Guide to Columbia Law Library Services and Policies

The Law Library will be open to Columbia Law School affiliates only (and those who have made special arrangements) 24 hours a day from 10am Saturday, December 2 through 6pm on Friday, December 22.

The Law Library's Cellar level is currently closed to patrons. You may request Cellar-located items for pick up at the Circulation Desk via their records in our online catalog, Pegasus. Items are typically ready for pick up within one business day. 

Please note, the Cellar will be completely off-limits to staff, and no retrieval will be available, December 15-January 1. The Law Library and Reference Desk will also be closed for winter break from December 23-January 1. Please plan ahead, and email the Reference Desk for assistance locating materials in other libraries on campus, or via InterLibrary Loan.

We thank you for your cooperation and patience during this time!

During the Law School study and exam period, from December 2-22, access to the Law Library is limited to current Columbia Law School affiliates.

For Columbia Law School Affiliates: Just tap your CUID at the turnstile to enter the Law Library. 
If for any reason your ID does not grant access through the turnstile, entry to the library will not be permitted. You must contact the University ID Center. 

If you are in possession of a Law Library Fall Semester Pass, it will continue to work during this period. 

Other interested visitors (including CU students, faculty, staff, alumni, and those with LIO passes) who need to use a particular Law Library item or database must email referencedesk@law.columbia.edu at least the day before to pre-arrange a visit.

Westlaw, Lexis+, and Bloomberg Law all use individual usernames and passwords for access. 1Ls and LL.M.s receive instructions for how to set up their accounts at the time of orientation or during the first week of classes. Transfer students or students who need assistance may email referencedesk@law.columbia.edu.

You may access other Law Library databases from the Law Library's Databases and Indexes A-Z webpage or by searching Pegasus for the name of the database. In most cases you will be prompted to log in with your UNI and password for access.

For assistance using or locating material in one of the Law Library databases, you may contact a reference librarian.

Law students are welcome to both study in and use the materials of the other libraries on campus. CLIO, the Columbia University Libraries' catalog, allows you to search for physical materials as well as by article title for articles contained in many of the various databases CUL subscribes to.

For information on the various services provided by the other libraries on campus, how to obtain materials from them, and much more, visit the Columbia University Libraries News webpage.

Law Library reference librarians are available to assist law students with navigating CLIO and the Columbia University Libraries' collections and services, although we may refer you to other subject specialist librarians on campus where appropriate.