This page presents helpful resources for new students at Georgetown Law, including 1L, LL.M., transfer students, and others new to campus. 

For additional information, contact the Reference Desk in person (in the Williams Reading Room or on Wolff main floor), by phone at 202-662-9140 (Williams) or 202-662-4195 (Wolff), by e-mail to Williams Reference or Wolff Reference, or online via Chat with a Librarian.

Orientation Materials

• Library Basics
• Library Guide for Law Students
• Guide to Resources in Williams Reading Room
• Virtual Library Tour Video (5 min. 14 sec.)
  
• Self-Guided Library Tours
• • Williams Law Library
  • Wolff International & Comparative Law Library
• Video Tutorial: How to Retrieve a Case on Lexis
  
• Video Tutorial: How to Retrieve a Case on Westlaw

Online Course Management Software

Georgetown Law faculty may use one of four types of web-based course management software, linked here:

• Georgetown Law Courseware
• TWEN (Westlaw)
  • Video Tutorial: How to Add a Class on TWEN
• Web Courses (LexisNexis)
  • Web Courses: Student Frequently Asked Questions
    
• Blackboard

Course Materials

• First-Week Reading Assignments
• Course Materials Distribution (ArticleWorks)
• Course Reserves (at the Williams Circulation Desk)
• Past Exams

Practical Info for New Students

Wi-Fi, Printing, Scanning & Copying in the Library

Wireless internet access is available in all buildings on campus. For Wi-Fi connection information, see the Information Systems Technology department (IST) webpage on connecting to the Law Center's wireless network.

To set up printing from your personal computer to the printers in the Library and elsewhere at the Law Center, see IST's page on Installing the Pharos printing software on your laptop.

Photocopy machines are on the second, third, and fourth floors of the Williams Library and on the third floor of the Wolff Library. Printers are located throughout the libraries. You need your GOCard to print and make copies. Photocopies are $0.08 per page copied, and printer jobs are $0.10 per page printed.

Self-serve digital scanners are located in the Williams Reading Room Reserve area, the Williams Student Computer Lab, and at the Wolff Circulation Desk. Scanning is free.

For exact equipment locations and additional details, see the Library's page on Printing, Scanning & Copying.

Lexis, Westlaw, and Bloomberg Law

Lexis and Westlaw registration cards are distributed at orientation, and afterwards at the Reference Desks in Williams and Wolff. All Georgetown Law students may also register for a Bloomberg Law account at about.bloomberglaw.com/lawschool. Lexis and Westlaw printers are located on the 4th floor of Williams in Room 435A and in Wolff Room 4011. Printing from the Lexis and Westlaw databases to these printers is free. For more information, see our page on Lexis, Westlaw, and Bloomberg Law at Georgetown.

GOCard

In the Library, you may add money to your GOCard in the copy room on the 3rd floor of Williams, and near the copier on the 3rd floor of the Wolff Library. You may also add money online.

Power Cords, USB Drives & Other Electronic Accessories

Forgot your laptop charger? Need a USB flash drive? A variety of handy gadgets are available for short-term check out at both Circulation Desks, including mobile phone and iPad adapters, universal batteries, data storage devices, and headphones. Run a title search for COOL STUFF in the Library catalog to see the entire selection.

Research Help

Reference Desks

Get answers to your research questions from librarians at the Reference Desks in the Williams Library Reading Room and on Wolff Library main level. Help is also available online whenever the Reference Desks are open – look for the green "Chat with a Librarian" button near the top of this page. Ask us about anything: database searching, citation formatting, book locations, or recommended resources.

For in-depth assistance, you can also schedule a research consultation with a librarian to discuss your specific research needs.

Online Tutorials

In conjunction with the Legal Research and Writing faculty, our reference librarians have developed a series of legal research tutorials to teach you the important research skills you'll need to succeed in school and in practice. We also offer tutorials on a variety of other topics, from using specialized databases to job searching.

Research Guides

Covering more than 150 legal subject areas and over 70 U.S. and foreign jurisdictions, the Library's research guides are written and maintained by our librarians specifically for Georgetown Law students. These award-winning guides present the best sources to consult and provide tips on how to conduct your research.

Treatise Finders

If you're lost in a course or need an expert's view on a nuanced legal issue, try using the Library's Treatise Finders to locate treatises on over 50 practice areas. Each guide points researchers to the preeminent scholarly works on a topic, as well as quick study aids.

Research Classes

Sign up online for training sessions from the Library. Lexis and Westlaw also offer research classes specific to those platforms; information is available once you sign in.

Study Resources

Library Facilities

Coming to study at the library? Check out this information on, library hours, study rooms, and floor maps.

Study Aids in Print and on CD

A wide selection of current-edition hornbooks, nutshells, and other study aids is available in Reading Room Reserve on the second floor of the Williams Library. These materials don't circulate, but you're welcome to use them within the Williams reading room.

Look in the Library catalog for older editions of books in Reading Room Reserve – many are now part of the general collection in the stacks and can be checked out.

Audio/visual study aids on CD/DVD are at the Williams Circulation Desk, and are available for three-hour check out.

AudioCaseFiles

Listen to case opinions for your courses on MP3 via AudioCaseFiles. Download or stream audio of casebook cases and courtroom video from Courtroom View Network (register with your Georgetown Law email address for free access).

CALI Lessons and e-Books

Access hundreds of free interactive legal instructional lessons through Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction (CALI). Topics range from torts to taxation, contracts to constitutional law. Go to the Williams Reference Desk to get a free DVD containing all CALI lessons, plus a password to access lessons online at www.cali.org/lesson.

CALI also publishes free e-books on many law school subjects. Downloadable, e-reader and mobile-compatible casebooks and study guides are available in the eLangdell Bookstore at elangdell.cali.org.

Interlibrary Loan (ILL)

Request materials (books, articles, reports, etc.) that are not available in the Law Library.

About the Library

Just need to find out something about the library? Read about us or see our services and policies.