Cameron Miranda
If you're interested in becoming an independent law librarian, there are a few key things you need to know. Firstly, law librarians are information and library science specialists who work in various settings, including law firms, law schools, corporations, and government law libraries. To become a law librarian, you typically need to earn a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) or a Master of Library Science (MLS) with a specialization in Law Librarianship. While a law degree (JD or LLB) is not always required, it can be beneficial and may qualify you for additional positions, especially in research and academic institutions. Law librarians need a strong foundation in technology, legal research skills, and an understanding of the legal system and its terminology. They advise, analyze, and evaluate legal information for a diverse range of users, making them an invaluable resource in the legal field.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Education | A Master of Library and Information Science or an MLIS in Law Librarianship is required. Less than a quarter of law library jobs require both an MLIS and a JD. |
| Skills | Legal research, legal bibliography, organization of legal materials, law library administration, and knowledge of legal information systems. |
| Salary | Law librarians typically command higher salaries than non-specialized librarians. Their average income is around $71,000. |
| Job Market | The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that the library and media information field will grow 9% by 2030. |
| Teaching Component | Most academic law library jobs have some teaching component. Many jobs in law firms and government law libraries also have a significant teaching and training component. |
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What You'll Learn
Law librarian qualifications
To become a law librarian, you will need a master's degree from an American Library Association (ALA)-accredited institution. The names of the degrees vary: MLS, MLIS, MSIS, etc. However, all reflect an appropriate entry-level educational requirement for careers in the law librarianship profession.
The University of Washington offers a full range of dedicated credit hours of classes that are specialized in law librarianship subjects and can be completed in one calendar year. The University of Arizona offers a similar program that can be completed entirely online.
In addition to a master's degree, you will need some subject specialization in the law. This includes an understanding of the legal system, knowledge of the legal profession and its terminology, including legal abbreviations and citation systems, knowledge of the literature of the law, and an understanding of the legal requirements and ethical considerations of the legal profession.
Law librarians must also have skills in legal research, legal bibliography, the organization of legal materials, law library administration, and knowledge of legal information systems. A good foundation in technology is also essential for law librarianship, as most graduate programs offer coursework on technology's role in organizing and accessing information.
While not all law librarian positions require a law degree (JD or LLB), it may be preferred or required for certain positions, such as in law school libraries or management roles.
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Law librarian salaries
While salaries for law librarians vary depending on location and the institution, law librarians are generally paid less than faculty members.
According to ZipRecruiter, the average annual pay for a law librarian in the United States, as of December 2024, is $69,347, with the majority of salaries ranging from $58,500 (25th percentile) to $80,000 (75th percentile). However, salaries can be as low as $31,500 and as high as $112,000 per year. In November 2022, Glassdoor reported a slightly lower national average salary of $62,485 per year, with lows of $40,435 and highs of $96,558. The same source also estimated the total pay for a law librarian, including additional pay such as cash bonuses and profit sharing, to be $71,322 per year.
In a blog post from March 2022, a law librarian compared salaries at 20 public law schools where librarians teach a required, for-credit class. They found that, on average, law librarians make 47% less than non-dean faculty members. Including library directors and law school deans in the comparison lowered the difference to 38%. The average salary for a law librarian, including the library director, was $102,316, while the average faculty member salary, including the law school deans, was $166,115.
The blogger also compared the salaries of law librarians to those of professors of law. They found that law librarians make 43% less than professors of law, whose average salary is $180,894.
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Law librarian skills
Law librarians are legal information professionals who work in a variety of settings, including law firms, law schools, courts, and government organizations, as well as the legal departments of businesses and associations. The skills required for this profession include:
Legal Research and Bibliography
Law librarians must be adept at legal research, utilizing electronic resources like Westlaw, Lexis/Nexis, and Juris, as well as understanding legal bibliography and citation systems. They need to be able to evaluate the quality, accuracy, and validity of sources.
Organization and Classification of Legal Materials
Librarians in this field are responsible for the organization and classification of legal resources, ensuring efficient access to information for patrons. This includes knowledge of online databases and cataloging systems.
