More Than Just Books: Cool Law Library Resources You Shouldn’t Miss
Published March 27, 2025
Although law school can be difficult, the library is always here to help! We have resources and services to assist you through your three years at UB. These are just a few of them.
Fun things at the Service Desk
When you walk into the law library from the second floor, you will find our Service Desk directly to the left. The Service Desk is your one-stop shop for any help you might need from the library. You can check out all sorts of things at the Service Desk, not just books. If you want to check out one of our Conference Rooms, study carrels, or Zoom Rooms, the Service Desk is where to go. You can also check out other useful things such as phone and laptop chargers, stands for your books, and even umbrellas!
Checking things out isn’t the only thing you can do. You can also stop by the end of the Service Desk and speak with a Reference Librarian. Our Reference Librarians are always ready to help you answer any question you might have. We can help you with your citations, find materials, teach research tips and tricks, and even recommend where to get a good slice of pizza. No question is too big or too small. No appointment is necessary, simply stop by and we will be ready to help!
Study Aids
One of the primary things you will do in law school is read. Most of your work for class will involve reading through casebooks, doing research, and analyzing cases and statutes. It’s safe to say that most of your time will likely be taken up by reading. And much of that reading can be dense or difficult at first. There are new terms to learn, new topics you’ve maybe never heard of, and many important cases to read filled with new jargon and some archaic terminology.
It can be a daunting task to dive into your classes. But we have the resources to help you be successful! One of those resources is study aids. Study aids come in a variety of different types and formats, but they aim to do one thing, help you develop your understanding of the law. This may mean testing out your knowledge of legal concepts or helping you develop your critical thinking skills so you can “think like a lawyer.”
Study aids will distill concepts into easy-to-understand ways so you can enhance your understanding. Many also include practice problems and multiple-choice questions so you can test your knowledge and see where you still have room to improve. This will reinforce what you have learned, but you can also use the study aids to help you create outlines for your classes.
The library has study aids both in print and online. Our print study aids are shelved on the 5th floor so you can access them even when the library is closed. We are subscribed to three different study aid publishers, West Study Aids, Lexis Digital Library, and Aspen Learning Library; all of which can be found on our law library homepage under databases.
On behalf of the faculty and staff of the Charles B. Sears Law Library, we look forward to seeing you all in the library soon!
