Need help finding a case on Lexis or Westlaw? The library has two basic video tutorials that demonstrate how to locate and print a case using Lexis and Westlaw. These tutorials can be found on our Resources for New Students page. All first years will receive more detailed instruction on these computer assisted legal research platforms as part of their Legal Research & Writing classes, but these videos will get you started.

Each spring, we conduct a survey of law students to get input on library services and resources. We published a summary of 2012 results soon after the survey closed. Now we're happy to share some information about what we did this summer, largely in response to comments. In brief: we added a water fountain to Wolff, installed after-hours book drops, overhauled the room reservation system, revamped our touch screen kiosks, and updated our entire website. 

We've been busy. We're excited to see students returning, and we're ready for another productive year. Check out a summary of comments in response to the 2012 survey.

Welcome back to campus, and drop us a note if you have any suggestions before the next annual survey comes around.

Around the Library, we’ve been fielding lots of questions from incoming students. That’s a good thing, and we’re happy to provide the answers you seek. Below is information in response to some of the most common queries presented by students new to Georgetown Law Library (for additional info, be sure to check out our For New Students webpage). Take note, and tell a friend!

When are tours of the Library?
Guided tours with our reference librarians are the best way to get acquainted with the services and facilities of the Williams Law Library. Tours will last 30 minutes; please meet in the Williams atrium (entrance area) at one of the following times:

•    Tuesday,  August 28 – 11:00 am, 3:30 pm
•    Wednesday,  August 29  – Noon, 1:00 pm, 3:45 pm, 4:15 pm
•    Thursday,  August 30 – 10:00 am, 3:45 pm
•    Friday,  August 31 – 10:30 am, 1:45 pm

A self-guided tour of the Wolff International & Comparative Law Library, in the Hotung building, is available to download on the Library’s For New Students webpage.

Where are restrooms/printers/computers/past exams in the Library?
You can easily find the locations of all major facilites, services, and collections in the Library, using either our online maps at www.law.georgetown.edu/library/about/maps (note the menu of specific maps and features in the gray navigation bar at left) or any of the touchscreen display monitors arranged throughout the Library (at the Williams Circulation Desk, 4th Floor Central stacks entrance, Special Collections off the Williams Reading Room, and Wolff lower level by the staircase). Printed maps are also available at the Circulation Desks in both Williams and Wolff.

When will I get my Lexis and Weslaw/TWEN accounts?
Registration materials for LexisNexis and Westlaw are included in the Library folders you’ll receive during Orientation. Folders were distributed to incoming LLM, visiting, and transfer students on Monday 8/27; first-year JD students will receive theirs during the “Overview of Georgetown Law Library and Technology Resources” sessions in Hart Auditorium at 3:30 and 5:00 on Wednesday 8/29. After Orientation, folders and account activation codes will be available at the Reference Desks in Williams and Wolff for students who’ve misplaced or didn’t receive theirs.

How do I access TWEN to prepare for my first class?
Some professors post course materials on TWEN (The West Education Network) for students to review prior to the first day of class. Because TWEN is part of Westlaw, you’ll first need to obtain and register your Westlaw password (see previous question). Once you’ve successfully logged in at http://lawschool.westlaw.com, follow the instructions through the TWEN link at the very top of the page and you should be all set.

Have other questions?
Of course you do! Let us know at the Reference Desks (contact us), and check the Law Library blog often for answers and other useful info. You can also stop by the Library’s table at the Vendor Fair, Wednesday 8/29 between noon and 5:30pm in the McDonough 3rd floor atrium.

In early May 2012 Georgetown Law Library lost one of our longest serving librarians when the Head of Special Collections, Laura Bédard, passed away unexpectedly at age 55. Laura was the quintessential rare book librarian; she loved both old books and history. Her work gave her ample moments to pursue both these passions, and on one occasion this led her into her own family history. In 2005 we discovered an inscription by an Isadore Bedard in one of our 1829 volume of Les Statuts du Bas-Canada [Statutes of Lower-Canada]. As her family is of French-Canadian descent on her father’s side, Laura began researching her genealogy to see if there was any connection. She was delighted to discover that she and Isadore Bedard were indeed distant relations reunited by the ineffable tides of time.

One of the true joys of working with rare books and legal history is being able to, in a sense, time travel and experience still tangible parts of the past. Special Collections has created a small exhibit in our display case outside of Williams 210 celebrating Laura’s life at Georgetown Law that includes images from this volume of early Canadian statutes.