Library Administration
Law librarians often take on administrative roles, managing the library, its collections, and staff. This involves collection development activities such as purchasing, vendor account maintenance, and library organization. They may also be involved in library management systems and technology, including web design.
Teaching and Training
A significant component of law librarianship is teaching and training. Librarians in this field often provide instruction on effective research techniques and the utilization of library resources. They may also be involved in first-year research and writing courses or upper-division courses in academic settings.
Subject Competencies in Law
A strong understanding of the legal system, legal terminology, and the literature of law is essential. This includes knowledge of legal documents issued by various branches of government and an awareness of the legal and ethical considerations of the legal profession.
Reference Services
Law librarians provide reference services, assisting attorneys and their staff in finding and accessing legal and non-legal information. They educate users on how to utilize reference materials to obtain factual information efficiently.
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Law librarian courses
To become a law librarian, you will need a master's degree in library science or a related field. A Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS or MLS) is the most common qualification for law librarians, and most jobs require that this degree be from an American Library Association (ALA)-accredited institution.
The University of Washington offers the only program with a full range of dedicated credit hours of classes that are specialized in law librarianship subjects and can be completed in one calendar year. The University of North Texas, the University of Arizona, Catholic University of America, Pratt Institute in New York City, St. John's University, the University of Denver, and the University of Texas also offer two or more courses in law librarianship. The University of Arizona and the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, offer ALA-accredited and 100% online Master of Library and Information Science degrees, with a Law Librarianship and Legal Informatics concentration.
The number of credits required and the curriculum for a master's program vary depending on the specialization and the school. However, most MLIS programs offer at least a legal research or law library administration class. Some schools offer a joint JD/MLS degree program, where a student can earn a law degree and a library degree simultaneously.
In addition to a master's degree, law librarians must have skills in legal research, legal bibliography, the organization of legal materials, law library administration, and knowledge of legal information systems. They should also be familiar with online databases such as Westlaw and LexisNexis.
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Law librarian career prospects
Law librarianship is a field people often move into later in their careers, after gaining experience in other areas. For example, some law librarians have previously worked in other types of libraries, as teachers, business people, or musicians. A law degree is not always necessary to become a law librarian, but it can be beneficial. Most law librarian positions require an MLS or MLIS or its equivalent, and some schools offer joint JD/MLS degree programs.
To become a law librarian, you will need skills in legal research, legal bibliography, the organization of legal materials, law library administration, and knowledge of legal information systems. A good foundation in technology is also essential for law librarianship, and law librarians should be familiar with online databases such as Westlaw and LexisNexis.
There are opportunities for law librarians in all parts of the country and in many types of law libraries, including academic law libraries, law school libraries, and government law libraries. The University of Washington's MLIS program is the only one that includes instructional strategies for legal information, teaching students effective instruction techniques in different modalities, including online, in-person, synchronous, and asynchronous. The University of Arizona and the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, also offer ALA-accredited Master of Library and Information Science degrees with a specialization in law.
The salary for law librarians can vary depending on the region and the specific type of law library. According to the 2019 AALL Biennial Salary Survey, the median salary for a law librarian in a one-person law-firm library was $88,000, while the median salary for an instructional/reference/research librarian in an academic law library was $76,000.
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Frequently asked questions
To become a law librarian, you need to earn a Master of Library and Information Science or an MLIS in Law Librarianship. Some schools offer a joint JD/MLS degree, where a student can earn a law degree and a library degree simultaneously. Less than a quarter of law library jobs require both an MLIS and a JD.
Law librarians must have skills in legal research, legal bibliography, the organisation of legal materials, law library administration, and knowledge of legal information systems. A good foundation in technology is also essential for law librarianship.
The University of Washington offers a one-year, ALA-accredited law librarianship MLIS to qualified candidates who’ve already earned their JD. The University of Arizona's Master of Arts in Library and Information Science program offers a Law Librarianship/Legal Information concentration. The University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee offers an ALA-accredited and 100% online Master of Library and Information Science degree, with an Information Law, Policy, and Ethics specialisation.
