User Services & Policies
Conduct Policy
User Services & Policies by Service and Group
In our role as educators, we focus on teaching people how best to conduct legal research in an ever-evolving landscape of AI tools and data brokers.
The law school maintains a vast collection of legal information resources including Kansas and federal government materials. However, we are able to access a variety of legal materials from across the world due to our collaborative arrangements with allied educational institutions. In short, we can help you find the information you need.
If you have a legal research question and wonder if the Wheat Law Library can assist, we encourage you to reach out to us in one of the following ways:
- KU Ask-A-Librarian is a campus wide chat reference service. During business hours, messages are answered by a crack team of librarians, including legal research specialists.
- Submit a Research Request is a form that will send your research questions to Wheat Law Library librarians. Requests are answered quickly and tracked through our new ticketing system.
- Meet with a Law Librarian allows you to schedule appointments with our Reference & Research Librarian, Neal Axton. You can discuss research questions and ideas or walk through how to use our library resources.
- Email us at lawref@ku.edu or call us at +1 (785) 864-3025.
Electronic resources available from Wheat Law Library and KU Libraries websites are licensed for non-commercial use (i.e. educational or research purposes) by KU faculty, staff, students, and on-site community visitors at KU campus locations.
Access depends on the terms set out in the license of a particular electronic resource. Generally authorized users are the registered students, faculty and staff of the institution purchasing the electronic resource. In many cases, authorized users also include members of the public who use the e-resource at a public computer on library premises.
KU Law students, staff, and faculty can access electronic resources off-campus via single sign on (SSO) or individual usernames and passwords when applicable. If you need help contact lawerm@ku.edu.
Check out our Quick Search, Legal Databases, and KU Libraries' Articles & Databases page to browse available databases.
Eligibility
Only KU Law faculty, staff, students, emeritus law faculty, retired law staff, law adjuncts and visiting law faculty with a valid KU ID Card and in good standing can use the interlibrary loan (ILL) services of the Wheat Law Library. ILL guidelines prohibit interlibrary loan requests for items that are already held by any KU Library (excluding items marked missing, declared lost, damaged, etc.) Patrons are notified via email when an ILL is available.
Materials Available Through ILL
The following items can be requested through ILL:
- Microfilm or Microfiche items
- Books and book chapters
- Journal articles
- Theses, dissertations and reports
The decision to lend and loan periods are set by the lending institution. Renewal requests must be placed prior to the due date; renewals are approved on a case-by-case basis by the lending institution. Do not remove any of the attached or included ILL paperwork. Law ILLs must be returned to the Wheat Law Library, and ILL items are subject to recall at any time by the lending institution.
Restrictions and Copyright
Interlibrary Loan is a courtesy provided by the lending library or institution and any conditions of use imposed by the lending library must be strictly observed. Loan periods vary. Some materials may be "In-library use only." All items are subject to immediate recall by the lending library or institution. Limitations on materials will be clearly indicated on the Interlibrary Loan jacket of the borrowed items. Disregarding restrictions and due dates may result in the lending libraries or institutions to refuse loaning materials to KU Libraries in the future Continually disregarding restrictions and due dates may result in the suspension of ILL services by the Wheat Law Library.
If an item is owned by KU Libraries and is checked out, an ILL request for the item will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. If KU Libraries owns an item but a different format is requested (e.g., electronic copy is owned by a physical copy is requested), these ILL requests are also evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
For popular and recent books and media, we recommend signing up for a library card at the Lawrence Public Library and using the services offered by the library.
The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research." If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use," that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.
Submit Requests
Interlibrary loan request can be submitted using our interlibrary loan form or by requesting a specific item through our library search engine. If you have any questions, please email lawill@ku.edu.
Study rooms may be booked in 30-minute increments for durations of 30 minutes or 1, 2, 3, or 4 hours.
Study room reservations are available to KU Law students, staff, and faculty. Law students may reserve up to 10 hours of study room time per week.
