W&L Law’s Sally Wiant Receives Highest Law Library Association Honor
Sarah K. (Sally) Wiant, professor of law at Washington and Lee University and former director of the law library, has been selected to receive the Marian Gould Gallagher Distinguished Service Award by the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL).
The Gallagher award is the highest honor of the American Association of Law Libraries Hall of Fame. The award was established to recognize extended and sustained service to law librarianship, for exemplary service to the Association, or for contributions to the professional literature.
“I am humbled and honored to be among those selected as recipients of this distinguished award,” said Wiant.
Wiant has led a distinguished and extensive career at W&L Law. She first joined the community as an assistant law librarian in 1972. At the same time, she became a member of the first class of women admitted to W&L Law and completed her degree in 1978. After finishing her J.D., she became the director of the law library and a member of the law faculty. She served as director of the law library and a professor for over thirty years, before stepping down from her position as director in 2010. She continues to teach full time.
Wiant’s scholarship focuses on copyright law, intellectual property, trademarks, unfair competition, and admiralty maritime law. She has published extensive work in copyright law, including two books: “Libraries and Copyright: A Guide to Copyright Law in the 1990’s,” and “Copyright Handbook.” Throughout her career, she has taught courses in copyright, trademarks, and admiralty law, as well as the Intellectual Property Practicum as part of the third-year practice program. More recently, she has taught first-year torts and legal writing, making her one of the first professors new law students meet and get the chance to work with at W&L.
Wiant has also been very active in the American Association of Law Libraries throughout her career. In addition to being elected to the Board of AALL, she has chaired or served on most committees of the AALL, including being the Chair of the Economic Status Committee, the Annual Program Committee, the Special Committee on the Future of AALL, and the Education Committee. Additionally, Wiant has fulfilled roles for the Association of American Law Schools, American Bar Association, Southeastern American Association of Law Libraries, Special Libraries Association, Virginia Association of Law Libraries, Virginia Special Libraries Association, and the Virginia State Library.
AALL president Holly Riccio will present Wiant with the award during the Association’s annual meeting and conference in Philadelphia this July.
