For fifteen years, Yasmin Morais, author of the upcoming research tome entitled “Legal Research Methods for the English-Speaking Caribbean,” served as the Head of Collection Services at the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law (UDC Law). Before emigrating to the United States from Jamaica, Yasmin began her career as a secretary at a Jamaican law firm. She later pursued a master’s in political science and government at the University of the West Indies and a second master’s in library and information science at the University of Toronto. During her pursuit of the latter, Yasmin became passionate about legal research.
After completing a two-year residency program at Georgetown Law Library, Yasmin joined UDC Law. She shared, “Over the years I’ve worked at UDC Law, my students have really shaped my experience. Hearing their interests and the research topics they pursue have sharpened my skills as a librarian because it’s through their questions that I am forced to dig deep into the subject. It has been absolutely rewarding.”
Yasmin’s interest in foreign, comparative, and international law has blossomed throughout her career and time at UDC Law. Exposure to diverse legal jurisdictions and helping students and faculty with international legal research questions have expanded her international legal knowledge.
Yasmin identified a significant resource gap for Caribbean legal research, stating, “I was very surprised to see that there were no comprehensive books or anything written in one place that talked about researching the laws of the Caribbean.” Despite the vastness of the Caribbean region, minimal comprehensive legal research resources are available on Caribbean laws. A common challenge to international legal research, especially in the Caribbean, is the lack of online resources and materials. Yasmin found that many of the research materials she searched for were available in print only, and the resources were often outdated. To boot, Yasmin found that legal research databases are often expensive and require translation for those unfamiliar with the languages of the Caribbean. To obtain access to the materials student attorneys needed, Yasmin collaborated with other researchers and international law libraries.
Collaborating with a colleague from Toronto, Yemisi Dina, Yasmin found a partner who shared her passion for Caribbean legal research. Both have experience in different Caribbean territories, so they focused on the English-speaking Caribbean. The collaboration resulted in a partnership that extended to co-authorship on their book, “Legal Research Methods for the English-Speaking Caribbean,” a comprehensive legal research resource for the English-speaking Caribbean.
The ultimate goal of “Legal Research Methods for the English-speaking Caribbean“ is to benefit those interested in the region. Yasmin emphasizes the diversity within the Caribbean, urging readers to see the book as a resource for understanding these territories’ political, social, legal, and economic evolution. “The main thing I want people to realize is that when they think of the Caribbean, it is not one monolithic region. The countries we focused on are diverse with different priorities, with a shared history of being former British colonies.” For example, she states, “Some islands had very sophisticated local government structures. Some did not.” Her wish is for “people to see this as a resource for understanding further the political realities there and how these countries have evolved.” Open to critiques, Yasmin and her co-author hope for extensive reviews that will contribute to the continuous improvement of their work and more comprehensive legal research materials on the Caribbean.
Yasmin’s dedication to international, strategic, and comparative law has culminated in a comprehensive research resource, “Legal Research Methods for the English-speaking Caribbean,” that stands to be useful for individuals with an interest in the legal systems of the English-speaking Caribbean. As a legal librarian, Yasmin embodies the vital role librarians play in broadening accessible resources for all, thereby fostering a heightened opportunity for global understanding and knowledge enrichment.
This year, Yasmin will join Harvard University Law Library to pursue her “first love,” Foreign, Comparative, and International Law, but she will always remember her time at UDC Law. “I came to the UDC Law Library in 2009, two years out of my Information Studies Program at the University of Toronto. Working here with faculty, students, staff, and sometimes members of the public made me a better librarian. Each reference question forced me to think and to gain a better understanding of legal resources, domestic and international. I wish UDC Law every success.”