Alumni Spotlight: From Law School to iSchool – Laura Moorer MLS’12
Working in a library as a law school student made Laura Moorer, MLS ’12, realize that she did not want to always practice law. She discovered that her true passion in the law gravitated more toward helping people find the resources they need.
Working in a library as a law school student made Laura Moorer, MLS ’12, realize that she did not want to always practice law. She discovered that her true passion in the law gravitated more toward helping people find the resources they need. Laura compares legal research to a puzzle as she looks forward to new challenges each day as a law librarian.
While attending UMD’s College of Information Studies (iSchool) in 2010, Laura worked as a law librarian at the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia (PDS). One thing she enjoyed most about her time at the iSchool was being able incorporate what she was doing at work into her class projects. Due to the wide variety of classes offered in the Master of Library Science (MLS) program, the iSchool prepared Laura to become a better librarian. She was always encouraged to ask questions and think outside the box to resolve issues brought forward by patrons.
Being a solo law librarian for 14 years presented unique challenges for Laura. Unlike larger libraries with several staff members, Laura performed the tasks of a cataloguer, reference librarian, serials technician, collection developer, and many other roles. The iSchool prepared Laura to understand how these roles work together and helped her execute it efficiently as a one-person team.
This past summer, Laura became the new law librarian for the D.C. Court of Appeals, the highest court in the District of Columbia. As a Fearless iSchool Terp, Laura says, “I am proud to let others know I am an iSchool alum. I believe employers and other colleagues know that I am well prepared for my career because of my MLS degree from UMD.”
While her new position keeps her extremely busy, Laura enjoys visiting National Parks in her free time with her husband, a National Park Ranger, and two children – Katie and Jack (and of course, reading).