A Guide to Legal Research in Virginia

Joyce Manna Janto, editor of this book and author of Chapter 10, is the Deputy Director of the University of Richmond’s William Taylor Muse Law Library. Prior to her position as Deputy Director, she served as the Acquisitions Librarian (1982-1989) and the Associate Director for Collection Development (1989- 1991). She teaches Legal Research in the first year Lawyering Skills program and Professional Responsibility. She is very active professionally, having served as president of the Virginia Association of Law Libraries and the Southeastern Chapter of the American Association of Law Libraries. She also served first as the treasurer and then as the president of American Association of Law Libraries. She has published extensively in both legal- and library-related publications and presented at conferences and CLE programs on the international, national, regional, state, and local levels. Ms. Janto earned a B.S. from the Clarion State University of Pennsylvania, an M.L.S. from the University of Pittsburgh, and a J.D. from the University of Richmond.

Christopher D. Byrne, co-author of Chapter 7, is Head of Research and Instructional Services at William & Mary Law School’s Wolf Law Library. He teaches legal research through the law school’s Legal Research and Writing program as well as Foreign and International Research. He earned a B.A. from Hamilton College, an M.L.I.S. from the University of Rhode Island, and a J.D. from Harvard.

Frederick W. Dingledy, co-author of Chapter 7, is a Senior Reference Librarian at William & Mary’s Wolf Law Library. He teaches legal research through the law school’s Legal Research and Writing program as well as Foreign and International Research. Mr. Dingledy is a former President of the Virginia Association of Law Libraries. He earned a B.S. from The Pennsylvania State University, an M.A.L.I.S. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School.

John D. Eure, author of Chapter 1, is a member of the Roanoke law firm of Johnson, Ayers & Matthews, P.L.C. He is a member of the Virginia State Bar, The Virginia Bar Association, the Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys, and the American Bar Association. He chairs the Board of Editors of The Journal of Civil Litigation, a quarterly journal published by the Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys. Mr. Eure has lectured in continuing legal education seminars on appellate practice, legal writing, and insurance coverage matters and has lectured in the Roanoke City Public Schools on Shakespeare, the Restoration, and Eighteenth Century British literature. He earned a B.A., magna cum laude, from Yale University and an M.A. and J.D. from the University of Virginia.

Kristin Glover, co-author of Chapter 6, is a Research Librarian at the University of Virginia School of Law’s Arthur J. Morris Law Library. She teaches Advanced Legal Research. Ms. Glover earned an A.B. from Harvard University and a J.D. from University of Virginia School of Law.

Marie Summerlin Hamm, author of Chapter 4, is the Law Library Assistant Director for Collection Development and Adjunct Professor of Law at Regent University School of Law where she has taught both first-year and advanced legal research and writing courses. She is an active member of the James Kent American Inn of Court, the Association of American Law Schools, the Association of Legal Writing Directors, the Legal Writing Institute, the American Association of Law Libraries, the Southeastern Chapter of the American Association of Law Libraries, and a past president of the Virginia Association of Law Libraries. Mrs. Hamm earned a B.S., summa cum laude, from Mount Olive College, an M.L.S., summa cum laude, from Syracuse University, and a J.D. from Regent University School of Law, where she served as a member of the law review.

Alexis Fetzer Sharp, co-author of Chapter 3, is a Reference Librarian at the Richmond office of Hunton & Williams LLP. She was formerly a Reference and Research Services Librarian at the University of Richmond’s William Taylor Muse Law Library. She has taught legal research in the law school’s first-year Lawyering Skills program, U.S. Legal Research and Writing, a course for LL.M. students, and Advanced Legal Research in Foreign and International Law and has guest lectured on international legal research topics. She is active in the American Association of Law Libraries, serving in leadership positions in the Foreign, International and Comparative Law, the Professional Growth and Advancement, and Research, Instruction and Patron Services Special Interest Sections. She is also an active member of the Southeastern Chapter of the American Association of Law Libraries and the Virginia Association of Law Libraries. Ms. Sharp earned a B.S., J.D./D.C.L., and M.L.I.S. from Louisiana State University where she also served as a library fellow.

Roger V. Skalbeck, author of Chapter 9, is Associate Dean for Library and Information Services and Associate Professor of Law at the University of Richmond. Mr. Skalbeck teaches Legal Research in the first-year Lawyering Skills program as well as an Advanced Legal Research course. Mr. Skalbeck is an active member of the American Association of Law Libraries, where he served on an advisory committee dealing the issues of copyright and access to government information. He speaks and writes frequently on the role of technology in the legal profession, and he is an active supporter of programs to expand access to justice through technology. He earned a B.A. from Macalester College, an M.L.I.S. from Dominican University, and a J.D. from George Mason University (now the Antonin Scalia Law School).

Gail Warren, author of Chapter 2, is the State Law Librarian of the Supreme Court of Virginia and has served in this position since September 1982. Ms. Warren was admitted to the Virginia State Bar in 1982 and is a member of the Education of Lawyers section. From 1991-2000 she served as an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Law at the T.C. Williams School of Law of the University of Richmond. She is active in the American Association of Law Libraries and has held leadership positions in AALL, the Government Law Libraries Special Interest Section of AALL, and the Virginia Association of Law Libraries. Ms. Warren was appointed to the Virginia Access to Justice Commission in November 2013. She earned a B.A. from James Madison University, a J.D. from the University of Richmond, and an M.S.L.S. from The Catholic University of America.

Amy Wharton, co-author of Chapter 6, is Research and Emerging Technologies Librarian at the University of Virginia School of Law’s Arthur J. Morris Law Library. She teaches Advanced Legal Research at the School of Law. Ms. Wharton was president of the Virginia Association of Law Libraries (2013-2014) and is an active member of the American Association of Law Libraries. She earned a B.A. from the University of Virginia, a J.D. from George Mason University School of Law (now the Antonin Scalia Law School), and an M.L.I.S. from the University of Oklahoma.

Gail F. Zwirner, author of Chapter 5, is currently the president of the City of Richmond Public Library Board. Before her retirement, she was the Head of Access Services at the University of Richmond Law School Library. While at Richmond she taught Legal Research in the Lawyering Skills program. Before joining the faculty at the University of Richmond, she was the Senior Reference Librarian at the Richmond office of Hunton & Williams. She is a former president of the Virginia Association of Law Libraries and, in that association, helped initiate the project for the creation of the Virginia Administrative Code. Ms. Zwirner was also an adjunct faculty member for The Catholic University of America’s School of Library and Information Science. She earned a B.A. from Juniata College and an M.S.L.S. from The Catholic University of America.