Jayasuriya, Kumar Percy

Murphy, Miriam A

Potter, Ted

English

bepress Legal Repository

So You Want to Be a Writer

NELLCO Consortium Legal Scholarship Repository

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Georgetown University Law Center Scholarship @ GEORGETOWN LAW 2002 So You Want to Be a Writer Kumar Percy Jayasuriya Georgetown University Law Center, hrp6@law.georgetown.edu Miriam A. Murphy Indiana University Law Library - Indianapolis, mimurphy@iupui.edu Ted Potter University of Iowa Law Library, ted-potter@uiowa.edu   This paper can be downloaded free of charge from: https://scholarship.law.georgetown.edu/facpub/28  AALL Spectrum, July, 2002, at 32. This open-access article is brought to you by the Georgetown Law Library. Posted with permission of the author. Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.law.georgetown.edu/facpub  Part of the Library and Information Science Commons GEORGETOWN LAW Faculty Publications     December 2009    So You Want to Be a Writer  AALL Spectrum, July, 2002, at 32.      Kumar Percy Jayasuriya              Miriam Murphy Associate Law Librarian for Patron Services   Associate Director     Georgetown University Law Center                         Indiana University Law Library - Indianapolis            hrp6@law.georgetown.edu                                                mimurphy@iupui.edu  Ted Potter Head of Public Services University of Iowa Law Library ted-potter@uiowa.edu   This paper can be downloaded without charge from: Scholarly Commons: http://scholarship.law.georgetown.edu/facpub/28/  Posted with permission of the author Prospects BrBy KurrLegal IWhen iyears aL l . only nofor lawlibrariaconducinformaubecomelibrariaiover thcformat,read,"Publicaof LegaFeaturevarietylibrariaaa w llibrarie:managannuale aenhancLexisNereviewsBefore'Informapotentic"Weante cfor faret allorevienewchttp:vitstcLLRLLRXthatlawtechtechlatet t Dea Wri~teiroaden Among Law Library Publicationsar Percy, Ted Potter and Miriam Murphyeirao onerestnformation Alertt started publication more than 20go, Legal Information Alert was then-association publication designedlibrarians. Targeted toward lawns and anyone who regularlyts legal research or manages legaltion centers, the newsletter hasa staple publication among lawns. "Our readers tell us over andit they appreciate the newsletterbecause it is portable and quick tosays Donna Tuke Heroy of Alerttions, publisher and editor-in-chiefI Information Alert.articles have covered a wideof topics important to lawns, such as legislation affectings, research techniques andement. Alert also publishes anreview of additions andements made to Westlaw andxisTM as well as book and productyou submit an article to Legaltion Alert, Heroy suggests that)l writers discuss topics with her.prefer that authors contact us withidea or interest in writing.I like to talk to potential authors firstto get a sense about the idea,"Heroy says. "1 always have ahandful of ideas thatI want explored for our readers,but some of our best ideas havecome from the authors themselves."gal Information Alert pays authorseature articles. Although reviewersnot paid, the authors are usuallyved to keep the products theyw. For more information, visit thesletter's Web site at//www.alertpub.com/at-lio.html.Xcom.com is a free Web-based journalworks with nationally renownedlibrarians, attorneys, informationnology specialists and legalnology consultants to provide thest news on Internet research and2002 Kumar Percy, Ted Potter and Miriam Murphytechnology-related issues, applications,resources and tools.Launched in 1996 by law librariansSabrina I. Pacifici and Cindy L. Chick,the webzine includes feature articles andcommentaries on technology and legalresearch; news on congressional activitiesthat involve technology, research andlibraries; international and comparativelaw guides by authors worldwide;technology-training resources; seminarmaterials and presentations from leadinglegal and library-related technologyconferences; and "LLRX Buzz," a weeklycolumn on legal research resources. Thesite also publishes reviews of software andonline legal applications and databaseservices; resources for intranets, Web sitesand knowledge management systems; andbooks on legal technology and librarytechnology topics. LLRX.com also providesdaily news updates on technology,legislation, search engines, e-governmentinitiatives and new online services-Pacifici, managing editor/publisher andWeb manager of LLRX.com, and Chick,co-editor and co-publisher, acceptcompleted original articles and workwith authors to fine-tune content, such assuggesting additional sources and links.The journal releases two issues eachmonth, on the first and 15th. Because of itsdemanding bimonthly publication schedule,"We are very flexible in terms of quickturnaround for articles on breaking issues,innovative services, and issues ofimportance to the community," Pacificisays. For more information on LLRX.com,go to http://www.llrx.com.Legal Reference ServicesQuarterlyLegal Reference Services Quarterly is ascholarly journal that addresses the day-to-day problems and issues law librariansencounter in reference and public services.While most articles are written in anacademic journal style with citations,LRSQ also publishes humorous, critical,and nuts-and-bolts articles.(continued on page 34)HeinOnline -- 6 AALL Spectrum 32 2001-2002So You Want To Be a Writer continued from page 32LRSQ regularly publishes thematic issues.Previous topics have included emergingsolutions in reference service, publicservices issues with rare and archival lawmaterials, and teaching legal research.Future thematic issues will includecollection development in the digital ageand a 50-state survey on per-statehoodlegal research.The journal also includes practicalprofessional tools for reference services,such as bibliographies, research guides,book reviews, and question-and-answercolumns."I'm always looking for good articles,research guides, etc.," says MichaelChiorazzi, editor of LRSQ. "Feel free tocontact me about article ideas." He invitesauthors to send him early drafts and askhim about writing for LRSQ. For moreinformation about LRSQ, go to http://www.haworthpressinc.com/store/product.asp?sku=J 113.Perspectives: Teaching LegalResearch and WritingPerspectives: Teaching Legal Research andWriting is a newsletter for legal researchand legal writing instructors and law firmand law school librarians."