The Law Library is open to law students for 105 hours each week!
| Monday | 6:00 am - 12:00 am |
| Tuesday | 6:00 am - 12:00 am |
| Wednesday | 6:00 am - 12:00 am |
| Thursday | 6:00 am - 12:00 am |
| Friday | 6:00 am - 8:00 pm |
| Saturday | 10:00 am - 7:00 pm |
| Sunday | 2:00 pm - 12:00 am |
The Law Library is a controlled access space. Law students can use their tap cards to access the Law Library during posted hours using the exterior elevator located in the Lobby to the far right of the Library Building Foyer. The Law Library is also accessible from within the University Library. Keep in mind that the two Libraries operate on different schedules.
Each student should tap their keycard on the card reader. Never allow others to "tailgate" into either RU Library.
If your tap card doesn't work, contact the Law Public Services Desk or use the "doorbell" outside the University Library's entrance.
A Short and Happy Guide to Being a Lawyer by
A Short and Happy Guide to Being a Lawyer is a concise and entertaining tour of some basic lawyering skills for law students and new lawyers. The authors - two experienced law professors - use humor and apt quotes to introduce (or refresh) readers in many of the basic competencies that lawyers need to acquire. This short guide offers insights into interviewing, counselling, legal writing, trial preparation, trial skills and other stuff with some "Advice for All Seasons" - all designed to help young lawyers approach the many challenges and rewards of being a lawyer. Some of this is dry stuff. This guide will lighten the load with bad jokes, spiffy quotes, and existential musings. The guide doesn't cover everything a new lawyer needs to know, but it covers a lot.
Expert Learning for Law Students by 
The ABCs of Law School by
Spoiler Alert: Law school can be overwhelming and stressful. The good news? You're not alone. The ABCs of Law School: Diary of a First Year Student shares all of the inside tips and tricks you need to survive and thrive, direct from someone who has been there, done that, and succeeded. The ABCs of Law School: Diary of a First Year Student is the newest book by bestselling, award-winning author, Teresa Power, JD. It offers access into the inner workings of law school, as told by an actual student. This easy to read guidebook provides a concise overview of the major core topics covered, as well as strategies on how to prepare for class, study for exams, and manage stress. Perfect for anyone considering, starting, or in law school! Book jacket.
Critical Reading for Success in Law School and Beyond by
Critical Reading for Success in Law School and Beyond presents critical reading strategies in a systematic sequence so that students can become effective readers who are successful in both law school and in law practice. This reading system was developed by identifying the characteristics of expert readers at different stages of the reading process and then creating a curriculum to teach these skills. It contains essential ingredients for developing skills in reading comprehension as well as legal analysis, case evaluation, and case synthesis. Critical Reading starts with chapters on reading as an advocate and with focus and then introduces students to case structure as well as civil and criminal procedure. Students are then introduced to specific comprehension techniques such as case context, reading for an overview, reading facts, and strategies for understanding unclear text. Critical Reading then addresses strategies for making inferences, evaluating cases, and synthesizing cases. Critical Reading for Success in Law School and Beyond focuses on comprehension of full reported cases as students must be able to read full decisions in practice. It is designed to be used in law school pre-orientation and orientation programs, academic success courses, legal writing and doctrinal classes, as well as individual student support.
Think Like a Lawyer by 
Nine Steps to Law School Success by
Nine Steps to Law School Success is the first scientifically proven study process for success in law school. Synthesized from the study processes of other successful law students, this book provides a straightforward, linear, and chronological study process for students to follow from the beginning of the semester up to their final examination. Students will learn how to complete each step, how each step leads to a deep understanding of course material, and how each step ultimately leads to success in their courses. Students will also learn how to incorporate Nine Steps into their weekly schedules during the semester. This book is not soaked in academic opinion or war stories of hardened practitioners. Instead, it is the purest form of the collective successful study process as articulated straight from the mouths of other successful law students. Since Nine Steps is the result of a qualitative phenomenological study, it also serves as a template for anyone interested in conducting their own qualitative research in legal education and beyond.
