Researching a Law Paper or Journal Note? The Library Has You Covered!

Steps in the Research Process

The law library has created a guide on Researching Law School Papers. Topics include:

• Choosing a topic
• Checking for preemption
• Identifying relevant legal and non-legal databases
• Strategies for keyword searching
• Expanding your research once you have found relevant articles

Legal scholarship & other legal sources

Many law school papers and student notes require research outside of Westlaw & Lexis. The law library offers access to a range of databases and resources that may be valuable in your research. Here are a few examples:

• Legal scholarship: HeinOnline is the most comprehensive database for searching law and law-related journals, with over 3,000 journals compared to approximately 1,000 in Westlaw and Lexis.
• Historical research: The library subscribes to various historical legal databases. Contact a law librarian at lawlibref@ucdavis.edu for more information.
• Foreign and International Law research: Our Foreign and International Law Research guide is an excellent starting point for locating materials on foreign and public international law, including EU resources.

Multi-disciplinary databases

As a UC Davis student, you have access to a wide range of scholarly and research databases. The law library's A-Z Database list includes links to the most frequently used databases by King Hall students and faculty. To access many of these databases remotely, you’ll need to install and activate the campus library VPN.

Need help identifying relevant databases? Consult a librarian by emailing lawlibref@ucdavis.edu.

Make a research appointment

Reference librarians are available to assist you with getting started, developing search strategies, and identifying relevant databases.

To schedule an appointment, email lawlibref@ucdavis.edu or stop by the Reference Desk in the Law Library Lobby during business hours.