Another Law School Course? On Law Librarianship?

Virginia Association of Law Libraries, Fall 2003

4 Pages Posted: 1 Oct 2011

Date Written: 2003

Abstract

What’s that you say? Another law school course? On Librarianship? You’ve got to be kidding. Those were my unspoken thoughts upon hearing this idea suggested by Professor Samuel Menefee, a staunch supporter of the law library and active member of the Library committee. My colleague, Professor Menefee, is a constant source of creative ideas for the law library, and its most active supporter among nonlibrarians.

Is there REALLY a need for a course in Law Librarianship in the law school curriculum? The Regent Law School curriculum committee answered that question in the affirmative a couple of years ago, much to my surprise and delight.

Having now just finished teaching the new Law Librarianship Seminar – believed to be the first offered by an American law school on the subject – I have been encouraged by several colleagues to write an article describing the course so that others may benefit from the experience, and so that other law schools might consider offering such a course to students who are proficient in legal research and might be interested in law librarianship as an alternative to the traditional practice of law.

This article addresses several questions I asked initially. Why was the course needed, and what would be the perceived benefits? What would be the focus of the course? How should it be organized? What criteria for selection of articles for assigned reading and discussion would be used? What should be included, as well as excluded? Who would teach it? Where would classes be held? Would enough students be interested in taking such a course? Also discussed are the process of implementation, the experience itself, what was learned, and what will be done differently in future years.

Keywords: Law Librarian, Librarianship, Law Library, Regent University

Suggested Citation

Oates, Charles Harmon, Another Law School Course? On Law Librarianship? (2003). Virginia Association of Law Libraries, Fall 2003, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1935714

Charles Harmon Oates (Contact Author)

Regent University ( email )

1000 Regent University Drive
Virginia Beach, VA 23464
United States
(757) 352-4866 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://www.regent.edu/acad/schlaw/faculty_staff/oates.cfm

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