1-L Success Guide

Study aids can be an important tool to help you succeed in law school. Remember that not all study aids are created equal and that the different types of study aids serve different purposes. This page lists the various study aids that the Law Library has purchased for your use. The majority of our study aids are available online through West Academic, Lexis Overdrive, Aspen Learning Library, and CALI. We have selected print copies of study aids in the Law Library Reading Room. Those are library use only.

West Academic

To create an account, click the Create an Account link at the top right corner of the Study Aids Subscription page. Use your UC email as the email address. Once you have filled in the required information to set up an account, you will need to verify your email address (they will send you a confirmation email that you will need answer to verify the email address -- be sure and check your junk mail). Once you have created an account and logged in, you can use the links below to access individual study aids or you can access all study aids through https://subscription.westacademic.com. To access study aids even when offline, use the app. Accessing West Academic Study Aids Offline.

LexisNexis Digital Library (OverDrive)

If accessing study aids from LexisNexis Digital Library (OverDrive), you will need to login using your UC credentials.

Aspen Learning Library (formerly Wolters Kluwer)

If accessing study aids from the Aspen Learning Library subscription (formerly WK), you will need to login using your UC credentials.

CALI

If using CALI, you will need to create an account (if you have not already done so) using a Cincinnati Law authorization code. You can obtain this code from a reference librarian. 

To view study aids by subject, go to the Exam Study Guide.

What Is the Acing Series?

Titles in the Acing Series use a unique checklist format with sequential questions that help students fully evaluate a subject. The books also present numerous hypothetical problems and sample answers.

These are available electronically through the Library's West Academic Study Aids subscription. If accessing the online study aids from the West Academic subscription in the law school building, you can just click on the links below or go to https://subscription.westacademic.com. If you want to be able to access them from off-campus or from other parts of campus, create a West Academic account while in the law school building. Once you have created an account and logged in, you can use the links below to access individual study aids for first year subjects.

1-L Acing Materials

What Are Black Letter Outlines?

The Black Letter Outline Series is designed to help students recognize, understand and master the primary principles of law by gaining a good understanding of the rule of law first before applying it to complex fact patterns. They contain comprehensive outlines of particular areas of law, a capsule summary of each outline, practice examinations, and examples and review questions.

These are available electronically through the Library's West Academic Study Aids subscription. If accessing the online study aids from the West Academic subscription in the law school building, you can just click on the links below or go to https://subscription.westacademic.com. If you want to be able to access them from off-campus or from other parts of campus, create a West Academic account while in the law school building. Once you have created an account and logged in, you can use the links below to access individual study aids for first year subjects.

1-L Black Letter Outlines

What Is CALI?

CALI stands for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction.  CALI.org is a non-profit consortium of law schools – of which UC Law is a member – that develops and distributes legal education lessons to the consortium members. CALI courses are available online at http://www.cali.org.

How to Access CALI

You will need to set up a username and password to use CALI online. Go to the CALI Registration page and click the Create an Account link.  You will be asked to enter UC Law’s authorization code.  You can get this code from any reference librarian or at the Circulation Desk. Once you have entered the authorization code, you can set up your username and password. 

First Year CALI Lessons

There are over 410 CALI lessons dealing with First Year topics. You can also browse lessons tied to a specific casebook.

CALI E-Books

CALI publishes a selected number of free e-books. Of particular note are the Federal Rules.

What Are Concepts & Insights?

This series, published by West, provides an overview of an area of law. It is similar to the Understanding series. You can see what titles the Law Library owns by doing a series title search in UCLID or clicking on the Complete List of Concepts and Insights.

1-L Concepts & Insights

What Are Concise Hornbooks?

This series features concise analyses of basic areas of law by prominent legal scholars. It is a condensed version of the more in-depth hornbook. You can see what concise hornbooks the Law Library owns by doing a series title search in UCLID or clicking on the Complete List of Concise Hornbooks.

These are available electronically through the Library's West Academic Study Aids subscription. If accessing the online study aids from the West Academic subscription in the law school building, you can just click on the links below or go to https://subscription.westacademic.com. If you want to be able to access them from off-campus or from other parts of campus, create a West Academic account while in the law school building. Once you have created an account and logged in, you can use the links below to access individual study aids for first year subjects.

1-L Concise Hornbooks

What Is the CrunchTime series?

