Law Librarian Spotlight on Lisa Schultz

Lisa Schultz
Reference Librarian
William M. Rains Law Library, Loyola Law School - Los Angeles

I didn’t go to college with the goal of becoming a law librarian. I went to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where I majored in Psychology and minored in Political Science. Eventually I decided that I was not entirely cut out for life as a therapist, but realized that a bachelor’s degree in Psychology probably was not the fast track to gainful employment. So I went to law school, fully intending to merge the two disciplines somehow, or, if that failed, I could tap into my political background.

During law school, I worked at Schmid Law Library at the University of Nebraska, first as a filer, then at the circulation desk. As I progressed through law school I realized that I wasn’t finding that one area of law that I really wanted to practice. But I did like researching different points of law and preferred to craft and support a legal argument rather than actually have to make it. At the same time, I realized that I really liked the work atmosphere at the law library, so with the help of some of the reference librarians at Schmid, I decided to go on to library school.

I soon discovered that an added bonus to obtaining an M.L.S. was mobility. I had taken and passed the Nebraska bar exam, but I really did not want to stay there. The additional degree allowed me to look beyond Nebraska, which I did.

I moved to Los Angeles and started working at Loyola Law School in early October. This is my first professional job and I absolutely love my new profession and my work environment. I have a lot of learning to do, but I am looking forward to the challenges and opportunities to come.

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The Spotlight on Law Librarians feature is edited by Lee Peoples, Law Librarian Blog Contributing Editor and Associate Director for Faculty, Research and Instructional Services, Oklahoma City University Law Library. Please feel free to recommend a colleague for this feature to Lee at lpeoples@okcu.edu