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Legal Research for Law Students: 1Ls' Essential Library Guide

Check Out The Law Library!

  1. Carrels, standing desks, group study rooms…we have a study space for you. Use this map to scope out a spot: carrels in the 2nd floor main room are open to all; reserve a group study room; check out the technology and comfy chairs in the 2nd floor Collaborative Classroom (when class isn’t in session). The Library is open daily 8am-midnight during the semester, longer during finals.
  2. Study aids and casebooks. Nutshells and Examples & Explanations on Torts, Property, Constitutional Law and more are in the Klaus Reading Room next to the Circulation Desk, along with casebooks professors have asked us to put on reserve. Use the Virgo card catalog to find UVA library materials. Need an item from a non-Law UVA library? Use the Request an Item button to have it sent over.
  3. The Bluebook.  Check out hard copies from the 1st floor Circulation Desk. Once you've gotten to know the Bluebook in print, request an access key to the Bluebook Online.
  4. Scan, print, copy, shred. In the first floor Klaus Reading Room and the second floor’s MyLab. We also have bookstands, thumb drives, laptop power cords, phone chargers, earphones, and a bike pump to borrow from the Circulation Desk. Click here for answers to FAQs about printing, copying, and scanning. 
  5. Research experts, at your service. Let us help you get started on your seminar paper and save time on cite checks. Stop by the Reference Desk on the 2nd floor 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, email refdesk@law.virginia.edu or set up an appointment. Visit our homepage for links to research guides, Westlaw, Lexis, and more. 
  6. Free Coffee! In MyLab on the 2nd floor. Please bring your own mug or thermos. Study snacks that won't distract your neighbors with smells or loud crunching are allowed in the Library.
  7. Movies, TV Shows, & Study Breaks. Choose from over a thousand titles in our DVD collection in the 1st floor Klaus Reading Room. Join our grilled cheese study break during finals and learn more about mindfulness resources in the Law Library and at UVA.   
  8. And more! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and our MoreUs blog to learn about new research resources and Library events.

Law Library FAQs for 1Ls