Below are some of the most frequently used resources in each area. This is not an exhaustive list. For help finding additional resources, reach out to a law librarian!
Search the Law Library Catalog for books, journals, and other legal materials.
Use our E-Resources page for proxy access to legal databases, links to websites containing primary and secondary legal sources, and other useful tools.
Search the University of Michigan Library site for materials in academic disciplines beyond law.
Use WorldCat to find books and journals not held on campus.
The Kresge Business Library catalog (associated with the Ross School of Business) includes books, databases, guides, and other business tools. Note that most business material is also accessible from the U-M Library catalog, but many business databases are not accessible by patrons outside the Ross community.
If you are doing research on a particular legal subject, find introductory and in-depth resources on the topic on Treatise Finder.
For information about how to use each U-M library, check out our research guide on Finding and Retrieving Materials on Campus.
Has this question already been asked and answered?
Check the Law Library FAQs for the answers to frequently asked questions about the Law Library, the Law School, and legal research.
Is there a research guide on the subject?
Find research guides through the Law Library, University Library, or other libraries across the globe.
Remember: you can search Google for [jurisdiction/topic] legal research guide to see if there is a guide on your topic.
Below are just a few of the many research guides available through the Law Library website.
Use these resources for official sources of United States primary law.
Use the Michigan Legislative History guide to find bills, House and Senate Journals, public laws, and other pieces of Michigan legislation.
Find primary law, treatises, encyclopedias, practice guides, and other Michigan legal materials from this guide.
When doing foreign and/or international research, use a research guide (like those in GlobaLex and FLG) to figure out where to start.
Search for the Name of the Journal, not the Name of the Article
Individual articles do not have their own record in library catalogs. This means that when you are looking for an article in the Law Library Catalog or U-M Library Search, you need to figure out the journal in which it was published and search for that title.
What about the U-M Article Search?
While the University Library's article search feature will include relevant articles, it is not complete. You will miss important articles if you rely on this function. Instead, search individual databases (like HeinOnline, JSTOR, or ProQuest) for articles.
Use Interlibrary Loan
Request scans and books that are not held on campus through your Interlibrary Loan account.
Use the Website Links for Proxy Access
If you are not able to access an article or login to a website, you may not be using the school's proxy server. Find the journal, database, site, or other material through the Law Library catalog and click that link for access.
Call us at 734-764-9324
Text us at 734-329-5606
Email us at askalawlibrarian@umich.edu. Emails are answered by Librarians during standard business hours, Monday-Friday. Patrons may expect a response within 1-2 business days for most emails.
Consult with us. Schedule an appointment to meet with a Reference Librarian.
Visit us at the Information Desk on Sub-1 for immediate in-person assistance. Open 8 am - midnight, Sunday-Thursday, and 8am - 10pm, Friday-Saturday*
The chat service is available to all of our patrons but is designed to meet the legal research needs of U-M students, staff, and faculty.
Chat is monitored from 1-6 pm Monday-Wednesday and 1-5 pm Thursday-Friday on days when class is in session.
*Excluding University holidays and semester breaks--check library hours for more information. The Building and library are available to law school community ONLY after 6 pm, and are closed to all but law school community on home football Saturdays.
