Ever been curious about how someone becomes a law librarian? Maybe your favorite part of law school is the legal research aspect. Or, maybe, you like the idea of a legal career that emphasizes curiosity, problem-solving, and helping people. If any of that sounds interesting, there is a national community built for exactly this path, and it is absolutely welcoming to students.
What Is AALL?
The American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) is the national professional organization for law librarians and legal information professionals. Founded back in 1906, it now has roughly 5,000 members working across just about every setting you can imagine: law schools, law firms, courts, corporate legal departments, and government agencies.
Professional organizations like AALL are membership groups built around a particular field or career. They exist to connect people who do similar work, help newcomers break in, and support members as they grow. In practice that usually means a mix of networking events, conferences, publications, continuing education, scholarships, and job resources (all in one place). Joining one is one of the easiest ways to learn what a profession is really like, meet the people already in it, and start building the relationships that tend to help land jobs.
Law librarians do far more than answer reference questions and manage collections. They lead research strategy, build and curate data, work on competitive intelligence and knowledge management, design AI/technology tools, and just generally help organizations work smarter. It is a profession that combines law, research, and technology, and, while a number of professional organizations exist to support law librarians, AALL is the biggest.
Student Membership
AALL makes it easy and affordable to join while you are still in law school. Full-time students enrolled in a degree program related to law librarianship (such as your current JD program…) can join at a steeply reduced rate. You will need to provide proof of full-time status when you join, and the student rate is available for up to five consecutive years.
Student members get the same benefits as full individual members. That means access to AALL’s communities, programs, publications, and events, plus the chance to start building a professional network before graduation. You can read the details and sign up on the student membership page.
Scholarships and Grants
The AALL Scholarship Program awards funding each year to people pursuing law librarianship, whether you are a law student, a library school student, or working toward a dual law and library degree. Individual awards have run up to around $2,000, and you are encouraged to apply for every scholarship you qualify for. A few worth knowing about:
- Degree Candidate Scholarships, for students working toward a library degree, a law degree, or a dual degree with the goal of a career in legal information.
- George A. Strait Minority Scholarship, awarded to degree candidates from minority groups who intend to build a career in law librarianship.
- LexisNexis John R. Johnson Memorial Scholarship, for students pursuing a degree from an accredited library or law school with plans for a career in legal information.
Most scholarship applications are due April 1, and evidence of financial need is required. Preference goes to AALL members and applicants with law library experience, but neither is strictly required, so do not let that stop you from applying. Recipients are announced each summer at the AALL Annual Meeting.
AALL also offers grants, including support for newer members and students to attend its Annual Meeting and the Conference of Newer Law Librarians (more on that below). You can browse the full list on the scholarships page.
Other Resources Worth Exploring
Beyond membership and money, AALL offers a lot for students testing the waters:
- Special Interest Sections (SISs). AALL has more than a dozen specialty groups covering areas like academic law libraries, private law firms, government, legal history, and more. They cost a small amount to join (currently $20 each) and are a great way to make connections if there’s a particular niche of law librarianship that interests you.
- Publications. AALL Spectrum, the association’s magazine, and Law Library Journal will give you a real feel for what the profession is thinking and talking about. Spectrum is an easier read; meanwhile, the Law Library Journal is among the most prominent journals for scholarship in law library science.
- Continuing education. Webinars, a microlearning video series, and other programs let you build skills at your own pace.
- The Conference of Newer Law Librarians (CONELL). Held each year alongside the summer Annual Meeting, CONELL is designed specifically to welcome newcomers and help them connect with the wider community. It’s a social opportunity, and you’ll meet folks from across the country that are also beginning their professional journey in law librarianship.
- Career resources. Job listings, mentoring opportunities, and networking that can help you hit the ground running.
Local Chapters
AALL also has regional and local chapters, and these can be one of the friendliest, lowest-pressure ways to get a feel for the field. Chapter membership is usually inexpensive and gives you access to local meetings, programs, and people who work near you.
If you are here in Virginia, two chapters are especially relevant: the Virginia Association of Law Libraries (VALL) and the Southeastern Chapter of AALL (SEAALL), which covers Virginia and much of the Southeast. Both hold regional meetings and are a great place to meet working law librarians in your region. You can find the full chapter directory through AALL’s chapters page.
Ready to Learn More?
You do not have to commit to anything to start learning. Browse the AALL website, look at a chapter meeting agenda, or read an issue of AALL Spectrum and see if it resonates. And of course, if you want to talk to someone who actually does this work, stop by the reference desk. We are always happy to chat about the profession and help you decide if it’s a good fit.