Planning for the annual professional development workshop is well underway, and we’re very excited about the program that we’re putting together. Registration will open in mid-February; we hope that we’ll see you all March 15th at the Seattle University School of Law Annex for what promises to be an informative and interesting day of programming.

Program descriptions are not yet finalized, but below is a sneak preview of what is being planned.

Managing Electronic Resources: The rapid increase in the availability of resources in electronic formats has created many new resource management challenges for libraries. Chris Mulready, acquisitions librarian at Boeing, will address issues including cataloging, access and serial control.

Mining SEC Documents: Legal professionals use public company filings in a variety of ways – competitive intelligence, info-gathering for litigation purposes, business development, etc. Elizabeth Osborne of Morningstar Document Research will describe common company forms and their practical applications for the legal researcher.

Food Safety Law: In the last several years, there has been an explosion of news stories regarding contamination of food, and consumers have responded by asking for greater and better regulation of the food industry. In this session, attorney Denis Stearns of Marler Clark will discuss the history of food safety law and the role of legislation, regulation and litigation in the creation and enforcement of food safety standards.

Indian Law: For years, the American Indian people have struggled to rebuild their culture and regain lost property, often (ironically) relying on U.S. laws, courts, and government agencies as vehicles for progress. Attorney Alvin Ziontz will discuss some memorable legal cases as well as the growth and maturation of tribal government and the underlying tensions between Indian society and the non-Indian world.