JD ‘16
The American Association of Law Libraries is offering a scholarship for JDs who want to pursue a career in law librarianship. This is a fantastic opportunity for JDs to have a fulfilling and lucrative career without practicing law.Law librarians work in a variety of settings and perform many roles. Law librarians can work in a law school library, county law library, private law firm, or general counsel’s office within a corporation. For example, Apple employs a law librarian. Some of the tasks that law librarians perform include organizing and maintaining the library, negotiating vendor contracts, performing legal research, and teaching and training lawyers and staff on how to use the library and perform research. As a JD, your knowledge and background of the law makes you an attractive candidate for potential employers. While some JDs work as a law librarians without obtaining a Master’s in library science (an MLS), many find the knowledge gained in library school about how to organize and manage a library invaluable.
A career in law librarianship has several advantages. Librarians typically do not work nights and weekends. Librarians frequently are able to create their own schedules. Working offset hours reduces commute times and enables one to more easily fulfill obligations outside of work. While librarians sometimes bill their time to clients, they are generally not required to produce a minimum number of billable hours per year. Furthermore, law librarians do not need to be barred. That said, librarians who have already passed the bar can convert their membership to inactive, meaning they pay reduced bar fees and are excused from Continuing Legal Education requirements.
Law librarianship can be a lucrative career. The Special Libraries Association 2012 salary survey shows that the median salary for a law librarian is $70,000/year, but some librarians earn over $100,000. In the San Francisco Bay Area, salary averages are typically significantly higher than the national average, reflecting our growing economy and higher cost of living. Many positions are full-time, with competitive benefit packages, including retirement plans and health care coverage.
For more information, see the scholarship information and links below:
Scholarship Opportunities from the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL)
Application Deadline: Friday, April 1
AALL offers several educational scholarships to law school graduates who are currently attending or interested in attending library school to become law librarians. Many law librarians have both a JD and the Masters in Library and Information Science. Minority applicants may also apply for the George A. Strait Minority Scholarship at the same time, using the same application. Apply here.
Special Libraries Ass’n – www.sla.org and the Legal Divison, http://legal.sla.org
American Ass’n of Law Libraries – www.aall.org
Northern California Ass’n of Law Libraries - http://nocall.org
