Welcome
Welcome, new and returning HLS students! Whether you are JD, LLM, SJD, or transfer students, the HLS Library is here to support all your research and information needs.
Use this guide to check off some must-do items and get acquainted with your new library. We look forward to working with you.
Register your Bloomberg Law, Lexis Advance, and Westlaw accounts
If you only do one thing on this list, do this: register for your legal research database accounts. You won't be able to complete your Legal Research & Writing course assignments without them!
You should have received an email with registration instructions for Lexis, Westlaw, and Bloomberg Law. If you did not, please contact Research Services at http://asklib.law.harvard.edu to retrieve your registration codes.
You may use the same username for all three systems if you wish and if they are available.
- Bloomberg Law registrationRegister with your HLS email address. If you have an activation code it will fast track your account creation, but it is not required. Once you're registered, sign in at http://bloomberglaw.com.
- Lexis Plus registrationRegister with the school registration code provided by email using your HLS email address or call the reference desk at 617-495-4516 for the code. Once you're registered, sign in at http://www.lexisnexis.com/lawschool
- Westlaw registrationRegister with the unique registration code provided by email. Once you're registered, sign in at http://lawschool.westlaw.com/
Get started on Bloomberg, Lexis, & Westlaw
Get started on Bloomberg, Lexis, & Westlaw
- Bloomberg Law training resourcesVideos and references guides for getting started with Bloomberg Law.
- Lexis Plus support and trainingVideos, guides, and other resources to help you get started on Lexis Plus.
- Westlaw training and supportUser guides and videos to help you register and get started with Westlaw.
This video will walk you through the Westlaw registration process.
Westlaw training portal for law schools.
Tour your library
Do you know...
- what the ten-minute rule is?
- where to get research help?
- where to pick up and check out books?
- how to get a laptop charger when you've left yours at home?
Take a tour of the HLS Library and you will learn the answers to all these questions and more!
Virtual Tour
You can also see some highlights of your Library via our 2020 virtual Harvard Law School Library tour.
Using the Library
Have specific questions about the Library and our services?
- Use the LibraryInformation about services, including hours, borrowing, , study spaces and more.
- Printing & Network AccessHow to set up access to the Library network and printers.
- Newspapers for the HLS CommunityInformation about newspaper access, including individual subscriptions.
Find books and articles
The HOLLIS catalog is the main way of finding materials at the HLS Library and other libraries at Harvard.
- HOLLIS Library Catalog Aearch for books, journal titles, article content, images, finding aids for archives, and other material at the Harvard Libraries.
- Use the Library Catalog option to limit your search to books and journal titles.
- Use the Everything option to search full text content of some databases and e-journals
- Log in to save and organize research results and to renew materials
- Request a Research AppointmentFor customized advice from an HLS librarian, request a research consultation via Zoom or in-person. We can help you get started with course projects and papers, faculty projects, and more!
- Legal DatabasesLinks to some of the most useful databases for HLS students, selected by your Librarians.
Research and study guides
HLS librarians have prepared a number of research guides & videos for HLS students. Our guides cover a diverse range of subjects from topical and jurisdictional legal research to finding and using secondary sources to finding paper topics and publishing your work to tips on taking study breaks and finding exam prep resources.
Below is a selection of guides that should be of interest to 1Ls and LLM students.
Guides for 1Ls
- Civil procedure basicsResources for students looking for more information on civ pro and studying for 1L exams.
- Contracts basicsResources for students looking for more information on contracts and studying for 1L exams.
- Criminal law basicsResources for students looking for more information on criminal law and studying for 1L exams.
- Property basicsResources for students looking for more information on property law and studying for 1L exams.
- Torts basicsResources for students looking for more information on torts and studying for 1L exams
- Prepare for HLS examsA guide to resources available to HLS students studying for exams.
Guides for LLM and SJD students
- Finding a paper topicThis guide was created for use by LLM and JD students interested in writing a paper and who are looking for information on how to get started on such a project.
- Bluebook citation for LLM studentsProvides Bluebook instructions and tips for LLM students.
- Prepare for HLS examsA guide to resources available to HLS students studying for exams.
- Publishing in law reviews and journalsThis guide contains a variety of resources to help you in the process of trying to publish in a law review or journal.
- S.J.D. Guide to Law Library ServicesA guide to services for our S.J.D. students.
Online Study Guides
- Aspen Learning Library (formerly WK Study Aid Library)Access is available on the Harvard Law School campus. Off-campus access is available to current HLS affiliates and controlled by Harvard Key.
The Aspen Learning Library contains electronic textbooks, ebooks, supplements, and reference materials for law school students. There are over 400 textbooks in more than eighty disciplines, reference book series including the Bouvier Law Dictionary, and supplements from popular series such as Examples & Explanations, Emanuel Law, CrunchTime, CaseNote Legal Briefs, Glannon’s Guides, and more.
- Find online study guidesFind online lessons,online study guides and audio cases keyed to major casebooks
Follow us
Getting Help
Contact Us!
Ask Us! Submit a question or search our knowledge base.
Chat with us! Chat with a librarian (HLS only)
Email: research@law.harvard.edu
Contact Historical & Special Collections at specialc@law.harvard.edu
Meet with Us Schedule an online consult with a Librarian
Hours Library Hours
Classes View Training Calendar or Request an Insta-Class
Get help with Canvas course websites
- Canvas Help for StudentsThe Harvard Law School's Learning Experience & Technology team (LXT) has resources to help you navigate your course websites.
CC License
CC License
This guide is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
You may reproduce any part of it for noncommercial purposes as long as credit is included and it is shared in the same manner.