This study aid provides flow charts, capsule summaries, exam tips, short answer exam questions, multiple choice questions, and essay questions with model answers.You can see all books in the CrunchTime series that the Law Library owns by doing a series title search in UCLID or clicking the Complete List of CrunchTime books.

1-L CrunchTime Books

What Are E-Flash Cards?

E-Flash Cards are online flash cards for legal subjects. These are available electronically through the Library's West Academic Study Aids subscription. If accessing the online study aids from the West Academic subscription in the law school building, you can just click on the links below or go to https://subscription.westacademic.com. If you want to be able to access them from off-campus or from other parts of campus, create a West Academic account while in the law school building. Once you have created an account and logged in, you can use the links below to access individual study aids for first year subjects.

What Is the Exam Pro Series (Sum & Substance)?

The Exam Pro Series are study aids that offer sample exams and corresponding answers with detailed analysis. Each Exam Pro title is authored by a leading law professor and recognized expert in an area of law and contains multiple choice and essay questions based on current court decisions. Detailed explanations for each answer describe the best possible choice as well as red herring answers, which helps increase law student understanding of a topic and build exam skills.

These are available electronically through the Library's West Academic Study Aids subscription. If accessing the online study aids from the West Academic subscription in the law school building, you can just click on the links below or go to https://subscription.westacademic.com. If you want to be able to access them from off-campus or from other parts of campus, create a West Academic account while in the law school building. Once you have created an account and logged in, you can use the links below to access individual study aids for first year subjects.

1-L Exam Pro Titles

What Is the Examples & Explanations Series?

Examples & Explanations is a series published by Aspen that provides you with explanations and analysis for a topic and then gives examples to help you fully understand the analysis. A series of problems at the end of each section or chapter assist you in testing your understanding. Answers are provided for these problems. You can see a complete list of the Examples & Explanations the Law Library owns by doing a series title search in UCLID or clicking on the Complete List of Examples & Explanations.

1-L Examples & Explanations

What Are Gilbert Law Summary Audio CDs?

These Gilbert Law Summaries feature lectures on audio CD by well-known law professors. You can see all of the Gilbert Law Summary Audio CDs that the Library owns by doing a title search in UCLID or click on the Complete List of Gilbert Law Summaries.

1-L Gilbert Law Summary Audio CDs

What Are Gilbert Law Summaries?

Gilbert Law Summaries give students a detailed, comprehensive outline to prepare for exams. Each title also includes a capsule summary that is perfect for last minute review. Students can test their knowledge and fine tune exam skills with Gilbert's actual law school exam questions (multiple choice, short answer, and essay) which are featured at the back of each outline. Every question comes with a fully explained answer, and each question is cross-referenced back to the main outline for further review.

These are available electronically through the Library's West Academic Study Aids subscription. If accessing the online study aids from the West Academic subscription in the law school building, you can just click on the links below or go to https://subscription.westacademic.com. If you want to be able to access them from off-campus or from other parts of campus, create a West Academic account while in the law school building. Once you have created an account and logged in, you can use the links below to access individual study aids for first year subjects.

1-L Gilbert Law Summaries

What Are Glannon Guides?

The Glannon Guides feature explanatory text and multiple choice questions. You can find Glannon Guides that the Law Library owns by searching UCLID or clicking on the Complete List of Glannon Guides.

1-L Glannon Guides

What Are High Court Case Summaries?

High Court™ Case Summaries are directly keyed to the most widely used law school casebooks. Each brief gives a clear, concise description of a major case’s facts, issues, rationale, and majority, concurring, and dissenting opinions. Also included are analysis, case vocabulary, and a memory graphic. Please note that there may not be a title keyed to the textbook that your particular professor is using. Below are links to those that are keyed to books on the Fall 2015 Booklist.

These are available electronically through the Library's West Academic Study Aids subscription. If accessing the online study aids from the West Academic subscription in the law school building, you can just click on the links below or go to https://subscription.westacademic.com. If you want to be able to access them from off-campus or from other parts of campus, create a West Academic account while in the law school building. Once you have created an account and logged in, you can use the links below to access individual study aids for first year subjects.

1-L High Court Case Summaries

What Are hornbooks?

Think of a hornbook as a mini-treatise for law students. It provides a more in-depth analysis of law school subjects than the other series. They will typically cover cases used in law school classes. You can see what hornbooks the Law Library owns by doing a series title search in UCLID or clicking on the Complete List of Hornbooks.

1-L Hornbooks

What Are Law in a Flash sets?

