Course reserves are located at the Loan Desk and can be checked out for two hours. Please ask staff at the loan desk for assistance. You may wish to use the book scanners in the second floor Teaming Room to scan relevant pages.
Copies of selected past exams, model answers, and syllabi are available in our Digital Reserves. The exams are organized on this webpage by instructor and by course. Please note that the Digital Reserves is not a comprehensive collection; it only has exam questions and model answers that have been provided to the library by the faculty.
The Stanford Law and Technology Association has made available a bank of outlines created by past SLS students summarizing their notes from class. You can also give back by contributing your own outline!
Study aids are supplemental sources that are designed to assist you with learning legal concepts. You can use study aids as explanatory material, gain background knowledge, and context on a legal topic. They can help clarify confusion and prepare for exams!
Below is an explanation of the most common types and series of study aids you may find.
Hornbooks
These are sometimes referred to as student treatises; they are often authored by noted scholars. These books explain fundamental legal concepts in a narrative style. The references are usually limited to landmark cases. Please note that this is both a generic term for such study aids, and a name of a published series.
This series features a scholarly and concise analysis of major areas of law by renowned faculty members.
This series provides an overview and analysis of different areas of law. They provide less analysis than hornbooks but more than Nutshells. This series is sometimes referred to mini-hornbooks.
Examples & Explanations ("E&Es")
This series provides explanations and analysis for a legal topic and then gives examples to help fully understand the analysis. A series of problems at the end of each section help in testing understanding. Answers are provided.
…In a Nutshell (“Nutshells”)
This paperback series explains areas of law in a condensed quick overview format.
These contain overall outlines of areas of law, capsule summaries for quick review, indexes, tables of cases, exam tips and sample examination questions.
This series provides straightforward explanations of legal concepts taught in the classroom with concrete examples.
This publication explains major cases and issues in a simple and straightforward way.
This series contains real life stories pertaining to major legal issues.
This series explains difficult legal concepts in the simple terms with understanding techniques to master these concepts.
This series aims to explain legal concepts and terms clearly and concisely using real world examples.
The most recent editions of study aids are part of a collection on the second floor of the law library known as the Eyles Aisles. Older editions of the student aids are often also available elsewhere in the stacks. Please search in the library catalog for more information on finding older additions.
Eyles Aisle is located on the second floor in the corridor where the elevators open. This aisle contains numerous study aids, including the Concise Hornbook Series, Nutshell Series, and Examples & Explanations. Please note that these materials are for in-library use only and cannot be checked out. However, please feel free to use the scanners in the Teaming Room on the second floor to scan material.
CALI (Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction) is a non-profit organization that provides tutorials on law school class subjects created by law professors. It also provides access to supplementary materials like e-books, outlines, and podcasts. Current SLS students and staff may register by contacting the reference staff (reference@law.stanford.edu) for the authorization code.
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