07 April 2014

Jamboree - Meet the Speakers: Judy G. Russell, JD, CG

A genealogist with a law degree, Judy G. Russell (The Legal Genealogist) writes and lectures nationally and locally on a wide variety of genealogical topics ranging from using court records in our family history to understanding DNA testing. She has a bachelor’s degree from George Washington University, a law degree from Rutgers School of Law-Newark, and an eclectic work background including everything from working as a newspaper reporter to teaching law.

A trustee of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, from which she holds Certified Genealogist and Certified Genealogical Lecturer credentials, she is a member of the faculty at the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP); the Institute for Genealogical & Historical Research (IGHR) at Samford University, where as a student she was a Walter Lee Sheppard Jr. prizewinner in Advanced Methodology and Evidence Analysis; and the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG).

A Colorado native with roots deep in the American south on her mother’s side and entirely in Germany on her father’s side, Ms. Russell has written for the National Genealogical Society Quarterly and the National Genealogical Society Magazine. She is a member of the National Genealogical Society, the Association of Professional Genealogists, and, among others, the state genealogical societies of Illinois, Kentucky, New Jersey, North Carolina, Texas and Virginia.

TH0005 Thursday June 5, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Beyond X and Y: The Promise and Pitfalls of Autosomal DNA Testing

Autosomal DNA testing is the new kid on the block. Learn more about this exciting addition to the toolkit of 21st century genealogists. What’s in it for you, and how can you make the most of this test?

FR009 Friday June 6, 1:00-2:00 p.m.
Dowered or Bound Out: Records of Widows and Orphans

Widows and orphans have always had a special place in the law. But it’s not always the place that 21st century researchers might expect. An orphan in the early days wasn’t a child whose parents had died, but rather a child whose father had died. The law didn’t care much about the mother. She was just the widow, entitled to her dower rights and generally not much more. Learn more of the way the law treated widows and orphans, and what the records may tell us about them.

FR013 Friday June 6, 2:30-3:30 p.m.
Who, What, Why, When, Where and How of American Divorce

Our ancestors’ marriages lasted so much longer than our own. One reason: it was so hard to get a divorce. But it still happened, and the records created in the process tell us much about our ancestors, their lives and the laws they lived by.

SA019 Saturday June 7, 10:00-11:00 a.m.
Staying Out of Trouble The Right and Responsibilities of Today’s Genealogist

As genealogists and researchers, we must understand today’s laws as much as yesterday’s. Modern law impacts our rights as researchers – rights of access to vital records, to information, and to places where information can be found. And it impacts our responsibilities, as well, particularly the need to respect another’s copyright.

No comments: