Services > Services to Law Faculty
Research Assistance
Law faculty members often hire Law student research assistants. From time to time, however, a member of the faculty may require research assistance for short projects that do not justify the time and expense of hiring a traditional research assistant. In those cases, the Law librarians are available to help. Typically, the librarians are able to gather and review (but not synthesize or analyze) requested materials. They can also provide a memorandum summarizing the research process, e.g., where looked, what found, on-line queries used, etc., so that a project can be updated easily or continued in the future by others. The librarians are also available for personal consultation with faculty members regarding new resources that might be available for various projects. The Library makes every effort to satisfy all faculty requests for research assistance. However, a request requiring a significant expenditure of time may need to be balanced with the research needs of other faculty members. In that case, the librarians would consult with the requestor and suggest that the faculty member hire his or her own personal research assistant.
The Library hires Law students to assist them with faculty research support, especially for projects that do not require a quick turnaround. Students who work in the Research Pool are supervised, trained, and advised by the Law librarians to ensure an excellent work product for the faculty. Pool students can perform a wide variety of tasks using traditional and electronic resources. Students may create bibliographies, as well as find and print cases, statutes, and law review articles. In addition, students may locate statistical data and information from other disciplines. Working in the Research Pool offers students an opportunity to acquire necessary research skills to prepare them for legal practice. The Research Pool is not intended to replace or preempt the faculty members' prerogatives to hire their own personal research assistants for large or long-term projects. In fact, the Library prefers that faculty hire personal research assistants for long-term projects. Librarians would be available to train personal research assistants and serve as consultants for them.
To request this service, use the web-based Request Form, contact Michelle Rigual, phone the Reference Desk at 277-0935, or stop by the Library in person.
