January 2010 Newsletter
Close this window Newsletter Archives
Holiday Library Closures
Job Opening: Executive Director
January Classes - MCLE Crunch Time
Self-study MCLE Materials Available
MCLE Credit - Now on Your iPhone
New Resource & Materials Added to the Collection
Witkin Award Winners, Part I
Send this mail to a friend
January 2010 Newsletter
Holiday Library Closures

<big>Holiday Library Closures</big> All branches of the Law Library will be CLOSED on:
  • Thursday, December 31st and
  • Friday, January 1st
in observance of the New Year. Normal hours of operation will resume on Saturday, January 2, 2010.

All branches of the Law Library also will be CLOSED on:
MLK10
  • Monday, January 18th
in observance of Martin Luther King's Birthday. Normal hours of operation will resume on Tuesday, January 19, 2010.

Mr. King directed the infamous march on Washington, D.C., where he delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech to 250,000 people. He was the youngest man to receive the Nobel Peace Prize at the age of 35. He was assassinated on the evening of April 4, 1968, in Memphis.

President Ronald Reagan created a federal holiday in King's honor in November 1983. As of 1992, the holiday is annually observed on the third Monday of January.
Back to top
Job Opening: Executive Director

<big>Job Opening: Executive Director</big> The executive director oversees multi-site library operations and provides leadership in executing the strategic plan of the San Diego County Public Law Library.

The primary purpose of this position is to ensure the relevancy and vitality of the Library consistent with state law and with the vision and policies set forth by the Board of Trustees.

The primary responsibilities for the job are:
  • Strategic Planning and Execution
  • Operations
  • Board and Community Relations
  • Staff Supervision and Management
The job description and more information about the position is available on the Job Openings section of the library's website.
Back to top
January Classes - MCLE Crunch Time

<big>January Classes - MCLE Crunch Time</big> Bookmark and Share

Pre-registration is required for all classes, as seating is limited. Please sign up by calling the appropriate branch location.

For a complete description of the classes and the most up-to-date information, visit our Class Calendar.

Classes are usually free to Law Library members and $5 for non-members. However, because December and January are MCLE crunch time, most of the following classes are open only to our attorney and paralegal Law Library members. Please see individual class descriptions for class offerings open to the public.

*MCLE Participatory Credit hour(s) available for these classes.
The San Diego County Public Law Library is a State Bar approved MCLE provider.

MAIN BRANCH (619) 531-3900
NORTH COUNTY BRANCH (760) 940-4386
SOUTH BAY BRANCH (619) 691-4929
Open to everyone: free to members, $5 for non-members.
Back to top
Self-study MCLE Materials Available

<big>Self-study MCLE Materials Available</big> In addition to our many participatory MCLE credit classes, we also offer a variety of CDs and DVDs on mandatory subjects (ethics, elimination of bias, detection / prevention of substance abuse) and other general subjects for self-study credit at our Main and North County branches.

California Bar Members can have a maximum of 12.5 self-study hours, and mandatory subjects can be fulfilled with participatory or self-study hours. MCLE self-study CDs/DVDs can be checked out by Library Members (up to 3 at a time) for a period of 3 days only with no renewals during January.

For a list of our MCLE self-study holdings, visit our "featured item lists" in our Online Catalog.
Back to top
MCLE Credit - Now on Your iPhone

<big>MCLE Credit - Now on Your iPhone</big> by Tina J.

Introducing West's new CLE Mobile - a free iPhone app for downloading West LegalEdcenter CLE programs for credit. Now you can get MCLE credit on the go, anytime, anywhere using your iPhone.

Simply download the free West CLE Mobile app onto your iPhone, create a free account if you don't already have a LegalEdcenter account, sign in, and you're off. You receive one free CLE just for downloading the app, Ethics in Client Development, a one-hour program immediately available.

If you need more credits, West offers over 2,000 audio CLE programs, and according to Jeff Richardson, Esq. of "iPhone J.D.," a site for lawyers using the iPhone, most offerings appeared to be "Mobile Compatible," meaning available for download to your iPhone. He reports that prices vary for programs, but that a majority of the one-hour courses cost approximately $135.00.

Purchasing a course makes it instantly available for download to your iPhone, including the audio and all offered materials. Downloading takes just a minute or two, but there is an expiration date posted that requires you to play the program any time before then.

Playing the programs is fairly straightforward with many familiar features of most audio programs. West, however, has added a "verification" feature assuring that you're actually paying attention to the course. Throughout the program, you will hear a bell ring requiring you to tap the "Now Playing" button, then the "Verify" button to ensure you're still conscious. This means that if you think you can try to skip over the course without really listening by simply moving the slider to the end, you'd be wrong. The slider will only go as far as the last "verified position" marked.

You can also review the program materials while listening to the course, stop and resume your play at a later time, rate the program when you finish, and electronically "Submit for Credit" any programs you complete. West will then email you a link for a "Certificate of Completion" that you're able to forward to your state bar if required to do so.

Don't have an iPhone you say? You can always visit your San Diego Law Library where member attorneys and paralegals can always attend free MCLE classes and check out self-study MCLE CDs/DVDs throughout the year, including during our annual MCLE Crunch Time events in December and January.
Back to top
New Resource & Materials Added to the Collection

<big>New Resource & Materials Added to the Collection</big> This month's featured resource:
California Juvenile Dependency Practice (2009)
by Malvina E.J. Abbott, et al.

