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1L Survival Guide : Library Materials

A guide for beginning law students about the UW Law School, skills, courses, faculty, textbooks, studying, exams, library access, and technology.

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Circulation

Identification Needed
To check out library materials or a study room, you will need your Wiscard (UWMadison ID card). Please present it every time you want to borrow items.

Loan Periods
 Under Library Policies, see Circulation Policies for information loan periods

Renewals

Renewals are subject to recall. No
renewals on reserve items.

Course Reserves

For material put on reserve for your class by your instructor, see the library's list of Course Reserves

Search for Books

Books and other materials on preparing for law school can be found in the UW-Madison library catalog.

WorldCat Library Catalog

If you can't find the materials that you need on campus, try searching WorldCat - a catalog of library materials worldwide. 

UW students, faculty and staff may request materials by interlibrary loan using the "Get Through Interlibrary Loan" link directly through WorldCat.

Article and Book Delivery

Is the book that you need at another campus library?  You can request that it be delivered to the Law Library for you at no charge.  Use the "Place a Request" link in the Library Catalog.  Note that you must first log in.

Or maybe it's a journal that you need from another campus library.  You can request that it be scanned and emailed to you at no charge.  Log in to our interlibrary loan system to request electronic copies of articles owned on campus.

If you can't find the materials that you need on campus, you may also submit an interlibrary loan request using our interlibrary loan system.

Search Other Law Databases

The Law Library subscribes to many legal databases.  Browse a complete list on our Electronic Resources page.

For non-legal databases, see the database list from the UW Madison libraries.

Bloomberg Law, Lexis+, & WestlawEdge

All law students are given access to the Bloomberg Law, LexisNexis, and Westlaw legal research services for educational purposes. According to our licensing agreements, these services cannot be used by students for outside employment or for any other non-academic use.

First year and transfer law students are issued passwords during orientation.

Graduate students are issued passwords through the “legal research” course during the fall semester.

Transfer students and any other law students needing to obtain a password for Bloomberg Law, LexisNexis or Westlaw should contact Emma Babler.