LRC Resources for 1Ls  

Reference Desk Hours when classes are in session:  

Phone: (619) 260-4612

E-mail: lrcrefer@sandiego.edu

Click here for Reference Desk Hours during Finals, Intersession, and Summer sessions. 

Hornbooks are texts that follow the same basic roadmap of a companion case book. They are written expressly for law students by law professors using plain prose.

Hornbooks

ISBN: 0314181431

Ask at the Circulation Desk to check out the Law in a Flash study cards. Creating your own flash cards can help anchor the details in your mind, but if you're short on time, commercially-produced flash cards are available at the Circulation Desk.

Law in a Flash

Call Number: LRC Circulation

Welcome to the LRC's LibGuide for 1Ls.  Here you will find information about resources at the LRC that can help you with your first-year coursework. Click on one of the tabs to find more subject-specific resources for all your courses.

Before spending a lot of money on commercial outlines and other study aids, check out the LRC's collection of study aids in our Reserve Room! Please remember that the commercial subject outlines and other study aids cover an area of law in general; they do not necessarily mirror the emphasis your particular professor places on a given aspect of the law.

Examples & Explanations

The Examples and Explanations Series offers hypothetical questions complimented by detailed explanations that allow you to test your knowledge of the topic and compare your own analysis.

Gilbert Law Summaries

Commercial subject outlines cover standard law generally. They may not match the level of detail or emphasis that your professor gives to any particular issue. You'll want to develop your own outlines to study from, but these commercial outlines can help you get started!

Legalines

Briefing cases yourself is the better way to learn, but there are companies who do it for you, with products keyed to the specific casebook you are using. Publishers include Legalines and Casenotes.

Nutshell Series

ISBN: 0314261877

Nutshells are concise treatises on one topic. Some broadly address an entire area of law like "Torts in a Nutshell," while others provide a more detailed treatment of a specific issue like "Products Liability in a Nutshell." There are nutshells addressing over 70 legal topics.

Search our Catalog for books, videos, and other items.

USD Law's Academic Support Program offers a wealth of advice and assistance on how to succeed in law school: briefing cases for class, handling stress, surviving the Socratic teaching method, outlining, exam-writing and much, much more.

Here's another useful resource:

Need a quiet place to study? The LRC has ample tables and carrels for quiet and group study areas.

Check the LRC's Course Reserves page to see if your professors has made past exams for his or her class available.

You will need our school's CALI authorization code to set up your CALI account. You can find the code in your Admissions Packet, ask at the Reference Desk, or view it here by signing in with your MySanDiego credentials.