The “KU Law Staff & Faculty Use Only” reservation service is reserved exclusively for KU Law staff and faculty. We appreciate your cooperation in honoring this designation.
While reservations are not required, they are strongly encouraged. Individuals or groups with reservations have priority over unreserved use. If a study room is currently unoccupied, you are welcome to use it; however, please be prepared to vacate the room when a reservation begins.
Study room reservations can be made on the Study Room Reservations Bookings page.
If you have any questions or need assistance with booking a room, our staff will be happy to help. Please visit the Wheat Law Library circulation desk or email lawcirc@ku.edu.
User Services for Students
Westlaw Edge, LEXIS+, and Bloomberg Law Access
Research using LEXIS+ and Westlaw Edge while signed in with your law student login is limited to research directly connected to educational activities. There is no such research limitation while signed in with your law student login on Bloomberg Law. Contact Blake Wilson at wilsonwb@ku.edu with any further questions.
CALI
CALI (Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction) provides web-based tutorials on a variety of legal subjects. Currently, there are over 950 lessons in over 35 law school subjects in CALI's library of lessons. The lessons are free for KU Law students and faculty. Please contact the Wheat Law Library reference desk at lawref@ku.edu for the password.
Legal Databases
Legal databases are licensed electronic databases for all KU students, faculty and staff connecting to the internet (unless otherwise noted). Off-campus database connections may require a login.
SJD Student Resources
Review the SJD Resources for guidance as you move through the process of obtaining your S.J.D. from the KU School of Law. There is useful information for prospective, current and graduating students throughout this guide. Links are provided to help you obtain more detailed information and connect you to the university's many student support services.
Library Policies for Students
Loan Policy
A significant portion of the Law Library's collection cannot be checked out.
Some books can be checked out for one month. Books can be renewed providing there are no hold requests on them. The Reserve Item checkout this semester is for 4 hours.
Fees are assessed for lost materials.
Photocopying, Scanning and Printing
A copying/scanning/printing machine is located on the second and fifth floors. The charge is 8 cents per page for black-and-white or 48 cents for color when using your KU ID.
Law students are allocated 1,000 black-and-white pages of free printing by the School of Law in August at the beginning of each school year. Once that has been used, you will need to add more funds to your KU card Beak'em Bucks account. Report any printing problems (poor quality, jammed paper, etc.) to the Circulation Desk.
Lost and Found
Items found in the library are kept at the Circulation Desk.
Food, Drink and Smoking
Smoking is not permitted in the building, including the library.
Water fountains and bottle fillers are available throughout the building. Please note: these guidelines are subject to change as necessary.
Report any spills you cannot effectively clean up to library staff so that appropriate action can be taken.
Cell Phones
Library users are asked to silence all cell phones while in the library. Also, calls should be made/answered outside the library.
Study Carrels and Tables
Study carrels are available on a first-come/first-served basis each day the law library is open. Law students are free to study at any unoccupied study carrel throughout the day. For purposes of this policy, an unoccupied study carrel is one with no student present and no materials present. However, all materials (books, papers, bags) must be removed before the law library closes each day. Any materials left in study carrels overnight will be removed the following morning and can be claimed later at the Circulation Desk. Newly added student lockers are available for students who need to store books and materials.
Study carrels are made available to promote a convenient, quiet and professional study environment for KU Law students and we ask you to utilize them in a manner consistent with this goal. Law students are expected to observe this policy in good faith, consistent with the Honor Code and ethical standards applicable to members of the legal profession. Examples of discouraged practices include: 1) placing materials in a study carrel early in the day and not returning to study until the afternoon or evening, or 2) repeatedly leaving materials overnight for later retrieval at the Circ Desk. [Please note that the law library cannot be responsible for any materials lost or misplaced in this process]. Law library faculty and staff will monitor this policy for compliance, communicate with students on emerging issues and consider future modifications as needed.
Tables located in the Reference Area and in the stacks on first, second, fourth, and fifth floors may be used for study by any student and law school affiliate. The general public should use seating and tables located on the second floor.
