Greetings and best wishes for a successful summer experience. This guide is intended to help students with basic legal research skills and to serve as a handy guide to finding more detailed information. If you have a reference question, please contact one of our Reference Librarians by phone at (312) 915-7205, by e-mail at LoyolaLawReference@luc.edu, or in person at the Reference Desk (Law Library, 3rd floor).
In addition to the information contained in this Guide, the Law Library also has a number of research guides devoted to specific legal subjects and practice areas. Don't forget to look at those as well.
If you are looking for a research guide on a subject that the Law Library does not have, use an advanced Google search (http://www.google.com/advanced_search) to locate guides from other libraries. Run a search with the key words for your subject and "research guide" as an exact phrase. Then restrict the search to the domain .edu.
In a White Paper published in November, 2016, LexisNexis surveyed 330 summer associates across the country about the legal research and writing skills needed to succeed. Read the results here.
Includes links to key Loyola resources, Cook County resources, Illinois and federal government Web sites, and links to major legal portals.
Loyola Links
Chicago/ Cook County Links
Illinois Links
U.S. Links
General Legal Portals
This page contains links to and information about helpful resources and key contacts that you may need while you are away from school over the summer. Specifically, this page includes:
Law Library Summer Hours
Sunday |
12 pm - 8 pm |
Monday |
8 am – 10 pm |
Tuesday |
8 am – 10 pm |
Wednesday |
8 am – 10 pm |
Thursday |
8 am – 10 pm |
Friday |
8 am – 7 pm |
Saturday |
9 am – 7 pm |
Reference Desk Summer Hours
Sunday |
CLOSED |
Monday |
10 am – 12 pm |
Tuesday |
10 am – 12 pm |
Wednesday |
10 am – 12 pm |
Thursday |
10 am – 12 pm |
Friday |
10 am – 12 pm |
Saturday |
9 am - 3 pm |
Contact Information
Circulation Desk: (312) 915-6986
Reference Desk: (312) 915-7205
loyolalawreference@luc.edu
Law Libraries
Loyola University Chicago Law Library |
DePaul University Law Library |
Northwestern Univ. Law Library |
IIT-Chicago Kent Law Library |
John Marshall Law School Library |
Univ. Chicago Law Library |
Harold Washington Public Library |
Cook County Law Library |
Key Research Contacts
Loyola University Chicago Law Library Reference Desk: (312) 915-7205
Circuit Court of Cook County Information: (312) 603-4259
Illinois Legislative Reference Bureau: (217) 782-6625
Bloomberg Law Help Line: (888) 560-2529
Lexis Help Line: 1-800-45-LEXIS (1-800-455-3947)
Westlaw Help Line: 1-800-REF-ATTY (1-800-733-2889)
(Updated as of 4/2020)
Bloomberg Law Access
Graduating 3L students may continue to use their Loyola Bloomberg Law accounts for any purpose for six months after they graduate. All other continuing students may use their Loyola Bloomberg Law accounts over the summer for any purpose they choose as well.
If you have any questions, please contact Stefanie Slavens (sslavens@bloombergindustry.com).
Lexis Access
Graduating 3L students will have access to their Loyola Lexis accounts until December 31, 2020, and they may use their account for any purpose. All other continuing students may use their Loyola Lexis accounts during the summer for any purpose as well.
If you have any questions, please contact Alex Peck (alexander.peck@lexisnexis.com)
Westlaw
Summer Access Policy for Continuing Students
You can use Thomson Reuters products, including Westlaw and Practical Law, over the summer for non-commercial research. You can turn to these resources to gain understanding and build confidence in your research skills, but you cannot use them in situations where you are billing a client. Examples of permissible uses for your academic password include:
You do not have to do anything to gain access to these tools over the summer.
Access for Graduating Students
All Spring 2020 JD graduates will have access to their Loyola-issued Westlaw accounts for 60 hours per month for six months after graduation. We are working to try to extend that access for an additional year. While you cannot use your Loyola-issued account in situations where you are billing a client, Thomson Reuters encourages you to use these tools to build your knowledge of the law...
If you have any questions, please contact Elan Kleis (elan.kleis@ThomsonReuters.com)