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Researching Law School Papers

This guide will help you find your topic, perform a preemption check, and research your topic using Mabie Law Library and UC Davis main library databases.

Research 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:

Accessing databases from off campus

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.

Make a research appointment

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