Research Assistant and Journal Member Training: Professionalism

• Make sure you get clarity on all your assignments:
  • Always find out when the assignment is due.
  • Always learn what format the professor desires for the results. (Just copies of the sources? A memorandum? An email? An oral briefing?)
  • Ask to repeat the essentials of the assignment back to the professor in your own words.

• Use your professor’s preferred communication method (e.g., in person, telephone, memorandum, email), but remember:
  • In-person contact can resolve questions and build your working relationship.
• When reporting on results and/or asking questions in person or over the phone, organize your thoughts beforehand; anticipate questions the professor is likely to ask and be prepared to answer them.
• Ask questions in batches if possible rather than piecemeal.
• Write professionally—spelling, grammar, tone, format, etc.—in all communications, including email (even if your professor does not).
• Make sure your professor knows your “end date;” remind her as it draws closer.

• Use your Bluebook.
• Start with secondary sources—don’t reinvent the wheel.
• Keep a research log for each project.
• Keep an assignment log that notes a brief description of the assignment, date assigned, deadline, and where your work is stored.
• Use the legal research database your professor prefers (if any), but go beyond it.
• Scrub your written work. Reread more than once. Time permitting, you may want to set it aside for a half-day or more and reread again.

• This is an important step in your career—treat it that way.
• It can feel like school, but it is a job.
• Remember that in your interactions with professors, classmates, librarians, administrators, and staff, you are establishing your professional reputation.

Do your job well, and your professor can serve as a valuable reference and recommender.

• Be organized.
• Be reliable.
• Be on time for all meetings.
• Show good judgment.
• Earn trust.
• Use good time management skills.
• Beat deadlines.
• Be self-aware and self-regulating.
• Show energy and positivity.
• Maintain a balanced workload:
  • Let your professor know if you need more to do, but—
  • Do not over-commit.
• Use library resources:
  • Research guides and LibGuides.
  • Inter-Library Loan.
  • Legal and other databases.
  • Reference librarians.
• Spend time in the building.