Leveraging an LLM in Intellectual Property for a Career Pivot; American Bar Association (ABA), May 18, 2026

 Meredith Williams ,Jacob, Christine , Haight Farley, and Michael Carroll, American Bar Association (ABA) ; Leveraging an LLM in Intellectual Property for a Career Pivot

"As markets rapidly change, many lawyers are looking to specialize, differentiate themselves from their peers, and pivot into practice areas with space for career growth. For lawyers looking to transition into or deepen their expertise in intellectual property law, an LLM in intellectual property offers a strategic stepping stone for a diverse set of career paths.

LLM Expands Career Pathways in a High-Growth Field

The Master of Laws (LLM) in Intellectual Property (IP) is a postgraduate degree designed for lawyers who have already earned their JD or equivalent law degree. The LLM in IP law goes beyond the core areas of patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secrets, intersecting with law and regulation of privacy, technology, health care, advertising, free speech, and national security. An LLM program provides the technical knowledge and perspective needed to practice successfully in this rapidly evolving field."

Professional Development Is a Wellness Program; American Libraries, November 3, 2025

Donald W. Crankshaw , American Libraries; Professional Development Is a Wellness Program

"Traditional professional development plans in libraries may satisfy organizational or certification needs but do not necessarily satisfy employees’ needs, wants, and interests. What if we put employees’ needs and wants center stage by looking at professional development through the lens of an employee well-being program? A well-being program is an investment in the whole person, not just the part that is an employee, and therefore the concept of professional development can easily be built into a well-being program."

ABACLE launches rule of law CLE series to promote democracy; American Bar Association (ABA), March 31, 2025

American Bar Association (ABA); ABACLE launches rule of law CLE series to promote democracy

"The series will explore the integrity of the legal system and the vital role of an independent judiciary. Participants will hear from experts about safeguarding the rule of law, preserving public trust and ensuring justice remains free from political influence.

Programs will be added regularly to the ongoing series, which will feature nonpolitical, nonpartisan programming focused on support for the rule of law and the role lawyers and courts play in defending the constitutional framework and democratic processes, as well as topics that more broadly address the legal implications of recent administrative changes, court rulings and more.

A real-world example of the issues that will be explored in the series is the impact of recent presidential executive orders on the legal profession and the country."

ALA Announces the 2025 Class of Emerging Leaders; ALA, December 4, 2024

ALA; ALA Announces the 2025 Class of Emerging Leaders

"The American Library Association (ALA) has selected forty-six (46) people to participate in its 2025 class of Emerging Leaders (EL). The EL program is designed to enable library staff and information workers to participate in project planning work groups, network with peers, gain an inside look into ALA structure, and have an opportunity to serve the profession in a leadership capacity early in their careers. See the list of participants.

The Emerging Leaders program will kick off with a day-long session during the ALA LibLearnX: The Library Learning Experience (LibLearnX25) event in Phoenix, Arizona. Participants will continue in a virtual learning and networking environment for six months. The EL program culminates with a poster session where the Emerging Leaders will highlight the results of their project planning work during the ALA 2025 Annual Conference in Philadelphia this June.

Christina Fuller-Gregory and Libby Holtmann, co-chairs of the Emerging Leaders program, look forward to working with this class of Emerging Leaders. Commenting on the EL program, Fuller-Gregory and Holtmann shared that ' We feel privileged to work with a group of dynamic early career librarians and library workers. The 2025 Class of Emerging Leaders continues the EL programs tradition of excellence, bringing with them both a passion for the field, and a desire to continue to advance the larger work or ALA. This year's class can expect to engage in more specialized programming, intentional peer-to-peer engagement, and a continued tradition of providing Emerging Leaders with project-based learning opportunities."

The EL cohort consists of individuals from across the U.S. and Canada. The participants commit to taking part in all aspects of the program and may have an opportunity to serve on an ALA, division, chapter, round table, or affiliate committee or workgroup upon completion.

This year, approximately sixty-one (61%) percent of participants have received sponsorships. The sponsors include ALA divisions, roundtables, the National Associations of Librarians of Color, state chapters, and ALA affiliate organizations. Each sponsor commits to financial support of an Emerging Leader to help defray costs of attending the LibLearnX and the ALA Annual Conferences.

The complete list of the selected participants and sponsoring organizations can be found on the Emerging Leader’s webpage.

The ALA Emerging Leaders program is managed by the ALA Office for Human Resource Development and Recruitment(HRDR)."

Four Marines trained an Air Force base to take the Marine Corps fitness test. The Air Force gave them medals for it.; Task & Purpose, September 9, 2024

MATT WHITE, Task & Purpose; Four Marines trained an Air Force base to take the Marine Corps fitness test. The Air Force gave them medals for it 

[Kip Currier: Proud son of a U.S. Air Force veteran -- my Dad -- with my early boyhood years spent on a USAF base, and also have Marine culture present in my life, too. 

Thanks to ALL who served/serve to keep us safe and work tirelessly to maintain our democracy.

Using this cool, inspiring story in my Strategic Planning lecture later today for my Managing and Leading Information Services graduate course this term...Great examples of:

• having a Leadership Vision
• setting and attaining Goals and Objectives
• adapting to Organizational Culture
• promoting Collaboration and Diversity/Inclusion
• embracing and managing Change
• facilitating Communication
• recognizing/celebrating Achievement and Success]

[Excerpts]

"Since 2022, a small group of Marines at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas have been holding Marine Corps-style PT sessions for airmen going through the base’s professional development schools.

Their goal: get the troops from the Air Force — often denigrated by more fitness-oriented branches as the ‘Chair Force’ — to pass the Marine Corps’ grueling Combat Fitness Test.

Apparently, the Marines did such a dedicated, motivated and fired-up job that the base commander decorated them with Air Force medals.

Marine Sgt. Alexander Martinez led the program and was one of four Marines who received an award for developing the fitness regimen.

“Being a Marine on an Air Force base is a culture shock, but working with a sister branch in a joint effort is extremely valuable,” Martinez told Task & Purpose in an email...

“The airmen are most enthusiastic when they finish the entire CFT and sometimes they will ask if they can run another one in the future,” said Alexander.

Some, he said, truly excelled. Senior Airman Svetlana Escobar joined Martinez’s team of instructors after scoring a perfect 300.

In the last two years at Little Rock, the Marines put nine classes of the Airman Leadership School through the training, along with 12 other professional seminars and three all-base sporting events with 400 people."

ALA Announces $7 Million in Grants to Support Accessibility; American Libraries, March 3, 2022

 American Libraries; ALA Announces $7 Million in Grants to Support Accessibility

"On March 3, the American Library Association announced that its Libraries Transforming Communities initiative will be distributing $7 million in grants to support accessibility efforts at small and rural libraries. The statement reads as follows:

The American Library Association (ALA) announced today that its Libraries Transforming Communities project will offer more than $7 million in grants to small and rural libraries to increase the accessibility of facilities, services, and programs to better serve people with disabilities.

“[The] Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities [grant] represents an important next step in ALA’s commitment to serving small and rural libraries as well as emphasizing the essential connection between accessibility and our work in spreading the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI),” said ALA President Patricia “Patty” M. Wong. “Made possible by a generous grant, this project will also allow ALA to strengthen our staff by providing accessibility training and other professional development around EDI issues. We are also grateful for the opportunity to bring on ALA’s first accessibility officer to oversee our work on this important core value.”"