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Education for a Career in Law Librarianship

Frequently Asked Questions

How Can I Learn about Law Librarianship as a Career?

What do law librarians do? Law librarians are professionally trained people who work in various legal settings, including law schools, private law firms, and government libraries.

The American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) has published a booklet, entitled Finding Your Way in the Information Age that explains the many roles of law librarians as well as the kinds of skills needed to be successful in this profession. You can request a free copy from AALL.

If you are interested in learning about the profession, you should also look at the two major publications of the American Association of Law Libraries, AALL Spectrum and the Law Library Journal. AALL is a professional organization representing 5,000 law librarians. The association exists to promote and enhance the value of law libraries to the public, the legal community and the world; to foster the profession of law librarianship; and to provide leadership in the field of legal information. A review of AALLNET will help you understand this profession and the kinds of work we do.

We recommend that you talk to librarians in the field about the profession. Contact your local law school library, law firm, or local public law library. Most law librarians will be happy to talk to you about our profession and answer your questions. Many large cities and several regions of the country have local organizations of law librarians, called AALL chapters. Communicate with them to identify law librarians to talk with; attend their meetings; educate yourself!

We have prepared a listing of articles, books, and websites on both the history of law librarianship and practical aspects of law librarianship. By reading these materials, particularly the article by Mary Whisner, titled Choosing Law Librarianship: Thoughts for People Contemplating A Career Move, you will learn more about our profession and our daily professional activities.

What are the Academic Qualifications for a Law Librarian

There are several different routes to take to obtain the education needed to work as a law librarian.

85% of those working as law librarians have a graduate degree in library science. Most jobs require a master's degree from an American Library Association (ALA) accredited institution. The names of the degrees vary MLS, MLIS, MSIS, ML, MA in LS but all reflect an appropriate entry level educational requirement for careers in the law librarianship profession.

Nearly 30% of all law librarians also have a JD or LLB degree. Most positions require that this degree be earned from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA).

Less than 20% of the law librarian jobs being filled require both degrees. (Don't be misled by the job ads you see on the AALL webpage. National searches are routinely conducted by academic law libraries so most academic jobs will be posted on the webpage. Conversely, the sectors where law degrees are rarely required most often do not search nationally, so most of those jobs are not advertised through the national sources like AALLNET.)

Some jobs will require the graduate degree in library science but state a preference for the law degree as well. Experience working in a law library is often as important as having a law degree.

Several schools offer a joint JD/MLS degree where a student can earn a law degree and a library degree simultaneously. Check with the individual school to understand the number of credit hours required. Most of these programs will require at least 4 years of study.

In sum, to qualify for virtually any professional job in law libraries you must have a graduate degree in library science. You may want to consider also earning your law degree. Armed with JD and MLS degrees, you will be qualified for more positions in law librarianship.

Typically, directors of academic law libraries have faculty status so they must have a law degree. In addition, many (but not all) reference librarian positions in law schools require a law degree. Ordinarily, there is no law degree requirement for law librarian positions in law firms, corporations or public, county, and government law libraries.

If you already have a law degree but no graduate library degree, should you invest in another 1-2 years of professional education? From the surveys done in the law librarianship profession and from close examination of the job postings for the last few years, a law degree alone would rarely qualify you for jobs in any kind of law library. There are some exceptions, especially if you are interested in eventually obtaining the library degree. The best advice is to encourage you to get the graduate library science degree. On its face you will be qualified for many more positions in law libraries. In addition, you will be much better prepared to assume the challenges and changes of librarianship in today and tomorrow's environment.

How do I Evaluate Library and Information Science Programs for a Career in Law Librarianship?

You have many factors to consider when evaluating a graduate program in library and information science, including the location of the school, tuition and cost of living, and your ultimate career goals. There are many fine ALA-approved institutions that offer a master's degree in library and information science (often designated as an MLS or MLIS). Today, there are fifty-one accredited programs to choose from. You may also be interested in the top twenty library schools as ranked by U.S. News.