The Gunner's Guide to Law School/by Marc A. Silverman by
This study aid explains that success in law school does not require any special skill or genius. It demonstrates that if students can apply the basic techniques described in this book, they can be in the top 10% of their class. This comprehensive guide provides reliable frameworks (backed by cognitive neuroscience) to navigate everything from the first day of law school to the first year of practicing law. It offers frameworks for handling reading assignments, classes, taking exams, and getting on law review--all the way through succeeding as an associate in a law firm.
Succeeding in Law School by
In the third edition of Succeeding in Law School, Professor Ramy continues his mission of demystifying the law school experience. In addition to essential chapters on topics like course outlining, legal writing, and exam preparation, this edition includes multiple new exercises so that students can self-assess in order to improve their analytical abilities. As the first year of law school comes to a close, students can then use chapters on interviewing techniques, creating a writing sample, and writing a résumé to help market themselves to prospective employers. Whether students are seeking advice in the summer months or are looking for help once the school year has begun, this book is an important tool for helping them get the most out of their abilities.
Online and print study aids are practical resources that help students prepare for law school classes and exams. The Law Library subscribes to all three major study aid platforms (Aspen Learning Online, LexisNexis Digital Library, and West Academic), and to CALI, which provides over 1,200 interactive online lessons in over 40 legal subject areas. There are multiple links to the various platforms on the Law Library's website. You can locate print study aids using Primo, the Law Library's catalog and discovery tool. Our Study Aids research guide organizes both print and online resources for each law school course, including all first-year classes.
If you have questions about finding or using study aids reach out to Professor Magee!
| Study Aids |
The Law Library provides Lexis, Westlaw, and Bloomberg Law access. Use is restricted to authorized law school users. New students will receive information about Westlaw and Lexis registration during Orientation and in LARW. Extensive training on both platforms is integrated into LARW.
For Bloomberg Law, all current law school students can register for an academic user account (Use your law school email address.)
Be sure to look through the training tools, research guides, and other helpful resources on each site's Law School page. The links below are simply a starting point.
Letter to a One l Friend by
Letter to a One L Friend teaches students how to rise to the top of their law school class. The book began as a letter the author wrote in his final year of law school to a good friend who was just starting. Weaving in anecdotes from his experience as a student, the author presents a simple, proven system for law students to excel. Many law students study during every waking moment just to stay in the middle of the pack. This is because law school requires a unique method of analysis that is completely different from anything students experience in college. Incoming One Ls assume that the hardest-working, smartest law students earn the highest grades. But what happens when 300 top students with similar LSATs and GPAs try to outwork and outsmart each other? Despite what many students expect, doing well is more about strategy than intelligence. Students who use the correct process excel, while students who use the wrong process don't--regardless of how smart they are. Having a clear strategy when students begin law school is almost as important as working hard once they get there. Letter to a One L Friend teaches students that strategy and empowers them to excel in law school. Click here to listen to the author discuss Letter to a One L Friend on the Lawyer 2 Lawyer podcast.
First-Year Law School Success by
Written for first year law students text explains how to read and brief cases, take notes, study, maintain balance and succeed.
McClurg's 1L of a Ride by
1L of a Ride provides a candid step-by-step roadmap to both academic and emotional success in law school's critical first year. Covered topics in this newly updated, revised, and expanded second edition include: top student fears, the first-year curriculum, effective class participation, types of law students and professors, case-briefing, note-taking, course-outlining, legal research and writing, exam preparation, essay and multiple-choice exam strategies, stress management, the impact of law school on outside relationships, special challenges faced by part-time and nontraditional students, and much more. Shows rather than tells with dozens of anecdotes and comments from real law students, as well as authentic samples of Socratic dialogue, exam questions, student case briefs, class notes, and course outlines. McClurg is an award-winning professor and noted legal humorist with experience teaching at several law schools.
