Did you know some law firms have their own librarians? Well, it’s true. Usually law firm librarians are only in larger firms, but if your firm has librarians they can be a valuable resource for you during your summer work.
I actually met with several librarians from different law firms at the office of VanCott, Bagley, Cornwall & McCarthy today in Salt Lake. I asked them what they would want me to tell our students here at BYU. One bit of advice they wanted me to pass along was “Don’t be afraid to ask questions.” All the firm librarians said they feel like summer associates waste a lot of time because they don’t know where to start most of the time. Asking questions to a librarian can get your research moving in the right direction. One librarian said she feels like summer associates don’t ask questions because they feel like supervising attorneys will find out and think less of their legal skills. The librarians don’t report that kind of stuff to attorneys – they are there to help and I suggest you use them.
My advice for a successful summer – befriend a law firm librarian. They’ll make you look good.