Law librarians and library staff are available to help you find your way around the library and its legal materials, provide research support, and assist you in locating materials that are not in our library. You can find the latest information about our hours and services on the library homepage. There are several ways to contact us:
Email us
In Person: The Borrowing Services Desk and Reference Office are on the main floor of the law library. Online and in-person appointments with the reference staff can be made from the library homepage.
Call us:
Borrowing Services Desk: (650) 723-2477
Reference Desk: (650) 725-0800
Course reserves are resources that are required for courses and that are made available for short-term loans at the library. Course reserves are located on the second floor in the Teaming room. The large scanners next to course reserves can be used to scan the assigned pages of the material. For more information about course reserves and how to check them out, see the library's Course Reserves page.
Many professors post copies of past exams and answer keys to the library's Digital Reserves. The exams are organized by instructor and by course. Note that not all professors post exams and/or answer keys.
The library also has an extensive collection of study aids in the Eyles Aisle, which is on the second floor directly across from the elevators/restrooms. This aisle contains numerous study aids, including the Concise Hornbook Series, Nutshell Series, and Examples & Explanations. These resources can be checked out only for a short period of time; you can also use the scanners in the Teaming room to scan relevant pages. You can either browse the physical collection of study aids; or view the full list of available study aids before physically going into the library.
The below resources may also be useful to you, though they don't fit precisely into any category. Please also reach out to the reference librarians (reference@law.stanford.edu) with any questions about any of the resources on this guide, suggestions for additional resources, or questions about accessing any of these resources.
International Lawyers Guide to Legal Analysis and Communication US 2e by
Written primarily for the international lawyer studying law in the United States, this text introduces students to legal analysis and communications used in U.S. legal practice. The book begins with overviews of the U.S. government and court system, the U.S. common law system and the civil litigation process., laying a foundation for understanding the rest of the course. Through clear explanatory text and numerous exercises, The Guide to U.S. Legal Analysis and Communication provides instruction on the types of written and oral communications that international lawyers are most likely to engage in with U.S. lawyers.
Law School Success in a Nutshell by
"It answers questions students have as they begin their studies. What is a tort? Hornbook? Should I join a study group? It also explains and gives examples of the best methods for studying and for taking exams. It provides questions and model answers from actual law school exams."
Legal Reasoning, Research, and Writing for International Graduate Students by
"Introductory text on legal research and writing for international graduate law students"
U. S. Legal Practice Skills for International Law Students by
U.S. Legal Practice Skills for International Law Students is ideal for training international law students in the fundamental practice skills utilized by U.S. lawyers. It functions as a ''global legal skills academy'' for international students who have or are currently studying American substantive law, but desire a deeper understanding of legal practice basics such as professional responsibility, problem solving, interviewing and counseling, negotiation styles, and law firm and courtroom culture. It focuses on those practice skills necessary to perform the tasks common to international law students and lawyers working with American corporations, law firms, and individual American clients: drafting memoranda, contracts, and correspondence. For international students familiar with their own legal systems, the book systematically explains such distinctive elements of American common law as a dual court system, stare decisis, case synthesis, and case law reasoning.
The Unofficial Guide to Legal Studies in the United States for Foreign Lawyers by
"Guidebook for foreign lawyers who are seeking opportunities for further legal studies in the United States, one of the most dynamic legal markets in the world. Written by foreign lawyers and immigrants, the guidebook draws from the perspectives of individuals who experienced what the target readers will experience themselves in the pursuit of legal education in the U.S. law schools"
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