WSLL @ Your Service February 2017
Contents
What's New - Kristina Martinez
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Classes
Kristina Martinez, Outreach Services Librarian, was at the Milwaukee County Law Library on January 5th teaching a class on the Wisconsin Legislature's Website. More class opportunities are available; see our classes page for more information.
2016 Year in Review - Julie Tessmer, State Law Librarian
Ready and Relevant!
In 2016 you asked and we delivered! We promptly answered your email questions, we picked up the phone when you called and greeted you when coming into the library to work on research. We also brought you ready and relevant information throughout the year by...
- delivering CLE credit classes on topics such as drone law, introductory and advanced legislative history research, intellectual property law research, and Wisconsin briefs.
- providing an inviting space with private workrooms, library-wide Wi-Fi, a modern computer training room and seven public computer stations with complimentary access to legal databases including Westlaw, LegalTrac and the State Bar of Wisconsin's Books Unbound.
- adding hundreds of resources to our HeinOnline subscription such as National Survey of State Laws, State Reports, Statutes, Attorney General Opinions and Session Laws, American Law Institute, and American Indian Law collections.
- going on the road to offer expert training, research tips and collection development from La Crosse to Sheboygan and Wausau to Milwaukee.
- researching and writing on point articles such as Uber, Lyft & Ride Sharing Resources, Breastfeeding in Public and the Workplace, and Emotional Support Animals.
- embracing the power of social media to get our information out on Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn and gaining fans during the Pokémon craze as a Pokéstop.
- continuing to update our print collection with titles in emerging areas such as: The relevant lawyer: reimagining the future of the legal profession; Legal ethics of email; Cultural issues in criminal defense and International family law desk book
From left to right: National Library Week Open House; Library displays travel around Wisconsin; Cardholders are located throughout Wisconsin - and the world.
In October, the library was renamed the David T. Prosser Jr. State Law Library in honor of retired Supreme Court Justice David Prosser whose interest is to help promote the services of the library to all the citizens of Wisconsin and beyond. We are ready for that mission!
As we usher in 2017, exciting things are on the horizon:
- the debut of a scanning station for public use
- new CLE legal research classes in both hands-on and webinar formats
- our librarians out in the community more than ever
- exciting events planned for National Library Week, April 10-14
I will close, as I do every year, with a grateful thanks to the most talented, dedicated and resourceful staff who every day make this place better. Whether out in the public areas or working behind the scenes - they are the magic that makes this library what it is!
2017, Here We Come!
Milwaukee County Law Library Year in Review - Jennifer Haas
This was a busy year for the MCLL! In July, the vacant Branch Librarian position was filled by Jennifer Haas. Jennifer has prior experience with family law and with the MCLL. She was a Library Associate while she was completing graduate school in 2010-2011. Jennifer came to us from Quarles & Brady and holds degrees from Marquette University and UW-Milwaukee.
Marisa Glazier and Brittany Lee also joined the staff in 2016 as Library Associates. Together with MCLL veteran Diana Sirovina, they have been serving the public at the reference/circulation desks. We prioritize professionalism and accuracy in all our library interactions.
In 2016 the MCLL continued partnering with the Milwaukee Public Library to offer monthly CLE classes to attorneys and the public. The CLE classes are led by law librarians from the Milwaukee legal community as well as WSLL librarians. These classes continue to be popular with the legal community.
Dane County Law Library Year in Review - Bob Lopez
2016 was a great year for the Dane County Law Library! We assisted nearly 20,000 people in the library, and we responded to over 1,500 phone and/or email questions. Additionally, the Law Library received over 2,500 reference and information requests from inmates at the Dane County jails.
This year, the Small Claims Assistance Program (SCAP), continued to fill the need for legal assistance for self-represented parties. The weekly clinic, staffed by attorneys and paralegals, assisted over 500 pro se litigants with money, eviction and return of property cases. And we continued our relationship with the UW Law School's Family Court Clinic, Restraining Order Clinic, and Consumer Law/Foreclosure Answer Clinic. These legal clinics are staffed by 2nd and 3rd year students from UW Law School. Their 2017 schedule can be found on the Dane County court website.
In May, 2016, the American Bar Association once again sponsored Law Day, a celebration of the Rule of Law, this year's theme was related to the 40th anniversary of the Miranda ruling. The Law Library participated in the event by again hosting a free, day-long legal assistance clinic where volunteer attorneys assisted dozens of visitors.
Finally, 2016 saw the departure our Library Associate Emma Fechner, and in December, Robert Lee was hired as the new Library Associate.
This Just In - Pete Boll
New Edition! Unfair and Deceptive Acts and Practices, 9th edition, by Carolyn L. Carter
National Consumer Law Center, 2016
Call # KF 1609 .C37 2016
Substantially updated since the 2012 eighth edition, this latest handy one volume treatise covers the important aspects of consumer protection and unfair and deceptive acts and practices (UDAP). Thousands of new federal and state cases have been added including:
- New precedent on UDAP challenges to credit, debt collection, mortgages and foreclosures
- New cases on automobile sales, leases, and finance
- What's new about UDAP actual, minimum, and multiple damages and attorney fees
- Limits on use of UDAP statutes and how to overcome them
New Edition! Worker's Compensation Handbook, 8th edition, by John D. Neal and Joseph Danas, Jr.
State Bar of Wisconsin, 2016
Call # KFW 2742.N43 W68
All new contents in this latest edition address the substantial changes to Wisconsin Statutes Chapter 102 through two acts in the 2015-16 session: 2015 Wis. Act 55 and 2015 Wis. Act 180. Significant changes include:
- Amending the statute regarding self-insurance
- The definition of "employee" now includes some individuals performing services under certain provisions of Wis. Stat. ch. 46, 48, and 49
- Amending the statutes to clarify which real estate brokers are considered employees
- Amending the statute concerning the effects of a worker's drug or alcohol use on payment of benefits
- New statute of limitation for claims based on traumatic injury
- The court of appeals issued an unpublished opinion concerning an undocumented worker's claim for worker's compensation benefits
- Rules regarding the naming of parties have been clarified
See our latest New Titles list for a list of new books and other resources.
For assistance in accessing these or other resources, please contact our Reference Desk.
Tech Tip - Heidi Yelk
The Fair Credit Reporting Act provides that consumers are entitled to one free copy of their credit report per year. But when obtaining your report, it's important to use the only website authorized by the law: annualcreditreport.com.
Consumer watchdogs have found that alternative or impostor websites promising "free" credit reports may attempt to steal personal information or dupe users into signing up for expensive credit monitoring services.
The Federal Trade Commission page, "Free Credit Reports", explains the law and the process of obtaining a free credit report.
Odds 'n' Endings
For a third year in a row, we collected a number of items this year for our sock drive. The donations were delivered to the Community Action Coalition in January. Thank you to everyone that visited the library and donated.
Donation boxes displayed near Lady Justice
Comments Welcome!
- Contact Kristina Martinez
608-267-2202
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