What if the law library doesn't have it?

If Westminster Law Library doesn't have what you are looking for, try these:

1. Prospector - Combined catalog of 23 Colorado and Wyoming libraries, including Penrose Library across the street.
2. Colorado Supreme Court Library - Downtown at Broadway & E 14th Ave; open to the public.
   
3. Worldcat - Worldwide catalog of thousands of libraries; displays a list of the nearest libraries that have the item, whether the nearest library is in Greeley, Utah or London. If you find it here, fill out an Interlibrary Loan request form.

Library Subject Guides

See online Subject Guides compiled by librarians to assist students with research projects and promote library holdings. A typical subject guide may feature citations and call numbers to legal materials such as treatises, law journals, loose-leaf services, directories, and more. Go to the library's website, and under "Research" on the left frame, click More > Subject Guides .

Subject guide categories include:

* Colorado
* Court Rules and Practice
* Employment
* Foreign and International Research
* Legal Research & Writing
* Legislative History
* Loose-leaf Services
* Other Legal Research Sources
* Primary Authority (Statutes, Cases & Regulations)

Find paper copies of all subject guides in display spindles on Levels 1 and 3 of the library.

CasemakerX

CasemakerX is a new legal research database for students that includes cases, statutes, court rules, AG opinions, journal articles, etc. It is also a social networking tool which allows you the option to create a profile, post your resume and connect with other students. Many bar associations, including Colorado, provide free access to Casemaker to their members.

To receive your own password, go to the Databases / Indexes section of the Law Library’s homepage and click on CasemakerX. You will be asked to enter your name and BannerID number to verify that you are a DU Law student, faculty or staff member and then you will be given instructions on how to log in and create your profile. You can skip the profile and just use the legal research aspects of the system if that’s what you prefer.

Practice CD-ROMS now on Reserve

CD-ROMs from Colorado practice materials can now be found on reserve on level 2. If you find an item with an empty CD pocket, check the catalog to see if the CD-ROM has been moved to reserve or reported missing, or ask for assistance at the reference desk. CD-ROMs may be checked out for 24 hours at a time.

Academic Achievement Program - resource database

The Academic Achievement Program (AAP) office has a library of study materials on first year subjects, study skills and how to succeed in law school, located in room 455H. Search the database of AAP's books, CDs and flashcards, plus similar materials from Westminster Law Library, all available for check-out to DU law students.

New - check out status!
We've added the check-out status to the AAP library items, so now you can see which resources are available right at the moment you find it in the database!

Where do I start?

The library's website has resources to help you start your research off right -

• Tutorials - on the basics of legal research, international, EU and federal research, plus a link to CALI tutorials
• Subject Guides - on Colorado law, federal law, legislative history, foreign & international, finding a job, court rules, legal writing & citation, forms, appellate advocacy, environmental law, bankruptcy law, tax and disability law
• Web Research Links - collection of legal information websites collected by the library staff; comprehensive legal info sites, forms, jobs, legal organizations, federal & state, natural resources, foreign & international sites, and on specific areas of law: administrative, bankruptcy, constitutional, criminal, health, intellectual property, family, natural resources, tax, securities, human rights, environmental, gaming

Welcome Back!

Hearsay is a publication of the Westminster Law Library, providing regular updates on new materials and resources, research tips, changes in hours and resource locations, plus a Jurist news feed. The law library has joined with the Writing Clinic, Career Development Center and Educational Technology department to provide writing tips, career development information and tech tips here as well.

Subscribe - RSS

Subscribe to our complete content (RSS feed listed under Links, lower right) or select some of our Categories (see the sidebars on the left for subscription options).

Update: By the way, did you know you can subscribe to us on Facebook too? (8/22)

Orientation Handout

1Ls! Misplace your library handout from orientation? Download a copy!

New article on Colorado legislative history

Conducting Colorado Legislative History Research by Andrea L. Hamilton
37 The Colorado Lawyer 113 (August 2008)

The Colorado Lawyer's Legal Research Corner column presents a concise introduction to conducting legislative history research on Colorado statutes, updating the previous article from 2003. Hamilton provides a thorough explanation of the process and extensive endnotes on where to find the resources described.

If you are assigned the task of finding the legislative history of a Colorado statute, you will probably need to dig into the primary record yourself, rather than seeking an already-published analysis. Use this article and the library's subject guide to streamline this challenging research task.

WLL's guide on Colorado Legislative History
Legal Research Corner articles Nov. 2002 - present (pdfs)