School of Library and Information Science

Full List of SLIS Courses of Study

Course of Study
Law Librarianship
 

A specialization in Law Librarianship is the gateway to a wide variety of interesting, exciting, and challenging professional opportunities. Some Law librarians work in fast-paced law firms, ensuring that the attorneys have all the relevant legal and business information bearing on a high-stakes case they're litigating. Others work in Federal, State, and local courts, providing the judges and their clerks with the background they need to administer justice in the traditions of our Nation. Others find their professional home in academe, taking on responsibility for the organization and operation of libraries serving professors and law students as they research, study, and write about the law. No matter which path they choose, law librarians share in a stimulating and rewarding profession.

At the Catholic University of America, our Law librarianship program combines an emphasis on legal information sources and services and law library management with a general preparation for professional librarianship Each student will take the four required core courses in the Master's degree program, required courses for the Law Librarianship specialization, and other appropriate mid-level and advanced courses. It is also strongly recommended that the student obtain professional-level experience, through a combination of regular employment, internships, or a Practicum. The student will consult with the Law Librarianship advisor to plan a course of study that will best meet the student's personal and professional needs.

Required core courses for all students are:

· LSC 551 Organization of Information

· LSC 553 Information Sources and Services

· LSC 555 Information Systems in Libraries and Information Centers

· LSC 557 Libraries and Information in Society

Required specialty courses for law librarianship are:

· LSC 886: Law Librarianship

· LSC 830: Legal Literature*

· LSC 839: Advanced Legal Research

Recommended specialty courses for law librarianship are:

· LSC 637: Government Information

· LSC 906: Practicum

In addition to the required core and specialized courses in Law Librarianship, other mid-level and advanced courses of particular importance include:

· LSC 603: Technical Services
· LSC 606: Cataloging and Classification
· LSC 672: Management
· LSC 641: Collection Development
· LSC 610: Information Architecture and Web Design
· LSC 652: Foundations of Digital Libraries
· LSC 616: Indexing, Abstracting, and Thesaurus Construction
· LSC 633: Information Retrieval and Analysis Strategies
· LSC 635: Use and Users of Libraries and Information
· LSC 675: Research Methods in Library and Information Science
· LSC 639: Business Information
· LSC 884: Intellectual Property Institute
· LSC 895: Independent Study

Joint J.D. (Law) - M.S.L.S. Program:
Some law librarians hold degrees in both Law and Library Science. While not necessary for many positions in law libraries, a law degree is frequently required for management positions in academic and research institutions. To support students interested in combining the two disciplines, the School of Library and Information Science and the Columbus School of Law offer a joint-degree program to provide academic preparation for law librarianship. The total number of library and information science semester hours of graduate credit required is reduced to 27, and a student in the program may apply up to 12 library science credits toward the J.D. degree.

Notes for Students With a J.D. or Other Advanced Degree

Previous Graduate Degree Exemption
A student who holds one or more accredited graduate degrees when admitted to the school will be automatically exempt from six semester credit hours, but all remaining credit must be earned within the School of Library and Information Science. An official transcript of the graduate degree must be submitted at the time application is made to the school.

Exemption from LSC 826, Legal Literature, for Students with the J.D.
Students with the J.D. degree, who have taken a course in legal research, may petition to enroll in LSC 828, Advanced Legal Research, without taking the prerequisite LSC 826, Legal Literature.

Associations of interest to students in law librarianship
Professional associations for law librarians are important sources of information about the profession, continuing education opportunities, scholarship support, and networking. Most have student membership rates. For further information contact:

Publications of interest to students in law librarianship
Law Library Journal (published by the American Association of Law Libraries)
Law Library Lights (published by the Law Librarians' Society of Washington, D.C.; )
Government Information Quarterly
Spectrum (published by the American Association of Law Libraries; http://www.aallnet.org/products/pub_sp0807.asp


Revised September 2012.
Course numbers updated September 2012.

Full List of SLIS Courses of Study