Thanks to Priscilla Streightoff for the AALL links and LLJ cite.
Also, many thanks to Darin K. Fox and the others who took the time to
answer.
Messages have been re-organized and identifying information has been
removed.
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General advice:
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* AALLnet list of schools that offer law library classes, with those
that offer a dual degree programs noted:
http://www.aallnet.org/committee/tfedu/
There is an option to view from depth of offerings:
http://www.aallnet.org/committee/tfedu/LawLibDepth.htm
* There was a recent Law Library Journal article on the topic that cites
to earlier articles as well:
Serena Brooks, Educating Aspiring Law Librarians: A Student's
Perspective, 97 Law Library Journal 517 (2005).
* The List of Newer Law Librarians at AALL would be a good place to
start.
* Apply for all the scholarships you can - this might be more for the
library school portion - but even travel grants to the AALL meeting
would be good to apply for. Attend CONELL.
* The AALL mentoring program might be a good resource once the 1L year
is out of the way.
* Seattle, Dallas, DC (places with library schools) are generally bad
places to look for library jobs, but... this doesn't seem to hold quite
as true for dual-degree law librarians. (snip) Generally, the northeast
and the DC metro are good places to find law library jobs.
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Comments on programs:
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* Many of us came into law librarianship while in or after law school,
and had to attend a library program near our homes or jobs, but if I
knew ahead of time I was going in, I probably would have gone somewhere
else to combine my degrees in one program.
* University of Washington is known for law librarianship. Also,
Indiana University has a joint MLS/JD, which can be useful because it
would cut down the time (and debt) to complete both degrees.
* It might be worth moving to Seattle or Tucson for a year or two if the
benefits will pay off down the road - but I can't quantify that, so it's
hard to judge the relative values of names on degrees. I would suggest
that a largely residential program would, to me, be preferable to an
all-distance program.
* I'm a UW grad, so I'm partial to their program, which is nice (in some
ways) because it's a one year program for JD folks. I also know great
librarians from Mike Chiorazzi's program at Arizona (and he has great
stipends/grad student jobs). Jim Milles at Buffalo also does some good
JD/MLIS work, from the grads I've seen. Illinois, while not, as far as I
know, a specific program for JDs, has a good relationship with the law
library that can get students a lot of experience and experience is what
these programs have in common - it's really important. It's also a good
way to decide if academics are really for you. I would think that UT or
UNT would be fine programs as long as the student takes the initiative
to seek out work/internships in the law libraries - you could do a lot
worse than interning at Tarlton, of course! Any of those law library
directors (Roy Mersky included - especially if the student wants to stay
in Texas) would be good people to talk to about careers in academic law
librarianship.
* A cheaper and more sensible course is to get a library degree and then
go to work for a law school (technical services, circulation type job)
that will assume the cost of her tuition while she acquires working
experience.
* I'd put a premium on attending a law school where one would accumulate
as little debt as possible. Law school financial aid is geared towards
those working as private practice attorneys, not as librarians, and the
pay can be pretty lousy just out of school when student loan repayment
is taken into consideration.
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Comment on salaries:
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* I find the salary survey to be relatively accurate (or a little low)
in the regions where I've worked. (snip) Also, negotiation is
important.... I (and some of my peers) have been surprised by the
flexibility and range of salaries.
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Other questions and answers:
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-- Is it better to study at a tech-oriented MLIS program, given that the
profession is moving in that direction?
* I went to the University of Illinois and focused on tech-oriented
courses. When I graduated my tech skills were directly used in created
some of the very first law library web pages, maintaining PCs,
maintaining the library catalog, providing Lexis and Westlaw
instruction, teaching legal research, etc.
* It helps to be in an environment where you will learn a lot of
computer skills (web design, database design, etc.). Most of my
potential employers asked me if I knew about those things during job
interviews, and I have used those skills since I started my job in an
academic law library.
-- Do most law librarians teach?
* Most law reference librarians do teach, either in the first year legal
research program or in advanced legal research classes. Most academic
technical services law librarians do not teach, but a few do.
* There are programs, like Maryland's, where the law librarians teach a
great deal. Seeking out a school with this type of program would be a
good way to get lots of teaching experience.
* Most academic reference positions I've seen involve some teaching.
Often they will teach advanced legal research, and some will also teach
in the first year research and writing program, depending on how that
particular school has set up the first year program.
* In most of the law school libraries that I interviewed at, yes. In
fact, many of the interviews involved me demonstrating my teaching
skills in a classroom setting. One of the things that I would have
changed about my law librarian training was that I would definitely have
gotten some teaching experience under my belt, because most schools were
looking for that kind of experience/training in their library staff.
The capacity in which librarians taught varied from school to school,
but there was some amount of teaching in most academic law library
positions.
-- What kind of prospects are a available to a grad from good (but not
superb) LS and MLIS programs
* I did not graduate from a "superb" program, and I had no trouble
finding a job. The market is great right now for academic law
librarians, with plenty of entry level jobs available as longtime
members of the profession begin to retire and others move up the ladder
to fill those spots. Just having a J.D. and an M.L.S. opens up many
opportunities for job seekers in the academic law library market.
-- What kind of position would a grad right out of LS / Grad School
seek?
* There are a variety of positions. Assuming he/she wants to follow the
public services track (since he/she will have a JD), here are some
examples: reference librarian, reference/electronic services
librarian, electronic services librarian, computer services librarian.
Those 3 are roughly in order from less-techy to more-techy. There are
also less common specialties in foreign/international law. Circulation,
acquisitions, and cataloging librarians typically do not have the JD,
but some do. Historically, the most common track to becoming a
director (IMO) is reference librarian -> head of public services ->
assistant director -> director.
* In my experience, dual degree folks usually start in reference, but I
think they would be an asset in TS - though they may not be rewarded as
well for the JD.
* You would probably seek a "reference librarian" position, that seems
to be the "starting point" on the professional academic law librarian
ladder... Many schools add specialties to "research/reference
librarian" titles, like "foreign and international" or something like
that. If you have special skills/interests, those jobs may be a good
fit.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Wed Nov 14 2007 - 20:46:25 PST