Reshelving Books
All books will be reshelved by library staff. Please see "Loan Policy" above for more information.
Library Resources
User Services for Faculty
Legal Databases
Legal databases are licensed electronic databases for all KU Law students, faculty and staff. Off-campus database connections may require logging in via KU credentials or individual usernames and passwords.
Research on LEXIS+ and Westlaw Edge using the educational identification number provided to you is limited to research directly connected to educational activities. There is no such limitation while signed in with your personal login on Bloomberg Law. Contact Blake Wilson if you need a refresher or if you have any further questions.
Westlaw Edge, LEXIS+, and Bloomberg Law Access
Research using LEXIS+ and Westlaw Edge using the educational identification number provided to you is limited to research directly connected to educational activities. There is no such limitation while signed in with your personal login on Bloomberg Law. Contact Blake Wilson at wilsonwb@ku.edu if you need a refresher or if you have any further questions.
Interlibrary Loan
Materials not available in any libraries on the KU campus can be obtained through the interlibrary loan service. The interlibrary loan request form is on the Wheat Law Library website under "Using the Library." If you have question or need further assistance email lawill@ku.edu.
Faculty Publication Resources
Library Policies for Faculty
The KU Wheat Law Library provides access to an extensive collection of print and electronic resources, and our knowledgeable staff is here to connect you with the information you need.
Circulation
The majority of the law library's print collection is available for faculty checkout. While materials are given a due date of August 23rd of each year, faculty members are expected to return them to the Circulation Desk when they are no longer needed so the checkout record may be cleared from our files.
The print collection can be searched via the online catalog. Law librarians are available to provide assistance for online catalog search strategies. If you are unable to physically locate an item you need, you may fill out a SEARCH card at the Circulation Desk. If library staff cannot locate the item, you may request it through Interlibrary Loan Services (ILL). In either event, you will be notified when the item is available.
You may have books from other KU libraries delivered to the law library (usually arriving within a day or two). This service is available via the "Place Request" feature in QuickSearch, Wheat Law Library's library search engine. Please note, items checked out from other KU libraries will not follow the August 23 due date schedule employed by the law library. All KU Libraries have their own rules and regulations which must be followed.
All library materials taken to your office (or out of the building) for more than a few hours must be checked out at the Circulation Desk. Periodicals and loose-leaf services you check out should remain in your office so they can be readily available to other patrons upon request. Reference and Reserve materials should generally not be checked out to faculty offices for any extended period of time. Although rare, it is occasionally necessary to enter faculty offices and retrieve items needed by other patrons. Please contact us with any questions or special considerations regarding this policy.
E-Reserve and Reserve Collection
The Reserve Collection consists of frequently used library materials placed on reserve at the request of faculty members, along with various items that require higher security than the regular collection affords.
Placing Items on Reserve
Reserve requests must be received at least 48 hours before they are needed by students. Please do not tell your students you have placed something on Reserve before the library receives a copy! Keep in mind everything placed on Reserve has to be processed before it is available for checkout (i.e. records created, folders labeled, items scanned or barcoded, etc.)
Types of Reserve
- E-Reserves: Non-copyrighted materials (sample questions or class notes) may be placed on electronic reserve through your Canvas/Blackboard page. Contact lawcirc@ku.edu for assistance.
- Personal Reserves: Personal copies of books and non-copyrighted materials (excluding old exams) may be placed in the library's Personal Reserve Collection on a temporary basis. Please identify each item for reserve with your name, the name of the class, with a title by which you will refer to the item in class.
- General Reserves: You may request books from the library collection be placed on reserve for your course.
Routing Serials
If a faculty member wishes to see new print serials shortly after the library receives them, a request for routing should be placed. We ask that you forward each item promptly to the next person on the routing list. Routings are due back in the Serials Department in one week.
Using Wheat Law Library's QuickSearch
Library materials including print, AV, and most electronic journals can be found using QuickSearch, Wheat Law Library's search engine. Wheat Law Library migrated to QuickSearch in June 2026. If you need assistance with the new search engine, contact us in the following ways:
- KU Ask-A-Librarian is a campus wide chat reference service. During business hours, messages are answered by a crack team of librarians, including legal research specialists.
