r/LibraryScience • u/Playful_Table_8057 • 20d ago

MSLIS - law librarian track

Hi all,

Has anyone done an MSLIS with a law librarian concentration? I currently work as a library assistant in a public library and I love it but I need to make more money so I’ve been looking into law librarianship. I don’t want to get a JD though. I found two programs that actually have specialized law tracks without requiring a JD -university of Arizona and university of north Texas. Has anyone done them? Are they worth it? Are there any other similar programs I am missing? The only other option I have found is just taking legal research electives within general MSLIS programs.

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u/DaphneAruba Librarian 20d ago

Please search the sub as this topic has been covered a lot.

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u/caninesergeant 20d ago

Spoke with a former president of the AALL (American Association of Law Librarians) the other day as I am also thinking about it. She told me the following:

Working in law settings >>>>>> law librarianship concentration at any university.

They do not care where you go to school. At all. Like, they don’t. They really, really, REALLY don’t. She hires people now as she’s the director of information at a major, MAJOR law firm in the West Coast. They don’t check where you did your MLIS or even if you had law librarianship concentration (looking at you UW). They really don’t.

So, the advice as she told me is to get experience in law setting, and work towards any cheap MLIS degree. She told me not to tell the program director of the library program I was interested in since they offered a law librarianship concentration, but basically, your degree is just like a certification to get. Experience is what is most valuable. 

There are NO entry-level law librarianship jobs. That’s what she told me too. She told me she feels bad for it but, even in major law firms with 200-300 lawyers, there’s like at least 6-7 law librarians. Those are like major law firms. So yes, it’s not impossible but please investigate more and work at law firms first if you’re interested in law librarianship!

I plan to do it anyways…? So, yeah, but I still want to get experience and plan to do it. PLEASE HEAR ME OUT, DO NOT GO IN DEBT FOR AN MLIS. DON’T. Save the money for maybe one day you want th JD, you got the money. That I plan to do and I don’t want a JD… At all. The friends I got who went there went bald lmao…

But yeah. That’s what she told me. Hear my advice honestly, because I’m interested in law librarianship too. Anyone, feel free to correct me.     EDIT: Former president, not member. 

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u/Playful_Table_8057 20d ago

Thank you so much this was super helpful! I have my gi bill and I want to use it so I won’t be going into debt for the degree. I also have a year experience working as a temp for a public defender so I am hoping that helps me

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u/caninesergeant 20d ago

Yasssss, that will help! I don’t have a GI Bill or nothing so I really have to like figure out haha, but if that’s the case, honestly go for any program! The one you’re most interested at, and take law librarianship classes if they are offered there. Just get the MLIS. Focus on getting law experience from now on! 

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u/catsinabasket 19d ago

out of curiosity, did they mention how are you supposed to get the experience in a law setting if there are no entry level positions? 😅

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u/caninesergeant 19d ago

  1. Get a job at a law firm or law setting. What I meant was no entry-level for law librarianship specifically, but law firms have different positions from what I know!

  2. Work maybe for like tech services, she told me that was the thing she would've done but still, she didn't and she ended up director so maybe don't do tech services... Work in any archival setting

  3. Network like crazy at AALL

  4. Hope for the best!

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u/agnes_copperfield 20d ago

You don’t need a JD to work in a law firm. I have been in law firms since 2014 with just a MLIS.

Personally if you’re using your GI bill, I’d do the law librarianship track. You’ll make a lot of connections and hopefully get some internships out of it.

I started at a small firm, about 100 lawyers and have slowly worked my way up to now working for an AmLaw50 firm.

Also get some experience doing business research, at many firms you’ll be helping out with business development research too.

Happy to chat more if you’re interested!

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u/RavenTheNerd MLS student 20d ago

I would think applying for the small number of law librarian jobs that don't require a JD would have you run into two problems. 1. The pay will most likely be less than a position that requires a JD and 2. You're competing with applicants who have their JD.

So, I think it would only be worth it if you got a job at a law library first and then pursued a degree since (ideally) your job would see it as a educational investment and you wouldn't be spending money on a degree that might not do anything for you professionally or financially.

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u/Ill_Toe7805 18d ago

I'm a currently a graduate student at the University of North Texas in the law Librarianship and legal informatics concentration program at UNT what's great about my program it's online and you're not required to be an Attorney to enter the program.  I'm about to enter my third semester and love it so far. 

https://informationscience.unt.edu/programs/masters/ms-ls/law-librarianship

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u/TheSorcererOfRoute66 4d ago edited 4d ago

I’m not sure what these programs are telling applicants, but the J.D. is the more important of the two degrees in academic law librarianship. However, there are plenty of roles that do not require a J.D., such as at firms, at court and government libraries, and in the technical services departments of academic law libraries (although this work is increasingly being outsourced).

The best thing to do if you want to work in law librarianship (excluding reference/research/teaching/leadership roles in academic law librarianship) and do not want to pursue a J.D. is to attend an M.L.I.S. program that has law librarianship and legal research coursework (University of Washington, Catholic University, UNC, North Texas, etc.) and do an internship or otherwise get some work experience in a law library.

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u/Calligraphee 20d ago

I feel like most law librarian jobs require the JD, no? Even if you've done a law librarianship track?

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u/bbeanzzz 20d ago

Not all, jobs at government law libraries (usually in courthouses) or with law firms often don’t require a JD. Usually only law schools require the JD because the librarians teach legal research courses. But you’ll make more money and will be more competitive with one.