[The newsletter is a] multidisciplinaryforum for discussing the teaching of legalresearch and writing, focusing on researchmaterials, tools and theories," saysMary Hotchkiss, editor of Perspectives."Perspectives encourages collaborationamong teachers of legal research andwriting, whether they are librarians or lawfaculty." The newsletter has covered trendsin electronic legal research, solutions tolegal research problems, and recentlypublished legal research and writingresources. It also publishes regular columnsabout thorny issues in curricular design,teachable moments for students, writingtips and technology for teaching.All articles in Perspectives follow "aninformal prose style," rather than a "dense,law review or academic journal style,"according to its style sheet. The newsletter'sauthor's guide and style sheet are availableon the Web at http://www.westgroup.com/customerservice/newsletters/articles/perspectives/perstyle.asp.Hotchkiss welcomes inquiries from authorswho want to discuss ideas for futurearticles. For more information about thispublication, go to the Perspectives Website at http://www.westgroup.com/customerservice/newsletters/perspectives/.Research AdvisorResearch Advisor is a newsletter thatcovers research techniques and tips aimedat legal practitioners. Unlike its sisterpublication Legal Information Alert,Research Advisor does not assume that thereaders have the skills and knowledge ofprofessional law librarians. Topics includeresearch tips, pointers about informationmanagement, and review of legal researchtools. Research Advisor is always lookingfor writers to submit professional productreviews. For more information about thispublication, go to the Research AdvisorWeb site go to http://www.alertpub.com/hpra.html.AALL SIS PublicationsAALL's 13 Special Interest Sections areeach devoted to a specialized area oflaw librarianship. Every SIS publishes anewsletter featuring short practical andtheoretical articles. In addition, thepublications often include editorials andreport on conferences, meetings, and SISevents. For more information about eachof the Special Interest Sections, go tohttp://www.aallnet.org/sis/.AALL Chapter PublicationsAALL also sponsors 31 local and regionalchapters, and most publish newsletters.The newsletters often feature short practicalarticles and longer theoretical piecesrelated to legal and library issues ofthat region. These local and regionalpublications are also interested in reportsfrom library conferences and othereducational events. For more informationabout AALL chapters, go to http://aallhq.org/public/chapters.asp.CompetitionsThe library profession sponsors severalwriting competitions that recognizevaluable professional writing. For example,the AALL/LexisNexisM Call for PapersAwards honor three authors of scholarlypapers with a cash prize of $750 each.(Co-authors of winning papers share theaward.) Winners get the opportunity topresent their papers to their colleagues atthe AALL Annual Meeting. The winningpapers are also considered for publicationin Law Library Journal. For moreinformation about the competition, go tohttp://wVw.aallnet-org/about/award_call-for.papers.asp.Other Suggestions andConsiderations from EditorsThe most common question aboutpublishing is how to pick a topic. Read asmuch professional literature as possible -it's the best way to learn about new issuesin law librarianship and see examples ofgood writing, says Frank Houdek, editorof Low Library Journal.Many editors suggest that authors consultthem before writing about a topic andkeep in contact while writing their articles.Editors can help potential authors selectand refine their article ideas. During thewriting process, editors guide authors toensure that their articles meet the needsof the publication and its audience.Editors also suggest that librarians starttheir publishing career by submitting shortpieces to newsletters, such as the AALL SISand chapter publications. Potential writersmay want to consider writing reports onconferences and reviews on products,books and research guides for thesenewsletters. Or librarians may want toconsider publishing short news piecesduring the process of writing a largeresearch article. For example, if anewsletter publishes a short overview ofan ongoing research project, the feedbackfrom the shorter piece could help theauthor publish the final article in ascholarly publication.Regardless of the topic and publication,authors should always submit their articlesby the assigned deadline, Heroy says.Sharpen Your PencilsThe ever-increasing number of publicationsin law librarianship makes it possible fornew or experienced law librarians in anyfield to be published. Whether it's a first-person account of making the transitionfrom library student to law librarian or ascholarly paper on the problematic citingof Web sources in law review articles,venues exist for publishing compellingarticles on law librarianship. So sharpenyour pencil and prepare to write that firstdraft.Kumar Percy (kpercy@mail. law. utexas.edu) is head of reserve and media servicesat the University of Texas at Austin TarltonLaw Library; Ted Potter (theodore.potter@marquette.edu) is the associate director atthe Marquette University Law Library inMilwaukee, Wis.; and Miriam Murphy(mimurphy@iupui.edu) is the associatedirector at the Indiana University Schoolof Law Library in Indianapolis, Ind.34 AALL Spectrum July 2002HeinOnline -- 6 AALL Spectrum 34 2001-2002

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So You Want to Be a Writer

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