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I had an interesting conversation yesterday with one of the reference librarians at the law library where I work. At our university, the reference librarians are also teaching faculty - they teach the required 1L Legal Research class (which is separate from our Legal Writing class; I understand at many law schools this course is combined.) He said in his experience at previous positions this is relatively unique to our university. That is to say, the reference librarians at most law schools where he'd been do not also regularly teach, other than now and then holding instructional class sessions or being guest speakers, etc. I wanted to ask both if anyone knew of other places where the reference librarians are also teaching faculty, and what any thoughts on this structure are. I personally am really interested in eventually being a reference law librarian (right now I am working on my MLS but don't yet have a JD) and I think it is a great idea to have the kind of personal contact with students that being the Legal Research instructor seems to provide. All the law students here know our reference staff by name, and they also are probably far more likely to approach them, it seems to me, because they do know them better. But maybe that is just my perception...
Any thoughts, experiences, etc. that anyone can share on this subject? I'm curious to hear other opinions!
:) beth
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It's an interesting thought; I have a lawyer friend who teaches legal writing for a major law school and I know the research and writing courses are separate there, but I believe that the law reference librarians are still very much a part of the legal research courses (although the primary instructor is still a law professor). I do know of people who hold both the MLS/JD teaching legal reference courses, but usually as an adjunct.
Lisa Grimm Assistant Archivist Drexel University College of Medicine Archives & Special Collections on Women in Medicine and Homeopathy
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I know this post is old, but just in case anyone has similar interests -
As a law librarian without a JD, I strongly caution you about taking that path. From what I've seen of the jobs available, it's becoming more customary to require a JD for reference positions. Are you mobile, able to move to another state? If not, then double-caution.
But if your next step after your MLS is to get a JD, then go ahead and good luck!
At my former institution, research and writing were part of the introductory courses that 1Ls are required to take. We were rarely asked to teach one-shot courses and tried to make a big impact when we did, so that they'd ask us back. Librarians could teach elective courses on more specific research topics, but it was at our own initiative and the law school paid separately for that work.
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