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University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law

The urban public law school with a small liberal arts feel
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Paul D. Callister, JD, MSLIS

Director of the Leon E. Bloch Law Library & Associate Professor of Law
University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law (since July 2003)
Tenure (September 2007)

B.A., Brigham Young University (1988)
J.D., Cornell Law School (1991)
M.S. in Library & Information Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2000)

email
816-235-1650
 
Bio · Scholarly Pubs. · Experience · Prof. Societies · Committees · Presentations · Digitization Projects · Other Recognition · Web Resources

Scholarly & Professional Publishing

Research and Publishing Interests

  • The relationship of the information environment to jurisprudence, the rule of law, political, social, and economic stability, and the evolution of government and legal institutions.

  • Pedagogy of legal research instruction including its history, appropriate responses to changes in the information environment, and the beneficial use of conceptual models.

In Process

  • Books above the Throne:  Geopolitical and Technological Factors Exalting Textual Authority in Seventeenth-Century England (submitted to law reviews March 2008) (download PDF version, 1.6 MB).  Actualization of the rule of law necessitates more than the enumeration of individual rights and the careful articulation of divided powers, but the presence of an information environment conducive to such rule. This article applies geopolitical and technological factors of “media theory” to seventeenth-century England in order to understand the effects of the information environment upon legal institutions and government. It considers factors such as the effusive spread of printing throughout Europe, smuggling of political and religious texts from overseas, citation to a much broader base of textual of authority, and developments in stabilized texts and cross-referencing. These factors affected the development and independent standing of legal and authoritative works, such as Lord Edward Coke’s Institutes, the English Bible, and political tracts. In turn, the influence of such works on legal and political developments curtailed absolute monarchy and led to the onset of roles for public opinion and political discourse. 

  • Books above the Throne:  Institutional and Cognitive Factors Exalting Textual Authority in Seventeenth-Century England (in draft form with planned submission to law reviews in Sept. 2008).  Following in the heels of the article above, this article treats institutional factors such as the Inns of Court and the impact of reading on the profession of law, the Stationer’s Company and its role in censoring legal publications, and the conflict between absolute monarchy and parliamentary supremacy as played out in a “textual era.”  The second part of the article considers the changing societal notions of “cognitive authority” (a term coined by Robert Berring) in the age of the press, including iconic and textual influences on Britain’s sense of authority and the increasing role of private conscience and individual reliance upon printed books.

  • Revision of Digital Content Licensing, 2 Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science 2d 873-83 (2003) (adding Kathleen Hall as co-author) (revisions for the 3rd edition of the Encyclopedia are currently before the editors).

Book Chapters

  • Invited author for chapter, "Seeing the 'Whole Elephant': A new model for Law School Libraries," Inside the Minds: The Changing Role of Academic Librarianship (2008).  Per the publisher, Aspatore Books, "featuring library directors and managers representing some of the nation's top law schools, these experts guide the reader through the history of law school librarianship and outline major elements of the librarian's role today, including monitoring budgets, allocating resources, harnessing new technologies, and enhancing research education."

  • CCH Editor/Author for rewrite of General Qualifications for All Plans, Chapter C:4, CCH Federal Tax Service (1999) (CCH Tax Research Network).

Peer-Reviewed Journals

  • Law and Heidegger’s Question Concerning Technology: A Prolegomenon to Future Law Librarianship , 99 Law Library Journal 285-305 (2007).  Published paper for Symposium: Legal Information and the Development of American Law Further Thinking about the Thoughts of Bob Berring, an invited presentation (Boalt Hall, University of California, Berkeley, Oct. 2006) (download PDF version, 207k).  Also published as chapter in Legal Information and the Development of American Law:  A Collection of Essays Inspired by the Contributions of Robert C. Berring 121-145 (Richard A. Danner & Frank G. Houdek eds., 2008); and Legal Issues of Technology (solicited for inclusion in forthcoming book, Icfia University Press, Amicus Books, India, anticipated fall 2008).

  • Beyond Training: Law Librarianship’s Quest for the Pedagogy of Legal Research Education, 95 Law Library Journal 7-45 (2003) (download PDF version, 199k)..  Selected by American Library Association's Library Instruction Round Table, from among more than 100 articles, as one of the "Top Twenty" articles on library instruction in 2003.

  •  Digital Content Licensing, 2 Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science 2d 873-83 (2003).

  • The Internet, Regulation and the Market for Loyalties: An Economic Analysis of Transborder Information Flow, 2002 University of Illinois Journal of Law, Technology & Policy 59-107.  Journal is cosponsored by the Illinois College of Law, the National Center for Supercomputing Applications, and the Institute for Government and Public Affairs. 

