How to Apply
A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position. Please also include names and contact information for three professional references and indicate your professional relationship with each.
Job Summary
The Faculty Research Librarian is a member of the Research and User Services Unit and manages the Law Library's Faculty Research Service and provides reference service to all aspects of our patron community. The Faculty Research Librarian reports to the Assistant Director for Research and User Services.
Who We Are
Founded in 1859, Michigan Law School is one of the world's leading institutions of legal education and enjoys a reputation for academic excellence characterized by a powerful commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Michigan is consistently ranked among the top law schools in the nation and enjoys international renown for its intellectual rigor, stunning physical surroundings, preeminent faculty scholarship, and a community noted for collegiality and warmth. Michigan Law has an exceptional and cooperative community of talented and interesting students, with 1000 in the J.D. and 40 in the LLM. programs. Our commitments to collegiality, constructive and challenging debate, and enabling our students to pursue a wide range of options explain why the Law School has long been committed to diversity along many dimensions. Our graduates serve with distinction in the private, public, non-profit, and academic sectors, in large numbers in every major market in the nation and internationally.
The Law Library holds one of the world's most comprehensive collections of foreign, comparative, and international law materials. The University of Michigan is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, which is considered among the best places in the United States to live and work. At Michigan Law, we view our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion as central to our mission as an educational institution and we seek to ensure that each member of our community has full opportunity to excel in our environment. We believe that diversity is necessary to individual flourishing, educational excellence, and the advancement of knowledge and we maintain a deep commitment to fostering a diverse community in which all students, staff, and faculty learn and work in an atmosphere of inclusion and respect. With over 1 million volumes, the Law Library has one of the world's premier collections.
Why Work at Michigan?
The University of Michigan Law Library dedicates efforts to supporting a healthy work-life balance. Benefits include:
- Paid Holidays, Season Days, and Vacation Days
- Flexible work schedule
- A retirement plan that provides two-for-one matching contributions with immediate vesting Many choices for comprehensive health insurance, including flexible spending accounts and dependent care expenses
- Life insurance
For additional information, see U-M Career Benefits Website.
Responsibilities*
- Coordinate and manage the Faculty Research Service including:
- Perform in-depth, expert legal and non-legal research for law faculty
- Supervision over law student research assistants, including hiring, training, and scheduling
- Creating, updating, and maintaining systems, manuals, and forms; developing and fostering relations with other Law Library units, other libraries on campus, the Law School and Law Faculty, and support services provided within and without the Law Library
- Provide reference service in all areas of law for all jurisdictions, as well as in non-law subject areas
- Participate in the evening and weekend rotation at the reference desk
- Provide ad hoc synchronous and asynchronous research instruction sessions for law school classes and individual or group research consultations
- Create and update research guides, FAQs, and other information provided to patrons
- Fill in for other reference librarians and provide back-up supervision for unit functions during vacations and other absences, as needed
- Other duties as assigned
Required Qualifications*
- J.D. from ABA accredited law school
- Knowledge of and proficiency with a wide range of legal information sources and research methods
- Demonstrated experience performing legal research in an academic, court or law firm setting
- Ability to work evening and weekends at the reference desk on a rotating basis
Desired Qualifications*
- Licensed to practice law in one or more U.S. states
- Master's degree for an ALA accredited school of information or library science
- Some experience performing reference work in an academic law library and/or experience in a large research library
- Ability to work with foreign language materials
- Experience as a supervisor
Additional Information
This is a regular, full-time (12 Month), 100% appointment and is subject to the collective bargaining agreement between the Regents of the University of Michigan and the University of Michigan Lecturer's Employee Organization, AFT Local 6244, AFL-CIO, Librarians, Archivists, and Curators Bargaining Unit.
Salary: minimum $72,000 at the Associate Librarian level, commensurate with experience and qualifications; benefits worth 28% of salary. Additional support is available for professional development activities.
Union Affiliation
This position is covered under the collective bargaining agreement between the U-M and the Lecturers Employee Organization, AFL-CIO, on behalf of their Librarian, Archivists, and Curator bargaining unit (LEO-GLAM), which contains and settles all matters with respect to wages, benefits, hours and other terms and conditions of employment.
Application Deadline
Applications are accepted and reviewed on an ongoing basis. Ideally a candidate would start as soon as practical.
U-M EEO/AA Statement
The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.