Gallagher Law Library - UW School of Law

Reference Services

The Reference Office, located on floor L1 of William H. Gates Hall, is staffed by a team of professional librarians and student reference librarians. Our job is to help you identify, find, and use the print and online resources of the Law Library.

We are available many, but not all, hours the Law Library is open. Our phone number is (206) 543-6794. You may also submit questions by email.

We can:

  • tell you where things are in the Law Library
  • show you how to use library databases such as the library catalog and periodical indexes
  • help you figure out legal citations (See also the Acronyms and Abbreviations list.)
  • show you how to use sources in the Law Library
  • suggest sources for you to use
  • refer you to other libraries or institutions when our Library does not have what you need.

This page provides more information about reference services.

Telephone Reference

We provide several services by phone. We can:

  • search our catalog to see whether the Law Library has particular books or journals you want
  • locate phone numbers, addresses, and other directory information for bar associations, federal and state government agencies, courts, publishers, and other law-related organizations
  • take your request for photocopies of specific legal documents for delivery through the Law Library's Copy & Send service (You may also fill out an online form to submit your request.)
  • suggest books, databases, website, and other resources appropriate for your research topic.

What we will do for you over the phone is limited by our policies on legal research and legal advice and by staff availability. For many research projects, you will need to come in to the Law Library and conduct your own research. For ethical and practical reasons, we cannot:

  • conduct legal research for you
  • interpret the law for you or give you legal advice
  • read statutes, cases, court rules, or definitions over the phone
  • check the library shelves to determine if a book you want is available
  • return long distance telephone calls. Please call during the hours the Reference Office is open. We will return local phone calls and use email to reply whenever possible.

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Email Reference

The Law Library Reference Office accepts reference questions by email. We will suggest research strategies and approaches and describe material in the Law Library that you may find useful. We cannot conduct research for you, however, or provide legal advice.

Other law libraries that accept reference questions by email include the King County Law Library and the Washington State Law Library.

Websites that self-help legal information include WashingtonLawHelp and LawforWA.

The Law Library provides an extensive list of legal research guides on a wide variety of topics, including several intended specifically for members of the public.

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Policies on Legal Research & Legal Advice

While we can help you use the Law Library, we cannot do legal research for you.

If you need to find out what the law is, we encourage you to come into the Law Library and look it up. When you come in, we will help you locate relevant material and show you how to use appropriate resources, but you are responsible for your own research.

If you find a law or case that is not clear to you, we cannot interpret it for you. Instead, we will suggest law dictionaries or other sources that might help you interpret it.

Why do we have this policy? There are several good reasons.

  1. Advising people what the law is and how it applies to their situation may be practicing law--it is what lawyers do. We are librarians. Our job is to help people use the Library, not to conduct research and interpret the law.
  2. Legal research is often complicated, even for what seems like a simple question. For example, you might ask, "What is the statute of limitations for a car accident in State X?" Depending on the state, it might make a difference whether the accident resulted in an injury or a fatality. It might also make a difference if the person who wants to sue was a minor at the time of the accident or was unable to start a lawsuit right away. And there might be other factors to consider. It makes sense for you to do your own research and see what factors might apply to your situation. You can then choose which cross-references to follow.
  3. Doing legal research for all callers and visitors would soon overwhelm our staff. It is fair to everyone to say: "Please come into the Law Library, we are open to the public. When you come in, we will help you find and use the sources you need to do your own research."

If you need someone who will research and interpret the law for you, you should consider talking to an attorney. For information on identifying and locating attorneys, see the Guide to Using the Gallagher Law Library for Members of the Public: Attorneys & Legal Proceedings. The WashingtonLawHelp website includes a directory of legal aid and other legal service providers for low-income people (click on "Find a Lawyer").

For similar reasons, it is our policy not to read legal materials over the telephone. If you cannot come to the Law Library, you might want to use our fee-based Copy & Send Service. Many federal and Washington State laws, cases, and regulations are available at free Internet websites; see our Internet Legal Resources page for links to relevant websites.

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Assistance with Homework

Students who need legal materials for their homework are welcome to use the Law Library. Please feel free to ask reference staff for help locating and using library sources. Of course, the reference staff cannot do your homework for you. If an assignment is unclear to you, please contact your instructor to find out what she or he expects.

Learning How to Do Legal Research

Legal research is a complex skill. Law students, lawyers, librarians, and paralegals work hard to develop expertise. If you are just starting out, it might all seem very confusing. Please ask for assistance in the Reference Office or consult one of the online legal research guides prepared by the reference librarians.

If you want to learn more about legal research, we can suggest books and videos that explain various tools and how to use them. If you have access to the Internet, you might want to start with the American Association of Law Libraries' How to Research a Legal Problem: A Guide for Non-Lawyers.

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