Law School Exams by
Law School Exams: A Guide to Better Grades is the complete handbook for students seeking to improve their performance in law school. This book offers a concise and practical strategy that can be applied to almost any law school exam, regardless of topic or level. The new edition offers unique insights by reducing the exam format to a series of repeatable steps. It also teaches students how to "prepare for exams, instead of preparing for class," with proven time-management and outlining techniques. The main focus of the book is on law school exam success, but it also includes comprehensive guidance on reading, note-taking, use of supplements, and common mistakes made by law students. The latest edition adds guidance for in-person and online testing, and three new practice exams with model answers (on the topics of Torts, Property, and Contracts). Law School Exams: A Guide to Better Grades is an impactful resource for students who are beyond the first semester and struggling to improve their grades, as well as for brand new students who want to start strong in law school. Alex Schimel is a longtime professor, university administrator, and a leading subject-matter expert on law school academic success.
Law School Success in a Nutshell by
It answers questions students have as they begin their studies. What is a tort? Hornbook? Should I join a study group? It also explains and gives examples of the best methods for studying and for taking exams. It provides questions and model answers from actual law school exams. The Nutshell also provides information about the types of legal practice that are available to you when you graduate. And it describes the opportunities that will be available to you during your second and third years of law school, such as law journals, law clinics, internships, joint degree programs, and study abroad.
How to Write Law Exams by
Written for every law student who ever wondered how to get better grades in law school, How to Write Law Exams: IRAC Perfected provides students of all levels with a detailed, comprehensive, and practical guide to success on law school exams. What's more, How to Write Law Exams applies equally to all subject matters, making this text an ideal supplement for every law school course. Focuses on law school and bar exams rather than the kind of assignments seen in legal writing class. As such, the book helps students improve their grades in all of their substantive courses, not just in their first year legal writing class. Provides readers with a proven and easy-to-implement means of maximizing points on a law school exam. Rather than repeating vague generalities about grammar and style or providing simple bullet-point lists as other writing guides do, this text breaks the well-known IRAC method of legal writing into comprehensible segments and gives students the tools needed to master their law exams. Provides readers with detailed student-written examples of the IRAC method in action. Annotated with line-by-line critiques, these sample essays show readers exactly what can go wrong in a law school exam and how to fix those problems before they appear on a graded paper. Combining in-depth analysis, easy-to-understand writing, and innovative design features, How to Write Law Exams: IRAC Perfected is the answer to every law student's exam questions.
The Law Library offers a variety of spaces to support both quiet study and collaborative learning.
The Quiet Side is set aside for quiet, individual study. Complete silence is strongly encouraged. Phone calls are not permitted, and devices must be muted. The Collaborative Side is designed for study groups. Quiet conversation is welcome, but please be mindful of others.
The Law Library Reading Balcony is one of the most popular spaces in the Law Library. Please note that noise levels on the Law Reading Balcony can vary, particularly when events are held in the Atrium.
Carrels are individual study desks designed to minimize distraction and provide privacy. The Law Library provides nearly 150 carrels that law students can reserve for the academic year. Most are lighted and equipped with power/USB outlets. Reserved carrels are located on the Quiet Side. New students receive information about Carrel Reservations during Orientation. Returning students can renew or modify existing Carrel Reservations near the end of the Fall semester.
The Law Library has both group study tables and smaller tables ideal for one or two students. Tables are scattered throughout. The large tables near the Virginia state materials are located on the Collaborative Side and are a popular place for small-group study.
The Law Library has a total of twelve individual and small group study rooms, as well as one study room reserved for larger groups (5-10 students), and a 15-seat conference room. Both individual and group study rooms can be checked out for 4 hours, with limited renewals. Visit the Law Public Services Desk for detailed information about study room use.
The Best Lawyer You Can Be by
It's no secret that individual lawyers are under siege in a profession with a high incidence of stress, divorce, substance abuse, and suicide. In this groundbreaking multi-dimensional collection, you can find tools and information that enable you to have both a successful career and a happy, satisfied life. These tools will teach you how to harness the transformative power of being more relational and less transactional. The earmark of happy lawyers is the development of emotional intelligence, resilience, and mindfulness practice. The book provides the keys to the kingdom, what is essential to thrive in the competitive environment of lawyering. The material comes from recognized experts who provide step-by-step behavioral guidance of what you need to do. The material is easily accessible. Each chapter has a summary and conclusion. Follow the wisdom and it's guaranteed to change your life and career.
