Dr. Rhonda R. Schwartz

Director, Thormodsgard Law Library
Assistant Professor of Law
schwartz@law.und.edu

Rhonda Schwartz is Assistant Professor of Law and Director at the Thormodsgard Law Library. She received a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Cincinnati, an M.L.S. from the University of Pittsburgh, a J.D. from the University of North Dakota School of Law, and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of North Dakota.

Dr. Schwartz is a member of the American Association of Law Libraries (where she has served on the A.A.L.L. Statistics Committee), the Mid-America Association of Law Libraries (where she has served on the M.A.A.L.L. Education Committee, the Local Arrangements Committee, the Membership Committe, and is currently serving on the Government Relations Committee), the Association of College & Research Libraries - N.D. Chapter (where she is currently serving as chair); and the North Dakota Library Association (where she has served as chair of the New Members Roundtable).

Dr. Schwartz served on the UND President's Advisory Council for Women, serving as Vice-President in the final year of her term. She served as Chair of the UND Staff Senate Steering Committee, a group charged by former President Baker to establish the constitution and bylaws for that senate. She also served as Chair of the University Senate Library Committee, served on the University Senate Assessment Committee, and has served several terms on the University Senate.

Recent Publications

North Dakota Practice Materials: A Selective Annotated Bibliography, in State Practice Materials: Annotated Bibliographies, Frank G. Houdek and Adeen Postar, eds., Buffalo, NY: W. S. Hein, AALL Publication Series No. 63 (2008).

“Powers Reserved to the People: A Guide for Researching Initiatives and Referendums in North Dakota,” 26 Legal Reference Services Quarterly 231-256 (Nos. 3/4 2007).

A Guide to North Dakota Prestatehood Legal Materials, Chapter 36 in Prestatehood Legal Materials: A Research Guide to the Fifty States Including New York City and the District of Columbia (Michael Chiorazzi and Marguerite Most, eds., Binghamton, NY: Haworth Information Press (2005).

"Say What?! How to Handle Reference Questions From Patrons Who Seemingly Inhabit an Alternate Universe," 9 AALL Spectrum 20-21 (Sept./Oct. 2004).

Rhonda Schwartz. North Dakota State Author, in State-by-State Report on Permanent Public Access to Electronic Government Information.
A project of the American Association of Law Libraries Government Relations Committee funded by a grant from Aspen Publishing Company, June 2003.
See: www.ll.georgetown.edu/aallwash/PPAreport.htm

Presentations and Professional Conferences

Program Coordinator and Presenter, 2007 Mid-America Association of Law Libraries Annual Meeting.
Citizens as Lawmakers: Initiative and Referendum Research in MAALL States, presented with Joe Custer (Wheat Law Library, University of Kansas School of Law) and Margaret Mc Dermott (Omer Poos Law Library, Saint Louis University School of Law). (November 1, 2007, Lincoln, Nebraska)

Program Presenter, 2006 North Dakota Library Association Centennial Conference.
Good Wholesome Laws: North Dakota Prestatehood Legal Materials, original script by Rhonda Schwartz, presented with Dorrene Devos, Jane Oakland, and Kaaren Pupino.
(September 21, 2006,  Fargo, ND)

Participant, LexisNexis Conference on Teaching Research in Academic Law Libraries, in conjunction with the American Association of Law Libraries.
Teaching Research in Academic Law Libraries (TRIALL), selected as participant for third annual TRIALL conference.
(July 18-19, 2002, Orlando, Florida)

Participant, American Association of Law Libraries Gateway to Leadership: Public Policy Programs.
Legislative Advocacy Leadership Training, state delegate, Mid-America Association of Law Libraries Chapter.
(July 15, 2000, Philadelphia, PA)

Program Presenter, 1999 North Dakota Library Association Annual Conference.
North Dakota Legal Resources for Libraries: Taking the Mystery Out of Legal Research, A One-Act Whodunit.  Play adaptation by Rhonda Schwartz (with permission from J. Morris and R. Ballard-Thrower, Georgia State University College of Law); presented with Dave Haberman and Kaaren Pupino.
( September 23, 1999, Fargo, ND)

Program Presenter, 1994 North Dakota Library Association Annual Conference.
Oracles from the Law: World Wide Web at the UND Law Library.
Presented with Ted Smith and Wayne Turnquist.
( September 22, 1994, Bismarck, ND)