Western New England University School of Law library has been selected to receive the prestigious 2023 Excellence in Community Engagement Award from the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL). The award recognizes outstanding achievement in public relations activities by a law library affiliated with the Association.
The winning project, Introduction to Law Collaboration, with Paulo Freire Social Justice Charter School, was a five-month program that brought together nine high school students from Paulo Freire Social Justice Charter School and Western New England University Law faculty, staff, and students. The program, which took place on the WNE campus, included a range of activities such as research projects, moot court exercises, and meet-and-greet sessions with members of the University’s Black Law Students Association and Latino/a Law Students Association.
Designed to promote diversity within legal professions, Introduction to Law Collaboration provided high school participants with access to law students and an introduction to both legal knowledge and courtroom procedures. Additionally, students from the Paulo Freire Social Justice Charter School were given the opportunity to work alongside law students in researching laws, dissecting cases, and understanding the function of a courtroom.
"We are thrilled to receive the 2023 Excellence in Community Engagement Award from the AALL," said Nicole Belbin, associate dean for library and information resources for Western New England University School of Law Library. "Our collaboration with the Paulo Freire Social Justice Charter School has been a wonderful opportunity to engage with high school students and promote diversity within legal professions. We are grateful for the recognition of our efforts and remain committed to community engagement and outreach."
According to the AALL website, community engagement is a critical responsibility of every member of the library profession, and the Association is dedicated to recognizing and acknowledging outstanding contributions achieved by its members in raising the visibility of the profession and its association. The Excellence in Community Engagement Award is intended to inspire, educate, and encourage community engagement.
The American Association of Law Libraries was founded in 1906 to promote and enhance the value of law libraries to the legal and public communities, to foster the profession of law librarianship, and to provide leadership in the field of legal information.
