This week, we welcome Cornell Winston (current President of the American Association of Law Libraries) and Jenny Silbiger (President‑Elect). Speaking from sunny San Diego and O‘ahu’s courthouse halls, the duo joins the show to preview AALL’s 2025 Annual Meeting in Portland, Oregon—and to talk candidly about the challenges and opportunities facing the legal‑information profession during a time of rapid technological and political flux.

Cornell and Jenny explain why open communication has become a strategic imperative for AALL. Although board books have long been public, they are doubling down on proactive updates—through e‑briefings, “Know‑It‑AALL” newsletters, and 80‑plus committee channels—because members crave clarity when the profession feels under siege. Their message is simple: phone numbers and inboxes are open; no question is off‑limits. The leaders frame transparency not as a defensive posture, but as an invitation to pull every member into the conversation and decision‑making process.

The discussion then turns to the vacant Government Relations role—often seen as AALL’s front line in Washington. Cornell reassures listeners that, despite the hiring gap, advocacy has never left the stage: the Government Relations Committee partners with ALA and other allies, tracks executive‑order whiplash, and issues public statements on IMLS funding or Library of Congress appointments. While lobby dynamics have shifted since COVID‑era restrictions, AALL continues to file comments, weigh amicus briefs, and equip members to speak up in their own jurisdictions until the position is refilled.

Next, the hosts probe changes to the volunteer pipeline. Under the new process, virtually every member who raises a hand gets a seat—whether on a jury, committee, or the coveted Annual Meeting Program Committee. Headquarters now monitors overlapping appointments to spread opportunities and ensure early‑career librarians experience the career‑shaping mentorship Greg once received from the late Bob Oakley. Jenny underscores that engagement options range from micro‑tasks to multi‑year leadership roles, accommodating both time‑pressed newcomers and seasoned veterans.

Turning to the July 19‑22 conference itself, Cornell shares upbeat registration numbers, hotel tips, and—importantly—news of no late‑registration fee increase. Portland’s light‑rail pass, tax‑free shopping, and Nike/Columbia/Adidas discounts sweeten the trip, but the intellectual draw is formidable: 65‑plus programs, four pre‑conference workshops, and a cross‑pollinated AI track that unites academic and private‑sector librarians. Keynote speaker Roosevelt Weeks, renowned for transforming Austin Public Library into a nationally acclaimed, radically welcoming space, will challenge attendees to double down on access and inclusion.

Asked for their “biggest challenge” predictions, Jenny cites the breakneck pace of AI and the resulting imperative to preserve integrity in an era of deepfakes and data deluge. Cornell echoes the warning: librarians must remain society’s trusted validators and proclaim that expertise without apology. As the gavel passes in Portland, Jenny’s presidential agenda crystallizes around three goals—meeting members where they are, converting dialogue into strategic action, and leaving the profession stronger for the next generation. Whether you are a long‑time AALL stalwart or a first‑time volunteer, this episode is a reminder that the future of legal information will be shaped by those who show up, speak up, and keep the channels open.

Listen on mobile platforms:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

[Special Thanks to Legal Technology Hub for their sponsoring this episode.]

Blue Sky: ⁠@geeklawblog.com⁠ ⁠@marlgeb⁠
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email: geekinreviewpodcast@gmail.com
Music: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jerry David DeCicca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Transcript

Continue Reading Guardians of Truth: AALL’s Cornell Winston and Jenny Silbiger on Transparency, Advocacy, and the Road to Portland

Three law school innovators, three law firm innovators, a law student, and a BigLaw Partner meet on a podcast… this podcast… and share thoughts on how to improve law students’ tech skills before they arrive at the firm. That is the setting for this episode of The Geek in Review.
Nikki Shaver, Director of Innovation and Knowledge from Paul Hastings got this conversation started on Twitter when she discovered that most of the New Fall Associates (NFAs) did not take any technology or innovation courses while in law school. This is not an uncommon story. There seems to be little incentive, either on the law school, or law firm side of recruiting which stresses tech competencies. But just because that’s the way it has always been, that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement. There is definitely room for improvement! So we wanted to get a group together and do just that.

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We asked Vanderbilt Law School’s Cat Moon, Vermont Law School’s Jeannette Eicks, and University of Oklahoma Law School’s Kenton Brice to cover the law school innovation perspective.
Nikki Shaver, Marlene, and Greg cover the law firm innovation perspective.
We also asked Jackson Walker Partner Matt Acosta, and Michigan State University Law School student, Kanza Khan to jump in and share their experiences with the expectations for legal technology skills.
We take a deep dive into the topic ranging from what law schools are actually offering students, what are law firms expectations for tech skills, and are law firm recruiting, and law school placement incentivizing students to be more proficient with tech before they arrive as NFAs?

Continue Reading The Geek in Review Ep. 55 – The Legal Tech and Innovation Pipeline – Can Law Schools and Law Firms Better the Process?

David Whelan, the Director of Legal Information & the Great Library Society of Ontario, discusses his recent article “The No Legal Research Provider Landscape,” and how lawyers, law librarians, and the legal industry looks at legal information services. Do you need to have multiple resources like Westlaw, LexisNexis, Bloomberg or others, or can

Image [cc] Chris Makarsky

There were a couple of incidents I read about over the weekend of government officials destroying unreplacable historic documents. The reasons for the destruction are not exactly clear, but it gives conspiracy theorists some interesting ideas of why officials would destroy the archives of which they are supposed to be caretakers for the

Almost all those books…
government created content that someone paid for!

I am a huge proponent of state governments helping their citizens understand the judicial system, and help with the access to justice, but I think that a recent action from the State of Montana is sliding down a slippery slope in its actions to

Last night in its 120th annual meeting in Vail, Colorado, the Uniform Law Commission (ULC) passed the Uniform Electronic Legal Materials Act (UELMA) in order to provide a set of rules for states to follow to establish “an outcomes-based, technology-neutral framework for providing online material with the same level of trustworthiness traditionally provided by publication