In this era of concern over pay equity and DEI there is another shortfall in society: Law Librarian pay. Some colleagues on the mainland have done research and discovered a huge pay inequity among Law School Faculty. See the post at RIPS Law Librarian Blog. The author’s research included University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa William S. Richardson School of Law.
A little primer about Law Librarianship for those who may not know:
- Law Librarians are tenured faculty at some Law Schools (including the University of Hawaiʻi)
- Many Law Librarian positions require dual degrees: JD and MLIS – this is more than what is required for many Law Professors
- Many Law Librarians teach Legal Research (a required course) and Advanced Legal Research classes
- For those who don’t teach routinely, Law Librarians conduct many instructional presentations, workshops, and online teaching materials
- Law Librarians serve on University and Law School committees just like other Law Faculty
- Law Librarians commonly publish scholarship and present at local and national conferences, even if not required
- Many faculty are on a 9-month contract, whereas librarians tend to work all year, thus further widening the pay gap