Scholars with educational backgrounds from the United Kingdom, the United States, and India share their insights on respective topics. All these topics have become increasingly crucial and demand more thoughtful and robust discussions. I hope this issue can act as a springboard for further conversations on these subjects.
J. S. Liptrap, in his article “The Dearth of Comparative Law Courses in the Curriculum,” carefully examines the necessity of and practical barriers to offering comparative law research courses in today’s legal education arena. He concludes by offering strategies for law librarians to utilize their unique knowledge, experience, expertise, and perspectives to fill the vacuum. This article received the 2023 University of Washington Earl Borgeson Research in Law Librarianship Award.
Eric J. H. Chapman, in his article “Copyright’s Labyrinth: Navigating Copyright Liability in Law Librarianship,” discusses the potential copyright liability that librarians may face in the course of their work due to the constantly shifting nature and scope of library services and collection. Chapman advocates for more proactive assessments of the status of libraries under U.S. Copyright Law and increasing institutional support to offer formal copyright-law training for professional librarians in relevant fields to minimize legal risks and optimize service value.
Finally, under the Practical Insights Column, a group of librarians and scientists, Sandipa Roy, Kishor Chandra Satpathy, Kunta Ghosh, and Sanjit Kuma Setua, share their experience in developing a digital legal library to serve the deaf population in India’s legal settings. Just like in many countries around the world, deaf people in India are experiencing additional difficulties and obstacles in their private and professional lives. These barriers are especially hard to overcome in a variety of legal settings. I hope this article, “Legal Assistance for the Deaf: The Role of India Sign Language Digital Library,” paints a realistic picture of the challenges of and importance in addressing this topic in India.