8: 00a Registration 8: 30a Panel Discussion – Are We Producing Practice Ready Graduates?

Caroline Osborne, Director, Washington & Lee University Law Library

Gordon Russell, Director, Lincoln Memorial University Law Library

Steven Lastres, Law Library Director, Debevoise & Plimpton, NYC

TBA, Partner, Big Atlanta Law Firm

9:45a – Break

10:00a – Law Schools & Law Firms Coming Together

Speakers: Terrye Conroy, Assistant Director for Legal Research Instruction, Coleman Karesh Law Library; Alyson Drake, Reference Librarian, Coleman Karesh Law Library; Local law firm librarian

Findings of two surveys of current 2L students and their summer employers after students completed the first year of new Legal Research, Analysis & Writing (LRAW) program will be presented. The purpose of the surveys is to help identify the particular research skills and resources that should be addressed to better prepare our students for their summer clerkships and eventual law practice in South Carolina.

Plans for using the information gathered from the two surveys to create a new South Carolina Legal Research for Practice Certificate for 2L and 3L students will be described. The new certificate will target upper level research skills and resources identified in the surveys that an introductory LRAW class I s unable to adequately cover.

Session will conclude with a panel discussion among USC law librarians and South Carolina law firm librarians representing prospective employers about how law schools and employers can work together to better train students to become efficient and effective legal researchers. We will also welcome suggestions for specialized legal research courses that law schools might offer to respond to today’s legal climate.

11:00a – Break

11:15a – Perspectives of a New Attorney

Speakers: Katie Klimko, Troutman Sanders, Atlanta, GA.; Billy Ellis, Senior Library Manager, Troutman Sanders, Atlanta, GA.

This program seeks to pick up the thread of the conversation started in Columbia at the 2011 SEAALL Institute: Assessing the Effectiveness of Legal Research and Writing Instruction, where we heard from several new attorneys, hiring partners, and librarians. The two speakers will put their Atlanta spin on the discussion. Katie Klimko, a second year associate, will share her legal research experiences as a new attorney, and what she now knows that she wishes she had learned in law school. Billy Ellis will provide a firm librarian's perspective on what training and experience it takes to help a new associate attorney become a real contributor to a firm's practice.

Noon – Lunch [Box lunches provided as part of the Institute registration fee.]

1:15p – KM, CRM, DMS, EDD: What Does It Mean? Why Should I Care?

Speakers: Kai Williams-Slaton, Sutherland; Chris McDaniel, Smith, Gambrell, & Russell, LLP.

In general, everyone understands and agrees that law students need to understand and demonstrate excellent research skills in print and online to land a job in this competitive legal market and that law school librarians are prepared to help students develop these skills. However, many academic law librarians have been removed from the practice of law for long enough that they are unaware of what software is commonly used in law firms and, thus, are not providing training to their students. Atlanta area law firm IT directors and attorneys will discuss the current state of law office technology and explain the resources that law students need to be familiar with to be successful as summer associates and new hires in the modern law office.
2:15p – Research Skills Among New Associates: Are Their Choices Driven by Fear or Lack of Knowledge
Speakers: Donna Trimble, Librarian, Bowman and Brooke LLP; Melanie Dubard, Librarian, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLP; Susan Catterall, Reference Librarian, Charlotte School of Law.

Speakers will examine the research strategies and choices made by new associates. Are their choices driven by lack of fundamental information literacy skills or by fear of costs. How can firm and academic librarians work together to improve associate's skills and help them make better choices?

Our panelists return to recap the message of the day’s sessions, add their own insights, and make & solicit suggestions. Plenty of time for audience questions and participation is planned.