Law students may access library resources during regular hours. Law students also have 24-hour access to the J. Reuben Clark Building with their campus ID card, and may enter the library after the outer building doors are locked at 10pm. ID card access is governed by the Law School Security Policy.

General Library Schedule

The J. Reuben Clark Law School Building (JRCB) is open to the general public during normal operating hours. The Law School provides after-hours access to law faculty, staff, and students as described by this policy. The University has installed a swipe card security system that is designed to restrict access for the general public after normal operating hours* and provide managed access to authorized individuals after-hours.

Normal Operating Hours

The normal operating hours of the JRCB are defined as:

Fall and Winter Semester
Monday through Saturday 5:55 am until 10:00 pm.*
Sunday 6:00 a.m. until 9:00 pm.

Spring and Summer Term
Monday through Saturday 5:55 am until 8:00 pm.*
Sunday 6:00 a.m. until 9:00 pm.

Holidays and other restrictions
Monday through Saturday 8:00 am until 5:00 pm.
Sunday 8:00 am until 5:00 pm.
Or as posted.

Access to the Law Library

* The Law Library is not open to the public beyond the JRCB normal operating hours. However, library patrons who enter the Law Library before the building closes may remain in the Law Library until library closing. After the JRCB building doors are locked, Law Library patrons who are not authorized for swipe card access to the building cannot re-enter the building or Law Library until the building next opens, even though the library may not yet have closed.

Management of After Hours Access

After-hours access is managed by the C-cure security system. Building access is defined by predetermined assigned roles. Faculty and staff typically have 24/7 access to virtually all areas of the building. Law students have access to the co-curricular offices, the student commons (211, 213, 215), vending machine area (224), and other open areas (excluding administrative areas) of the law school after hours. There is no access to the Library once the Library has closed. The third floor doors exiting the library to the law school are secured at 8:00 pm Monday through Friday and are closed on Saturday and Sunday.  Exiting through these doors after closing hours is a violation of the security agreement and may result in fines.

To receive after hours privileges for the law building, law students must agree to the terms of the JRCB / HWHLL Security System Policies. New Faculty, Staff, and Students must present their BYU ID card to Melanie Chao to be assigned the appropriate privilege.

Anyone found inside the building after the normal operating hours should be willing and able to provide his or her BYU ID card upon request or exit the building immediately. Any staff member who feels uncomfortable requesting such credentials from a person within the building is encouraged to contact University Police who can appropriately evaluate the situation. For Police verification purposes, the C-cure system can be used to verify that an individual is authorized to access the building after-hours.

Because full-time and part-time custodial staff members perform most of their labors after the outside doors have been locked and before the public is let in to the building in the morning, Law Students should be cooperative with requests to vacate areas during normal cleaning operations.

Failure to abide by this policy may lead to a loss of after-hours access as well as Law School and University disciplinary action.

(Policy Date: September 2016)

As a courtesy, the Law Library assigns study carrels to regularly admitted law students in good standing. First-year law students are randomly assigned carrels in the “1L area” at the beginning of the school year. Second- and third-year students are able to select their carrels based on a randomly-generated lottery order. All law students are expected to abide by the terms of the “Carrel Occupancy Agreement.” (pdf version), including the Carrel Use Policy. (Repeated failure to abide by the terms of the Agreement may result in the loss of carrel privileges. It may also result in the denial of carrel privileges in future years.)Each carrel has locking cabinets and file drawers and is provided with power and data outlets. Carrel problems should be reported online or to the Circulation Desk.

View the carrel features video:

Carrel Use Policy

Carrel maps

• First Floor (download PDF)
• Third Floor (download PDF)

There are 15 study rooms in the Law Library, designated exclusively for Law School use. The 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.

A Quiet Reading Room in the northeast corner of the main floor of the library is available for law student study during all hours the library is open. This room, which was specifically designed to create a place for quiet study, is restricted to law students and is accessible only with a law student ID card. The room will accommodate up to fifty students and includes a mix of soft seating as well as tables and carrels.

The Rex E. Lee Room (393 JRCB)  is a great place to take a break, relax, and socialize with friends and family members. There is a collection of popular novels and magazines in the room in the room that law students may choose from to read and then return to the shelf. Many students donate their paperbacks to the collection when they have finished reading them. There is also a “kiddie” corner where children can read and play, and a variety of  games and puzzles students can use to unwind and relieve stress.

