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Law librarian education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a law librarian. Law librarians usually study history, law, or library science. 55% of law librarians hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 385 real law librarian resumes to see exactly what law librarian education sections show.

The most common colleges for law librarians are the Troy University and the Troy University.

There are also many online law librarian courses to help get the education required to be a law librarian.

What education do you need to become a law librarian?

What degree do you need to be a law librarian?

The most common degree for law librarians is bachelor's degree, with 55% of law librarians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 20% and master's degree degree at 11%.
  • Bachelor's, 55%
  • Master's, 20%
  • Associate, 11%
  • Doctorate, 8%
  • Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a law librarian?

You should major in history to become a law librarian. 12% of law librarians major in history. Other common majors for a law librarian include law and library science.

Most common colleges for law librarians

Law librarians often get their degrees at Troy University, University of Maryland - College Park, and University of South Florida. Here are the most common colleges for law librarians in the US based on their resumes.
Law librarian common collegePercentages
Troy University10.53%
University of Maryland - College Park8.77%
University of South Florida7.02%
Brigham Young University7.02%
North Carolina State University5.26%

Best majors for law librarians

Best colleges for law librarians

The best colleges for law librarians are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A law librarian with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for law librarians. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become law librarians.

1. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

2. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

3. SUNY at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,099

Enrollment

21,404

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

6. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,853

Enrollment

14,759

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

8. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

20 best online courses for law librarians

Advertising disclosure

1. European Business Law: Understanding the Fundamentals

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The European Union is one of the world’s largest and most important economies. This six week course is the first in a series of three that will provide students with an insight into European Business Law. The series ranges from considering the basic structures and principles of the European Union to focusing on various specialized areas of law. Each course will give the students an understanding of the laws and policies that regulate the internal market of European Union, as well as relevant...

2. Healthcare Law

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This Specialization is designed to help you navigate the complex legal framework that governs modern health systems. You will learn the fundamentals of American health law, then explore how privacy law shapes the relationship between healthcare providers and their patients. You will also learn how intellectual property law influences everything from the pharmaceutical industry, to medical research, to cutting-edge ethical issues involved in emerging technologies such as DNA-testing. Finally,...

3. English for Business and Law - Contract Law

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4.5
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An English language course for business and law...

4. Company Law: A Comprehensive Summary

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4.6
(250)

An in-depth summary of Company Law, targeting all common law LL.B examinations...

5. An Introduction to American Law

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This course will give you a glimpse into six different areas of American law: Tort Law, Contract Law, Property, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, and Civil Procedure. You will gain insight into the complexities and dilemmas that arise from the application of law in different settings, and what is distinctive about American approaches...

6. American Contract Law II

coursera

Course description: Contracts I & II provides a comprehensive overview of contract law in the United States. The course covers most of the key concepts found in a first year law school class. Each lecture is based on one or more common-law cases, integrating legal doctrines with policy discussions. The course also covers key sections from the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), which governs the sale of goods. By the end of the course, the learner should be able to understand: Formation defenses:...

7. Criminal Law in 120 Minutes: A Fast Track Course

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A 2 hour fast track summary of Criminal Law, targeting all common law LL.B examinations!...

8. Legal English

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4.5
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Legal language and communication skills...

9. A Law Student's Toolkit

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Whether you are an advanced law student looking to review the basics, or an aspiring law student looking for head start, this course will help you build the foundation you will need to succeed in law school and beyond. This course will introduce you to terminology, concepts, and tools lawyers and legal academics use to make their arguments. It will help you follow these arguments—and make arguments of your own. This course consists of a series of short lectures and assignments. A reading list...

10. Cloud Computing Law

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This Specialization is intended for anyone interested in understanding the legal rights and obligations of providers and customers of cloud services. Our three Courses cover the key legal and regulatory issues for cloud services, including cloud contracts, data protection law, law enforcement access, and much more! You will learn to describe cloud providers’ and customers’ legal rights, to identify and assess legal risks, and to suggest possible legal and technological solutions...

11. Employment Law Compliance Made Easy

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4.7
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A comprehensive course for management to understand key employment law issues in the workplace...

12. Law of Contracts in 60 Minutes: A Fast Track Course

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4
(619)

A 60 minute fast track summary of the Law of Contracts, targeting all common law LL.B examinations!...

13. Privacy Law and HIPAA

coursera

What does it take to comply with privacy laws? In this course, we’ll look at the practical aspects of navigating the complex landscape of privacy requirements. Better understanding privacy laws and data protection will enable you to protect your organization and the constituents that depend on your organization to safeguard their personal information. First, we will examine the historical context that drove the creation of laws, best practices, and other standards for protecting personal...

14. Introduction to International Criminal Law

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-- About the Course -- From the Nuremberg trial to the case against Saddam Hussein, from the prosecution of Al-Qaeda terrorists to the trial of Somali pirates – no area of law is as important to world peace and security as international criminal law. Taught by one of the world’s leading experts in the field, this course will educate students about the fundamentals of international criminal law and policy. We will explore the contours of international crimes such as genocide, war crimes,...

15. Effective Legal Office Administration

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Effective Legal Office Administration...

16. Law of Attraction: Law of Attraction and your Perfect Life

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Take control - Law of Attraction - NLP coach teaches the Mastery of the LOA in one of the top law of attraction courses...

17. Legal Tech and the Digital Transformation of Law

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The digital revolution changed the way we communicate and trade. Now, it is coming into the world of law. This program will give you a broad overview of the main trends that are affecting the legal industry: - The birth of the legal tech market and the application of technology in law. - The role of artificial intelligence in the automation of the work of lawyers. - Blockchain technology and its impact on the way we sign and execute contracts. - Initiatives to ensure access to justice through...

18. Privacy Law and Data Protection

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What does it take to comply with privacy laws? In this course, we’ll look at the practical aspects of navigating the complex landscape of privacy requirements. Better understanding privacy laws and data protection will enable you to protect your organization and the constituents that depend on your organization to safeguard their personal information. First, we will examine the historical context that drove the creation of laws, best practices, and other standards for protecting personal...

19. Law of Attraction Coach Practitioner Cert (ACCREDITED)

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4.5
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Uncover the Law of Attraction & use it to help you & your clients benefit from all that the law of attraction offers us...

20. Law of Attraction Life Coach Certification (Accredited)

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4.7
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Manifestation and Law of Attraction Life Coach Training for Abundance, Psychology, Happiness & Allowing Your Success...

Top 10 most affordable universities for law librarians

The most affordable schools for law librarians are SUNY Farmingdale, florida state university, and university of florida.

If the best universities for law librarians are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for law librarians.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

9. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Cost of attendance

25,275

10. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for law librarians

The hardest universities for law librarians to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for law librarians are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for law librarians based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

8. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

14%

SAT average

1,423

9. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

10. Tulane University

New Orleans, LA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,428

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for law librarians

The easiest schools for law librarians to get into are Barry University, university of north texas at dallas, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a law librarian without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for law librarians.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. Texas Woman's University

Denton, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,059

5. Manor College

Jenkintown, PA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

898

6. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

7. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

8. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

9. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

10. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

Average law librarian salary by education level

According to our data, law librarians with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $67,777 annually. Law librarians with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $61,888.
Law librarian education levelLaw librarian salary
Master's Degree$61,888
Bachelor's Degree$50,020
Doctorate Degree$67,777

Law librarian education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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