Summit of Excellence Speaker Highlight: Judy G. Russell

Are you curious about how to utilize court records? Do you want to learn about how your ancestor's probate can lead you to genealogy breakthroughs? Judy Russell, The Legal Genealogist, will bring her legal expertise to the Summit of Excellence and help you explore these questions.

Judy will present the following at the Summit of Excellence held virtually, September 15-18, 2021:

Courting America: Using Court Records

The records created by all courts at all times offer what's often the best available evidence of the lives and times of our ancestors. But the sheer number of courts at all levels -- town, county, state, and federal -- can be overwhelming. Where do we find our best bang for the research buck? What records can we hope to find, and where can we find them? And if we spend the time learning to understand the courts and their records, what's the payoff: what can those records tell us?

Full session description here.

"To Dorothy my Dearly Beloved Wife”: Using Probate Records

Where there's a will, there should be a probate: the legal process of settling an estate. Often when there isn't a will, there's still a probate. Understanding the legal process and finding the records created when our ancestors died can help break through the brick walls we all have in our research. And the records themselves not only can help us find out who our ancestors were but also can tell us much about their lives and their times. Well beyond just the wills, the trip through the dockets, the minutes and the loose papers recording an estate can be one of genealogy's most worthwhile journeys.

Full session description here.

Learn more about Judy Russell and all of our amazing speakers here.

View the full schedule for the UGA Summit of Excellence here.

Join Us in September!

The 2021 UGA Summit of Excellence celebrates UGA's 50th year. This exciting virtual conference, held September 15-18, 2021, is a four-day event with multiple tracks offering a premier educational opportunity at an extremely reasonable price. Each track features a different record set or research area such as legal records, methodology, technology, or DNA. 

Learn more about the Summit of Excellence or register to attend. Questions may be directed to the registrar: registrar@ugagenealogy.org.

Summit of Excellence Track Highlight: Legal Records

Rick Sayre describes federal land records as "A Goldmine of Kinship Information." Attend his session and you won't be disappointed. But the goldmine doesn't stop there. From immigration and naturalization to probate and tax, legal records offer insights into our ancestors not found elsewhere.

Track Presentations

The following sessions run on Friday, September 17th:

Courting America: Using Court Records with Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL: The records created by all courts at all times offer what's often the best available evidence of the lives and times of our ancestors. But the sheer number of courts at all levels -- town, county, state, and federal -- can be overwhelming. Where do we find our best bang for the research buck? What records can we hope to find, and where can we find them? And if we spend the time learning to understand the courts and their records, what's the payoff: what can those records tell us? 

Naturalization Know-How: The Laws and Records of U.S. Citizenship with Rich Venezia: Many records were created when immigrant ancestors became American citizens. Learn what they are and how to find them. 

"To Dorothy my Dearly Beloved Wife”: Using Probate Records with Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL: Where there's a will, there should be a probate: the legal process of settling an estate. Often when there isn't a will, there's still a probate. Understanding the legal process and finding the records created when our ancestors died can help break through the brick walls we all have in our research. And the records themselves not only can help us find out who our ancestors were but also can tell us much about their lives and their times. Well beyond just the wills, the trip through the dockets, the minutes, and the loose papers recording an estate can be one of genealogy's most worthwhile journeys.   

Federal Land Records – A Goldmine of Kinship Information with Richard G. Sayre, CG, CGL, FUGA: Federal land records often provide key information to establish kinship. This presentation deals with the federal records establishing the first purchase of land in the public domain, the types of records, how to find them, and how to use them in genealogical research.

Puzzle Pieces: Understanding & Mapping State-Land States with Rebecca Whitman Koford, CG, CGL: Our Midwest ancestors often originated from state-land states in the South and on the East Coast. Land records are vastly different there. In this lecture, we discuss understanding deed terminology and mapping metes and bounds, and we use case studies to illustrate.

United States Tax Lists and Records with Peggy Clemens Lauritzen, AG: Tax records are widely available throughout the historical blueprint of our ancestors’ lives. This presentation will look at some ways they can help us.

The full schedule of all presentations and links to presenter biographies may be found here. 

Join Us in September!

The 2021 UGA Summit of Excellence celebrates UGA's 50th year. This exciting virtual conference, held September 15-18, 2021, is a four-day event with multiple tracks offering a premier educational opportunity at an extremely reasonable price. Each track features a different record set or research area such as legal records, methodology, technology, or DNA. 

Learn more about the Summit of Excellence or register to attend. Questions may be directed to the registrar: registrar@ugagenealogy.org.

Summit of Excellence Speakers at NGS Conference

The NGS Family History Conference is fast approaching, and guess who is speaking? Several presenters from UGA's Summit of Excellence also appear at NGS Live, NGS On-Demand, and as part of the NGS Focus on Societies.

Crista Cowan

AncestryDNA: Putting Your DNA Results to Work to Further Your Research (NGS Live: 20 May, 11:05 am ET)

What's New at Ancestry (Bonus-Sponsored Session, available June 15

Rebecca Whitman Koford, CG, CGL

Besieged by Baxters: A Case Study for a Common Name (NGS On-Demand, available June 15)

Rare Revolutionary Bounty Land Scrip Act Applications (NGS On-Demand, available June 15)

The Hunt for Maryland Vital Records (NGS On-Demand, available June 15)

Angela Packer McGhie, CG, FUGA

Strategies for Resolving Conflicting Evidence (NGS On-Demand, available June 15)

Homestead Records: A GOldmine for Genealogy (NGS On-Demand, available June 15)

Research Maryland Deeds Online Using MDLandRec.net and Plats.net (NGS On-Demand, available June 15)

Anne Merrell

Digital Marketing for the Modern Society (NGS Focus on Societies: 21 May, 4:00 pm ET)

Cheri Hudson Passey

Ancestors in Southern Claims Commission Records (NGS Live: 20 May, 12:15 pm ET)

Online Meetings: Helping Your Society Move Into a Virtual World (NGS Focus on Societies: 21 May, 4:00 pm ET)

Mary Kircher Roddy

Flying Under the Radar: Discovering Charles Olin's Alias (NGS Live: 20 May, 3:45 pm ET)

Really? Proving and Refuting Family Lore (NGS On-Demand, available June 15)

Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL

Wilde Beasts, Sabbath Breakers, and Incorrigible Roughes: Early Virginia Laws (NGS Live: 20 May, 2:30 pm ET)

May I Please Have Your Permission? Using the Work of Others (NGS On-Demand, available June 15)

"To protect people who provide DNA samples": The Ethics of DNA Testing (NGS On-Demand, available June 15)

The Common Law: From Mr. Justice Blackstone to Mr. Justice Tucker (NGS On-Demand, available June 15)

Richard G. Sayre, CG, CGL, FUGA

Using Maps of the Mid-Atlantic Region to Further Your Genealogical Research (NGS On-Demand, available June 15)

Finding Military Records in Published Sources (NGS On-Demand, available June 15)

Research in Washington, DC (NGS On-Demand, available June 15)

Congratulations to all of these speakers, and thank you for continuing to support genealogy education!

Please visit our schedule page here to see these speaker's upcoming presentations at the UGA Summit of Excellence. Registration for the Summit of Excellence is open here.

You can also still register to attend NGS Family History Conference here.