This CEB publication discusses detention, jurisdictional, dispositional, and review hearings. It also covers Section 366.26 hearings, special proceedings, and appeals and writs. Attorneys representing the county, children, parents, and de facto parents will find this book useful. Sample forms are included on the CD inside this resource, which is available at all our branch locations.

New Materials Added to the Collection
The Law Library regularly adds new materials to its collection. To see the new books added to our collection in the last month, click here.
Back to top
Witkin Award Winners, Part I

The Library will hold its annual Bernard E. Witkin, Esq. Awards Dinner on Thursday, March 4, 2010, at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina - Bay Tower. The event will start with a cocktail hour at 5 pm, followed by dinner and awards.

The Witkin Event is the Law Library's premier fundraiser. The goal this year is to raise funds especially to purchase adaptive equipment for visually-challenged library users. You are invited to be a part of this worthwhile effort to benefit people with disabilities who use the library. For reservation and sponsorship information, please contact Joy Placek.

2010 Witkin Honorees:

JosephJeffrey Joseph, Associate Dean and General Counsel at Thomas Jefferson Law School for his Distinguished Service as an Educator.

Jeff Joseph graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1969 with a B.A. in history and the University of California, Davis, law school in 1972 with a J.D. degree. From 1972-1979 he served as Deputy Attorney General in the California Attorney General's Office. Mr. Joseph handled over 200 appeals and was the first Deputy Attorney General in San Diego to be assigned to the felony trial division of the District Attorney's Office where he tried a wide variety of criminal cases.

In 1979, Mr. Joseph was appointed to the Special Prosecutions Unit of the Attorney General's Office where he and two assigned investigators handled cases involving sophisticated crime including organized crime figures.

In 1980, Mr. Joseph joined the California Department of Transportation where he tried countless personal injury cases involving state highway accidents, eminent domain matters, environmental and employment cases. Mr. Joseph was appointed Deputy Chief Counsel in charge of the seventeen lawyer San Diego Office in 1992 and served in that position until his appointment as Associate Dean and General Counsel at Thomas Jefferson School of Law in July 2006.

Since 1990, Mr. Joseph has served as an adjunct professor of law at Thomas Jefferson teaching the following courses: Civil Procedure, California Civil Procedure, Trial Practice, Environmental Law, American Legal History and Legal Writing. He has been a member of the San Diego Superior Court Judge Pro Tem panel presiding in jury and non-jury trials and has served on the Court's arbitration and mediation panels hearing well over 1300 judicial and non-judicial cases.

Mr. Joseph has an AV rating from Martindale Hubbell and has been named to San Diego Super Lawyers for the past three years. He is a member of the United States Supreme Court, the Eastern and Southern Federal District Courts and the California Supreme Court. He serves on the San Diego County Bar Association's Conference of Delegates to the California State Bar as well as the San Diego Superior Court's ADR committee. He and his wife of 28 years have two grown children.

HargroveThe Hon. John J. Hargrove (ret.) for his Distinguished Service as a Judge.

Former Chief U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge, John Hargrove was appointed to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of California by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on September 30, 1985. He was elevated to the position of Chief Judge in 2000. Judge Hargrove retired from the court in 2008.

Judge Hargrove received his B.A. from the University of Notre Dame in 1964, and his J.D. from the University of Notre Dame in 1967, where he was a member of Pi Sigma Alpha. Judge Hargrove served as Captain in the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam conflict, and thereafter served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve until 1990 when he retired as a Lt. Col.

During his military service, he held positions as a trial lawyer and a General Courts-Martial Judge with the military Sierra Circuit at Camp Pendleton, California. His military awards and decorations include the Navy Commendation Medal with Combat "V" device (a bronze attachment to indicate that the medal was received for valor, which is an award that must be personally recommended by a superior) for service with the 1st Marine Division, Republic of Vietnam.

Judge Hargrove also served as the National President of the Notre Dame Alumni Association from 1988 to 1989, and served continuously on the Alumni Association's Board of Directors from 1985 to 1989.

Judge Hargrove has dedicated his time in retirement in San Diego County to the significant youth program called CARE, the Credit Abuse Resistance Education program. This program educates secondary school children on financial practice. CARE is a free financial literacy program which makes bankruptcy professionals available to educators, students and the public to illuminate the dangers of credit abuse. CARE has a presence in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Judge Hargrove was one of the early participants in this program and has devoted noteworthy time to develop fiscal responsibility in our youth.

Next month's E-Newsletter will feature:
  • The Hon. Sharon Majors-Lewis from the Governor's Office for her Distinguished service as an Attorney, and
  • State Sen. Christine Kehoe for her Distinguished Service as Community Leader.
Back to top
Bookmark and Share

We hope you've enjoyed our newsletter! If you are a guest and would like to subscribe, please CLICK HERE.

We're hard at work on the next edition. In the meantime, please visit us online at www.sdcpll.org or stop by one of our four locations.

For more information or to send comments about this newsletter, contact Tina Jagerson, Media Coordinator and South Bay Branch Manager.
some images © 2002-2003 www.clipart.comPowered by SubscriberMail. Patent Pending.