The Cornell University Law Library invites applications for two Research and Instruction Law Librarian positions targeting early career professionals (Assistant Librarian rank). Both positions offer growth and leadership opportunities, particularly in legal research, reference, and instruction services. These roles offer dynamic opportunities to shape legal research instruction and support faculty scholarship in a top-tier law library environment.

The Research and Instruction Law Librarians will deliver expert legal research instruction, as well as legal research and reference services. Their work will reflect and anticipate rapid changes in the legal landscape. They will prioritize the preparation of law school graduates for success on the bar and for roles in U.S. and global legal practice and academic pursuits. They will also assist faculty with their empirical and traditional legal research, using advanced legal and academic research technologies.

Librarians at Cornell University hold academic appointments as Research, Teaching, and Extension (RTE) faculty and must meet Cornell University Library requirements for promotion and reappointment.

The Research and Instruction Law Librarians will have the following essential areas of responsibility:

Legal Research, Reference & Instruction

• Provide expert reference services and in-depth research consultations.

• Deliver workshops, presentations, and embedded classroom instruction.

• Develop legal research guides and promote critical legal information literacy.

• Support faculty with legal research tools, including AI and emerging technologies.

Curricular Instruction

• Teach legal research in the 1L Lawyering course and the LLM Principles of American Legal Research and Writing course.

• Design curricula, create instructional materials, and assess student learning.

• Prepare students for clinical work, legal practice, and the NextGen Bar Exam.

Advanced Legal Research Course Responsibilities

• Design and teach advanced legal research courses (e.g., FCIL, business law, legal tech).

• Develop learning outcomes and assessments as instructor of record.

Service & Professional Development

• Engage in outreach, orientation, and committee work across Cornell Law School and University Library.

• Contribute to professional conferences, publications, and collaborative initiatives.

Candidate Profile:

• JD from an ABA-accredited program or equivalent; or combination of legal research competencies such as are normally gained through a JD program.

• Master?s degree in library and/or information science from an ALA-accredited institution; or academic law librarianship skills equivalent to those expected to be acquired from professional experience in an academic law setting.

• Demonstrated ability to conduct and teach US legal research using US legal information databases and print resources.

• Demonstrated knowledge about current pedagogical approaches to legal research curricular development and teaching, such as topical, programmatic, or advanced legal research courses in a law school or legal education, librarianship, or another relevant accredited program.

• Adept at working constructively in an environment of collaboration, inclusion, and openness to diverse perspectives in areas of assigned responsibility and as part of teams led by others.

• Effective and inclusive communication skills, both orally and in writing, with colleagues and with students and faculty.

• Ability to initiate, develop, manage, and assess projects and programs in collaboration with others, in alignment with organizational priorities and with a willingness to adapt as priorities shift.

Additionally, we would prefer any of the following:

• Demonstrated knowledge about one or more of Tribal Law, Federal Indian Law, and Indigenous law research; New York legal research; Business Legal Research, and Foreign, Comparative, and International Legal Research.

• Ability to plan, organize, develop, and maintain subject-specific research guides for use as research and instructional tools.

• Familiarity with bar preparation or bar examinations in any jurisdiction.

Work Location:

This position is located in Ithaca, New York, with the potential to enter into a flexible work arrangement consistent with university policies. The university reserves the right to modify, suspend, revoke, or terminate a flexible work arrangement at any time.

The New York convenience of employer guidelines requires New York State individual tax reporting and withholdings for this position. Additional individual state income tax filings may also be required if working temporarily outside New York State.

How to Apply:?

All candidates must apply online via the Cornell Careers site. For full consideration, please include the following with your application:

• A cover letter that addresses your interests and experience related to these positions.

• A Curriculum Vitae.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until a viable pool of applicants is identified; early submission is strongly encouraged. Although we prefer to receive your application as one, multi-page pdf document, we will accept multiple documents in other formats.