  • Charitable Remainder Trusts--An Overview, 51 The Tax Lawyer 549-70 (1998), which is jointly published by the Taxation Section of the American Bar Association and Georgetown University Law Center. A condensed version was reprinted in Best of ABA Sections: Taxation: Charitable Remainder Trusts: an Overview, 16 GP Solo and Small Firm Lawyer, March 1999, at 52-53. 

Law Reviews, Non-Peer Reviewed Journals and Other Publications

  • Public Access to Presidential Records and Claims of Executive Privilege, 25 AALL Issue Brief 2007-1 (March, 2007).

  • Identity and Market for Loyalties Theories:  The Case for Free Information Flow in Insurgent Iraq, 25 Saint Louis University Public Law Review 123-153 (2006) (invited submission) (download PDF version, 350k).

  • Law's Box:  Law, Jurisprudence and the Information Ecosphere, 74 UMKC Law Review 263-334 (2005) (download PDF version, 4.9 meg).  The selection committee for the Brenner Faculty Publishing Award unanimously designated the article from law faculty publications for 2005-2006 as the recipient of award. 

  • Майбутнє Бібліотек, Бібліотечниѝ Фору України, no. 2 (8) 2005, 46 (translated by Nadezhda Strishenets of the Natioinal Library of Ukraine from The Question Concerning Libraries, a previously unpublished work). 

  • Vision of the Communal Role of Libraries, draftsman for working group statement adopted by fellows and faculty of Salzburg Seminar Session 422, Libraries in the 21st Century (download PDF, 101 KB).

  • Library at a Crossroads, Res Ipsa (Alumni Publication), Winter 2004, at 12-13.  Also edit News from the Library page.

  • Illinois Bar Journal, co-columnist for Finding Illinois Law section (Jan. 2003-Jan. 2004).

    • Getting Your Research Bearings – Dead Reckoning v the Sextant, 91 Illinois Bar Journal 49-50 (2004).

    • The Science of Citation Analysis, 91 Illinois Bar Journal 473, 472 (2003).

    • Legal Research and the Ballad of John Henry, 91 Illinois Bar Journal 261, 258 (2003).

    • Working the Problem, 91 Illinois Bar Journal 43-44 (2003).

  •  Framework for Conducting State Tax Research on the Internet, 11 Journal of Multistate Taxation and Incentives 26-37 (Oct. 2001).

  •  Dual Purpose Retirement/ Disability Plans: Can a State Ignore Federal Precedent?, 8 Journal of Multistate Taxation 119-26 (1998), published by Warren, Gorham and Lamont of the RIA Group (and republished under a different title at 14 Journal of Compensation and Benefits 35-41 (1998), also published by Warren, Gorham and Lamont and the California Tax Lawyer, Summer 1998, at 3-10, published by the Tax Section of the California Bar).

  • Note, The December 1989 European Community Merger Control Regulation: A Non-EC Perspective, 24 The Cornell International Law Journal 97-134 (1991).

     

    Academic & Professional Experience

    Current Professional Responsibilities

  • Oversee administration of all library personnel (17 FTE), operations and budget ( $1.74 million) of Leon E. Bloch Law Library (325,344 volumes) and computer networking and technology support at the UMKC School of Law (514 students and 33 faculty).

  • Oversee law library’s informal instructional programs such as its Legal Research Boot Camp (now a 1 unit course offered in the Spring intersession) and have taught the research component to Introduction to the Law for the school's foreign LL.M. program.

  • Teach Cyberlaw and Infosphere (3 units, formerly Computers and the Law); Advanced Legal Research & Writing: Scholarly Writing (co-teach, 1 unit); Entrepreneurial Lawyering: Solo & Small Firm Practice (co-teach, 2 units); Advanced Legal Research: Transactional Law (1 unit, Fall 2007); Humanity, Emotion and the Law (co-teach 1 unit, Winter "mini-term intercession) and independent writing and research papers for course credit.

    • Previous Academic & Professional Employment

  • Reference Law Librarian & Assistant Professor of Library Administration, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign College of Law (2000-2003).  Tenure-track position through the university library faculty.  Charged with reference and research, instruction (see, e.g., Solving Legal Research Problems and Lexis and Westlaw Research Tutorial) and website design.

  • Library Intern.  University of Southern California School of Law (Spring 2000).  Provided reference and instructional services as part of an internship program while still in library school.

  • Shareholder, Callister & Callister, A Law Corporation, Glendale, California (1991-2000).  Family firm established in 1928 in Los Angeles.  Practiced areas included qualified retirement plans, estate planning, business and professional organizations, and transactional law.  Also oversaw the firm's computer network.