However, in selecting the library science program that you think will meet your needs for a career in law librarianship, you will also need some subject specialization in the law. The AALL Guidelines for Graduate Programs suggest that you will need both general competencies and subject competencies.

General competencies include reference and research services, library management, collection management, and organization and classification. These competencies can be obtained through any of the various library and information science schools.

Subject competencies include an understanding of the legal system; a knowledge of the legal profession and its terminology, including legal abbreviations and citation systems; a knowledge of the literature of the law, including the legal documents that are published and issued by the various branches of government; and an understanding of the legal requirements and ethical considerations of the legal profession and librarianship. You will find a list of thirty-one competencies for law librarian professionals titled "Credentialing Survey Confirms Law Librarian Competencies and Training Needs" in the April, 1998 issue of AALL Spectrum. These competencies were identified on the AALL Credentialing Survey and provide a solid core of what law librarians do.

These law-related subject competencies can be obtained in several ways. Locate a graduate program in library science that offers courses in law librarianship. Some schools offer one course, others offer two courses, and others offer more in-depth study by offering at least three courses. While a graduate program that offers only one course in law librarianship does not give you an in depth exposure to law librarianship, you may be able to supplement the course with independent studies, internships for academic credit that give you experience working in a law library, or work in a law library while you are in school. Presently, some library schools do not offer any courses in law librarianship, however, this situation could change and you should check directly with the school.

The Special Libraries Association issued a Library and Information Studies Programs Survey which compares the competencies developed for special librarians and the corresponding courses that are offered in graduate library programs.

View a complete list of the graduate programs in library and information science with some offering coursework in law librarianship. You may also be interested in the top twenty library schools as ranked by U.S. News, which now also ranks programs in law librarianship.

What are the Admission Requirements for Graduate Schools of Library and Information Science?

Admission requirements vary from school to school, but most schools generally require a bachelor's degree and a minimum grade point average (usually a B). Many programs also require a minimum score on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE); some have no test requirements or will take test scores from alternative examinations, such as the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) or the Miller Analogies Test. Many schools require letters of recommendation, and some hold personal interviews or request a statement of educational objectives from the applicant. Most schools also require a basic level of proficiency in the use of computers. Be sure to check the individual school's website for more specific information about admission requirements, especially application deadlines.

What Type of Curriculum Should I Expect?

Many masters programs in Library and Information Science can be completed in one calendar year with full-time attendance, but the number of academic credit hours required for a master's degree varies from school to school. Some programs can take as long as two years, and may require a thesis and/or fieldwork. Most schools permit part-time attendance, and many now have some distance education opportunities. According to the Association for Library and Information Science Education's Statistical Report for 1998, forty-two (75%) of the library schools offered one or more distance courses in 1996-97. No two library science distance education programs are exactly alike, for they offer various methods of delivery: email, satellite transmission, correspondence courses, and the Internet.

Check the breadth and depth of their law librarianship course offerings. A group of law librarians known as the Conference of Law Library Educators teach courses in library schools. Syllabi for many courses offered in law librarianship can be found on their webpage.

Law librarians must have skills in legal research, legal bibliography, organization of legal materials, law library administration and knowledge of legal information systems. Most graduate programs focus on technology's role in storing and accessing information, or offer coursework in understanding and utilizing the latest technology. A good foundation in technology is essential for law librarianship. Law librarians should be familiar with on-line databases, such as Westlaw, LexisNexis, and Dialog. Law Librarians must be able to help patrons obtain desired information and facilitate access to library material through cataloging and classification.

You may want to look at the course offerings in other academic departments of the University you are considering. Internship and fieldwork opportunities are also an important consideration. You may also want to look at the school's computer and technical resources, such as the size and hours of the computer lab, and the number and types of courses offered in on-line technology and information system management. Check out the school's placement or career services department? How will they help you get a job after you earn your degree?

As with any other profession, competition is fierce for well-paying jobs, and you should acquire as many marketable skills as possible.

