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Research Guide: Research at UVA Law Library

Start Your Research

What Do You NEED?

Major Law Databases

Law students and faculty have access to Bloomberg, Lexis, and Westlaw, comprehensive legal databases that include cases, statutes, treatises, journal articles, and news. If you haven't activated your accounts, follow these directions.


Other Databases

The library subscribes to dozens of other databases that you may find useful.


Looking for a specific article?

If you have a citation you're trying to find, put the journal title in the search box below or use Journal Finder to learn what database holds your journal.

All journals from UVA Libraries (Print, microfilm, and eJournals)


Finding a Book

Law students have access to our extensive collection, as well as books from other UVA Libraries.


Getting your Book

If your book is located at the Law Library and marked 'On Shelf Now' in Virgo, then you can grab it from our stacks! Make a note of the call number and check where that will be on the map.

No time to explore the stacks? No problem! You can use the 'Request item' and 'Request a scan' buttons to ask staff members to retrieve items for you. Allow 24-48 hours if a Law Library staff member is handling your request; items from other libraries may take an extra few days. Note: you'll need to be logged in to Virgo to make a request, and make sure to choose 'Law' as your Preferred Pickup Location.


Questions? Send us an email at refdesk@law.virginia.edu.

Subject Guides

Librarians have collected useful resources on the following topics for you:


Treatises by Subject

A list of treatises by subject has been compiled here.

Getting Started

Not sure where to find the resources you need? We've put together some best bets for you.


Ask a Reference Librarian

Expert reference librarians are on hand to help guide your research! You can contact a librarian in several ways:

  • By email: refdesk@law.virginia.edu
  • By phone: (434) 924-7465
  • Schedule a consultation: Our research librarians are available to help students develop research plans and to guide students through successful use of the library's extensive collections.
  • At the 2nd floor Reference desk, open Monday - Friday from 9 am - 5 pm.

Services for the Public

The Law Library can provide research guidance, but we cannot interpret the law or provide legal advice. We cannot, for example, find statutes applicable to a particular subject or a specific set of facts. This is an inquiry that requires you to exercise your own legal judgment. If you need help analyzing a legal problem, please consult an attorney.

Email reference service is intended primarily for students, faculty, and staff of the University of Virginia. If you are not affiliated with UVA, we will reply to your inquiry only if it relates to the School of Law or to a resource unique to the Law Library.

© by the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia