Library & Networked Information Systems

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During Fall and Winter Semesters, the Law Library is open from 7:00am until 12:00 midnight, Monday through Thursday; 7:00am until 10:00pm on Friday; and 8:00am until 10:00pm on Saturday. The Fall Semester Schedule will begin on the first day of 1L Orientation — Wednesday of the third full week in August.

During the Spring/Summer Terms, the Law Library will be open from 8:00am until 8:00pm, Monday through Thursday; 8:00am to 6:00pm on Friday and Saturday.

The Law Library is closed on Sunday.

Upcoming Exceptions to the Schedule:

Brigham Young University Academic Calendar.

The following is a list of contacts for some of the major services provided by the Law Library. If the service you need is not listed, please contact reference or your library liaison to request assistance:

For more information about employees, see the Library Directory.

General Information

There are 15 study rooms and 2 Zoom booths in the Law Library, designated exclusively for Law School use.

Study Rooms

The study rooms may be reserved for two consecutive hours by groups of two or more law students. Study groups may sign up for only two 2-hour blocks in a given room each day. Groups must occupy a room within 15 minutes of their scheduled reservation, or lose their reservation for that hour. Unoccupied study rooms are available on a first-come-first-served basis to any group of two or more law students. No food or drink is allowed in any study room.

For tips on study groups (including best practices, study group activities, and study group technology tools), see the Student Groups for Law Students research guide.

For personal study, consider instead the Quiet Study Room on the second floor.

Zoom Booths

Zoom booths may be reserved for up to one hour and can be used for interviews, personal phone calls, and appointments. These booths should not be used as personal study rooms. No food or drink is allowed in any of the Zoom booths.

(Policy Date: June 2024)

Your.library liaison may be able to assist you in obtaining supplemental course materials. Please keep in mind that most librarians also have a teaching load, and plan accordingly.

We also now rely on campus resources for copyright support.

From the BYU Copyright Policy:

Members of the BYU community who make use of copyrighted works are responsible for ensuring compliance with all applicable copyright laws. In some cases, individuals may be required to determine whether a desired use qualifies for one or more exemptions set forth under copyright law, such as fair use.

https://policy.byu.edu/view/copyright-policy

The BYU CLO has posted the following guidelines for all supplemental course materials:

• Linking to authorized online sources is a preferred option.
• Directing students to subscription content available through the BYU Librar[ies] is also a great option. For assistance linking to any particular Library content, contact [your liaison or Law Library Reference].
• Copying entire works is generally not recommended. Alternatively, copying limited portions of works to share with students will often be fair use. (The Fair Use Checklist and Interactive Fair Use Evaluation Log are helpful tools for analyzing fair use.)

Read the Law School Copyright Policy.

Links to supplemental resources are always the recommended option, because links do not involve making copies. Linkable resources include authoritative sites on the open web, LexisNexis, Westlaw, HeinOnline and other library-licensed material. The Law Commons is an open-source repository of scholarly legal content, including law review articles from many highly-ranked journals. The Library of Congress provides access to online federal legal resources, as well as links to state primary legal resources. Cornell’s Legal Information Institute is another good portal to legal resources and information. Google Scholar can be also be useful as a tool for locating authoritative legal content, including case opinions.

If the supplemental material to be shared with a class is not openly available online or included in a library subscription, you will likely need to obtain copyright permission for that use. Faculty always have the option to obtain clearance themselves, and then keep a record of that permission. This approach is often the best choice if the copyright owner of the desired content is a known colleague. A fillable PDF form letter is provided as a model, but a less-formal email is sufficient if it contains adequate detail.

• Copyright Clearance Request Letter (PDF form letter allowing faculty to request permissions directly)

Getting Help

Please contact your liaison or Annalee Hickman Pierson if you would like help with locating sources for supplemental course materials.

Questions regarding copyright issues and requests for clearance should be directed to the BYU Copyright Licensing Office.