James R. Wirrell

Email: jwirrell@illinoisalumni.org

Education // Library Experience // Other Experience // Professional Organizations // Presentations // Publications // Home page

EDUCATION

Juris Doctor, 2000

University of Illinois, Champaign, IL
Lincoln Scholar, 1998-1999; AALL/LexisNexis John R. Johnson Memorial Scholarship recipient, 1999.

Master of Science in Library and Information Science, 1998

University of Illinois, Champaign, IL

Bachelor of Laws, 1997

University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C.
Advocate Prize in Legal Writing, 1995 .

Master of Christian Studies and Diploma of Christian Studies, 1992

Regent College at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C.

Bachelor of Arts, 1989

Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C.

LIBRARY EXPERIENCE

Law Reference/Circulation Librarian and Adjunct Professor of Law

Gordon D. Schaber Law Library, McGeorge School of Law, Sacramento, CA
March 2003 - present; Adjunct Professor August 2004 – July 2005
Provide legal reference services at reference desk using traditional and electronic resources. Write legal research guides. Provide in-depth research assistance to professors as part of faculty liaison program. Lead professor for Advanced Legal Research class in spring 2005. Teach summer survival, research refresher, Advanced Legal Research and other classes on various topics using a variety of formats. Participate in collection development committee and select items for specified subject areas. Supervise circulation, collection maintenance, reserve and interlibrary loan functions, including three full-time staff members. Develop and revise circulation, reserve and interlibrary loan procedures. Assess budget needs for student staffing. Served as interim foreign and international specialist during position vacancy.

Law Reference/Circulation Librarian

University of Richmond Law Library, Richmond, VA
August 1999 - February 2003
Provided legal reference services at reference desk. Responsible for and taught first year Legal Research class. Instructed first year law students in the use of Westlaw and Lexis. Supervised circulation and reserve areas, including supervision and management of two full time assistants and approximately 15 student assistants. Oversaw implementation of electronic reserve system, including electronic exam reserve. Managed conversion of circulation module of library system to Voyager.

Law Reference Librarian and Library Graduate Assistant

University of Illinois, College of Law Library, Champaign, IL
August 1998 - August 1999 as Reference Librarian; August 1997 - August 1998 as Graduate Assistant
As reference librarian, provided legal reference services, trained graduate assistants, assisted with law library web page development and collection development. As graduate assistant, provided legal reference services, and assisted with web page design.

Serials and Circulation Library Assistant

University of California, Hastings College of the Law Library, San Francisco, CA
September 1996 - May 1997
Processed legal serials, shelved books, and assisted patrons at circulation desk.

OTHER EXPERIENCE

Collections Officer, Revenue Canada Taxation, Surrey, B.C., Summers 1995 and 1996. Contacted tax debtors and arranged payment plan or took legal action to collect debts. Completed training in areas of negotiation, dealing with special needs clients, and in handling conflict situations.

Research Assistant, Regent College, 1991-92. Wrote and edited 60 page manual of church history with over 200 entries. Used as sourcebook for graduate church history students.

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND ACTIVITIES

American Association of Law Librarians (1997-current)

Member, AALLNET Advisory Committee (Term: 2007–2010)

Member, ALL-SIS Faculty Services Committee (2005-current)

Northern California Association of Law Libraries (2003 - current)

Member, Bibliography Committee, Third All California Joint Institute (2006)

Virginia Association of Law Libraries (1999-2003)

Editor of VALL Newsletter, 2000 - 2002.

PRESENTATIONS

Co-Presenter, How to Search Like a Pro. To be presented at National Business Institute Seminar Find it Free and Fast on the Net: Strategies for Legal Research on the Web, in San Francisco , California on May 17, 2007.

PUBLICATIONS

Co-Author, How to Search Like a Pro, in Find it Free and Fast on the Net: Strategies for Legal Research on the Web, Program Materials, National Business Institute, 2007.

Co-Author, Effective Advocacy: Tips, Techniques and Examples, A Selected Bibliography, in Institute Bibliography, Third All California Joint Institute, 2006.

Author, Book Review, 98 Law Library Journal 172-174 (2006) (reviewing Kent Greenawalt, Does God Belong in Public Schools? (2005)).

Author. Church History Manual, Regent College, 1992.