Researching Law School Papers

Researching a law school paper requires many students to go beyond Westlaw and Lexis. Most students will use HeinOnline, non-legal databases, online sources, and books, depending on the topic area. Students must also come up with an original topic and perform a preemption check on that topic.

This guide will help you:

• Come up with a topic
• Find out if your topic has been preempted
• Research your topic using Mabie Law library, UC Davis main library, and other databases
• Find resources on how to write scholarly papers for law school courses and law journals 

UC Davis law students may access Mabie Law Library and UC Davis main library databases from off campus.  

• Mabie Law Library databases such as HeinOnline require your UC Davis logon ID and Kerberos password
• UC Davis main library databases require you to download the UC Davis main library VPN. 
• VPN issues? Consult this information page, or contact the UC Davis Law School IT department.

Reference librarians are available to help you get started and research your topic. 

• Stop by the Reference Desk in the library lobby
• Email: lawlibref@ucdavis.edu