Typical law school textbooks are full of case opinions and little to no explanation. Study aids are commercial publications designed to help students understand legal doctrines and bodies of law. Whether you want to prepare for class, to more fully understand what your professor was saying, or to study for your final exam, study aids can be invaluable to your law school education.
You can find study aids on just about any subject or course in the Law Library. Visit this research guide to learn more about the many types and formats of study aids available from the Library.
Study Aids in Print
In order to make sure everyone can access study aids, print books are held in Closed Reserve, which is located behind the Information Desk in the core of Sub-1. Closed Reserve study aids are available for use in the underground library for 4 hours at a time. See what study aids we have on hand for law school courses on this page.
West Study Aids
Some of the most popular study aids--including the Nutshell series, Hornbooks, and Black Letter Outlines--are available to MLaw students online through West Study Aids.
CALI Online Lessons
Get extra video lessons and quiz your knowledge in dozens of subjects using CALI Online Lessons. These interactive, computer-based tutorials are for all levels of students, from 1L year to your final coursework.
Study for Your Exam with Past Exam Questions
As a law student, you can find old exams by your professor or on the same subject in the Law Library catalog.
Electronic copies of past exams are organized by Professor's name.
Search by Professor's name here: http://umil.iii.com/search/p
If a Professor has taught multiple courses, past exams from all that Professor's courses will be linked on that Professor's catalog record.
Course reserves, like the first two weeks' reading assignments, will also be posted on these pages when available.
You can access West Study Aids from your phone using the West Academic Library app, available free in the Apple App or Google Play stores.
Get to the study aids and exam prep page from the Library Services for Students sub-page on our webiste.
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.
