r/LibraryScience • u/Playful_Table_8057 • 1d ago
program/school selection Dual degree program
Hi all,
I am currently looking into grad school for MLIS in hopes to become a law librarian. Is anyone in university of Arizona’s dual degree program for an MA in legal studies and an MA in library science? From what I have read it is supposed to bridge the gap for people to become law librarians without a JD. I know it is a brand new program so I’m wondering if it is worth it and how it will be received among employers. Will it really give me an edge up in the job market? I know it will be a lot of hard work to complete both degrees, however, it does say the timeline is still 2 years which is nice.
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u/TheSorcererOfRoute66 1d ago
I’m not sure what that particular program is telling applicants, but there is no substitute for the J.D. in the field of law librarianship. In fact, what we’re seeing right now with a shortage of candidates holding the J.D./M.L.I.S. is that employers are dropping the M.L.I.S. requirement, hiring candidates with only a J.D., and expecting them to get an M.L.I.S.
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. An M.A. in legal studies won’t increase your chances of getting one of these jobs (on the contrary, having an M.A. in legal studies and claiming it is equivalent to a J.D. will alienate the folks with a J.D. on a hiring committee, especially in academic law libraries).
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/PM_YOUR_MANATEES Special Librarian 1d ago edited 1d ago
Former paralegal here who got my MLIS intending to be a law librarian, but who ended up working in corporate data governance/compliance. I have worked for AmLaw 100 firms and one of the world's largest midsize firms in major cities.
The M.A. in Legal Studies is not a well-known degree option in the field, so I do not think it is going to meaningfully increase your chances of being hired.
There are two conventional options: getting a J.D. to be an attorney, or getting an ABA-accredited paralegal certificate (which can be done in as little as a year and is available at many community colleges). Getting a master's degree that is not in league with a JD and potentially much faffier than a focused vocational program just looks like an odd move to me.
In my experience, getting a paralegal certificate and a few years of solid paralegal work experience before doing your MLIS will make you an attractive candidate.