Malikah Hall Retteen

Instructional Associate Professor and Reference Librarian, Dee J. Kelly Law Library

 Publications 

Malikah Hall

It is a basic principle of legal education that the law library is the heart of the law school. . . .
— American Bar Association

Get to Know Malikah Retteen

What drew you to the law?

I fell into this field by accident. I’d recently graduated from undergrad with a business degree and couldn’t find a job. I (very reluctantly I might add) responded to a job advertisement for a trainable legal assistant position at a law firm. The rest, as they say, is history.

What do you enjoy most about teaching?

The opportunity to teach is one of the main reasons I became a law librarian. I love helping people navigate the strange waters of legal research and increase their knowledge.

What do you hope students gain from your courses?

My main goal is to help students feel less intimidated about legal research. Effective legal research skills are the foundation of every course or case you will ever encounter. I hope to help them develop and increase these skills.

What are you passionate about outside of the law?

I love lounging around my apartment with my dog, reading a good book series (currently reading the Game of Thrones series), traveling and eating great food. I love my family so anytime we can spend together is treasured.

What are your research interests?

I am obsessed legal history and research. I love figuring out the missing puzzle piece(s) of different legal issues or questions.

Publications

Link to my publications.

Expertise

  • Legal history
  • Research and Instruction

Academic Experience

  • Instructional Associate Professor & Reference Librarian
    Texas A&M University School of Law, Dee J. Kelly Law Library (September 2022 - present)
  • Instructional Assistant Professor & Reference Librarian
    Texas A&M University School of Law, Dee J. Kelly Law Library (July 2017 - August 2022)
  • Research Services Librarian and Lecturer in Law
    Cornell University Law Library (2015-2017)
  • Diversity Fellow
    Cornell University Law Library (2015-2017)
  • Graduate & Reference Assistant
    North Carolina Central University Law Library (2013-2015)

Education

  • J.D., North Carolina Central University School of Law (2015)
  • Master of Library Science, summa cum laude, North Carolina Central University School of Library & Information Sciences, (2015)
  • B.S., Chicago State University (2005) 

Other Professional Activities

  • Vice Chair/Chair Elect, Professional Engagement, Growth and Advancement Special Interest Section (PEGA-SIS) of the American Association of Law Libraries (2017-Present)
  • Co-Chair, Black Caucus of the American Association of Law Libraries (BCAALL) Nominations Committee (2016-2017)