The Circulation Desk receives lost & found items from the J. Reuben Clark Building. These items are collected by the BYU Lost & Found Department once or twice a week. Be aware that it often takes a few days for items to be turned in. In addition, some “finders” of lost items take them directly to the campus lost & found.

Individuals who have lost items in the JRCB are encouraged to check several times with the Circulation staff to see if the items have been turned in, and also with the BYU Lost & Found Department (1055 WSC, (801) 422-3024).

Lexis

Graduating law students have access to Lexis through December 31, 2022. Beginning July 10, 2022, when you sign on to Lexis you will see the Graduate Homepage where you can select a gift from Lexis (Law360, Intelligize, Lexis for Microsoft Office, Practical Guidance, or a LexisNexis e-book).

Bloomberg Law

Graduating law students have access to Bloomberg Law for six months after graduation.

Westlaw

Westlaw provides access for six months after graduation for up to 60 hours per month. You must register for “Grad Elite” status at https://lawschool.thomsonreuters.com/grad-elite-status/. Just like with summer access, you may NOT use Westlaw to do research for a client— only for personal learning or preparing for the bar exam.

The Law Library also has two computer terminals near the reference desk with public Westlaw access. They are available for use by anyone when the library is open to the public. Researchers must limit their sessions to 30 minutes when someone else is waiting. You are welcome to return to the library to use the terminals.

Fastcase

All attorneys who have bar membership in the United States have free access to Fastcase. Check your bar association’s website for details.

Other Law Library Databases

Students have access to most other law library databases including Quimbee until the August 1st following graduation. After graduation, BYU Law School alumni have access to two electronic resources through the Law Library: HeinOnline’s Law Journal Library and the LexisNexis Digital Library. Alumni can access some databases like HeinOnline (all BYU Law content), Westlaw patron access, and VitalLaw by visiting the Law Library in person.

HeinOnline Alumni Access: Alumni can access HeinOnline’s extensive library of over 2,800 law journals. Use the HeinOnline Alumni Access link at the bottom of the Law Library’s home page under “Helpful Links” and log in with your NetID and password.

LexisNexis Digital Library Attorney Access: Alumni and members of the Utah Bar can sign up for an account to checkout e-book versions of legal treatises and volumes of the Utah Code Annotated. For more information and a complete list of titles, go to https://lawlibrary.byu.edu/information/digital-library-attorney-access/. 

Carrels

Carrels are available to recent graduates who are studying for the bar exam. Students who graduate in December are able to continue using the carrel they are currently assigned. Students who graduate in April will need to vacate their current carrel and pick a carrel for the summer via the carrel pick website. Further instructions regarding carrel picks will be sent to graduating students prior to the end of the semester.

Building Access

Security and building access to the J. Reuben Clark Building remain the same until August 1 of the year you graduate. Graduating students have 24/7 access to the building and the quiet reading room in the library during library hours until August 1.

Reference Services

Graduates are always welcome to contact Reference Services or law librarians with research questions! Contact information is available at https://lawlibrary.byu.edu/information/ask-a-librarian/.

Law Library Checkout Privileges and Document Delivery

Full checkout privileges extend through the end of the August following graduation. Afterward, graduates can sign up for a Community User account. Open the Community User Agreement.

In addition, we can provide scans of pages from non-circulating materials and email them to you. Send the title, author, and page range, along with a link to the book in our library catalog, to Melanie Coleman. Please allow 24 hours for turnaround. Requests are not processed over the weekend. Requests received after 3 p.m. on Friday are processed the following Monday. Requests that violate copyright law will not be processed.

Harold B. Lee (Main Campus) Library Privileges

Access to books and databases provided by the Harold B. Lee Library ends the August 31 following graduation. You can get circulation privileges by becoming a “friend of the library” for a $50 donation. For larger donations you can get remote access to some databases. For more information, see https://lib.byu.edu/services/friends-of-the-library/.

CLE Credits

The Utah State Bar has authorized a limited number of recordings on CD and DVD for self-study CLE credit. Utah attorneys can check out these materials from the Law Library for free for a short time. For more information and a list of available recordings, see https://lawlibrary.byu.edu/information/self-study-cle-materials/.

