SEAALL 2018: Saturday, April 14

A Whirlwind Tour of the Hits and Hyperbole in Legal Research and Workflow Products, Steve Lastres, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP; Jean O'Grady, DLA Piper
This session will celebrate the power of gatekeeping. That gate swings both ways, so information professionals play an important role in "curating" products for their organizations. Two experienced information professionals will offer a fast- paced tour of the best new products and product features, as well as highlight some "head scratchers" and product gaffes. Speakers will highlight 30 to 40 hits and misses in the legal information landscape. (Parthenon D)

Designing Effective Legal Research Rubrics: The Foundation for Successful Assessment, Carol Watson, University of Georgia; Katie Hanschke, North Carolina Central University; Zanada Joyner, North Carolina Central University
Increasingly librarians are teaching many, if not all, of the legal research courses at their law schools. Most librarians are not experts in education assessment design. Assessment with rubrics creates a learner centric environments in which instructors objectively evaluate student progress and assures that students receive consistent and meaningful feedback. Rubrics provide both students and instructors with a clear understanding of whether learning outcomes have been achieved. Guided by the instructors' experience and an in-depth review of the literature law librarians will be exposed to the best practices when creating rubrics including alignment with the course goals and instructor expectations. (Crescent Room)

How to Be Agents of Hope and Change: Empowering Discovery, Taking Control, Elizabeth Outler, Barry University; Whitney Curtis, Barry University; Louis Rosen, Barry University
In 2017, Barry Law Library took a new approach to planning activities based on how they contribute to our strategic goals and outcomes tied to ABA Standards. One result from this approach was studying how library services contribute to bar exam success, using techniques correlated with success in earlier studies. Literature about Hope Theory suggests that students who have perceptions of control over their learning achieve better outcomes. Barry librarians incorporated Hope Theory into our Become Smarter workshop series to build their confidence, and we are developing methods to measure how we empower them throughout law school and beyond. (Crescent Room)

Disrupting Word Styles: Using Word Styles for Document Automation in Legal Practice,
Stacey Lane Rowland, University of North Carolina
Technology has changed the practice of law and, increasingly, is creating new job opportunities for enterprising lawyers. Many practitioners, though, do not unlock the true power of Microsoft Word. Instead, we treat it as a text-based word processor. This talk will expose attorneys to working with Word styles and taking advantage of document automation, navigation and assembly.  Learning to work with (rather than against) the way Word is designed makes for less work and frustration in the long run for practicing attorneys. (Parthenon D)