About 150 librarians and 600 practitioners answered a recent Task Force survey, reporting on practitioners' access to and use of research resources, as well as their research skills and training. This session features a panel of three experts explaining the Task Force data and reflecting on the impact these findings should have on research instruction and library student services. This commentary sets the stage for guided roundtable discussions focusing on first-year research curriculum, best practices for advanced legal research instruction, and how to add instructional components to student events and programming. Finally, all participants will reconvene to share crucial insights and analyze which of these ideas have the best potential to help prepare students for practice.

Takeaway 1: Participants will be able to assess student services events and programs in terms of their effectiveness in building knowledge and skills for legal practice.

Takeaway 2: Participants will be able to critique current legal research curricular offerings and identify opportunities to enhance the relevance of the knowledge and skills they transmit.

Takeaway 3: Participants will be able to design events, programs, and course offerings that convey the substance and proficiencies which are essential to developing the skills needed to become a successful practitioner.

Who should attend: Academic librarians who teach legal research or plan student services; librarians who work with practitioners in various settings

Track(s): Teaching, Reference, Research and Client Services