Call Number:

BLL.001.006

Repository:

University of Pennsylvania: Biddle Law Library

Extent:

12.00 linear feet (16 boxes)

Language:

English

Preferred Citation:

[Identification of item], in the Penn Carey Law Oral Histories, BLL.001.006, Biddle Law Library, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.

Date:

1987-2006 (inclusive)

Creator:

University of Pennsylvania. Law School, Biddle Collections, and Greenlee, Edwin J., 1950-

Form:

Oral history

Abstract:

This collection documents the Penn Law School Legal Oral History Project, 1999-2006. The project was a collaborative effort by a team of faculty, librarians, and students. They recorded and preserved first-person narratives of graduates, members of the Penn Law community, and public interest lawyers. The collection contains audiovisuals, interview transcripts, biographical essays of the interview subjects, background research, typewritten correspondence, and release forms.

The Legal Oral History Project ran from 1999 to 2006. The project was a collaborative effort by a team of faculty, librarians, and students. They recorded and preserved first-person narratives of graduates, members of the Penn Law community, and public interest lawyers. The project began with a seminar taught by Professor Sarah Barringer Gordon and Edwin Greenlee, Biddle's Associate Director for Public Services. One of the primary goals of the project was to train students in oral history theory and practice. Each student selected a graduate or member of the Penn Law community, conducted background research, prepared questions, and completed a taped interview. Afterwards, the student transcribed the tape and prepared a biographical article. The tape, transcript, article, and related biographical information were then archived in the Biddle Law Library.

This record group consists of the following sub-group:

BLL.001.006.001 Legal Oral History Project contains research files and audiovisuals.

Series I, Course and Project Materials, contains proposals and resources created by Edwin Greenlee and Sally Gordon as they prepared to teach. Also included are videos that the instructor's gave students as examples of oral history methodology and compiled clips from the Legal Oral History Project that were presented to the law school. There are also born-digital course materials (10.4 megabytes), including copies of syllabi, lesson planning, presentations, training guides for conducting oral histories, and class photographs. Please contact archives staff for access to these materials.

Series II, Interviews, contains the research files and audiovisuals from each interview. The files include biographical essays of the interview subjects, interview questions written by the students, background research compiled by students, correspondence with the interviewee, photographs, and release forms. Also included are audiovisuals, which vary for each interview, but include DVDs, VHS, and audiocassettes. Digital copies of select research files and audiovisuals are available upon request. Please contact the archives for more information.

The interviews are arranged alphabetically by the last name of the interviewee. Although listed together in the inventory, paper files and audiovisual materials for each interview are physically separated. Paper files are located in boxes 001001 through 001008. Audiovisuals are located in boxes 001009 through 001016.

The Penn Carey Law Oral Histories contains one sub-group:
1. Legal Oral History Project (BLL.001.006.001)