ALLA (WA) News Blog

Here where I work we've had a Christmas Decorations competition. I won a special mention for my Christmas Jawa and my rotating selection of Christmas themed Mad Magazine covers.

12 December 2013 Law Library, Supreme Court of WA Since the distribution of Tom Percy’s memo under the banner of the Australian Lawyers Alliance there have been further enquiries regarding the future of the Law Library. At this stage, there are no decisions to report. The Department of the Attorney General is working through the implications of the amalgamation and is in discussion with the Legal Practice Board and the Law Society as well as the Bar. There are issues of service agreements, space and finance to be sorted before any definite decision can be made. Meanwhile, we are here to provide the service we always have and we see no immediate end to that. Regards, Catherine Macgill Law Librarian

It all started with a wobbly table, that Wednesday night on September 25. I sauntered down to Lalla Rookh to find C, from the nearby Supreme Court Library, already seated at a table in the small sunken courtyard at the bottom of the stairway, which takes you to this underground bar and restaurant.  Don't be scared to go downstairs   There's a whole other world below I joined C at her table. I was glad she could make it, while she was glad for the opportunity to finally visit this venue and to do something in Perth, other than come to work. I started to peruse the menu for drinks and nibbles. I was shocked to find that there was no olives on offer.    A menu with no olives on offer   This was not looking good. Just to make matters worse, the table wobbled. C and I decided to relocate, ostensibly to find a non-wobbly table but also to see what Lalla Rookh had to offer inside. As we walked in, a waitress asked C if she had changed her ...

The World Wide Web may seem like a limitless superhighway. But it is filled with dead ends: hyperlinks that point to webpages that have become permanently unavailable. It’s a phenomenon known as “link rot”. http://www.abajournal.com/mobile/mag_article/link_rot_is_degrading_legal_research_and_case_cites/

You may be interested in this article in the December issue of The Australian Law Journal - YOUNG, P W and GOMEZ, A A The status of law reports produced in England prior to 1865 (2013) 87 ALJ 844. Nominate reports appeared in England between 1530 and 1865 through private enterprise and varied in both quality and accuracy.  This article attempts to provide a helpful guide as to what reports are considered more reliable than others.  The article will particularly focus on the reporters of the period from the accession of George III, 1760 to 1865.

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to spend some time with my family in Colorado Springs, Colorado over the American Thanksgiving holiday. It was a snowy -20 degrees Celsius on my last day there, but Colorado has marvellously changeable weather. We enjoyed many beautiful warm days, perfect for hiking—as seen here with the Australian Law Librarian  in tow.     Megan Fitzgibbons

Kristy has commenced work as a librarian with the Department of the Attorney-General's Library.  She was previously employed in the library at Monash University.

http://www.austlii.edu.au/austlii/announce/2013/4.pdf Thanks to Catherine Macgill for the heads-up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmEbF2uhsZk#t=32 Written and performed by Mark Grist

So, let’s get this out of the way first; there are no olives at Choo Choos. Instead they offer free popcorn to all who drink there and for $5 you can get a hot dog. Hot diggity Choo Choos is in the Brookfield Plaza, somewhat near Bar Lafayette. It was a rainy night in August when I stopped in early in the week. My timing was good as Choo Choos is small and a busy night would have been difficult. Yet there was ample space for me and my drinking buddy from the ABC on the night we visited. As you walk in there is a long bar to the right and bench seating to the left and all throughout there are some large face murals on various walls. I initially plonked myself down on a stool at the bar so that I could take a look at what was in the glass-door fridges. It was to also get away from the staring eyes of those face murals. The staff were friendly and gladly helped me choose a cider to have; they only had the one so it wasn’t that difficult.   Easy to find and easy to drink ...

