Jean M. Wenger, director of the Chicago-Kent College of Law Library and teaching professor, has been named a life fellow of the American Bar Foundation. The foundation’s fellows are an honorary society made up of attorneys, judges, law faculty, and legal scholars recognized for their dedication to the principles of the legal profession. Membership is by invitation only and limited to 1 percent of licensed attorneys.
The American Bar Foundation operates as a research institute with a focus on understanding law as essential to achieving justice and equity.
“I was completely surprised when I received the invitation,” Wenger said.
Wenger is a licensed attorney but has spent her career primarily in law libraries across academic and government settings. She has advocated for access to justice and equal access to information, assisting students, faculty, judges, government officials, attorneys, and members of the public in finding reliable legal information.
“My passion is research and helping others in their research,” she said. “So being able to support the work of ABF researchers and to network with others who share an interest and passion about law and justice in our world is just fascinating for me.”
She added, “I feel honored and gratified for this opportunity.”
Wenger remains active in the local legal community as vice-chair of the Illinois State Bar Association Continuing Legal Education Standing Committee. She also serves on several other ISBA committees and sections.
In addition to her role at Chicago-Kent, Wenger was recently elected to a second term as treasurer of the International Association of Law Librarians (IALL), whose members come from 30 countries across six continents. “Members are librarians who are in national supreme courts, foreign government ministries, law firms, universities, and international organizations,” Wenger said.
Her interest in foreign courts and political systems influenced her decision to become a law librarian. “While my title has certainly changed over my career, I have always maintained my passion for foreign and international law research,” she said.
“I’ve always had an international interest and focus whether it be law or history or politics, and then I discovered that foreign and international law is a specialized field for law librarians,” Wenger said. Her work includes research as well as presentations and teaching focused on foreign, comparative, international law, and practice-based legal research.
Wenger noted that working with students and faculty at Chicago-Kent along with opportunities to collaborate with colleagues locally, nationally, and internationally contributes greatly to her professional experience.