Goodson Law Library

Questions or assistance with any related issues can be directed to Ask a Law Librarian.

Library Policies

Please visit the Policies page for Law Library policy information, including limitations on food and drink.

Borrowing Law Library Materials

Most law library items may be checked out for 90 days. Some collections, such as Reference materials, do not circulate outside the library, but are eligible for the GoodScan service. Books and other resources available in the Reserve collection are limited to 4-hour checkout.

Students enrolled in the international LLM program may borrow Goodson Law Library dictionaries in the Reference Collection for a 24-hour loan period, on the day before or the day of a final examination for which translating dictionaries have been approved for international LLM use. Please request these by emailing Circulation staff.

Returning Law Library Materials

The Law Library has an outdoor book return where books borrowed from any Duke library may be returned. The external book return is located outside the main entrance to the law school, which is on Science Drive opposite the Sanford School for Public Policy.

Duke Law community members may also securely return items to the drop slot inside the Law Library entrance.

Law Library items from borrowers who do not have Law School building access may be returned to any Duke library and they will be delivered to the Law Library.

Electronic Resources

Online Study Aids

Many popular study aids are available electronically. West Academic Study Aid Library includes the series Concepts & Insights, Hornbooks, and Nutshells, among others. The Aspen Learning Library (formerly Wolters Kluwer) includes Examples & Explanations, Glannon Guides, and more. Access these resources with your NetID and password.

E-Books

Find thousands of eBooks in the Library catalog by selecting "Available Online" from the filters on the left sidebar.

Electronic Articles

Electronic access to articles can be found through the catalog's Article search.

Legal Databases & Links

The Law Library also subscribes to various topical legal databases to that you can use from home by clicking on their link in our Legal Databases and Links page.

The Bluebook

The Law Library has no online access to The Bluebook citation manual. Individuals may purchase a print copy and/or electronic access to the 21st edition through Hein and through The Bluebook website.

Interlibrary Loan

For research material not owned by the Duke Libraries, or that is currently checked out, submit an interlibrary loan request. Individual articles and book chapters requested through interlibrary loan will be scanned and uploaded to your ILLiad account. If you need a scan but are not sure of the page numbers, please search for the table of contents online and if not found, request a scan of the table of contents.

Scanning

Two KIC BookEye scanner are available for student use, one on the third floor and one on the first floor of the library. These scanners send files via email and allow for saving to your USB drive.

You may also request a scan of certain Law Library materials through the Library's GoodScan service.

Study Spaces

Some study spaces on the 4th floor of the Library can be reserved online by current Duke Law students. Reservations can be made in up to four hour increments up to a week in advance. You must leave the study space at the end of your reservation.

Unattended Personal Belongings

Do not leave personal items unattended in the Library. It increases the risk of theft. Consider having your high-value items (computers, phones, etc) engraved by the Duke Police.

Fines & Charges

We send two overdue notices for unreturned Law Library items before charging the borrower $100 replacement fee for each item.

Other Duke libraries manage their own fines, and Law Library staff are unable to help with fines from other libraries. Please contact the access services department of the library that owns the item.

Unpaid student accounts will be turned over to the Bursar's office.