Peter Clinch, the former Law Librarian at Cardiff University, is a multiple award winner and prolific writer on all things to do with legal information research. Here he talks to LIM about how he initially worked as a town planner, his long career in law librarianship, and his views on the challenges now facing the profession.

In this article Renate Ní Uigín, Librarian of the Honorable Society of King's Inns Library in Dublin, gives LIM an overview of the library's fascinating history and its collection, while also outlining the service it offers today.

This article by Susan Brodigan at McCann FitzGerald LLP provides an overview of Irish case law, outlining the methods used for researching Irish cases while also giving tips to those new to the profession, or to the Irish jurisdiction.

In this article, Sinéad Curtin, Legal Knowledge Manager in the Chief State Solicitor's Office, provides a guide to the free and subscription sources for researching Irish legislation. She explains how legislation is enacted, how to determine if it's in force and whether it's been amended. She also looks at tracking legislation, the transposition of EU directives and statutory interpretation in general. The article concludes with a list of sources for Irish legislation.

Colin Hulme, head of intellectual property (IP) at Burness Paull, considers the impact of environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) programmes on the observance of copyright by corporates. This article was commissioned by the Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) and first appeared in the New Law Journal in 2023.

This article by Paul Magrath, Head of Product Development and Online Content at ICLR (incorporated Council of Law Reporting), provides a survey of 10 key technological developments that, over time, have contributed towards or affected our understanding of the administration of justice. Developments involving digitisation, the internet, and artificial intelligence (AI) are dealt with in greater depth, with a particular focus on recent AI developments at ICLR.

Client service skills are the human side of the work of an information professional. Whatever type of legal research environment we work in, our internal clients will expect that we have the right technical skills to support their work. But technical excellence in our day-to-day professional lives will amount to nothing if we cannot also deliver excellent client service. The benefit derived from this will be a more relevant research service, powered by experts, while the profile of the services provided will also be raised. In this article Jas Breslin aims to set out some of the behaviours that can be used to build a rapport and trust with clients, so that they can benefit from an information team that better understands their needs.

Legal Information Management Co-Editor and experienced professional journalist and author Mike Breslin offers up some personal tips on writing an article, including how to plan, how to work through it in stages and how to write copy specifically for LIM.

This year's BIALL Annual Conference, held in Leeds in June, was a great success, with excellent speakers, cutting edge tech on display and even a murder – which was quickly solved – during the big dinner on the Thursday night.

This research paper has been complied by Abhishek Thommandru, Abdumukhtor Rakhmanov, Shokhrukhbek Tillaboev and Varda Mone. It explores the historical trajectories and modern dynamics of Islamic financial law in Central Asia, a region characterised by a rich tapestry of cultural influences and a predominantly Muslim population. The paper traces the evolution of Islamic finance from its roots in Sharia principles, such as the avoidance of riba, gharar, and maysir, to its current sophisticated framework that promotes equity, transparency, and social welfare. The unique blend of traditional practices and modern regulations in Central Asian Islamic financial jurisprudence is examined, along with the factors driving the industry's growth, including increasing awareness, regulatory support, and integration with global markets.

The paper also delves into the key principles underpinning Islamic financial institutions, such as the prohibition of interest, risk-sharing, and asset-backed financing, and discusses the progress made by Central Asian countries in establishing regulatory frameworks, Shariah compliance oversight, and legal infrastructure. The development of Islamic banking practices, capital markets and takaful in the region is also explored, highlighting the availability of Sharia-compliant products and services. However, the challenges of harmonising Islamic and conventional laws, ensuring consistent Shariah interpretation, and establishing effective dispute resolution mechanisms are also addressed.

The economic impact of Islamic finance in promoting financial inclusion, attracting investments, and fostering stability is also analysed, along with the influence of cultural considerations, social welfare, and ethical investing on the acceptance and growth of Islamic finance in Central Asia. Case studies from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan are presented to illustrate successful implementation strategies. The paper concludes by emphasising the potential for Islamic finance to drive sustainable economic development in Central Asia and the need for ongoing research, collaboration, and policy support to navigate the complex dynamics of this evolving field. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the historical trajectories and modern dynamics of Islamic financial law in Central Asia, providing valuable insights for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers in this rapidly growing sector.

In the latest in our series reviewing archived copies of Legal Information Management and The Law Librarian – as the journal was once known – LIM's co-editors leaf through the four editions published in 1994, while they also take a quick look at an issue from 2001 which featured a contributor who has since gone on to greater things …