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Law librarians manage legal reference collections and assist clients with research. They work in law firms, schools, and public and private organizations, and are skilled in legal databases and terminology. Qualifications vary, but many have degrees in library science and law or political science. They may manage entire collections or provide research on legal issues. Law school librarians manage large collections and may also have instructional duties.
A law librarian is an information professional who specializes in developing and managing collections of legal references and helping clients find the information they need. There are several different types of law or law libraries, so the job of the law librarian will vary based on the context in which they work. Typical workplaces for legal librarians include law firms, schools, and public and private organizations. These librarians are typically skilled in the use of various legal databases and are generally familiar with legal terminology and procedures so as to more effectively complete reference tasks and provide research assistance.
Legal research is a complex area, which is why many organizations or libraries that focus on law or public policy hire a law librarian to manage their information resources and help with necessary research and reference tasks. Although the qualifications of a law librarian vary by jurisdiction, many librarians who specialize in legal matters hold degrees in both library science and law or political science. In some cases, a law librarian may be a licensed attorney in addition to a librarian.
A law librarian working in a law office or organization can, depending on the size of the staff, fulfill a wide range of roles. A law firm or smaller company might hire a librarian to manage an entire collection. In these cases, he may be responsible for managing the entire library, including acquisitions, training, and reference support. Larger practices and organizations can afford a larger staff of libraries, which can result in different roles and responsibilities for each librarian or library advisor. When working in an organization or law firm, librarians may be regularly asked to provide research on legal issues, as well as supplemental information that may be pertinent to specific cases or policy decisions.
Law school librarians typically manage large collections of law books and journals, as well as online legal databases. As with any academic librarian, this type of law librarian may have extensive collection management tasks or, depending on the size of the library, may spend a great deal of time providing reference and research services. The law school librarian may also have instructional duties, teaching students and faculty how to conduct legal research, familiarizing them with reference sources, and training the school community in the use of electronic reference sources.
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