As I take some time to write this, we at Emory University School of Law are on the very eve of hosting the 36th International Association of Law Libraries Annual Course on International Law and Legal Information. More than a year of preparation, endless hours spent in local planning committee meetings, making site visits, calling caterers, and don't even get me started on the number of emails on every conceivable subject related to hosting a conference for 120 people! All the preparations are complete and the time has come now for the event to begin! Already some of the first delegates are arriving here in Atlanta. The program is fantastic, the speakers are first rate and the topics – Civil Rights, Human Rights, and Other Critical Issues in U.S. Law – are current and sure to interest the delegates. The excursions are one-of-a-kind, the meals will do justice to our famed southern hospitality and cuisine, and the networking opportunities are sure to please. It's going to be amazing!
But you are not here to read about the imminent Annual Course. That will come in the following issue – the proceedings issue. Stay tuned! Of course, in this issue of the IJLI, there is excellent content.
This issue contains the well-loved International Calendar, edited by Amy Flick. Among other vital roles Amy plays in Emory's MacMillan Law Library, she has been a crucial member of the local planning committee for this year's IALL Annual Course here in Atlanta. We couldn't have done it without her. Well done, and many thanks, Amy! This issue also contains the long-standing reader-favorite Book Reviews, edited by Thomas Mills. I want to take just a moment and point out that Thomas has recently been appointed as Law Library Director at Notre Dame Law School's Kresge Law Library. After serving many years at Cornell's law library, Thomas has taken the plunge into library administration. I can't think of a better or more capable person for the job at one of America's top law school libraries. Congratulations, Thomas!
There are four feature articles in this issue. The first is by Professor John Baker. I need to point out that Professor Baker's very interesting article on Law Reporting in England from 1550–1650 should have actually been published in issue 45.1. That's because he delivered that piece in his presentation at the 35th Annual Course in Oxford, England in 2016. However it happened, Professor Baker's article somehow slipped through the cracks and just did not make it into that issue. With this editor's sincere apologies, we bring IJLI’s readers the now long-overdue publication of Professor Baker's article. Thank you, Professor Baker, for your kindness and generosity of spirit as we correct that oversight.
The second article is Li Chen’s biographical sketch of Hua Chuen Mei, the First Chinese-American Admitted to the New York Bar in the Twentieth Century and his Crusade to End Discrimination Against Ethnic Chinese in America. Chen's work places the reader in Mei's world in the early twentieth century, as America struggled to come to terms with its deep-seated bigotry against ethnic Chinese. Ultimately, though, the article is a tale of triumph as we learn of Mei's amazing academic career and how he subsequently negotiated New York legal society to become a leading advocate. The story leaves us with Mei's relocation to Shanghai, where he rises to well-deserved heights in the Chinese legal culture of that time. It is a fascinating and entertaining read!
Third in the article lineup is another piece by and about Chinese law. Fengping Gao provides a very useful explanation of China's Guiding Cases and how they fit into the overall legal structure in China – their weight, persuasive authority, and use in Chinese jurisprudence. Fengping's article should be required reading for anyone who needs or wants to know how Chinese law works.
Finally, we bring you a piece by William Gaskill, our colleague from the Howard W. Hunter Law Library at Brigham Young's J. Reuben Clark Law School. Bill has provided a fifty-state guide to state court papers in the United States. He gives details from all fifty states in a direct, matter-of-fact manner. It's highly practical and easy to use and reference. I can even imagine some librarians marking or tabbing this piece for future reference. Being useful is what we like, so that's Bill, for putting together such a great tool for reference librarians and researchers!
As you can see, there is an interesting, eclectic mix in this issue of the IJLI. I hope you enjoy reading it – and using it – as much as I did editing it and working with these wonderful authors. Happy reading!