BYU Email Addresses

Graduating law students have access to their @law.byu.edu email addresses for one full year following graduation (until May 1 of the next year). Law School IT will contact alumni approximately one month before accounts expire to give you a chance to move your emails to another account.

In addition, BYU alumni have access to a permanent @byu.net email address that can be forwarded to the email service provider of your choice. For information go to https://alumni.byu.edu/email-forwarding.

Software (Microsoft Office, Zoom, Box, Eduroam, etc.)

Graduating students have access to BYU software for 30 days following graduation. For more information go to https://law.byu.edu/departments/it-services/laptop-initiative/software-and-services-for-students/ or email the Help Desk.

Course Reserve: The Law Library maintains one copy each of print casebooks and some other course materials assigned during the current semester at the Circulation Desk as a backup resource for students whose books are temporarily inaccessible (such as having forgotten a book at home). These materials are available for limited two-hour checkout. We discourage students from relying exclusively on Course Reserves for access to casebooks because books are shared among multiple students and will be inaccessible if the student cannot come to campus (such as due to illness).

Electronic Course Reserve: In order to provide contactless service and support learning on- and off-campus, the Law Library offers limited digital course reserves when requested by faculty. Casebooks are not provided due to cost and licensing limitations. Course reserves generally consist of monographs (books) and selections from books that can be licensed by the library. For details, please review your course Canvas pages, TWEN, or syllabi.

Locked Reserve: Locked reserve consists of audio/visual items, software, CLE recordings and similar material. Locked items are located behind the Circulation Desk and may only be borrowed for a limited time. Course reserve and professor files may be borrowed for 2 hours at a time. Audio/visual and software reserve items circulate for 24 hours.

Reserve Room: The Reserve Room is located on the second floor, in room 280 JRCB (near Circulation). The Reserve Room consists of high-use monographs (texts, outlines, restatements, etc.), six months worth of newspapers, along with the current Utah law collection — including copies of the state code, and the codes for various Utah cities.

Reference librarians and reference assistants are available to help direct patrons to information and resources that may answer their questions or aid in their research. Be advised that library policy prohibits reference librarians and reference assistants from doing research for patrons or answering specific legal questions; however, they can direct patrons to relevant sources and give instruction on their use. The full-time reference librarians are also responsible for teaching and conducting the legal research classes offered at the law school.

The physical Reference Desk is located on the main floor of the Library, and reference services are also offered virtually. Reference services are provided by both full-time librarians and part-time law student reference assistants. For reference hours, see here. For methods to contact the reference employees, see here.

Reference librarians are also available for additional assistance, like research consultations, by appointment and may be contacted by telephone at (801) 422-6658 or by email at reference@law.byu.edu.

The Law Library purchases a number of study aids to assist law student with exam preparation. Current editions of study aids are generally shelved in the Reserve Room and may be checked out for 2 hours (subject to the reserve circulation policy). Older editions are shelved in the main collection and can be checked out for the normal loan period. For specific titles, check the library catalog.

Additionally, check out this research guide on Study Aids for Law Students, which gives more details about the different types of study aids and how to access some of them electronically.

Digital copies of past law school examinations supplied by faculty members are listed below. Access to these exams requires an authorized ID and password.

Participating Faculty

Test	Professor	Class
International Law, Winter 1996	Augustine-Adams	International Law
Torts I, Fall 2014	Augustine-Adams	Torts
Torts II, Winter 1998	Augustine-Adams	Torts
Torts II, Winter 1997	Augustine-Adams	Torts
Torts II, Winter 1996	Augustine-Adams	Torts
Torts, Fall 2001	Augustine-Adams	Torts
Torts, Fall 1998	Augustine-Adams	Torts
Torts, Fall 1996	Augustine-Adams	Torts
Torts, Fall 1995	Augustine-Adams	Torts
Evidence, Fall 2009	Benson	Evidence
Evidence, Fall 2009 (Answers)	Benson	Evidence
Property, Fall 2000	Fee	Property
Property, Fall 2001	Fee	Property
Torts, Winter 2008	Nunez	Torts
Torts, Fall 2008	Nunez	Torts
International Business Transactions, Winter 1998	Scharffs	International Business Transactions
International Business Transactions, Winter 1999	Scharffs	International Business Transactions
International Securities, Winter 1998	Scharffs	International Business Transactions
Business Associations, Fall 1997	Scharffs	Business Associations

Your Professor isn’t listed?