Well, it’s been three weeks since I’ve been back from my trip to Paris and since returning to the day-to-day routine it has now become just a distant memory. I do remember having a great time, except for a little incident at the Eiffel Tower which will be indelibly printed on my mind. Getting to the very top after squeezing into a lift with a number of Aussie teenage boys who I presume were on a school trip; my husband, who is diabetic, had a hypoglycaemic reaction. Of course there isn’t any food available at the top and he forgot to pack his jellybeans so I had to get him to the level below – again in a packed lift, and ply him with food and a can of Coke (not of the diet variety). He eventually returned from an ashen shade of grey to a semblance of a normal colour and we decided we might then take the opportunity to take in the view. The photograph below was taken after the incident when we had returned from a cruise down the Seine feeling a bit more relaxed and positive abou...

Natalie McDonald has resigned from Norton Rose Fulbright.  Her final day in her current position will be 7 November. Bonne chance , Natalie!

Justin intends to venture out on Tuesday, 29 October to visit Bar de Halcyon, a new bar in Wolf Lane.  He needs some new friends to join him.  All welcome, including partners. http://www.bardehalcyon.com.au/ http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/338/1780431/restaurant/Perth-CBD/Bar-de-Halcyon-Perth

http://io9.com/the-great-library-at-alexandria-was-destroyed-by-budget-1442659066 Thanks to Justin for this contribution.

A presentation by David Lankes - http://stephenslighthouse.com/2013/10/07/librarians-as-engineers-of-innovation/ . Thanks to Stel for the heads-up.

A Guide to the U.S. Federal Legal System Web-based Public Accessible Sources Gretchen Feltes Faculty Services/Reference Librarian at New York University School of Law Library Published September 2013 http://www.nyulawglobal.org/Globalex/United_States1.htm

The world's constitutions to read, search and compare https://www.constituteproject.org/#/ This site..."includes the constitution that was in force in September of 2013 for nearly every independent state in the world. Certain countries whose constitutional order consists of multiple documents, or whose constitutions are in transition, are temporarily omitted. Soon we will include many of these cases as well as a version of every available constitution ever written since 1789".

Union list : law library serial holdings in WA 3rd ed Amendments to holdings by AGS (Australian Government Solicitor) Remove Commercial notes Legal briefing Litigation notes Victorian law reports Amend Australian bar review Vol 1 (1985) - Vol 36 No 1 (2012) Australian journal of public administration Vol 47 (1988) - Vol 71 No 2 (2012) University of Western Australia law review Vol 5 (1960) - Vol 35 (2011)

Have a tricky question about the Australian Guide to Legal Citation ? It might be a good idea to turn to Twitter for help. @AGLCTweets ( https://twitter.com/AGLCTweets ) is a very useful account run by former editors of the Melbourne University Law Review and the Melbourne Journal of International Law . Pose your questions in 140 characters or less, and they'll tweet back some advice. Megan Fitzgibbons

Justin is heading to Lalla Rookh on Wednesday, 25 September. Lalla Rookh is a below-ground bar and eating-house - http://www.lallarookh.com.au. All members are welcome to join Justin and other colleagues for a libation or two (and, of course, olives). Please let Justin know if you are interested in going along - justin.booker@corrs.com.au.

I can’t say that for the most part I was looking to law for a change in my library career. I was aware however that I needed a change. Not feeling particularly happy in my current position and, although I loved being a local history librarian, I had had enough of working in local government. I found myself in one of those situations in life whereby I knew I needed something different but wasn’t sure exactly what it was. OK, so I had a few ideas going through my head but felt that I was locked into local history because that was my speciality and there’s not much opportunity to practice local history outside of the local government situation. It was a bit of a dilemma really – wanting something but not really knowing what it was, let alone how to go about getting it. Then out of the blue (as so often happens when you least expect it), a message came through WAIN. Kirsty McPhee, on behalf of Kott Gunning Lawyers, posted a position for a library manager. It was one of those moments when I...