How Can I Finance a Degree in Library and Information Science?

The American Association of Law Libraries is committed to providing opportunities for professional growth. Each year, the Association awards scholarships in significant amounts to students seeking formal education in law or librarianship and who can demonstrate financial need. The Special Libraries Association (SLA) and ALA also award many scholarships each year. In addition, the newly created Gates Millennium Scholarship Program targets the field of library science among other fields.

How Can I Find a Job in a Law Library?

There are many jobs posted each year for law librarians. Jobs in academic law libraries are almost always advertised nationally. Jobs in court and county law libraries and firms may only be advertised locally. AALL has a placement committee that coordinates personal interviews at the Annual Meeting of AALL, held in July of each year. The job database on the AALL webpage is updated regularly and includes jobs in all kinds of law libraries who wish to advertise nationally. In addition, many jobs are posted on chapter listservs and websites. Jobs are also advertised on the SLA and ALA websites.

History of Law Librarianship

Christine A. Brock, Law Libraries and Librarians: A Revisionist History; or, More Than You Ever Wanted to Know, 67 Law Libr. J. 325 (1974). A Comprehensive overview of the history of law libraries and librarians.

Richard A. Danner, Redefining a Profession, 90 Law Libr. J. 315 (1998). Coverage of law library / computer science interaction.

Laura M. Goldsmith, History of the University of Washington Law Librarianship Program, 82 Law Libr J. 239 (1990). Examines the program and the prospects for its future rule in the education of law librarians.

Penny A. Hazelton, Law Libraries as Special Libraries: An Educational Model, 42 Library Trends 319-41 (1993). A short history of law libraries with a special look at careers in law firm libraries.

Law Librarianship: Historical Perspectives (Laura N. Gasaway & Michael G. Chiorazzi, eds. 1996). Compilation and original articles on law library history.

Reflections on Law Librarianship: A Collection of Interviews (Marjorie A. Garson, et al., eds., 1988) Twelve oral histories/interviews with respected law librarians.

The Spirit of Law Librarianship: A Reader (Roy M. Mersky & Richard A. Leiter, eds. 1991) Compilation and original articles on law librarianship.

Practical Guidance for Law Librarians

Robert C. Berring, How To Be a Great Reference Librarian, 4 Legal Reference Serv. Q. 17 (1984). Includes several good tips and easy to read.

The Best Information on the Net (BIOTN) — Sites for Librarians, Chosen by Librarians at O'Keefe Library, St. Ambrose University. Includes sites to Library Organizations, Library Administration, and many other sites.

A Day in My Law Library Life, Circa 1997, 89 Law Libr. J. 159 (1997). Thirty-two autobiographical snapshots of law library professionals compiled by Frank G. Houdek.

Frank Houdek, Career Development in Law Librarianship: Thoughts on the Occasion of Becoming a Law Library Director, 6 Legal Reference Serv. Q. 81 (1986). Good article on career development.

Patrick Kehoe, et al., eds., Law Librarianship: A Handbook for the Electronic Age, Rothman, 1995. Articles present a good overview of profressional activities in various types of law libraries.

William Richnow, Webmasters of the Universe, 22 Legal Times, July 19, 1999, at 25. Law librarians adjust to the cyberage.

Mary Rumsey. Foreign and International Law Librarianship (2006). Available at the FCIL-SIS webpage. (Education Committee).

Toward A Renaissance in Law Librarianship, West. The report, recommendations and materials of the American Association of Law Libraries Special Committee on the Renaissance of Law Librarianship in the Information Age.

Dan Wade. Wisdom from Mount Nego (Hiei): Advice to a Young Person Aspiring to Become a Foreign and International Law Librarian (2006). Available at the FCIL-SIS webpage. (Education Committee).

Mary Whisner, Choosing Law Librarianship: Thoughts for People Contemplating A Career Move, Articulates many of the practical issues you should consider before making a switch.

For More Information About Law Librarianship or the AALL Recruitment Committee, contact committee chair Barbara G. Traub.

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