Author: Andrew Christensen

W&L Law Library Celebrates Faculty and Student Scholarship

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W&L Law Fall Scholarship Celebration

On October 9, 2025, the Washington and Lee Law Library hosted the fifth W&L Law Fall Scholarship Celebration. The event was co-sponsored by the Frances Lewis Law Center and took place in the Law Library’s main reading room from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

On display were dozens of scholarly articles, books, chapters, and court briefs authored by the W&L Law faculty and student body between October 2022 and October 2025. Additional works were accessible online via QR codes to W&L Law Scholarly Commons institutional repository. A selection of vintage scholarship by former W&L Law professors was also on display, courtesy of the Powell Archives.

Faculty, librarians, staff, and administrators mingled with law students over hors d’oeuvres and drinks to peruse the formidable scholarly output of the W&L Law community. Retirees, alumni, faculty from W&L’s undergraduate campus, and others with ties to the University were also in attendance.

Melanie Wilson, Dean and Roy Steinheimer, Jr. Professor of Law; Michelle Cosby, Assistant Dean of Legal Information Services and Professor of Practice; Brandon Hasbrouck, Sydney and Frances Lewis Professor of Law and Director of the Frances Lewis Law Center; Andrew Christensen, Deputy Director of the Law Library; and Jenny Mitchell, Archivist and Special Collections Librarian, provided welcoming remarks.

The event program, which includes a list of the scholarship on display, is available to download in PDF and to view online in Issuu. A selection of photos from the event is below, with more available to view in the W&L Law Scholarly Commons Image Gallery.

New Washington and Lee Law Journal Rankings Released

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Law Journal Rankings Homepage

The 2024 Washington and Lee Law Journal Rankings are now available at go.wlu.edu/lawjournals.

Maintained by the W&L Law Library, the Rankings are a world-recognized resource for identifying and comparing law journals by subject, country of publication, or rank across several categories relevant to scholars and publishers.

Data for 2024 includes the top 400 U.S.-published law journals and the top 100 law journals published outside the United States, based on citation counts and publication statistics for a 2020-2024 survey period.

New Rankings are released annually based on data up through the preceding calendar year. Historical data from the 1996-2003 to 2019-2023 survey periods remains accessible on the site for reference and comparison.

For more information about W&L Law Journal Rankings, please visit the the How to Use and Methodology pages of the site. Questions and comments are welcome at LawJournalRankings@wlu.edu.

2025 Spring Into Summer Success Resources Now Online

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Spring Into Summer Success with W&L Law Library and OCS

A freshly updated guide to resources for student summer employment is now online, courtesy of the W&L Law Library.

The guide is based on the Spring Into Summer Success with W&L Law Library and OCS program held at W&L Law between March 17 and April 3, 2025. It includes guidance and resources for conducting smart and efficient legal research and making the most of the summer work experience. Information is relevant for any legal workplace, such as private firms, public interest organizations, judicial internships, or government agencies.

Content includes:

Streaming video recordings of the in-person sessions are included where available.

You are welcome to reach out to the W&L Law Library (lawref@wlu.edu) and Office of Career Strategy (lawcareer@wlu.edu), both while preparing for your job now and during the summer. We are glad to help and will do our best to get you the information or advice you need!

Stand Out with Research Certifications from Lexis, Westlaw & Bloomberg Law

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Guest post by Haley Lawson, 1L and SLACer

After taking Legal Research as a 1L, a law student might feel like they have mastered Westlaw and Lexis and can seamlessly find the answer to any legal research question thrown at them.

While I do not want to burst your bubble, your understanding of these research platforms unfortunately does not make you special. Every 1L across the country has just learned about Lexis and Westlaw. But don’t worry! There are opportunities to set yourself apart as a student and job candidate—and even as a lawyer down the road—with certified, superior online legal research skills.

Just take advantage of the free certifications offered by Westlaw, Lexis, and Bloomberg Law. These self-paced online programs help you both review fundamentals and learn advanced tips for using legal database tools and content. From transactional drafting and litigation analytics to legislative history and dockets, you can choose your topic and get started anytime. Once complete, you will earn an official credential of certification from the company that looks great on your résumé or LinkedIn page. Take my advice: Check out the certifications for Westlaw, Lexis, and Bloomberg Law and stand apart from the legal research pack!

