academic law librarianship. 

3. When did you develop an interest in foreign, comparative, and international law?

My pre-law internships and volunteer work in human rights non-profit organizations abroad sowed the seeds of my passion for foreign, comparative, and international law.  For instance, in summer 2008 through the NGO, Cross-Cultural Solutions, I interned in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh, India at an anganwadi (“courtyard shelter” in Hindi), a governmental child welfare and public health program for youth of low socioeconomic status and/or caste.  In India, I also tutored Tibetan exile monks, nuns, and laypersons through small group English conversation classes at a then up-and-coming NGO called Tibet Hope Center, which piqued my interest in refugee work.  My coursework during law school, such as Refugee & Asylum Law taught by an Immigration Judge, also fed this interest.  In addition, I performed especially well in a course called Immigration Legal Research, which included units on foreign, international, and comparative law and hands-on experience searching foreign law databases, such as Légifrance. The law librarian who taught that class has been a true inspiration and still provides me mentorship and guidance as I switch gears to law librarianship. Lastly, during law school, I served as a keynote speaker for a student organization event called “Buddhism & the Law”, and I really enjoyed researching for my talk.  

4. Who is your current employer? How long have you worked there?

I am presently clerking for the Superior Court of New Jersey in Elizabeth, NJ.  During my time there, I have dealt with fascinating family law cases implicating the Hague Convention against international child abduction. I am pleased to announce that in October 2020, I will begin a Reference Librarian position at Western State College of Law in sunny Orange County, California. 

5. Do you speak any foreign languages?

Yes! I am trilingual at the moment. My native language is Hindi, which I learned simultaneously along with English.  My experience growing up bilingual led to a facility with picking up languages. I began learning  Spanish in elementary school, and continued studying it through middle school and high school, and minoring in the subject in college.  I started learning French in 2019, but I am very much a beginner at this point. I’ve heard French referred to as the “language of diplomacy”, so I figured learning it would be useful in foreign, comparative and international law librarianship.  

6. What is your most significant professional achievement?

Winning AALL’s George A. Strait Minority Scholarship to fund my library science graduate program at Rutgers University. 

7. What is your biggest food weakness?

Ma Po Tofu. I like it on the spicy side!

8. What song makes you want to get up and sing/dance?

“Just Like Heaven” by The Cure fills me with jubilation.  

9. What ability or skill do you most wish you had (that you don’t have already)?

Astral projection, or in other words, the ability of a person’s spirit to travel to distant places. It’s gotten stronger during the pandemic, for sure! 

10. Aside from the basic necessities, what is one thing you can’t go a day without?

 Journaling-I find it so therapeutic!  

11. Anything else you would like to share with us?

During summer 2019, I lived as a nun at the Southern Shaolin Temple in Fujian Province, China through the Woodenfish Foundation’s Humanistic Buddhist Monastic Life Program.  I spent my days meditating, practicing martial arts, chanting, completing coursework on Buddhist and Daoist philosophy, and painting calligraphy.  The program culminated in a pilgrimage tour at Mount Putuo, a holy site on an island dedicated to Guanyin, the Bodhisattva of compassion.

Introducing…Melissa Hyland as the July 2020 FCIL-SIS Member of the Month

1. Where did you grow up?

I grew up in South Florida, but I moved to North Carolina for college and ended up staying! I really love that you can visit both the mountains and the beach, but never actually have to leave your home state.

2. Why did you select law librarianship as a career?

While I was in law school, the law librarians really mentored me. I worked as a reference desk assistant during my 2L and 3L years, and I was fascinated by the types of services provided by the law librarians. I just knew it was the type of work that I would enjoy doing. After law school, I practiced litigation for a couple years, but I always kept in the back of my mind the thought that law librarianship was an awesome option. When the opportunity to return to UNC to get my MSLS and work as a graduate assistant popped up, I jumped on it!

3. When did you develop an interest in foreign, comparative, and international law?

I developed an interest in FCIL research pretty early into my MSLS program. Once I started full-time as a reference librarian, I volunteered for every FCIL-related opportunity that came up and started to develop my skills in this area. I really enjoy the challenge of FCIL research, but I also love that you get to learn about the countries, their histories, and a bit of their culture, through FCIL research.