Faculty participation in the sample exam bank is voluntary. Ask your professor to contact Laurie Urquiaga if he or she would like to contribute recent past exams to the collection.

The AccessLex Law School Scholarship Databank for Writing Competitions is the internet’s largest collection of writing competitions for law students. Essay contests provide students with opportunities to display the exceptional legal research, analysis, and composition skills developed and honed in law school.

Law students with a current BYU Student ID may borrow materials from the library:

Law students may check out up to 50 items at one time. Items may be renewed either in person or by telephone at (801) 422-3593. Each item may be renewed up to two times if the item is not on hold. Once items are more than five days overdue the law student is blocked from checking out any more items until the matter has been cleared up.

All books are subject to hold and recall. A patron is guaranteed a minimum of two weeks use per book before a recall will be allowed. When a book is recalled, the borrowing patron will be notified via e-mail.

Patrons will be assessed the cost of replacing any lost/unreturned library items plus a $15.00 processing fee. Alternatively, a replacement copy may be accepted. Replacement copies can be new or used, if they are in good condition. For items that are out of print and not available to purchase used, the amount charged will be calculated based on the subclass value listed on the Library of Congress’s Insurance Valuation spreadsheet. An item is considered lost if it is not returned within 28 days of the due date.

Loan Periods for Item Categories:

General Collection Items	90 days
Periodicals	21 days
Audio cassettes, videos & software	24 hours
Study Guides	2 hours
Non-circulating materials (e.g. Reference, Reserve)	None

There is no grace period on overdue items.

Overdue Fines for Item Categories:

General Collection Items	$1.00 per day per item / $20 maximum per item
Periodicals	$1.00 per day per item
Audio cassettes, videos & software	$1.00 per day per item
Study Guides	$1.00 per first minute per item, then 10¢ per additional minute per item / $20 maximum per item

Because of the teaching and research needs of an academic law library, much of the material must remain on site and does not circulate. The following types of materials cannot be checked out: administrative regulations, codes, dictionaries, digests, encyclopedias, materials in the second floor looseleaf collection, materials in the Reserve Room, microforms, periodicals, rare books, reference books, reporters, restatements, session laws, and Shepard’s citators.

Abuse of any of these policies or of the library personnel may result in the loss of library privileges. Any appeals of fines or other policies should be directed to the Access Services Librarian.

Because law students and faculty enjoy extended loan periods, the Law Library reserves the right to recall circulating materials when necessary. If an item is required for a class, it may be subject to immediate recall. A rush recall requires the borrowing patron to return the book within 24 hours of notification.

A regular recall may be placed on any item that has been out of the Library for more than two weeks. The first patron is then given 7 days from notification to return the item. Recalls DO change the original due date of the item. Recall notifications are made by telephone and/or email (both if possible). The Library considers notice to have been given on the date the message was emailed or left on an answering machine. Overdue fines for recalled materials are double the normal rate ($2/day up to $20.00). Library policy prohibits forgiving overdue recall fines.

Law students should be advised that many law faculty like to be informed about any research within the law school that might be related to their own interests. In circumstances where both parties agree, students desiring access to material borrowed by a law professor may be directed to consult directly with the professor instead of recalling the specific item. This is an entirely voluntary option, and the student retains the right to request a recall.

What is Interlibrary Loan?

Interlibrary Loan is a FREE service that the Law Library arranges through agreements with other libraries to provide access to materials that we may not have in our own collection for academic use.

The Details

ILL pulls materials first from the Law Library. If the material cannot be found here, then the search extends to the Lee Library and to other libraries after. It is rare for materials not to be available through this process.

How To Make A Request

How to Make a Request

• Go to https://lib.byu.edu/account/request/
• Click on Login in the upper right corner

• Sign in using your BYU NetID

• Click the icon next to your name in the upper right corner then select Request an Item from the drop down menu.

• Click on the Request an item button.

