Practising Law Librarian

Josh LaPorte, supervisory librarian at the United States Court of International Trade, discusses his career trajectory, including stints in his high school library, as a cataloger, as a library assistant, filling in for various library jobs, in several law school librarian posts, and in his current position. LaPorte shares his experiences navigating the evolving landscape of legal research, including the integration of AI tools. He emphasizes the importance of understanding bias in AI-generated results and its potential benefits and limitations in legal applications. LaPorte also highlights the challenges and opportunities associated with developing library skills and the role of paralegal education in enriching legal librarianship.

The Practising Law Librarian brings you conversations with — and for — the law librarian community. PLI is proud to offer resources including PLI PLUS, the award-winning legal research platform, to support the essential work of law librarians and practitioners.

Please note: CLE is not offered for listening to this podcast, and the views and opinions expressed within represent those of the speakers and not necessarily those of PLI.

Theresa Kim, Senior Business & Legal Research Analyst at Venable LLP, talks about how her 20+ year career has evolved from a print-dominated landscape to a digital one. With research tools ever-evolving, she discusses the use of AI as a resource supported by human input, as well as several tools Venable’s team has developed to streamline and enable attorneys’ access to information. Her advice to new law librarians includes embracing the unexpected nature of the work, maintaining curiosity, and never giving up on difficult research tasks.

The Practising Law Librarian brings you conversations with — and for — the law librarian community. PLI is proud to offer resources including PLI PLUS, the award-winning legal research platform, to support the essential work of law librarians and practitioners.

Please note: CLE is not offered for listening to this podcast, and the views and opinions expressed within represent those of the speakers and not necessarily those of PLI.

John Davey, Research Manager at Alston & Bird and a seasoned law librarian with over 30 years of experience, shares insights about his career journey, the evolution of law libraries, and the integration of technology and AI in legal research. The conversation highlights his current role at Alston and Bird, reflections on changes in law librarianship, and his personal interests outside of the profession.

The Practising Law Librarian brings you conversations with — and for — the law librarian community. PLI is proud to offer resources including PLI PLUS, the award-winning legal research platform, to support the essential work of law librarians and practitioners.

Please note: CLE is not offered for listening to this podcast, and the views and opinions expressed within represent those of the speakers and not necessarily those of PLI.

Dean Mason, the London-based head of Sidley Austin’s award-winning Library & Research Services team, shares his perspective from over two decades working in legal and commercial information. He discusses his thoughts on several differences in legal research at British and U.S.-based firms, how his department successfully raised awareness of its services internally with "Just Ask", and how working to be “the person that gets stuff done” has made an impact on his firm and his career.

The Practising Law Librarian brings you conversations with — and for — the law librarian community. PLI is proud to offer resources including PLI PLUS, the award-winning legal research platform, to support the essential work of law librarians and practitioners.

Please note: CLE is not offered for listening to this podcast, and the views and opinions expressed within represent those of the speakers and not necessarily those of PLI.

CJ Pipins, Director of the Law Library and Professor of Practice at the University of Baltimore School of Law, shares his journey from a BFA in musical theater to law librarianship, detailing the pivotal moments and mentors that guided him. CJ recounts his diverse experiences at various institutions, highlights his contributions to creating educational tools and managing public services, and discusses AI's role in legal education and research. He emphasizes the importance of assuming good intentions and finding career fulfillment.

Avery Le, the director of the Homer M. Stark Law Library, recounts her shift from aspiring trademark lawyer to law librarian, working in academic, corporate, and county government settings. She discusses her innovative 'Lawyer in the Library' program, which offers public legal consultations through a partnership with Atlanta's Legal Aid Society. Avery emphasizes the importance of exploring various roles in law librarianship and the evolving impact of AI on the profession. She advises new librarians to seek diverse experiences and build strong professional networks.

The Practising Law Librarian brings you conversations with — and for — the law librarian community. PLI is proud to offer resources including PLI PLUS, the award-winning legal research platform, to support the essential work of law librarians and practitioners.

Please note: CLE is not offered for listening to this podcast, and the views and opinions expressed within represent those of the speakers and not necessarily those of PLI.

The Practising Law Librarian brings you conversations with — and for — the law librarian community. PLI is proud to offer resources including PLI PLUS, the award-winning legal research platform, to support the essential work of law librarians and practitioners.

Please note: CLE is not offered for listening to this podcast, and the views and opinions expressed within represent those of the speakers and not necessarily those of PLI.

Please note: CLE is not offered for listening to this podcast, and the views and opinions expressed within represent those of the speakers and not necessarily those of PLI.

Please note: CLE is not offered for listening to this podcast, and the views and opinions expressed within represent those of the speakers and not necessarily those of PLI.

As the newly appointed Law Library Manager at the U.S. Court of International Trade, Taryn Rucinski brings a decade of experience as a librarian in the U.S. federal court system as well as leadership in professional organizations. Hear her observations on why print still has a role to play in legal research and records, how she overcame personal and profession-wide challenges during the COVID pandemic as president of LAGNY, and her advocacy for those with visible and invisible disabilities.

The Practising Law Librarian brings you conversations with — and for — the law librarian community. PLI is proud to offer resources including PLI PLUS, the award-winning legal research platform, to support the essential work of law librarians and practitioners.

Please note: CLE is not offered for listening to this podcast, and the views and opinions expressed within represent those of the speakers and not necessarily those of PLI.