This article by Stuart Stone, Librarian at the Radzinowicz Library at the Institute of Criminology at Cambridge, examines a selection of online information resources used by criminologists and compares their particular features and deficiencies. The author's involvement in training early career researchers, both in formal training sessions and one-to-one sessions, over a long period, allows for user responses and experiences of the resources to inform this examination.

This paper that is written by Phil Bradley is based on his keynote lecture, which he gave on 12 June 2014 at the BIALL Annual Conference. He considers the growth of information on the internet, both in terms of type and amount. His article considers the difficulties that this flood of data brings with it, the challenges facing traditional search engines when faced with access by mobile devices and applications. The role of privacy and the ‘internet of things’ are also discussed. Finally, there is an overview of the role of the information professional in this new information environment.

In this article Ian Hunter considers his experiences, learning points and recommendations on running an international law firm research service from home for 6 months, after being sent home at one hour's notice. In the article he considers working from home, including the psychological benefits of having a ‘journey’ to work, providing a research service and a library service, managing a team and the use of communications technology.

In a paper given at the 39th Annual BIALL Conference held in Dublin in June 2008, Sue Hill MD of Sue Hill Recruitment, discusses the current issues affecting law librarianship and looks at potential future changes. She then suggests how legal information professionals can stay ahead of the game.

The Lawpaths project >http://library.kent.ac.uk/library/lawpaths/< is a project to provide a resource bank of customisable legal information skills materials, based on best practice. It is funded by the JISC over three years, starting in August 2002 under the X4L (Exchange for Learning) programme. The project partners are the University of Kent, the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and the UK Centre for Legal Education, in collaboration with the University of Bristol, Cardiff University and the Institute for Learning & Research Technology

Zoe Melling writes on the Legal Aid Board in Ireland and the work of the professional information and research unit.

In this article, James Mullan addresses recent technological developments with particular emphasis on Google+, Cloud Computing, mobile technologies, ebooks and e-readers.

This is the latest report analysing the results of the Society of Legal Scholars (formerly Society of Public Teachers of Law) and BIALL Survey. It has been written by Cathie Jackson, Information Specialist – Law, Cardiff University.

The development and introduction of CILIP's new Framework of Qualifications is the most significant policy initiative of the newest professional body for the library and information community, writes Marion Huckle, indeed it is arguably the most important development since the Library Association was awarded its Royal Charter in 1898. She outlines the changes and highlights the opportunities for those involved in information work in all sectors and at all levels.

In this article Lisa Davies, Access Librarian at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, reports on a recent initiative to create online tutorials to improve the legal information skills of postgraduate researchers. She describes the aims of the project, outlines the steps that were taken to create the new training resources, details the content of the tutorials, looks back on the main challenges faced and considers plans for the future.

Julie Kitchen is a law librarian with many years experience of working for law firms large and small. In this article she provides an account of her personal experiences with vendors over the years and offers some suggestions for helping to improve the relationship.

Pre-2013, Shearman & Sterling employed only two full-time knowledge management (KM) professionals across the globe. As Jon Beaumont describes, there was no centralised method of storage or retrieval for knowledge and Attorneys would have to contend with searching the firm's Document Management System (DMS), SharePoint intranet, internal discussion boards or ten disparate knowledge systems for document and matter information. ‘Knowledge Center’ was launched in 2015, following two years of planning, aimed at consolidating firm systems and providing users with a single interface to access any required know-how. This article will touch upon the consolidation and migration of information, but focus predominantly on Knowledge Center itself, examining functionality, search, filtering and browse. Processes for better knowledge identification of both document and matter know-how, all of which have contributed to the success of Knowledge Center, shall also be considered.

As the concept of a ‘practice-ready’ attorney continues to grow in both law firms and law schools, law school libraries are meeting this need by offering programming related to legal technology. In this article, a law librarian from the United States, Janet Kearney, discusses their successes and failures in creating and maintaining legal technology programming, a first step in a larger conversation on practice-ready law graduates. The article is based on a June 2021 presentation given at the annual conference of the British and Irish Association of Law Librarians.

I recently found myself in the ‘enviable’ position of purchasing a library management system. The whole process gave me the chance to review the current classification scheme. The classification used was a ‘home made’ scheme based on broad legal topics. While the scheme was in itself fine, developments in the law meant that a significant number of areas were no longer sufficient. Coupled with the rapid growth in the firm's specialisms in the past few years, the classification scheme no longer served the needs of the library.

This article is based on the presentation given by Suzanne Wheatley at the BIALL Conference in June 2010 giving advice to prospective interviewers on how to make the best recruitment decisions.

Last year in Cork when I added my voice to that of BIALL's incoming chairman to encourage attendance at the 2002 conference at Liverpool, I reminded delegates that Liverpool would be a return to the venue of BIALL's first conference. This announcement met with reactions ranging from “so what”, “not another anniversary” to a fascination with what it was like in the “olden days”. Gradually BIALL's Chair and others (Brian Murray of Legal Library Services in particular) persuaded me to give a session at the conference. Brian was insistent that Liverpool 1970 was part of the heritage of BIALL members and that they ought to be reminded of it from time to time. I should like to acknowledge help in preparing this paper from Mary Blake and Derek Way and the invaluable aide memoire of Mary Blake's history of BIALL (Blake, 2000).

In this article David Ibbetson takes a perspective from the ancient world. A number of texts of Roman law are concerned with injuries arising in the course of athletics. They are particularly concerned with blameworthy killings, and constitute some of the most fundamental texts at the historical base of modern negligence liability. Behind them there may lie questions discussed by Greek orators, where they were fitted into a rather different framework from that of the Romans.

Amanda McKenzie presented this Parallel Session at the 38th Annual BIALL Study Conference in Sheffield in June 2007. She looks at the potential methods of identifying current awareness user groups and reviews traditional methods of current awareness delivery. She then discusses the use of third party aggregators, such as Lexis and PLC. She also looks at the potential for Web 2.0 and social networking methodologies, and evaluates alternative delivery methods, such as RDD feeds, in the context of offering comprehensive services to users.

Jackie Fishleigh from Payne Hicks Beach recently undertook a project to implement a know how database of documents for the firm's Company Commercial Department. Prior to starting she tried to find out how colleagues learnt to use the software and she discusses her findings in this article.