• Click on the Item Type you would like to request.

• Fill in the required information
• Click “Submit Request” at the bottom of the page

Items Not Available Through ILL 

The Law Library will not request materials that are available from the Law Library or Lee Library. This includes items on course reserve and all other non-circulating items.

• Requests for textbooks, casebooks, or any other required book will be cancelled. 
• Requests for fiction, non-fiction, etc. that are owned by the Lee Library but currently checked out will be cancelled. Please place a hold through your library account for these items.
• The Law Library will only fill one duplicate request per person. 

Still Have Questions?

Set up an appointment with Melanie, who is the Access Services Librarian; she will be able to help you navigate through the ILL process and help you obtain the materials you need.

ILL Materials

In most cases we are able to obtain the items you need, but occasionally some items cannot be sent physically.  The Access Services Librarian will work with you to reach a solution.  There are many other specific items that can be scanned and obtained rather than entire publications, textbooks, or print including:

• Journal Articles
• Book Chapters
• Dissertations
• Page Requests
• Materials Cited in Footnotes
• Print Publications
• Table of Contents
• Microfilm
• Microfiche
• CD’s, DVD’s, etc.

Contact Information

Melanie Coleman—Access Services Librarian
Email: colemanm@law.byu.edu
Phone: 801-422-3656

Feel free to set up an appointment with Melanie if you have any questions about ILL.

To recommend a book purchase, please email suggestions to Kory Staheli, Law Library Director: stahelik@law.byu.edu.

If the catalog indicates that an item the Law Library should have has not been checked out, but it is not on the shelf, patrons can email Anne Moss. If the item is found, the patron will be notified by email. Missing books searches may take up to two weeks. Students may find the item quicker by checking the maroon “reshelving” shelves near where the item is usually shelved, by checking near the copy machines, and by checking on the study tables. After a student has verified that the item really is missing, it can be requested through ILL without penalty.

BYU Law Co-Op Printers

BYU Law provides Co-Op printers for BYU Law students. To learn more about the cost, how to install it and use it, see the BYU Law page on Co-Op printing.

Lexis Printers

Lexis printers are available for BYU Law students to use to print for free from Lexis’s website. Lexis printers are available near the entrance of the basement on the 1st floor, behind the reference desk on the 2nd floor (the ground floor), and on the 3rd floor near the Rex E. Lee room. There is also a Lexis printer outside the law library in the BYU Law Student Commons.

Faxing services are available for law students at the Circulation Desk for a minimal fee. Law students can both send and receive faxes. The Law Library fax number is (801) 422-0404. Students will be notified by email if a fax arrives for them.

Sending (Cover pages are excluded; there is a one page minimum fee)
Local or toll-free	$.25/page
Long Distance	$.50/page
International	$1.00/page
Receiving ( cover pages are included)	$.10/page

The Law Library does not have any printers available for public patrons. The Law Library provides document scanners, which allow the option of saving a document as a PDF to save and print at home. If you need an on campus printing option, BYU has several Print Centers or Printer Kiosks across campus. 

The Y App can help you find the closest pharos printer. The Print and Mail website provides more information about these options. 

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The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, U.S. Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. The person using the equipment is liable for any infringement.

Please note that scanning all or even a substantial portion of a book in order to avoid purchasing a copy is not a Fair Use (see § 107(4)).

Scanned PDFs may be saved to USB flash drives, uploaded to cloud-based systems like your own Google Drive, Box, or Dropbox account, or emailed using web-based accounts such as Yahoo or Gmail.

Scanner Locations

The Law Library currently has:

• two KIC Bookeye open-face scanners (the newer one near the Reference Desk and the older one in the Reserve Room);
• four flatbed book scanners (2 near the Reference Desk on the 2nd floor, 1 in the Reserve Room, and 1 on the 3rd floor near the Rex E. Lee room); and
• two multi-page feed scanners (1 near the wall that at the end of the table has the reference co-op printer and another on the 3rd floor near the Rex E. Lee room).

Employees at the Circulation and Reference are trained and ready to assist anyone who needs help with scanning.

Microform

Copies of documents on microform can be made as digital scans on the public computer in the Microform area (first floor). Patrons may email those scans on that computer to themselves.