Author: Andrew Christensen

Welcome Nina-Simone Edwards, Technology and Research Librarian

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Nina-Simone Edwards

Nina-Simone Edwards, W&L Law’s new librarian

The Law Library is delighted to welcome Nina-Simone Edwards to our professional staff and the W&L Law community! 

Professor Edwards holds the new position of Technology and Reference Librarian, where she will support the integration of emerging technologies into the school’s research, information access, and teaching missions, as well as provide expert research and instructional support to faculty and students. She will also teach the Legal Research course in our first-year curriculum.

Prior to becoming a law librarian, Professor Edwards worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown Law’s Institute for Technology Law & Policy on the Redesigning the Governance Stack Project. Before attending law school, she was a Fulbright Scholar and a City Year AmeriCorps member. She earned her Master of Science in Library and Information Science from The Catholic University of America and her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.

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

New Washington and Lee Law Journal Rankings Released

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The 2025 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 2025 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 2021-2025 survey period.

New Rankings are released annually based on data up through the preceding calendar year. Historical data from the 1996-2003 to 2020-2024 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.

Law Library Study Aids at Your Fingertips!

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Final exams are right around the corner, and the law library is here to help! Whether you’re a 1L tackling Civil Procedure or a 3L reviewing for Antitrust, our Study Aid LibGuides provide a one-stop resource to support your exam preparation.

Explore the study aids for your courses:

What’s Inside the LibGuides?

Each LibGuide is organized by subject and lists both print and online materials. Print study aids are located in the Reserve Room and online study aids are directly for easy access.

These resources include case briefs, outlines, practice questions, explanations (and more!) to reinforce your understanding and test your knowledge. Explanatory guides break down complex legal doctrines into digestible summaries, practice questions reinforce key concepts, and case briefs and outlines offer structured reviews of essential topics.

How to Make the Most of Study Aids

To make the most of these resources, plan ahead by using a study schedule that includes review time and practice exams. Mix up your study methods by alternating between reading outlines, watching video explanations, listening to audio summaries, and completing practice questions.

Don’t wait until the last minute—start using these study aids today and set yourself up for success!

Additional Help

Have questions? Unsure where to start? Librarians are available to guide you to the best resources for your needs. Stop by the library or reach out to us at lawref@wlu.edu.

Happy studying and good luck on finals!

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

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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.