4. Who is your current employer? How long have you worked there?

I currently work as the Reference and Faculty Research Services Librarian at the University of North Carolina School of Law. I’ve been in this position for 3 years.

5. Do you speak any foreign languages?

I’m working on improving my Spanish language skills. I’m much better at reading in Spanish than I am at speaking, so I’ve been trying to find more ways to practice my communication skills with friends and language partners. I also have this mini-goal in mind to study Japanese – mostly because I love the culture and hope to visit there one day soon.

6. What is your most significant professional achievement?

I manage our law library’s Faculty Research Service program, and I’ve tried to be very intentional about building relationships with our faculty and ensuring that we provide them with stellar work product. I’m so pleased with the growth of the program over the past three years, and I’ve also loved getting to know our law faculty better through it.

7. What is your biggest food weakness?

Chocolate chip cookies! I will order a chocolate chip cookie whenever it is on the menu, even at a fancy bakery. I’m probably missing out on lots of other amazing baking creations, but you just can’t go wrong with a good ol’ chocolate chipper.

8. What song makes you want to get up and sing/dance?

My nerdiness is going to be so obvious here, but I love Disney movie soundtracks. Maybe I can blame this on growing up in Florida and spending a good part of my childhood at Disney World. I can go toe-to-toe on song lyrics with the best of Disney fans – but I find myself singing “I’ve Got a Dream” from Tangled a lot lately.

9. What ability or skill do you most wish you had (that you don’t have already)?

I think many people on this blog talk about improving their language skills. I agree – I’d love to improve what little skill I currently have, and I’d like to study new languages.

10. Aside from the basic necessities, what is one thing you can’t go a day without?

Books! It’s a good thing that I work in a university law library, because I have a library card that allows me to get my hands on so many out of print and older titles. It’s amazing.

11. Anything else you would like to share with us?

I’m excited to be here!

Introducing…Sabrina Sondhi as the June 2020 FCIL-SIS Member of the Month

1. Where did you grow up?

I was born in the Midwest, but we moved to Southern California when I was nine.  I was so miserably homesick all through fourth grade!  But now I can’t imagine having grown up anywhere else.

2. Why did you select law librarianship as a career?

Random chance!  No, really.  I was working in Sacramento as a litigator and I was both flirting with burnout and suspicious that my firm’s parent company was going to be bought out.  I was too scared to quit without a plan, so I thought I’d hide out in graduate school (of any kind) for a year and then return to practice elsewhere.  When I looked it up online, the University of Washington’s Law Librarianship program application deadline was about a month away and they didn’t require the GRE, just my old LSAT score.  It took me about six months into the program to realize that I wanted to switch careers after all.  (And I’d been right; the company was bought out and almost everyone in my old office got let go.)

3. When did you develop an interest in foreign, comparative, and international law

I was lucky enough to get hired by Columbia University’s Diamond Law Library straight out of library school.  Their FCIL print collection is amazing — both in terms of breadth and depth.  I spent 10 years there fielding questions from journal students, faculty, and major law firms (via Columbia’s Fee-Based Services).

4. Who is your current employer? How long have you worked there?

I’m now at Cornell Law Library and I’ve been here since August 2018.

5. Do you speak any foreign languages?

Not well at all.  I studied Spanish in junior high and high school, and studied French in college.  I started studying Japanese during law school and continued for a couple years after.  For a while I could read manga and converse at a tourist level, but that’s mostly gone now.

6. What is your most significant professional achievement?

People keep electing me to leadership roles in AALL SISes!  I’m glad because it shows that people think I’m doing a good job at it.  I chaired LHRB-SIS (2014-2015), was Secretary/Treasurer for FCIL-SIS (2017-2019), and now I’ll get to chair ALL-SIS starting in July.

7. What is your biggest food weakness?

Bread.  Both chewy sourdough and squishy breads like Hawaiian egg bread or challah are really hard to resist.

8. What song makes you want to get up and sing/dance?

I listen to very little music these days.  When I owned a car (see above in Sacramento) and drove several hours a week that was my music space.  I made lots of J-pop mix-CDs and switched between them and KROQ on the radio.  Due to the magic of repetition, I could sing along with almost every song (and I did).

