Research Assistance

Research Paper Consultations

Any HLS student can make an appointment with a research librarian who will provide advice on defining your topic,  developing your research strategy, locating and using subject-specific data sources, and identifying potential research problem areas. Contact Suzanne Wones, Assistant Director for Research, Curriculum & Publication, to set up an appointment.  Please include in your email a description of your topic and some times you are available; a librarian with expertise in researching your topic will contact you to set up a time to meet.  Research consultations typically last from 30-45 minutes.

Research Classes

Each semester, the Library offers research classes on a variety of subjects to assist students working on research papers and assignments for their substantive and clinical courses, as well as journal work.  For more information about this semester's offerings, click  here.

Instaclass: Legal Research Instruction Made to Order

What's an InstaClass? A class designed especially for you (and four or more fellow students) on any legal research topic. The Library's legal research specialists will design a class specifically to meet your needs – whether preparing for a law firm or public interest job, working on a clinical project, getting ready to write a research paper, or just curiosity. Any group of 5 or more law students can order a custom class. (Individual research consultations are also available to students researching for a major HLS paper.) To request a class, please complete this form and we will call or email you to set the date and time. Typical subjects include administrative/regulatory research, treaties and international agreements research, securities law research, immigration law research, tax research, legislative history, EU research, free and low-cost legal research, or research in a foreign jurisdiction, policy research, statistical research, and much more.

Research Guides

The Library's reference librarians produce research guides on a wide variety of topics including: guides to researching U.S. federal and state law as well as foreign, international and comparative law; guides to using the library; and guides to using various electronic resources.

Library Tours for 1Ls

HLS reference librarians regularly give tours for new students, going over the basics of what you should know about using the library. Tours will start by the Langdell circulation desk at the library entrance and will last approximately 30 minutes. When tours are being offered, sign up is through an on-line sign up form.