Research and Instruction Law Librarian - Hiring Two

Cornell University•Ithaca, NY

9d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Cornell University Law Library is seeking to hire two Research and Instruction Law Librarians, targeting early career professionals at the Assistant Librarian rank. These positions offer significant opportunities for growth and leadership in legal research, reference, and instruction services. The librarians will play a key role in shaping legal research instruction and supporting faculty scholarship within a leading law library. Essential responsibilities include delivering expert legal research instruction and providing legal research and reference services, adapting to the evolving legal landscape. A primary focus will be preparing law school graduates for bar exams and for successful careers in U.S. and global legal practice and academia. They will also assist faculty with both empirical and traditional legal research, leveraging advanced legal and academic research technologies. Librarians at Cornell University hold academic appointments as Research, Teaching, and Extension (RTE) faculty and are expected to meet Cornell University Library requirements for promotion and reappointment.

Requirements

JD from an ABA-accredited program or equivalent; or combination of legal research competencies such as are normally gained through a JD program.
Master’s degree in library and/or information science from an ALA-accredited institution; or academic law librarianship skills equivalent to those expected to be acquired from professional experience in an academic law setting.
Demonstrated ability to conduct and teach US legal research using US legal information databases and print resources.
Demonstrated knowledge about current pedagogical approaches to legal research curricular development and teaching, such as topical, programmatic, or advanced legal research courses in a law school or legal education, librarianship, or another relevant accredited program.
Adept at working constructively in an environment of collaboration, inclusion, and openness to diverse perspectives in areas of assigned responsibility and as part of teams led by others.
Effective and inclusive communication skills, both orally and in writing, with colleagues and with students and faculty.
Ability to initiate, develop, manage, and assess projects and programs in collaboration with others, in alignment with organizational priorities and with a willingness to adapt as priorities shift.

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated knowledge about one or more of Tribal Law, Federal Indian Law, and Indigenous law research; New York legal research; Business Legal Research, and Foreign, Comparative, and International Legal Research.
Ability to plan, organize, develop, and maintain subject-specific research guides for use as research and instructional tools.
Familiarity with bar preparation or bar examinations in any jurisdiction.

Responsibilities

Provide expert reference services and in-depth research consultations.
Deliver workshops, presentations, and embedded classroom instruction.
Develop legal research guides and promote critical legal information literacy.
Support faculty with legal research tools, including AI and emerging technologies.
Teach legal research in the 1L Lawyering course and the LLM Principles of American Legal Research and Writing course.
Design curricula, create instructional materials, and assess student learning.
Prepare students for clinical work, legal practice, and the NextGen Bar Exam.
Design and teach advanced legal research courses (e.g., FCIL, business law, legal tech).
Develop learning outcomes and assessments as instructor of record.
Engage in outreach, orientation, and committee work across Cornell Law School and University Library.
Contribute to professional conferences, publications, and collaborative initiatives.