The following titles are now available on AustLII: South Australian Law Reports 1863-1920; http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/sa/SALawRp/ State Reports (South Australia) 1921-1950. http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/sa/SAStRp/

Can it be that after only a few Calls to the Bar that I have stumbled across the best small wine bar ever? That is a big claim, and who can say that on any other night Bar Lafayette may have not been that wonderful, but even on a bad night I dare say this place has got a lot going for it. Tuesday 16 July was wet and wintry so there were not many out and about and even fewer willing to make the trip to this place hidden in Brookfield Place. Yet the grimness outside was not continued within. Does no-one bring the chairs in when it rains? One of the two serving barmen greeted me as soon as I entered. He proceeded to offer me either a spot at the bar or to locate a spot somewhere within to take advantage of the table service. I have been going to a lot of small wine bars since their explosion in Perth but I can’t remember when I last got table service at one. Encouraged by the novelty of the situation I went looking for a table. I left the bar area and went down a corridor to...

Our former President, Lei Lin, has a new challenge ahead. She has a wedding to organise as she recently became engaged. On behalf of the membership Lei, we wish you much happiness in the future.

The ALLA (WA) Annual General Meeting was held in the Central Park Theatrette on 14 August. Seventeen people attended. Lei presented her final President’s Report, outlining the many initiatives of the previous year and the challenges that have been faced. Justin presented the Treasurer’s Report then Lei announced the new Committee for 2013/2014. This was followed by wine, nibbles and a fair amount of conversation. Apparently, the cheese selection was pretty good which is, of course, the main thing at any meeting! Well done to Lei and the previous Committee, as the reins are passed over to Mawghan. Jenny Lucre

What is the IFLA Trend Report? In the global information environment, time moves quickly and there's an abundance of commentators trying to keep up. With each new technological development, a new report emerges assessing its impact on different sectors of society. The IFLA Trend Report takes a broader approach and identifies five high level trends shaping the information society, spanning access to education, privacy, civic engagement and transformation. Its findings reflect a year’s consultation with a range of experts and stakeholders from different disciplines to map broader societal changes occurring, or likely to occur in the information environment. The IFLA Trend Report is more than a single document – it is a selection of resources to help you understand where libraries fit into a changing society. http://trends.ifla.org/

This was published in today's Australian Financial Review http://www.alia.org.au/sites/default/files/documents/advocacy/Letter%20to%20the%20Editor%20of%20the%20Financial%20Review.pdf

Geoff Hanmer has his say - Last hurrah for the traditional university library http://www.afr.com/p/national/education/last_hurrah_for_the_traditional_CQI1R9IvIeaaG7IL4y5axH Stay tuned for ALIA's response tomorrow!

It's a girl! Lori and Mike welcomed baby Penelope Frances Frazier into the world on 2 August at 12.29am, weighing 2.98kg and 46cm long. All are doing well. Cindy Duong Herbert Smith Freehills

...for Natalie McDonald. In a herculean effort, Natalie has served thirteen consecutive years on the ALLA (WA) Committee but will bid adieu at the AGM on 14 August. On behalf of the membership, the remainder of the Committee thank Natalie for her valued contribution and sage advice over the years.  We wish her all the best in her life post-Committee and hope that she doesn't miss preparing agendas and taking minutes too much!

Downings Legal has merged with HWL Ebsworth and as a result Linda Simonis has been made redundant.  Linda is looking for work so please bear her in mind should any position open up.  She can be contacted at dl-lms@westnet.com.au . Sky Atkins has been made redundant from her position with DLA Piper.  Although Sky has her hands full looking after two little boys at present, she is considering returning to part-time work some time in the future.

Anne Young started at Herbert Smith Freehills on 15 July.  This is a one-year contract to replace Lori Frazier while she is on maternity leave.

