Law Librarianship: A Career Alternative for JD's

Interested in using your law degree in an alternative career? Law librarians work in diverse and challenging environments, and have a variety of educational backgrounds. Several of the Westminster Law Library staff have JD's and some practiced law before switching to law librarianship.


About 30% of AALL* members have a law degree. Academic law libraries are more likely to require a JD than are other employers, especially if you are interested in public services positions. A legal bibliography class or practical experience through working and volunteering in a law library can give you great experience.


The AALL website provides information on scholarships and grants, job postings, a salary survey, and a writing competition for library school students. There are also numerous regional and local chapters affiliated with AALL, including the Colorado Association of Law Libraries (CoALL). CoALL, our state chapter, provides networking and educational opportunities in the Denver metro area. CoALL includes individuals from academic, firm, court, and agency law libraries through Colorado.


While many programs are free to anyone, student membership in CoALL is only $5 per year. This includes discounted rates on fee-based programs and a quarterly newsletter. CoALL offers a yearly research workshop to summer law clerks called BRAG (Bridging the Research & Analysis Gap). CoALL also sponsors grants and scholarship opportunities for library school students.


For more information about educational requirements or the profession check out these resources or stop by the Law Library. The University of Denver School of Library & Information Science (SLIS) received a grant of nearly a million dollars to develop a law librarianship fellow program in conjunction with the Westminster Law Library. Applications are now being accepted for the Fall 2009 class.


*The American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) was founded in 1906 to promote and enhance the value of law libraries to the legal and public communities, to foster the profession of law librarianship, and to provide leadership in the field of legal information. Today, with over 4,800 members, the Association represents law librarians and related professionals who are affiliated with a wide range of institutions such as law firms; law schools; corporate legal departments; courts; and local, state and federal government agencies.

by Patty Wellinger, Reference Service Coordinator