Artificial Intelligence and the Transformation of Legal Research: Competencies and Challenges for Law Librarians in Nigerian Universities
The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into legal research has fundamentally altered the landscape of legal information management, presenting both opportunities and challenges for law librarians. This study examines the AI competencies and skills required by academic law librarians in Nigeria, investigates the current state of AI tool adoption, and identifies barriers to implementation. Using a quantitative cross-sectional survey design, data were collected from 98 academic law librarians across public and private universities in Nigeria. Findings reveal that while awareness of AI tools is relatively high, actual adoption remains limited, with significant challenges including inadequate technological infrastructure, unreliable power supply, and insufficient training opportunities. The study identifies five critical competencies—prompt engineering, verification architecture, hybrid learning curation, ethical monitoring, and data stewardship—that law librarians must develop to remain professionally relevant. Recommendations include establishing dedicated AI training programmes, improving technological infrastructure, and integrating AI literacy into library and information science curricula.
Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, Legal Research, Law Librarians, Digital Transformation, Nigerian Universities, AI Competencies