Wednesday, 19 June and I heard the call of the bar, all the way from Wolfe Lane. And what else would you name a bar situated in Wolfe Lane but Wolfe Lane? (Cheeky Sparrow is the answer, as that’s the bar/cafe which is almost next door; I guess I’ll go there some other time.) I was worried I would have trouble finding Wolfe Lane as I imagined getting lost in twisting back alleys trying to locate it. Thankfully it was quite straightforward. I approached it by coming down the lane from Murray Street, which took me past Cheeky Sparrow (yep, definitely some other time). There is another lane leading to the bar from King Street. Wolfe Lane, the bar, sits right where these two lanes intersect. The doorway is small but the interior is large and on the night I arrived it was not too full. I was able to bag some comfy couches close to the bar and near the stunning artwork that takes up one whole wall. Some of the impressive artwork that features real bark A word about these retro...

Wednesday, 14 August 2013 Foyer of Central Park Theatrette (5.30 pm) Come along and meet your new ALLA(WA) Committee! Cheese, hummus and wine after the AGM

Parliament House Tour (3 July 2013) Western Australia inherited the English system of government and law when it was colonised in 1829.  Its first legislative body was the Legislative Council, which met for the first time on 7 February 1832 and was presided over by the Governor of Western Australia, Captain James Stirling, who nominated four other members. The fifteen of us who attended the tour of Parliament House had the picture of this event explained to us, as well as viewing other pictures of Parliament’s early days. We were then escorted on a building tour which included going into the chamber floor of the Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly, where different items of interest were explained. I found it fascinating that the mace used by the Speaker came into being as a protection device after nine of them were murdered in England after delivering unpopular policies. Following this, we visited the Parliamentary Library where Judy Ballantyne kindly provided us with ...

It is my pleasure to announce that the 2013 CCH ALLA(WA) Conference Bursary has been awarded to Cassie Netolicky (Jackson McDonald).  Cassie will receive $1500 towards the cost of attending the 2013 ALLA Conference – Agitations, Empowering, Inspiring and Audacious – in Sydney in September.  After the conference, Cassie will give a presentation to WA members to share the experience and knowledge she has gained. We received a number of excellent applications.  I would like to thank everyone who took the time to apply and encourage those who were unsuccessful to apply again in 2014. I would like to thank CCH for their generosity and support of this award.  Without their financial assistance, the Association would not have been able to offer this opportunity to our members. Congratulations Cassie. Lei Lin ALLA(WA) President

In addition to Belinda’s excellent post, I would like to add the details of 3 more papers that may be of interest to the members. I spoke of these papers at the JSI Reporting Back Easter Breakfast in March, but this should provide a more comprehensive write up as well as links to other resources and information that may be of use or interest. The JSI was a fantastic event - the papers, the events and the attention to detail – as noted by Belinda. As with any event however, the most rewarding and enjoyable aspect was the people. Whilst it is unlikely another JSI will be held in Australia, at least in the foreseeable future, I would strongly encourage as many of you as possible to look at attending conferences – especially with an international focus. Organisations such as the International Association of Law Librarians put on a fantastic conference each year – this year in Barcelona - and offer wonderful opportunities to meet with colleagues from all over the world (IALL website - ...

The Law Reports (New South Wales) 1880-1900; and State Reports (New South Wales) 1901-1950 are now available on AustLii in PDF format.

The Law Library at the Supreme Court is still seeking some one for a couple of days a week to attend the reference desk in the absence of the Library Manager. The requirement is now only for three weeks from 22 July to 9 August 2013. If you can assist we would be most grateful.  Please contact Catherine Macgill, Law Librarian on 9421 5372 or by email at  cmacgill.scl@lpbwa.com

The Department of Sport and Recreation may be able to offer work for a few weeks on a project to review and collate legal documents.  Please contact Renae Clement if you are interested, or know someone who may be. Renae Clement Librarian / Actg FOI Coordinator Department of Sport and Recreation Clearinghouse for Sport (WA Branch) (08) 9492 9870 or (08) 9492 9869 renae.clement@dsr.wa.gov.au

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/comment/the-library-of-discarded-books-20130504-2izs2.html

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/comment/but-what-if-i-cant-find-it-on-the-internet-20130526-2n5g5.html

Want to hear the next Call to the Bar? Justin is planning a bar hop mid-June so let him know if you want to come along.