Academic & Professional Service

Academic & Professional Organizations

Committees, Appointments & Service

  • ABA.  Member of ABA site inspection and reaccreditation team for Baylor University School of Law (2005).

  • AALL.  Chair, Copyright Committee (2005-2006), Government Relations Committee (2006-2008); Open Access Task Force (2005-2006) as ex officio member, 2006 St. Louis Annual Meeting Exhibits Subcommittee (2005-2006), Graduate Education for Law Librarianship Special Committee (2004-2007), Copyright Committee (2003-2005), and Publications Committee (2000-2002).  AALL’s Copyright Committee bears significant responsibility to speak on behalf of AALL with respect to copyright matters, oversee AALL lobbying efforts with respect copyright legislation (orphan works, library exceptions under § 108, DMCA, Piracy Act, and recent Hague Convention on Choice of Court and Enforcement of Judgments), and review AALL’s co-submission of amicus briefs pertaining to file-swapping and other copyright matters.

  • Institute for Rule of Law, Identity, Stability & Culture (IRISC), a Kansas Not for Profit Corporation .  Co-founder, fellow, and president (2007-present).  Formed corporation, prepared tax forms for 501(c)(3) filing, and designed website.  IRISC promotes stability through the rule of law, culture, and civic identity.  It was created to provide expertise, education, and research with respect to rule of law and stabilization for foreign states. IRISC develops interdisciplinary expertise to use law as a means to foster reconstruction and provide stability to foreign states and regions at risk of, besieged with, or emerging from conflict due to civil strife. IRISC partners or collaborates with governmental agencies, academic institutions, professional organizations, NGOs and others to advance its mission. More . . .

  • Intellectual Property Society (UMKC law student organization).  Faculty advisor (2004-2005).

  • J. Reuben Clark Law Society (UMKC Student Chapter).  With Professor Jeff Thomas, serve as the founding faculty advisors of the student chapter (2004-present).

  • KCALL. Treasurer for 2004.

  • MAALL. Annual Meeting Program Committee (2002). Library School Liaison (2002-2004).  Nominations Committee (2004-2005).

  • MALLCO (formerly MALSLC).  Strategic Planning Committee (2007-2008) Review priorities and strategic objectives for MAALCO. Executive Committee Steering Committee (2005-2007).  Work with committee to hire a part-time, paid director for the consortium.  Interview prospective candidates, prepare independent contractors agreement, and help revise bylaws.

  • National Archives and Records Administration.  Reviewer (2007).  Tasked with reviewing methods of appraising trail court records held by National Archives and Record Administration, which are otherwise slated for destruction

  • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). University Library User Education Committee (2001-2003), Search Committee for Director of Library Systems (Fall 2001).

  • UIUC Graduate School of Library and Information Sciences.  Continuing Professional Development Board (2005-2007).

  • University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC). Criterion Three Committee (Student Learning and Effective Teaching) for university reaccreditation before the Higher Learning Commission, Convener, Learning Resources Support Subcommittee  (2008-2009).

  • UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance.  Assistance in drafting school copyright policy (2008).

  • UMKC School of Law.  Dean Search Committee (Ex Officio, 2003-2005), Curriculum Committee (2003-present), Library Committee (Ex Officio, 2003-present), Space Committee (2006-present), International Committee (2006-present) and Technology Committee (2003-2004).

  • University of Missouri System.  Library Directors Group (2003 to present).   Member, Digital Information Repository Task Force (2007).

Academic Presentations and Panels

CONTRIBUTIONS TO DIGITAL PROJECTS

Other Recognition

  • Fellow, Salzburg Seminar, Session 435, The Rule of Law:  Reconciling Religion and Culture in a Constitutional Framework (accepted for Oct. 2006).  Fellowship is being partially funded by the Seminar.

  • Fellow, Salzburg Seminar, Session 422, Libraries in the 21st Century (Oct. 2004).  Fellowship was partially funded by the Seminar.

  •  Award from UMKC Chancellor’s Fund for Innovation ($21,400).  Co-recipient of award for Partnering for Cooperative Resource Sharing Project.  Project was designed to set up digital inter-library loan system among local county and court libraries and UMKC’s law library.

  •  Article in University of Illinois College of Law alumni publication featuring work identifying and displaying legal materials in the library collection from NAZI Germany.  See Library Lines: A Reminder to Never Forget the Past, Illinois Jurist, Spring 2002, at 25-26.

  •  AALL Annual Meeting Travel Grant (2001).

  • Phi Beta Mu (Library & Information Science national honor society). 

  • Editor-in-Chief, Cornell International Law Journal (1990-1991).

Recommended Web Resources

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