Shh! The law librarian has something to say

I understand you aren’t shelving books and shushing folks all day. So, walk us through what an actual workday looks like for you. 

A typical day in 2026 looks nothing like shelving books.

It might include partnering with attorneys on high-stakes research for litigation or transactional work; evaluating and deploying AI-powered research tools; training summer associates on how to assess sources and avoid hallucinated results; or working with firm leadership on knowledge management and competitive intelligence strategies.

We’re using advanced legal research platforms, analytics tools and generative AI, but just as importantly, we’re applying judgment. With so much information available, the challenge isn’t finding something—it’s finding the right thing. That’s where law librarians make a real difference: we bring rigor, context and efficiency to the research process.

So if the old stereotypical image was about quiet stacks, the reality today is about active engagement and nimble movement.

Law librarians are essential partners in delivering accurate, efficient and thoughtful legal work—and our role continues to grow as the information landscape becomes more complex. We are also navigators sharing our expertise on generative AI to sectors of the legal community, including prosecutors, government attorneys, court personnel, private firm partners and beyond, as well as faculty and researchers in law schools teaching the next generation of lawyers. We’re also benchmarking and implementing the latest technology in mid-size to international law firms across the country.

You mentioned evaluating different research platforms and AI tools. Can you talk a little bit about how you help attorneys navigate the exploding number of these?

We approach this the same way we approach any research question: with structure and judgment. We’re not just looking at what a tool can do—we’re asking how it performs effectively in real-world legal workflows. Is the content authoritative and up to date? How transparent are the results? Where are the gaps? What is the tool actually designed for, and does it successfully complete that task? Or is there a different tool that can do it better, which sometimes is not a fancy generative AI tool, but a regular tool we’ve always had that works just fine? And how does it integrate with the way attorneys actually work?

Law librarians test tools side-by-side, often using the same research problem across platforms like Westlaw, Lexis, Bloomberg Law, Fastcase, CoCounsel and vLex to understand strengths and limitations. With AI-enabled tools especially, we’re evaluating not just speed, but accuracy, reproducibility and how well the system shows its work.

But evaluation is only part of it. Just as important is integration. Attorneys don’t have time to track every new platform or feature release—and they shouldn’t have to. Law librarians synthesize that complexity into clear guidance: when to use which tool, what to trust and where to verify.

We also think about cost, licensing and long-term value. In a crowded market, it’s easy to overinvest in tools that don’t meaningfully improve outcomes. Our role is to align technology decisions with actual needs—making sure we’re solving the right problems, not just adopting the newest solution.

At the end of the day, it’s not about keeping up with every tool. It’s about helping attorneys work smarter and more confidently in an environment where the options will only continue to grow.

Where can folks who work at smaller firms or organizations that don’t have a law librarian in-house find you? 

One of the best places to start is at public law libraries, county law libraries and court libraries across the country that are open to attorneys and the public. Many offer reference services, research support and access to key legal databases. Many academic law libraries are open to the public as well, offering another valuable resource for those who don’t have in-house support.

And increasingly, we’re making it easier to connect virtually—through webinars, online communities and shared resources—so you don’t have to be in the same building to benefit from a law librarian’s expertise.
The bottom line is: even if you don’t have a law librarian in-house, you’re not on your own. This is a collaborative profession, and there are many ways to tap into that expertise.

What's something an attorney could start doing tomorrow to get more value out of their law library and the people in it?

One of the simplest shifts is to move from “Can you find this for me?” to “Here’s what I’m trying to accomplish.”

Mid-career attorneys are often very efficient researchers, but they can get even more value from a law library when they share the context—what they already tried, what’s not working and what kind of end product they actually need. That helps a law librarian tailor the research approach, not just the results.

Another thing they can start doing right away is using the library as a place to pressure-test their thinking earlier in the process. Even a quick conversation can help surface sources they may not be aware of or prevent them from going too far down the wrong path.

And in a government setting specifically, where resources and time are always a factor, that kind of collaboration can make a big difference in efficiency and accuracy.

At the core, it’s about treating the law library not just as a place to retrieve information, but as a research partner who can help shape the path to the answer.

I love the idea that you’re more like a partner than a search engine. 

I recently asked my law library staff at the Hawai‘i Supreme Court Law Library what impacts them the most while working in our law library, and it always came back to human connection. The lightbulb moment we see when we’ve helped someone find what they’re looking for, especially when they had no idea where to start. 

Legal research can be challenging even for the most seasoned attorney, and we’re here to help—from locating obscure historical resources dating back to the Great Māhele, to unpacking complex research questions, to navigating new generative AI tools that may feel unfamiliar at first.

We embrace new and emerging technologies, applying thoughtful analysis as we explore how they can advance the legal information profession. At the same time, we remain grounded in the understanding that this work is ultimately about people. By connecting with and supporting one another as we tackle real-world legal information challenges, we keep our shared humanity at the center—creating space for everyone to succeed.

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