Welcome Kerry Shibib, Outreach and Reference Librarian

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Kerry Shibib

Kerry Shibib, W&L Law’s new librarian

The Law Library is delighted to welcome Kerry Shibib to our professional staff and the W&L Law community!

Professor Shibib holds the new position of Outreach and Reference Librarian, in which he will coordinate our research assistant programs, the Student Library Advisory Committee (SLACers), and provide expert research and instructional support to faculty and students. He also teaches the Legal Research course in our first-year curriculum.

Prior to becoming a law librarian, Kerry was an attorney with large firms in New York and a boutique family law practice in San José, California. He is also a technology and computer enthusiast, becoming Microsoft Certified in Artificial Intelligence earlier this year. Kerry is currently working towards his Master of Library and Information Science at San José State University and previously earned his JD from Columbia and undergraduate degree from Cornell.

Please join us in welcoming Professor Shibib! His office is 354, on the corner just across from the Circulation Desk.

New Washington and Lee Law Journal Rankings Released

Andrew ChristensenLeave a comment

W&L Law Journal Rankings

The 2023 Washington and Lee Law Journal Rankings are now available at go.wlu.edu/lawjournals.

Maintained by the W&L Law Library, the Rankings are a world-recognized resource for identifying and comparing law journals by subject, country of publication, or rank across several categories relevant to scholars and publishers.

Data for 2023 includes the top 400 U.S.-published law journals and the top 100 law journals published outside the United States, based on citation counts and publication statistics for a 2019-2023 survey period.

New Rankings are released annually based on data up through the preceding calendar year. Historical data from the 1996-2003 to 2018-2022 survey periods remains accessible on the site for reference and comparison.

For more information about W&L Law Journal Rankings, please visit the the How to Use and Methodology pages of the site. Questions and comments are welcome at LawJournalRankings@wlu.edu.

Spring Into Summer Success Resources Now Online

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Spring Into Summer Success with W&L Law Library and OCS

A freshly updated guide to resources for student summer employment is now online, courtesy of the W&L Law Library.

The guide is based on the Spring Into Summer Success with W&L Law Library and OCS program held at W&L Law between March 12 and March 19, 2024. It includes guidance and resources for conducting smart and efficient legal research and making the most of the summer work experience. Information is relevant for any legal workplace, such as private firms, public interest organizations, judicial internships, or government agencies.

Content includes:

  • Summer Work Tips with the Rachford Fellows and Burks Scholars
  • Legal News and Current Awareness
  • Multi-Jurisdictional Surveys and Research
  • Introduction to Lexis+ AI
  • Prepare to Practice with Westlaw
  • Summer Access to Online Resources

Streaming video recordings of the in-person sessions are included where available.

The guide is at https://libguides.wlu.edu/summersuccess2024. Please note that the guide is exclusively accessible to the W&L Law community; click here to log into Box for the required password.

You are welcome to reach out to the W&L Law Library (lawref@wlu.edu) and Office of Career Strategy (lawcareer@wlu.edu), both while preparing for your job now and during the summer. We are glad to help and will do our best to get you the information or advice you need!

New Guide to Study Aids for Upper-Level Courses

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Print study aids on upper-level subjects, available in the Reserve Room.

Just in time for fall exam season, the Law Library has launched a new LibGuide to help you select the best study aids for upper-level elective courses.

Study Guides for 2L/3L Classes highlights the leading online and print supplements available at no cost to W&L students through the Law Library. Subjects include Evidence, Administrative Law, Business Associations, Tax, and more. The guide complements the Study Guides for 1L Classes, updated regularly since 2016.

Print study aids are in the Reserve Room (Level 3 near the Circulation Desk). Online study aids and supplements are available from West Academic, Lexis Digital Library, CALI, and Quimbee.

Email LawRef@wlu.edu with any questions or suggestions about study aids for law courses or concepts.