Welcome, new 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.
Although the Harvard Law School Library and other libraries at Harvard are closed to visitors due to COVID-19, librarians are working to help you remotely. For the most up-to-date information about available library services, check these pages:
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.
We may not be on campus this fall, but you can still see some highlights of your Library via our virtual Harvard Law School Library tour.
The HOLLIS catalog is the main way of finding materials at the HLS Library and other libraries at Harvard.
View our demo about getting started with HOLLIS--coming soon!
HLS librarians have prepared over 100 research and study guides 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.
Ask Us! Submit a question or search our knowledge base.
Email research@law.harvard.edu
Contact Historical & Special Collections at specialc@law.harvard.edu
Drop-In Reference Visit our online Office Hours
Meet with Us Schedule an online consult with a Librarian
Hours Library Hours
Classes View Training Calendar or Request an Insta-Class
Text Ask a Librarian, 617-702-2728
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.