Due to the special relationship that patrons and librarians have, some librarians believe reference sessions should be granted an evidentiary privilege to shield interactions between the two from third parties. This article argues that librarians should not attempt to establish a reference session privilege between them and their patrons due to the ethical, legal, and professional entanglements such a privilege would involve. This article also raises practical considerations as reasons why librarians should not attempt to create a patron and librarian privilege for reference sessions.

Copyright law has not adapted well to the digital era, with problematic effects for libraries. Because publishers offer digital materials through licensing, rather than sale, they can both increase prices and add restrictions. Libraries are unable to effectively negotiate better terms. Recently, state legislatures have attempted to shift the balance of power through bills that prevent digital licensing contracts with libraries from including unreasonable terms. Connecticut’s Senate Bill No. 1234 is the most recent success, and its story shows how librarians were key in its passage. Librarians, particularly law librarians, are well-positioned to advocate for these much-needed bills.

This article presents the top 100 legal scholars of 2024. The ranking uniquely focuses on citations to recent publications to highlight current impact. In addition, it features a co-author ranking and ranks law schools by the number of scholars included in the top 100. The article also examines the number of women scholars and the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in legal scholarship. It identifies traits of highly cited papers, analyzes year-over-year ranking changes, and contrasts the novel ranking with other legal scholarship rankings. The paper’s ranking is more inclusive of women than traditional rankings, and it is especially valuable for identifying current leading legal scholars.

This article presents a case study examining whether the creation and use of research plans enhances the effectiveness of legal research by law students. Despite their emphasized role in legal research pedagogy, research plans are often underutilized by students in their summer jobs, clinical work, and postgraduate employment. Through a three-part study, the authors surveyed upper-level students about their use of and impressions of research plans, analyzed performance outcomes from a research simulation involving a legal hypothetical, and evaluated five years of assessment data from a 1L Legal Research course.

This article explores the integration of Indigenous knowledge into academic law libraries, emphasizing the preservation of oral traditions and customary laws. It addresses historical and contemporary challenges faced by Native communities, including the impact of mission and boarding schools on cultural identity. The study proposes best practices for recording and archiving oral histories, advocating for the establishment of Indigenous Scholarship Librarians. By fostering collaboration with Indigenous communities and respecting their intellectual property rights, academic law libraries can become allies in preserving and promoting Indigenous legal traditions and cultural heritage.

This article explores the role of academic law libraries in accreditation and review processes. It outlines accreditation frameworks in U.S. legal education, detailing standards from the American Bar Association and oversight by the Department of Education. The article discusses involvement in regional accreditations and other external or internal reviews. The piece offers practical guidance for law libraries on preparation, assessment, and strategic participation in both external and internal evaluations.

The legal profession is changing as generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools become embedded in legal research and practice. While AI tools promise increased efficiency, they also pose risks to cognitive development, including overload, overreliance, decision fatigue, and the erosion of metacognitive habits. This article applies cognitive psychology frameworks to examine how AI-assisted research affects legal reasoning and learning. It introduces the concept of intelligence equilibrium, a state in which AI complements rather than replaces human analysis. Drawing on these frameworks, the article proposes instructional strategies to help educators, particularly law librarians, support students in developing adaptable, critical, and ethically grounded AI-augmented research practices. By focusing on how technology interacts with cognitive processes, this article reframes legal research instruction around sustaining critical legal reasoning skills.