- Submit a Research Request is a form that will send your research questions to Wheat Law Library librarians. Requests are answered quickly and tracked through our new ticketing system.
- Meet with a Law Librarian allows you to schedule appointments with our Reference & Research Librarian, Neal Axton. You can discuss research questions and ideas or walk through how to use our library resources.
- Email us at lawref@ku.edu or call us at +1 (785) 864-3025.
New Acquisitions
New books acquired by the library can be found through the New Resources link on the library's homepage. A new list is posted each month. An email, with a link to the New Resources list and a highlight of something special in the library collection, is sent to faculty and staff when a new list is published. Please contact Melissa Doebele at mdoebele@ku.edu with comments, questions, or to have an item on the list checked out to you.
Purchase of Resources
The law library wishes to accommodate all reasonable faculty requests to acquire new materials for the general collection. These requests may relate to your specific current research needs, your general areas of interest, or other titles that you think would benefit the law school. Send your requests to Blake Wilson at wilsonwb@ku.edu.
Scholarly Communication Services
The law library provides faculty Scholarly Communication Service for inclusion of publications in the Social Science Research Network (SSRN) and KU ScholarWorks according to the KU Open Access Policy and those adopted within the Law School. You may request that your scholarly publications be uploaded to KU ScholarWorks by emailing your works to Rebecca Orozco at orozco@ku.edu.
S.J.D. students may contact Blake Wilson for assistance with their electronic dissertation submissions. An S.J.D. LibGuide is available in the Research and Study Guides section of this website.
Reference Area
The reference collection on the second floor contains a number of frequently used sets. In addition, computers in the area provide access to the online catalog, HeinOnline, Bloomberg Law, and numerous other databases.
Instruction Services and Vendor Relations
In addition to teaching advanced legal research courses, law librarians are available to provide guest lectures in your classes. This is especially appropriate for clinics or courses involving papers. We train the students to use specialized research materials in both electronic and print formats. If you are having issues with Canvas or other digital media issues we can help with those as well.
Government Documents
The law library is a selective depository for U.S. government documents. The library's documents have been integrated into the library's main collection and may be accessed through the online catalog.
Please note the University of Kansas is also a regional depository for government documents. The Documents Department of the University Library, located at Anschutz Library, contains a much larger collection of government documents and is also a depository for U.N. materials.
Document Delivery & Interlibrary Loan Services (ILL)
The Document Delivery/Interlibrary Loan Department can secure books and articles that are not available in the KU libraries. Please email lawill@ku.edu with your requests. Hardcopy materials will be delivered to your mailbox (front office) or PDFs will be emailed directly to you. Articles from journals held by other campus libraries can be requested electronically through our ILL request form.
Study Tables
Tables located in the Reference Area and in the stacks on first, second, fourth, and fifth floors may be used for study by any student and law school affiliate. The general public should use seating and tables located on the second floor.
User Services for KU Law Alumni
Ask a Reference Question
If you have a legal research question and wonder if the Wheat Law Library can assist, we encourage you to reach out to us in one of the following ways:
- KU Ask-A-Librarian is a campus wide chat reference service. During business hours, messages are answered by a crack team of librarians, including legal research specialists.
- Submit a Research Request is a form that will send your research questions to Wheat Law Library librarians. Requests are answered quickly and tracked through our new ticketing system.
- Meet with a Law Librarian allows you to schedule appointments with our Reference & Research Librarian, Neal Axton. You can discuss research questions and ideas or walk through how to use our library resources.
- Email us at lawref@ku.edu or call us at +1 (785) 864-3025.
Subscription Database Access
Wheat Law Library and KU Libraries license electronic resources for non-commercial use by on-site visitors at KU campus locations for educational or research purposes only. Access depends on the terms set out in the license of a particular electronic resource. Generally authorized users are the registered students, faculty and staff of the institution purchasing the electronic resource. In many cases, authorized users also include members of the public who use the e-resource on library premises.
