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Printer FriendlyToo Cool for School
Law firm legal research training adapts to new generation of students.
As several new trends and technologies converge, 2007 is shaping up to be a groundbreaking year for new methods of teaching legal research.
Besides awakening to the younger generation’s different learning needs, teachers of legal research are adapting techniques to the rise of social media, Web 2.0 and other technologies.
“The way that legal research is performed from the information gathering perspective is completely different today than when a partner of the 1980s call vintage went to law school,” says Shaunna Mireau, Law Librarian at Field Law in Edmonton.
Four major trends are emerging on the research training scene:
1. Adult Learning Styles
Legal research training programs in law firm settings have become highly sophisticated. Librarians are being hired by law firms specifically for the training function and for their ability to teach various adult learning styles. A typical training session now involves a mix of formats in one class—lecture, hands-on and discussion, each in short segments—to ensure students who learn in different ways will absorb the content.
While students are generally able to multi-task and expect stimulation, especially from technology, they are generally less familiar with paper-based research methods. Their tendency is to head to the computer first, but once shown how paper research is conducted, will adapt to it, provided it is faster and more effective.
2. Self-Directed Learning
As adults, law students might have special learning needs, and ought to choose what they need to know. The trend in recent years has been to make legal research training mandatory to ensure students are prepared for the workplace. The challenge is ensuring that lessons are presented at the have right time and made relevant so that the information will be retained.
Some library managers favour optional sessions; once students understand the importance of legal research training, nearly all will attend when given the choice. Again, timing is important— running programs a few weeks after new associates start with a firm (as opposed to right away) will help them see the need for developing research skills.
Another interesting teaching tool is to make short lesson segments available from the organization's intranet, using screencasting software (such as Camtasia Studio from TechSmith or Captivate from Adobe) that combines images and audio into video clips. "Screencasting software will be a benefit both from the context of adapting to learning styles and as a feature to show that we are a forward facing firm as far as technology goes," says Mireau.
3. Collaborative Teaching
Teaching legal research has become an increasingly collaborative effort. Law firm libraries are designating more than one staff member to “team teach”, in an effort to offer a variety in teaching styles and build personal connections.
Librarians in Edmonton are taking collaboration a step further by organizing a joint "boot camp" for law students from various firms, to ease the pressure on individual firms. The program involves librarians, lawyers, and judges who all volunteer their time annually to organize the program in June (www.edmontonlawlibraries.ca).
4. Social Media
By far the "sexiest" trend is the use of social media such as blogs, wikis, podcasts and videocasts in legal research training. At the University at Buffalo, Jim Milles, Associate Dean for Legal Information Services, Director of the Law Library and Professor of Law, offers an innovative course on how to incorporate social media into legal research training. Fittingly, course notes and podcasts are online (http://tlr07.classcaster.org).
It’s a Wiki World After All
The use of wikis (free and collaborative online encyclopedias) in legal settings is on the rise. Legal wikis can be general or specific to substantive areas of law, and can be used to compile research sources:
Wex (Cornell Law School)
http://www.law.cornell.edu/wexWikiLaw (U.S. Law)
http://www.wikilaw.orgJurisPedia (Global)
http://en.jurispedia.orgHere in Canada, Mireau’s Edmonton firm is exploring new opportunities presented by wikis, del.icio.us and the whole host of social media technologies that are picking up steam, particularly with students. She has also created a blog (http://mireau.blogspot.com) to deliver legal research tips to Field Law's internal researchers and to show potential articling students what they can expect from her firm. “The project possibilities for social networking and Web 2.0 are endless,” she says.
Each of these trends is helping the others grow and flourish. Social media, for example, are making it easier to allow for self-directed learning. Self-directed learning helps teach to different adult learning styles. Collaborative teaching allows for better programming overall. As new trends and technologies continue to develop, expect to see more innovation, collaboration and the removal of geographic and other barriers to quality legal research training.
Connie Crosby is Library Manager at WeirFoulds LLP in Toronto. She is a regular contributor to Slaw.ca, a co-operative weblog about Canadian legal research and IT, and hosts her on blog at http://conniecrosby.blogspot.com.
Neither the author nor the CBA should be construed as endorsing any product or website listed in this article. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CBA.
In this document, any reference to "jurist" or "lawyer" includes, where appropriate, "Québec notary".