How to Be Sort of Happy in Law School by
Each year, over 40,000 new students enter America's law schools. Each new crop experiences startlingly high rates of depression, anxiety, fatigue, and dissatisfaction. Kathryne M. Young was one of those disgruntled law students. After finishing law school (and a PhD), she set out to learn more about the law school experience and how to improve it for future students. Young conducted one of the most ambitious studies of law students ever undertaken, charting the experiences of over 1000 law students from over 100 different law schools, along with hundreds of alumni, dropouts, law professors, and more. How to Be Sort of Happy in Law School is smart, compelling, and highly readable. Combining her own observations and experiences with the results of her study and the latest sociological research on law schools, Young offers a very different take from previous books about law school survival. Instead of assuming her readers should all aspire to law-review-and-big-firm notions of success, Young teaches students how to approach law school on their own terms: how to tune out the drumbeat of oppressive expectations and conventional wisdom to create a new breed of law school experience altogether. Young provides readers with practical tools for finding focus, happiness, and a sense of purpose while facing the seemingly endless onslaught of problems law school presents daily. This book is an indispensable companion for today's law students, prospective law students, and anyone who cares about making law students' lives better. Bursting with warmth, realism, and a touch of firebrand wit, How to Be Sort of Happy in Law School equips law students with much-needed wisdom for thriving during those three crucial years.
Lawyering from the Inside Out by
Law is a varied, powerful, and highly rewarding profession. Studies show, however, that lawyers have higher rates of alcoholism, divorce, and even suicide than the general population. Stress creates these poor outcomes, including the stress of dealing with other people's problems all day, the stress of spending excessive amounts of time at work, and the stress of being disconnected to what is most meaningful in life. Through mindfulness and emotional intelligence training, lawyers can improve focus, get more work done in less time, improve their interpersonal skills, and seek and find work that will make their lives more meaningful. This book is designed to help law students and lawyers of all experience levels find a sustainable and meaningful life in the field of law. This book includes journaling and other interactive exercises that can help lawyers find peace, focus, meaning, and happiness over a lifetime of practicing law.
Essential Qualities of the Professional Lawyer by
Addresses a widely observed gap in legal education and professionalism materials on professional development in a practice-focused context.
Legal Ethics Stories by
Softbound - New, softbound print book.
Roadmap by
The Roadmap process transforms the question of "what value do you bring?" into an opportunity to differentiate oneself from other students. You will not need to wait for a specific question about the value you bring beyond technical legal skills to help legal employers and clients. Instead, you will understand what skills legal employers and clients need and will be able to explain how your strongest skills can help them succeed. You will be prepared with your best stories to demonstrate persuasive evidence of your strongest skills. The book encourages you to use your time in law school to develop the competencies important to your future, and helps the reader form a conscious plan to demonstrate these self-development experiences.
Beyond One L by
Beyond One L: Stories About Finding Meaning and Making a Difference in Law is inspired by Scott Turow''s One L, the classic account of a first year law student''s experience at Harvard Law School. With an introduction by Turow, Beyond One L explores first, second, and third year experiences in the decades since One L was published. It then moves beyond law school to tell the stories of taking the bar, searching for judicial clerkships, practicing law, and leaving law practice to become a teacher or judge. Story authors include lawyer Gerry Spence; Above the Law editor David Lat; professors Ian Ayres, Stephen Carter, Deborah Waire Post, and Adrienne Wing; and judges Marilyn Skoglund, Donn Kessler, and Michael Zimmerman. The stories are about the moments in life that were game-changers--ones that changed the course of the authors'' careers or brought them extraordinary meaning. "I have always been a believer in the power of narrative and Beyond One L did not disappoint! I had a hard time putting this book down. I loved the way the authors framed their stories to illustrate how the first year of law school was instrumental in forming their personal or professional identities. I laughed at some of the stories, and cried at others. I was inspired by the "kaleidoscope of experiences" that were shared. I would highly recommend this book, particularly if you have gone to law school, are planning to go to law school, or just want to read a meaningful book." -- Christine Coughlin, Professor of Legal Analysis, Writing, and Research, Wake Forest University School of Law "Law students and lawyers all too quickly forget why they went to law school. Inside each attorney is some passion that does not involve billing hours. Beyond One L is a reminder to find that passion. From stories of questioning the Torah, to a federal judge''s journey through racial segregation, to a professor''s admission during his 1L year at HLS that "I''m not sure exactly where I''m lost...but I am", I was reminded of the real world of law. Law school can be funny, affirming and sometimes even enjoyable. The profession is a challenge, but clients are inspiring, the justice system valuable and law school provides lifelong advice like "never turn down free food," "do not sleep with that person." Regardless of where you are on your legal path- just considering law school or Buddhist monk-this collection of stories will bring a smile to your face and may just rekindle that passion."