9. What ability or skill do you most wish you had (that you don’t have already)?

A greater aptitude for learning languages.  To build on what I mentioned above, I can use French and Spanish written materials still, but I’ve found it harder and harder to acquire new languages as I’ve grown older.  While at Columbia I tried to learn German and Latin but with no great success.  Due to lack of practice, my ability to speak foreign languages has also degraded (vocabulary, accent, etc.) from the level I once had.

10. Aside from the basic necessities, what is one thing you can’t go a day without?

Something to read.  I’m not picky though; a book, my iPad, my phone, anything works.  I can’t watch TV for more than an hour or two without getting restless.  But put a good book or series of articles/longreads/blogs in my hands and I can spend a whole day on my couch.

11. Anything else you would like to share with us?

Thanks for inviting me to do this!

Introducing…Marcelo Rodriguez as the May 2020 FCIL-SIS Member of the Month

1. Where did you grow up?

I was born and raised in Caguas, Puerto Rico.

2. Why did you select law librarianship as a career?

I’ve always been interested in the law and legal research without ever wanting to be a lawyer. Law librarianship seems like the perfect fit.

3. When did you develop an interest in foreign, comparative, and international law?

My upbringing and language skills have always seemed a natural fit for any FCIL research questions. I’d like to think that my open mindedness and keen observations also play a part.

4. Who is your current employer? How long have you worked there?

I currently work as a Research and Training Librarian at the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit located in New York, NY. I have been in this position for the last two years.

5. Do you speak any foreign languages?

Spanish is my mother tongue. Besides English, I also speak French very fluently. And I have some reading fluency in Hebrew and German.

6. What is your most significant professional achievement?

In the last two years, I have managed to coordinate 4 panels for the AALL Annual Meetings. This coming summer, I may be coordinating 4 more. Not only it has been a significant professional achievement, it has also been a transformative experience to network and exchange ideas with people equally passionate on the rule of law and legal information.

7. What is your biggest food weakness?

Pizza. I can eat pizza for breakfast, lunch and dinner and even in between meals. Please do not share this questionnaire with my mother or my doctor.

8. What song makes you want to get up and sing/dance?

Si tú te vas by Juan Luis Guerra. It’s the best thing ever! It reminds me of Puerto Rico in the early 1990s, friends and family gatherings.

9. What ability or skill do you most wish you had (that you don’t have already)?

American Sign Language (ASL). I would love to one day begin classes and become somewhat fluent.

10. Aside from the basic necessities, what is one thing you can’t go a day without?

Coffee. No sugar, no milk, no nothing, just pitch black coffee. I can always drink coffee and for all kinds of reasons either because I have to stay awake or even after a meal to just soothe myself.

11. Anything else you would like to share with us?

If anyone is interested in Puerto Rican literature, I’m happy to recommend the following: Macho Camacho’s Beat by Luis Rafael Sánchez, Sirena Selena by Mayra Santos Febres and/or Eccentric Neighborhoods by Rosario Ferré and in Poetry: anything by Julia de Burgos.

Introducing…Maggie Adams as the April 2020 FCIL-SIS Member of the Month

1. Where did you grow up?

Newark, Delaware where I continue to live today.

2. Why did you select law librarianship as a career?

 

I  have always enjoyed doing research and have several family members in the legal field so I applied to the law school library when I was looking for my first library job.

3. When did you develop an interest in foreign, comparative, and international law?

 

Part of the fun of being a law librarian is the breadth of topics you get to research. We have several faculty members who research and write on foreign and international law topics and their projects are always challenging and interesting to work on.

4. Who is your current employer? How long have  you worked there?

 

I work for Delaware Law School, Widener University. I’ve been here for 20 years, starting as a library assistant.

5. Do you speak any foreign languages?

 

Unfortunately not.

6. What is your most significant professional achievement?

 

Helping to develop the curriculum for and teach legal research labs to our first year students has been very rewarding.

7. What is your biggest food weakness?

Pastries! 

8. What song makes you want to get up and sing/dance?

Any pop music from the 80s [Here’s a YouTube compilation!]

9. What ability or skill do you most wish you had (that you don’t have already)?

 

The ability to sing well. I’m married to a musician so it would be nice if we could sing harmonies together but I cannot carry a tune to save my life.

10. Aside from the basic necessities, what is one thing you can’t go a day without?

 

Coffee!

11. Anything else you would like to share with us?

 

I really enjoy being a part of a profession that is so willing to help, teach and collaborate.

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