Candidate for 2022-2024 Director: Jessica King

Jessica King has been working in law firm libraries for over a decade, beginning her career at firms in Lexington, Kentucky, and Lancaster, Pennsylvania. For the last eight years she has been working at Perkins Coie LLP, an AmLaw 50 law firm based in Seattle, Washington, with offices throughout the United States and China. In her role as the director of library services, she oversees the work performed by an extremely talented team of library staff and promotes the library’s services within the firm.

Jessica loves the variety of work she gets to do in her job, especially helping law firm professionals navigate the overwrought world of docket tracking alerts. Jessica is also a past chair of the Legal Division of SLA. She lives in Seattle, but is from Kentucky and, per the customs of her homeland, is way too invested in basketball.

Watch Jessica’s video

Contact Jessica

Question #1: Why are you a member of SLA? What has kept you a member throughout the years?
SLA has been my professional home since I was a library school student at the University of Kentucky. I met a very social and helpful group of people in the Kentucky Chapter, and that’s why I am still a member. The people I have met at SLA want to know you personally and professionally. We care about each other as people, and we are helpful! SLA lives up to those two fundamental requirements of a professional association like no other I have been part of.

Question #2: Why are you running for the SLA Board of Directors? What do you bring to the table? How do you plan to help support other SLA members, if elected?
I am running because my last major volunteer efforts (Legal Division Chair in 2016 and member of the Annual Conference Planning Committee in 2019) were a few years ago, and I find that diving back into SLA is a great way to re-energize myself and the association. I think that people should have volunteer cycles with their professional groups. You want to avoid burnout, and who knows what your new perspective will add to the association.

Since my last major involvement with SLA, I have been promoted to director of library services at Perkins Coie, a nationally known law firm with over 1,200 attorneys. I hope I can bring some of the business planning methodologies I employ at work to SLA, as well as a “fresh” face to SLA leadership since my break.

Question #3: SLA is a leader in its commitment to diversity and inclusion and the importance of civil discourse. Share how you have demonstrated leadership or action in these areas, and how your own experiences will inform your contribution as an SLA board member.
I am proud of my involvement with my firm’s diversity efforts. Law firms have historically focused on the diversity side of things with attorneys, and neglected staff in the data and resources. Last year Perkins Coie launched staff resource groups, and I was on the steering committee for that work. As a woman of color (I am half-Filipino), I’ll bring my personal experiences to the table and, most importantly, make a conscious effort to remain always open to the perspectives I do not have.

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