An Interview with Elizabeth Boomer, Legal Research Analyst

Today’s interview is with Elizabeth Boomer, a legal research analyst in the Global Legal Research Directorate of the Law Library of Congress.

Describe your background.

I was born in Kansas and grew up in a small university town in Illinois, home of Western Illinois University. As a teenager, I couldn’t wait to move to the “big city,” but I will always be a small-town, Midwestern girl at heart.

What is your academic/professional history?

I have a degree in French from Truman State University in Missouri, where I had the opportunity to study abroad twice during my undergraduate studies – in Annecy, France, and at Université Laval in Québec City, Canada. These experiences opened my eyes to international studies and travel, and my academic and professional trajectory just went from there!

Following my bachelor’s degree, I completed a Master of Arts at American University’s School of International Service, and a J.D. at Howard University School of Law, both in Washington, DC. I then worked for two years in the international department of the AFL-CIO as a Global Workers’ Rights Fellow before I decided to undertake a one-year LL.M in international dispute settlement (MIDS) at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, Switzerland. Following my LL.M, and before joining the Law Library of Congress, I worked in Geneva for five years as a graduate teaching assistant in international law, as well as a legal consultant at the International Labour Organization and the International Law Commission.

How would you describe your job to other people?

As a legal research analyst, I research and write about every area of international law imaginable! I’ve been surprised by the novel, cutting-edge research questions I have addressed since I have joined the Law Library of Congress. Not only do we respond to inquiries from Congress, government agencies, the judiciary, and the public, we also monitor legal developments around the world. My work is primarily focused on international law and global trends.

Why did you want to work at the Law Library of Congress?

I have always loved researching, writing, and questioning everything about the world. The Law Library is a great place to investigate international legal issues as well as to work with other people who are similarly inquisitive, all of whom have much more exciting backgrounds than I do.

What is the most interesting fact you have learned about the Law Library of Congress?

Prior to joining the Law Library of Congress, I had no idea of the international scope of the Library’s collections. The Library of Congress maintains offices in multiple countries and the collections contain materials in almost 500 languages! This is among many fascinating facts about the Library of Congress, and the Law Library in particular.

What’s something most of your co-workers do not know about you?

Given how much junk food I eat in the office, I think my co-workers would be quite surprised to know that I love to cook! I have taken cooking classes in Thailand and Italy (two of my favorite types of foods), where I learned really useful techniques and inspiration for my own cooking.