-- Judge Stephen Bough "What a wonderful way to gain perspective on law students, law school, and law practice! The stories in Beyond One L give great insight into the process of becoming a lawyer, starting even before the decision to apply to law school and continuing long beyond law school. Some authors give guidance: David Lat, the founding editor of Above the Law, offers three recommendations on what he would do differently as a law student, including "calm down" (easier to give than follow, he concedes), while Wanda Temm, author of Clearing the Last Hurdle, a best-selling bar prep book, provides practical advice on bar exam prep. Others explore how law school changed them, empowering them to speak and advocate. And others discuss how they have made their lives in the law. Reading each story reminds me of why I became a lawyer!"-- Naomi Cahn, Professor of Law, George Washington University "Beyond One L reads like a novel. Whether you are thinking of going to law school or reliving decades-old experiences, the stories will captivate you. They capture the hopes, stresses, challenges and adjustments that indelibly mark those who make it through law school, and they do so with humor and insight. The volume salts the personal stories with useful tips on not just surviving the first year, but applying for clerkships, passing the bar, starting your own practice, entering the academy and following your dreams as a lawyer wherever they take you."-- June Carbone, Professor of Law, University of Minnesota
Get a Running Start by
The first of its kind, this book offers a global overview of the first-year curriculum in a single volume. In short, accessible lessons, Get a Running Start covers all the major concepts taught in each of the courses most commonly offered in the first year of law school: criminal law, torts, civil procedure, constitutional law, property, and contracts. (See also a companion volume, Stay Ahead of the Pack: Your Comprehensive Guide to the Upper Level Curriculum, which covers the most common 2L and 3L courses: administrative law, business associations, criminal procedure, evidence, personal income tax, and professional responsibility.) Each of the courses comprising this book is written by a specialist in the field who is a decorated teacher with years of experience in the classroom. In this volume, they have distilled that experience and expertise to produce the tool they wish they had when they first were thinking about and then actually began law school: a clear, concise introduction to the entire first-year curriculum. Get a Running Start is a valuable tool for first-year law students, giving them a running start on their law school careers and putting them in the best position to enter the profession. By reading through all the lessons for a course, first-year students will get a complete overview of each course early in the semester. As the semester goes forward, students can accelerate their learning and comprehension by reviewing individual lessons when preparing for class. As the semester comes to a close, the lessons in this book provide an invaluable framework for outlining and exam preparation. Get a Running Start is also the ideal introduction for undergraduate students. For formal pre-law or Introduction to American Law courses, this book will provide students with a comprehensive overview broken into concise, digestible chunks that are ideal for further development in lecture or discussion sections. Outside the classroom, Get a Running Start offers a stimulating introduction to fundamental legal concepts that will engage those who might be thinking about going to law school and citizens who simply want to know more about the law as a central feature of public life. Among the many features of this book readers will find useful and attractive are: An introductory chapter offering advice on how to structure a successful preparation and study process starting with the summer before law school and running straight through exams. Insiders' advice from successful law students and recent graduates on class preparation, course selection, career development, and managing the stress of law school. Short lessons that provide readers with an introduction to the major concepts for a day or week of law school classes in 10-15 minutes. Complete course coverage that will allow readers to get a global overview of a first-year law course in the span of an afternoon. Frequent use of examples and hypotheticals to illustrate major points in an available way. Short "Takeaway" summaries at the end of each lesson that highlight the main points and provide a quick reference or refresher. "Bonus" lessons offering quick primers on topics such as legal reasoning and statutory interpretation.