July/August 2003 issue

8th Circuit Judicial Conference Display Area

by Joan Stevens, Archives/Reference Librarian


The 2003 8th Circuit Judicial Conference was held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, July 15-18, with the judges and clerks of court meeting July 15-16 and the conference opening to practicing attorneys July 17-18. Chief Circuit Judge James B. Loken presided, and Circuit Judge Diana Murphy was Program Chair. The conference theme was "Legal Issues in a New World," focusing on "the changing role of the law during a time of war, while safeguarding individual rights, professional ethics and litigation challenges in the 21st century," as Chief Judge Loken described the theme in his letter to prospective conferees.

Among the guest speakers at the conference was our own Judge William H. Webster. After serving as a U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Missouri and a Court of Appeals Judge for the 8th Circuit, Judge Webster went on to be named Director of the FBI and later, the CIA. The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals had a display erected in the conference lobby to honor our distinguished speaker. The display was made by the U.S. Courts Library, St. Louis.

The Historical Society of the United States Courts in the 8th Circuit sponsored a historical display area at the conference. This year's display was organized by the Minnesota branch and headed up by Minneapolis Librarian for the U.S. Courts Joyce Larson Schampel. All branches of the Historical Society were invited to participate in the display, and several did so.

The Minnesota branch itself offered a display with the theme, "Historical Societies in a Modern Era," consisting of two laptops featuring historical information on the District of Minnesota available on the web.

Another Minnesota branch contribution was a display honoring the late Judge Earl R Larson, U.S. District Judge for the District of Minnesota. The District of Minnesota commissioned the Minnesota Historical Society to create a professional, permanent display. The four panels depicting Judge Larson's life will be on display in the lobby of the Minneapolis U.S. Courthouse.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Richard Peterson of the Southern District of Iowa branch exhibited an album documenting the donation of a Victorian style conference table to the Southern District of Iowa, sharing the idea that an album can be an effective means of recording ceremonies. He also brought an abridged one-volume copy of Blackstone's Commentaries. This volume, inscribed in 1906, was used by the Judge's father while attending Drake Law School. Judge Peterson plans to put the volume on display in the Des Moines courthouse along with a legend explaining who Blackstone was and why the treatise is so important.

The Southern District of Iowa branch of the Historical Society also had on display and for sale a poster of the current federal courthouses in the 8th Circuit. U.S. Magistrate Judge Celeste Bremer headed the branch's project of commissioning an artist to design a poster using photographs of each courthouse.

The very handsome 20 X 28 poster is available for $25, including shipping, from the Historical Society's Southern District of Iowa branch treasurer Nancy Adams (515-284-6248; nancy_adams@iasd.uscourts.gov). Ordering information and an order form in PDF format are available on the two websites listed below:

1. Southern District of Iowa's website at http://www.iasd.uscourts.gov/. Once on the site, click on "SDIA Historical Society Poster" under "Educational Resources."

2. Historical Society of the United States Courts in the Eighth Circuit website at http://www.lb8.uscourts.gov/pubsandservices/publications/hist_society.html. Click on "8th Circuit Courthouses Poster."

The North Dakota branch exhibited information and pictures covering several outreach programs. These were submitted by Suzanne Morrison, Fargo Librarian for the U.S. Courts.




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