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Three Reasons Why You
Should Engage Your Legal
Library Team
B Y G I A N A H A L L
I
attended ILTACON 2019 as a first-timer and was moved by the multi-disciplinary
camaraderie, the focus on excellence, ethics, and "peer power," and the genuine sense
of warmth I experienced as a newcomer. I was surprised, though, by the seemingly low
contingent of legal research professionals. Amidst discussion of diversity, I feel it important to
address this. It's not an ILTA issue, but it is indicative of an unspoken idea that legal research
and legal technolo are different arenas. But while law librarians have their own professional
networks, such as the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL), there is significant overlap
between the issues affecting them and other legal technologists. (This summer's AALL conference
schedule included sessions like "The Age of AI: Emerging Regulatory Landscape Around the
World," "DIY API: From Inception to (Successful) Implementation," and "Leading, Energizing,
and Developing Staff Through Times of Change.")
Legal research and legal technolo are increasingly converging. If there ever was a time
when departments could run in their own lanes and not bump into one another, that time is
not now. Law firm departments share the same goal: to provide effective support as attorneys
produce work product, nurture client relationships, and generate revenue. And now, as
efficiency requires shared competencies
and collaborative technologies, the means
by which all of us perform our duties are
intersectional. "Tearing down the silos"
is more crucial than ever, and we must
not forget the one that separates legal
strate, operations, technolo, knowledge
management, project management, and
others from research.
As skilled gatekeepers and interpreters
of information, librarians are fitting allies
for an array of departments and can provide
insights into hiring, conflicts, pricing, risk
management, and more. I challenge you,
Legal Technologist of Any Discipline, to view