Catherine Macgill (Law Librarian, Law Library, Supreme Court of WA) states - The current state of plans for the future of the Law Library collection is as follows. The recommendation to the Attorney General is that practitioners will have access to the new Supreme Court Library on a user-pays basis.  There has not as yet been any memorandum of understanding drawn up. A project team to resolve the issue (among other things) of service to practitioners is to be established with members from the Law Society, the Legal Practice Board, the Judiciary and the Department of the Attorney General.  This committee has not yet met. The State Reference Library and the City of Perth Library have been approached with the view to housing a law collection for public access.  Neither party was interested in doing so.

CPD seminar Wednesday, 15 May 2013 The rights of the unborn child, as the law currently stands in WA and the proposed amendments Mrs Lorraine Finlay, lecturer in criminal law at the Murdoch University School of Law, addressed a group of 15 delegates at a lunchtime brown bag seminar in Downings boardroom on Wednesday, 15 May.  She spoke on the rights of the unborn child, addressing a neglected area in WA legislation, and citing some cases which had touched the general public where, through no fault of the expectant mother, the unborn child had been lost through criminal action, without any recourse for justice.  Her fascinating presentation led to many questions from the floor, and further discussion in this informal setting.  In addition, some new points were raised, much to Lorraine's delight!  We all came away with some issues to digest. Thank you, Linda, for your hospitality at Downings! Belinda Eisenhauer

Joint Studies Institute Melbourne 13-16 February 2013 Report : Belinda Eisenhauer Introduction Kirsty and I were fortunate to attend the JSI Conference in Melbourne in mid-February 2013. We stayed in the conference hotel, the Rydges on Swanston Street, on the campus of Melbourne University, 10 minutes walk to the Law School (the oldest in the country, opening its doors in 1857). The thoroughness of the planning was evident from the start, with regular updates being issued to those who had registered, with useful tips such as where to find the weather conditions (especially for the international visitors) and the dress code for the three evening functions. No single detail had been forgotten – even the newly-introduced Myki electronic travel card had been provided for each delegate, ready for us to collect at our hotel reception. The JSI Conference has been hosted once before in Australia - in Sydney in 2004. There were 50 delegates from common law countries such a...

Twenty-four people attended the ALLA (WA) Easter breakfast held at Herbert Smith Freehills on 27 March.  Their wonderful coffee machine again received a good workout and we all enjoyed a light breakfast and an abundance of the obligatory Easter eggs. Belinda Eisenhauer and Kirsty McPhee reported back on the JSI that they attended in Melbourne in February.  The topics presented seemed as fascinating as they were diverse - plain packaging for cigarettes and cigars, rights of refugees and the behaviour of financial institutions.  The ladies were very enthusiastic and I think everyone at the breakast wished they could have been at the JSI too. Jenny Lucre

Called to the Bar - Now and Venn When I was working for a certain academic institution out Nedlands way (you work it out) I used to coordinate a monthly gathering of library workers. We would go to a different wine bar each month and blog a review. You can still see the reviews online here . Now that I work for a law firm in the city, which is ground zero for wine bars in Perth, I thought it was time to start doing this again, only this time for the ALLA WA blog. Plus, I can buy a drink for all those people I owe one to. Namely those that have provided me with scans of various law reports. These hopefully regular posts will be appearing under the title of “Called to the Bar”. Enjoy. For the first post of this re-badged venture I took a trip to Venn Bar . Venn operates on many levels, literally and figuratively. They have upstairs and ground floor areas and they also function as an art gallery. They have a cool gift shop too but that wasn’t open by the time I got there at about quarter...