AALL Webinar: Leadership in Action: Strategies from Law Librarians

Leadership in law librarianship takes many forms, shaped by individual experiences, strengths, and challenges. In this webinar, a panel of law librarians will share the leadership styles they have used and observed throughout their careers, weighing pros and cons of each. The following leadership styles will be analyzed: autocratic (making decisions independently), democratic (involving team members in decisions), delegative (hands-off, delegating autonomy), transformational (inspiring vision), transactional (using incentives and penalties), and servant (prioritizing the team's needs). Attendees will gain practical insights and strategies to help them recognize, adapt, and grow their own leadership approaches

TARGET AUDIENCE:

Law Librarians from all backgrounds who are currently in leadership roles or are interested in pursuing leadership roles in the future.

TAKEAWAYS:

Learn leadership styles and practical skills that law librarians at all levels can apply in their daily work and across their organizations
Explore different leadership approaches to everyday challenges in law librarianship.

SPEAKERS:

Elvira Embser, Minnesota State Law Library
Keith Lacy, University of Michigan Law School
Leanna Simon, Honigman LLP

COORDINATOR/MODERATOR:

Cody James, University of Montana School of Law

AALL BODY OF KNOWLEDGE DOMAINS: Professionalism + Leadership At Every Level

CANCELLATION AND OTHER POLICIES

No refunds will be given for any purchased live AALL webinar. This applies to non-AALL members only as AALL webinars are free for AALL members.

All AALL webinars include live captioning services.

The opinions shared during this program represent the views of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL). Recording, capturing, or using AI tools to duplicate, transcribe, or otherwise reproduce an AALL program in any form is strictly prohibited without prior written consent from AALL. This includes, but is not limited to audio, video, or any other content shared. By attending an AALL program or accessing an AALL recording, you agree to adhere to this policy.

Elvira Embser

Head of Public Services

Minnesota State Law Library

Embser is a leader who values autonomy and empowerment. With a career spanning over two decades, she has been a part of the library world since 1993, with a focus on law libraries since 1999. While the early part of her career was spent in academic libraries, she found her niche in the less theoretical work of the Minnesota State Law Library when she joined its staff in 2016. Embser, a self-proclaimed reluctant boss, strives to encourage as much autonomy as possible in her team.

Keith Lacy

Reference Librarian

University of Michigan Law Library

Leanna Simon

Director of Research & Intelligence

Honigman LLP

Simon leads research, resources, and competitive intelligence initiatives with a focus on leveraging emerging technologies to enhance legal service delivery. An active leader in the legal information community, she currently chairs the PLLIP Awards Committee and serves as a CRIV (Committee on Relations with Information Vendors) liaison for AALL. Simon is a frequent speaker on cutting-edge topics, recently presenting on artificial intelligence in library workflows, generative AI and its impact on legal services, and fostering firmwide collaboration. Her presentations address the practical implementation of emerging technologies and the evolving role of research services in law firms. Simon holds an MLIS from Wayne State University. She is also a two-time Emerging Leader Award recipient, honored by both AALL (2017) and PLLIP (2018) for her innovative approach to legal information services.

Cody James (Moderator)

Director of the Jameson Law Library & Assistant Professor of Law Librarianship

Alexander Blewett III School of Law at the University of Montana; William J. Jameson Law Library

At the University of Montana, James teaches courses on legal research as well as courses on AI and legal technology in the law. In addition to teaching, he manages the day-to-day operation of the Jameson Law Library, including collection development, reference services, and strategic planning. James received his JD from the University of Colorado Law School and his MLS from the University of Kentucky.