Research and Study Guides
Law library staff maintain a large collection of research and study guides organized by topic and audience.
Library Policies for KU Law Alumni
Loan Policy
You may have books from other KU libraries delivered to the law library (usually arriving within a day or two). This service is available via the "Place Request" feature in QuickSearch, Wheat Law Library's library search engine. Choose Law Library Service Desk as your pick up location. Library staff will retrieve the book(s) and notify you when they are ready to be picked up at the Circulation Desk. You can also make an appointment to pick them up at the law library.
A significant portion of the Law Library's collection cannot be checked out. Some books can be checked out for one month. Books can be renewed providing there are no hold requests on them. Fees are assessed for lost materials.
Interlibrary Loan
KU Law alumni may contact the Interlibrary Loan department via email at lawill@ku.edu or phone at 785-864-9264, and request copies of scanned materials (articles, statutes, etc.) at no charge. The copies will be emailed.
Food, Drink and Smoking
Smoking is not permitted in the building, including the library.
Water fountains will be covered but you may bring a water bottle to fill at the bottle filler in the Informal Commons (first floor of Green Hall). Please note these policies are subject to change as necessary.
Report any spills you cannot effectively clean up to library staff so that appropriate action can be taken.
Reshelving Books
All books will be reshelved by library staff. Please see "Loan Policy" above for more information.
Study Tables
Tables located in the Reference Area on the and in the stacks on first, second, fourth, and fifth floors may be used for study by any student and law school affiliate. The general public should use seating and tables located on the second floor.
User Services for the General Public
Ask a Reference Question
If you have a legal research question and wonder if the Wheat Law Library can assist, we encourage you to reach out to us in one of the following ways:
- KU Ask-A-Librarian is a campus wide chat reference service. During business hours, messages are answered by a crack team of librarians, including legal research specialists.
- Submit a Research Request is a form that will send your research questions to Wheat Law Library librarians. Requests are answered quickly and tracked through our new ticketing system.
- Meet with a Law Librarian allows you to schedule appointments with our Reference & Research Librarian, Neal Axton. You can discuss research questions and ideas or walk through how to use our library resources.
- Email us at lawref@ku.edu or call us at +1 (785) 864-3025.
Research and Study Guides
Law library staff maintain a large collection of research and study guides, topical guides to help you focus your legal research by subject.
Subscription Database Access
Wheat Law Library and KU Libraries license electronic resources for non-commercial use by on-site visitors at KU campus locations for educational or research purposes only. Access depends on the terms set out in the license of a particular electronic resource. Generally authorized users are the registered students, faculty and staff of the institution purchasing the electronic resource. In many cases, authorized users also include members of the public who use the e-resource on library premises.
American Bar Association Free Legal Advice
The ABA offers a virtual legal advice clinic. Qualifying users post their civil legal question to their state's website. Users will then be emailed when their question receives a response. Attorney volunteers, who must be authorized to provide pro bono assistance in their state, log in to the website, select questions to answer, and provide legal information and advice. Volunteer attorneys will not answer criminal law questions.
Reshelving Books
All books will be reshelved by library staff.
Library Policies for the General Public
Loan Policy
Using your Law-only Borrower Card, you can check out some books for one month. Books can be renewed providing there are no hold requests on them.
Food, Drink and Smoking
Smoking is not permitted in the building, including the library.
Water fountains and water bottle fillers are located throughout the library and Green Hall.
Report any spills you cannot effectively clean up to library staff so that appropriate action can be taken.
Reshelving Books
All books will be reshelved by library staff.
Study Tables
Tables located in the Reference Area and in the stacks on first, second, fourth, and fifth floors may be used for study by any student and law school affiliate. The general public should use seating and tables located on the second floor.
Contact the Library
Circulation Desk
lawcirc@ku.edu
Electronic Services
lawerm@ku.edu
Reference Questions
lawref@ku.edu
785-864-3025