Welcome to Issue 2 of Volume 42 of the Legal Reference Services Quarterly. In this issue, we focus on three critical topics: legal research and technology pedagogy, the unique value of law libraries in fostering an inclusive community, and case law development in the area of controlled digital lending.
Three scholars offer thought-provoking discussions on developing effective legal research and technology pedagogy from different perspectives. Theresa K. Tarves, in her article, Technology Competence Instruction and Assessment Under the Principles and Standards of Legal Research Competency, emphasizes the significance of teaching technology competence to law students and provides recommendations for teaching and evaluating technology proficiency in legal research and other skills-related instruction.
Two authors offer valuable viewpoints on how to better equip law students for the NextGen Bar Exam. In A Next Generation Framework: Using Critical Legal Research Pedagogy to Prepare Law Students for the NextGen Bar Exam, Laura B. Wilcox elaborates on how important critical legal research pedagogy may be for legal research instructors in helping law students develop the knowledge and skills required for taking the NextGen Bar Exam in 2026. DaJiang Nie conducted an empirical analysis of the 196 ABA-accredited law schools’ practices in publishing institutional learning outcomes in compliance with the ABA Standards. He shares his findings in Publishing Functioning J.D. Institutional Learning Outcome On Legal Research, Why And How?. Nie argues that to deliver effective legal research education, law schools must adopt best practices for publicizing institutional learning outcomes, and the approaching NextGen Bar Exam further emphasizes the importance of doing so.
Furthermore, this issue includes two thoughtful commentaries on the value of library space and the development of case law on controlled digital lending, respectively. B. Austin Waters proposes a number of innovative approaches for a library to help create supportive social networks for students using the theory of social capital and the flow of information in his article, Fostering Community: The Library as a Third Space and the Effect of Social Capital on the Flow of Information Among Law Students. Michelle M. Wu, a renowned expert on controlled digital lending, shares her thoughts and critiques on a recent federal court ruling, Hachette v. Internet Archive, in her commentary, Hachette, Controlled Digital Lending, and the Consequences of Divorcing Law From Context.
Chief Editor of Legal Reference Services Quarterly
[email protected]