Reference Librarian/Open Rank Professor
College of Law
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
The University of Nebraska College of Law invites applications for the position of Reference Librarian (Open Rank Professor) at the Schmid Law Library. This 12-month, tenure-track law library faculty position offers an opportunity to support student learning and faculty scholarship while contributing to the mission and values of the College of Law.
As a valued member of the law library faculty, the Reference Librarian/Law Library Professor will:
- Provide expert research assistance and reference services to a diverse community, including faculty, law students, graduate and undergraduate students, and the public.
- Teach in the first-year legal research program.
- Lead and participate in instructional and outreach initiatives.
- Demonstrate initiative in developing and implementing law library resources, such as creating Libguides and bibliographies that enhance research and learning.
- Take on evolving responsibilities within a modern law library, based on institutional priorities and an individual’s expertise and interests.
- Conduct or contribute to research, scholarship, and other significant creative activity.
- Promote a positive, collaborative, inclusive, and innovative work environment within the law library and the College of Law.
This role offers an exciting opportunity to contribute meaningfully to legal education, research, and law library services in a dynamic academic setting. Members of the law library faculty participate in faculty governance at the College of Law and may apply for faculty development fellowships (sabbatical). Initial appointment and rank will be commensurate with experience.
Law library faculty will participate in the University’s generous benefits package. Please find the full range of benefits at https://hr.unl.edu/health-benefits/. General information about the Law College is available at https://law.unl.edu/.
Minimum Required Qualifications
Applicants must meet one of the following minimum qualifications:
- A Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an ABA-accredited law school and a Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science or equivalent degree from an ALA-accredited master’s program by the start of employment; OR
- A Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an ABA-accredited law school and current enrollment in a Master’s degree program in Library and Information Science from an ALA-accredited institution, or an equivalent graduate degree in library or information science, with completion required within 18 months of hire; or current enrollment in a joint degree program, with completion of both the J.D. and the Master’s degree within six months of hire; OR
- A Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science or equivalent degree from an ALA-accredited master’s program AND substantial professional experience as a law librarian demonstrating qualifications comparable to those described above.
The title of Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor will be based on the successful candidate’s qualifications.
Application Process
Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, with a preference for applications received by October 23, 2026. To apply for this position, visit https://employment.unl.edu, requisition F_260110. Click “Apply for this Job” and complete the faculty information form. You will be required to attach a cover letter, CV, and the names and contact information for three professional references.
For questions about the application process, please contact Rich Leiter, Director of the Schmid Law Library, University of Nebraska College of Law, Lincoln, NE 68583-0902 at rich.leter@unl.edu.
The University of Nebraska does not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran or military status, marital status, and/or political affiliation in its programs, activities, or employment. See https://equity.unl.edu/notice-nondiscrimination/.
Working at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
For 150 Years, A Leader in Higher Education
Always a place of high ambition, University of Nebraska was one of the first institutions west of the Mississippi River to award doctoral degrees - the first was granted in 1896. The University of Nebraska established the world's first undergraduate psychology laboratory. The discipline of ecology was born here, and the campuses reflect that tradition, being recognized as botanical gardens and arboreta. An early institutional interest in literature and the arts provided the foundations for today's Prairie Schooner literary magazine, for the University of Nebraska Press, and for the Sheldon Museum of Art, which houses one of the world's most significant collections of 20th century American art.
Today, Nebraska is one of the nation's leading teaching institutions, and a research leader with a wide array of grant-funded projects aimed at broadening knowledge in the sciences and humanities. Nebraska is also a land-grant university and a member of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU). The university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
Benefits
The University of Nebraska offers an extensive benefits package that includes health, life, disability and long term care insurance; retirement accounts; tuition reimbursement for employees and their spouses and dependent children; and reimbursement accounts for health care and dependent day care. Leave policies are designed to help employees deal with personal or family events or crises.
Diversity and Inclusion
In the spirit of the phrase "Every Interaction Matters", UNL has an enacted commitment to diversity and inclusive excellence for our faculty, staff, and students. On our campus, diversity and inclusion are important priorities. Examples include: Husker Dialogues, which is an event that helps first-year students focus on diversity and inclusion and practice handling difficult conversations around difference; three Chancellor's Diversity Commissions that are charged with informing and advising the Chancellor and addressing issues of constituent campus communities; and the establishment of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion whose leader operates at the Vice Chancellor level. At the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, we strive for excellence in all that we do. True excellence requires that each individual be able to work and learn in an atmosphere of respect, dignity, and belonging. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion requires each of us to continuously ensure our interactions are respectful, protect free speech, and inspire academic freedom.
About Lincoln
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is located in an up-and-coming and safe city of 300,000 people that has many of the cultural and entertainment benefits of a much larger city, with the feel of a friendly Midwestern community. The Pinnacle Bank Arena, opened in 2013, routinely hosts major touring acts. A buzzing entertainment district, the Railyard, connects the arena area to the Historic Haymarket. Cuisines from all continents provide the entree to dynamic urban nightlife and a wide variety of ways to enjoy time with friends. Nebraska's City Campus is one with Lincoln's city center, as it has been since the university was founded.Lincoln has more parkland per capita than Austin, Texas; Portland, Oregon; and all but a handful of U.S. cities. The well-manicured Pioneers Park, the native woods of Wilderness Park and the open grassland of Nine-Mile Prairie are each within a 10-minute trip from campus. Connecting many of these parks is an extensive trails network.