We anticipate filling these positions at the academic rank of Assistant Librarian. The anticipated salary range is $67,500-$77,000 and will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. Exceptional candidates may qualify for additional compensation.

Benefits: Our comprehensive benefits package includes 22 vacation days, 13 paid holidays, health insurance, life insurance, university retirement contributions, childcare and adoption assistance, and child tuition reimbursement. Funding is available to support professional training and research.

Relocation assistance may be provided.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Consistent with Cornell?s practice, appointment to academic positions require candidates to disclose relevant information about their prior employment including whether they have been found to have violated institutional or employer policies related to or governing unlawful discrimination and harassment, academic and research misconduct, or financial misconduct.

About Us: The Cornell Law Library works as one cohesive unit within the Cornell University Library system and with deep integrations in Cornell Law School. We are an innovative law library focused on using our expertise to advance legal education, research, and scholarship in alignment with the mission of Cornell Law School; to advance the academic mission and values of Cornell University Library; and to expand the perspectives that inform academic law librarianship and legal education. We inform and further our priorities with reference to qualitative and quantitative data, consultation, planning, and teamwork. 

Cornell University Library promotes a culture of broad inquiry and supports the University?s mission to discover, preserve, and disseminate knowledge and creative expression. It engages with the ongoing transformations of society to deliver world-class physical and digital content and services critical to research, education, and outreach, now and in the future. The Library acts globally, supporting Cornell?s land grant mission in New York State and beyond, and builds partnerships within and outside the university. It invests in its staff, collections, and physical and virtual libraries. And, it serves as a neutral and trusted party supporting information access and scholarly communication.

Founded in 1887, Cornell Law School is a top-tier law school. We offer a 3-year JD program for about 200 students per class, a one-year LLM program for about 90 students from countries throughout the world, and a doctoral (JSD) program for about 2-3 new students per year. Cornell Law School has 41 tenured and tenure-track faculty, including 20 with chaired faculty positions; and 15 clinical professors in the legal research and writing program and in clinics at the local, national, and international level Cornell Law School is among the nation's most inclusive top law schools and has been since its founding. We believe the richest learning environment is one in which people from all backgrounds are encouraged to share their perspectives. Our faculty is consistently ranked among the top in the country for scholarly productivity and influence, and has pre-eminence in many areas, including quantitative and qualitative empirical legal studies, international and comparative law, and robust doctrinal scholarship in core fields. Our school is committed to being recognized as the leader among law schools at combining inspiring theoretical, doctrinal, and experiential teaching with cutting-edge scholarship in a supportive, intellectually rich community, so that our graduates can achieve excellence in all facets of the legal profession.

Cornell University is an innovative institution and a great place to work. Our inclusive community of scholars, students, and staff imparts an uncommon sense of larger purpose and contributes creative ideas to further the University's mission of teaching, discovery, and engagement. Cornell?s main campus in Ithaca, New York sits on 2,300 acres in the heart of the Finger Lakes region. Ithaca offers a wealth of arts, culture, and outdoor activities while maintaining an eclectic college-town feel. The city has been named one of the top 100 places to live, a top 10 recreation city, a best green place to live, and one of the "foodiest" towns in America. Cornell's global presence includes the Weill Cornell medical college's campuses on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and Doha, Qatar, as well as the Cornell Tech campus located on Roosevelt Island in the heart of New York City.

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Noted pay ranges reflect the potential pay opportunity for each job profile. The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined considering the following criteria:

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Cornell welcomes students, faculty, and staff with diverse backgrounds from across the globe to pursue world-class education and career opportunities, to further the founding principle of "... any person ... any study." No person shall be denied employment on the basis of any legally protected status or subjected to prohibited discrimination involving, but not limited to, such factors as race, ethnic or national origin, citizenship and immigration status, color, sex, pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, age, creed, religion, actual or perceived disability (including persons associated with such a person), arrest and/or conviction record, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender expression and/or identity, an individual?s genetic information, domestic violence victim status, familial status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

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