Law Librarians Receive Awards

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The American Association of Law Libraries honored four Yale Law School librarians with awards this spring: the late Daniel Wade, Julie Graves Krishnaswami, Lucie Olejnikova, and Stacia Stein.

Wade, who served at the Lillian Goldman Law Library from 1987 until his death in 2020, was posthumously awarded the Marian Gould Gallagher Distinguished Service Award and the Hall of Fame Award. Wade was the Curator of Foreign/International Law Collection and earlier held the position of Associate Law Librarian.

The award acknowledges sustained service to law librarianship, outstanding contributions to significant professional literature, and exemplary support to American Association of Law Libraries. Wade helped to found two of the association’s special interest sections: Foreign, Comparative & International Law, which named its major award after him, and Legal History & Rare Books. He also co-founded the Northeast Foreign Law Librarians’ Cooperative Group.

“Dan Wade was a towering figure in law librarianship,” said Fred Shapiro, Associate Director for Collections and Access and Lecturer in Legal Research at the Lillian Goldman Law Library. “He also mentored generations of young [Foreign, Comparative & International Law] librarians. Finally, he was a tireless champion of peace, racial justice, equality, climate justice, and immigrant rights.”

One of the special interest sections Wade founded honored another Yale Law School Librarian this year. Olejnikova, the Law Library’s Head of Foreign and International Law and Lecturer in Legal Research, won the Outstanding Service Award from the Foreign, Comparative & International Law Special Interest Section (FCIL-SIS). Established in 2006, the Award honors an FCIL-SIS member who has made outstanding contributions to the Section in the areas of section activity and professional service.

Two librarians were honored for their scholarship.

Krishnaswami, Head of Instruction and Lecturer in Legal Research, won the Law Library Journal Article of the Year Award for her article “The Shadow Code: Statutory Notes in the United States Code.” The article, co-authored by Shawn G. Nevers of J. Reuben Clark Brigham Young University Law School, examines the history, creation, and purpose of statutory notes in the United States Code and provides data on the number of these notes.

Stein, former Instructional Services Librarian and Lecturer in Legal Research at the Law Library, won the Joseph L. Andrews Legal Literature Award for her book The Leaven of Sympathy: A Bio-Bibliography of Frederick C. Hicks. The book, co-authored with Douglas W. Lind, provides a detailed examination of the life and works of one of the founders of the profession of law librarianship. Hicks (1875–1956) was a Professor of Law and Law Library Director at Yale Law School.

“Frederick Hicks is a legend among law librarians,” said Stein. “His enthusiasm and advocacy forever altered the landscape of law librarianship. Uncovering more of his story was a true delight.”

Founded in 1906, American Association of Law Libraries is the only national association dedicated to the legal information profession and its professionals.