Coleman Karesh Law Library
Services to Students
Law Library News & Events
Students may check our Cocky Law Blawg for research tips and law library news and events.
Law Library Guides
The law library staff has developed the following guides to help students locate materials in the law library:
Legal Reference
A reference librarian is available at the reference desk Monday-Thursday from 8:30 AM to 7:00 PM, and Fridays from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM to answer reference questions and to assist students in developing research plans for particular projects. Students may contact the reference desk by phone at 777-5902 or via e-mail at lawref@gwm.sc.edu. Students may also take advantage of the various research aids posted on the law library's website.
Legal Research Instruction
The law school offers two courses in legal research, both taught by the Reference Librarians. All law students must take Legal Research during the fall semester of the first year. In addition, an Advanced Legal Research course is offered as an elective to all students during the second and third years. Students may attend seminars and workshops conducted by the Reference Librarians throughout the school year on specific legal research topics and online databases.
Finding Books & Articles
To determine if the law library has a particular book, periodical or other item in print or in electronic format, students may search the Law Library Catalog by keyword, title or author. To find articles on particular legal and non-legal topics, students should use the electronic indexes & e-journals databases. The law library also subscribes to several limited access electronic resources that either must be accessed using a law school computer or are available to law students only via username and password.
Borrowing Law Library Materials
Law students may check out books and other law library and reserve materials at the circulation desk. If after searching the law library and other University of South Carolina catalogs you cannot find the item you need, you may request that we borrow it from another library by completing an Interlibrary Loan request form (PDF) and submitting it to Katie Holtz at the circulation desk. Law students may also check out course materials and sample exams placed on reserve by their professors for particular courses.
Research Guides & Tutorials
- CALI
- The Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction (CALI) is a non-profit consortium of law schools that develops computer-based tutorials for law students. The lessons, which usually include interactive questions, cover over 30 different subject areas. Students and faculty can access the tutorials on the CALI website after they register and create a personal account using the USC authorization code; to obtain the code contact the reference librarians either at the Reference Desk or at lawref@gwm.sc.edu. CALI also distributes a CD version of the tutorials to law students at the beginning of each school year.
For additional research aids and tutorials, please visit www.law.sc.edu/library/research_aids/.
Computing, Copying & Printing
Wireless laptop access is available to law students throughout the law library. Links to information on student computer ownership, accessing the wireless network, and virus protection are provided on the law school's Information Technology page.
Copy machines are located on the 1st floor of the law library. A coin-operated copier and a Carolina Card machine are available in Room 104 next to the circulation desk. For information on Carolina Cards, see carolinacard.sc.edu/.
Computer labs are located on the 2nd floor of the law library for law students to access via username and password. Law students are allotted 1000 pages per year to print documents and other information using the computers and printers in the labs. Additional print pages may be purchased at the Circulation Desk. LexisNexis and Westlaw print jobs are routed to designated printers on the 1st floor of the law library.
Studying
Students enter the law library and seek assistance from the Circulation and Reference desks on the first floor. Therefore, the upper floors of the law library are more suited to quiet study. Assigned study carrels are located on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th floors of the law library. Carrels are assigned by lottery. Students may sign up for the lottery at the beginning of Fall semester. Students may also use the open study carrels located on all floors.
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