Law in a Flash are flash cards for legal subjects. You can see what Law in a Flash sets the Law Library owns by doing a series title search in UCLID or clicking on the Complete List of Law in a Flash.

1-L Law in a Flash Sets

What Are Law Stories?

The Law Stories series brings famous cases to life by telling the true, never-heard-before stories behind landmark cases. This fascinating series of texts covers significant cases in major areas of law, including tax, torts, constitutional law, civil procedure and property.

These are available electronically through the Library's West Academic Study Aids subscription. If accessing the online study aids from the West Academic subscription in the law school building, you can just click on the links below or go to https://subscription.westacademic.com. If you want to be able to access them from off-campus or from other parts of campus, create a West Academic account while in the law school building. Once you have created an account and logged in, you can use the links below to access individual study aids for first year subjects.

1-L Law Stories

What Are Legalines?

This law school study aid provides detailed explanations of the cases in certain casebooks. Each brief includes the facts of the case, issues, holdings, and the court's reasoning. The format includes background information and statements of law that relate the cases to the overall law. Please note that there may not be a title keyed to the textbook that your particular professor is using. Below are links to those that are keyed to books on the Fall 2015 Booklist.

These are available electronically through the Library's West Academic Study Aids subscription. If accessing the online study aids from the West Academic subscription in the law school building, you can just click on the links below or go to https://subscription.westacademic.com. If you want to be able to access them from off-campus or from other parts of campus, create a West Academic account while in the law school building. Once you have created an account and logged in, you can use the links below to access individual study aids for first year subjects.

What is the Mastering Series?

The Mastering series is designed to provide law students with tools to understand the substance and content of various law school courses. At the beginning of each chapter, a Roadmap introduces the chapter and provides readers with an overview of the material that will be covered. This list of bulleted points clearly maps out the direction of the chapter, covering all key topics. Checkpoints at the end of each chapter encourage readers to stop and review the key concepts, reiterating what has been learned. These points serve as a mechanism for double-checking knowledge. Finally, a Master Checklist at the end of each book reinforces what has been covered and helps readers identify any areas that need review or further study. The Master Checklist is a tool for self-assessing one's mastery of the material.

What Is a Nutshell?

Nutshells are little paperback books that give a concise overview of an area of law. You can see what nutshells the Law Library owns by doing a series title search in UCLID or clicking on the link for the Complete List of Nutshells.

These are available electronically through the Library's West Academic Study Aids subscription. If accessing the online study aids from the West Academic subscription in the law school building, you can just click on the links below or go to https://subscription.westacademic.com. If you want to be able to access them from off-campus or from other parts of campus, create a West Academic account while in the law school building. Once you have created an account and logged in, you can use the links below to access individual study aids for first year subjects.

1-L Nutshells

What Is a Q&A?

Q&A books consist of multiple choice and short answer questions with detailed explanations of the answers. You can see a complete list of the Q&A titles the Law Library owns by doing a series title search in UCLID or clicking on the links below.

1-L Q&As

What Is the Quick Review (Sum and Substance) Series?

This series contains capsule summary outlines each section with a clear and concise explanation of legal concepts and terms, along with exam hints, strategies, mnemonics, charts, tables and study tips. Self-testing and diagnostic review questions facilitate application of legal concepts. Also provides capsule summaries of significant cases identifying important facts, primary issues and relevant law. Essay and multiple choice questions, model answers, and detailed explanations help with exam preparation.

These are available electronically through the Library's West Academic Study Aids subscription. If accessing the online study aids from the West Academic subscription in the law school building, you can just click on the links below or go to https://subscription.westacademic.com. If you want to be able to access them from off-campus or from other parts of campus, create a West Academic account while in the law school building. Once you have created an account and logged in, you can use the links below to access individual study aids for first year subjects.

1-L Quick Review Titles

What Are Restatements?

Restatements are secondary sources that seek to create a uniform "restatement" of the legal rules that constitute the common law in a particular area.  They are written by the American Law Institute (ALI), a prestigious legal organization composed of noted professors, judges and lawyers. They cover areas of  law that include such first-year subjects as  Torts, Contracts, and Property.

Each Restatement consists of a set of topical volumes, which contain the actual "black letter" legal rules and drafters' commentary, and a set of Appendix volumes, which contain summaries of cases which have adopted or interpreted the Restatement rules.  The Comments are written by the drafters of the Restatement to explain the provision and identify its limitations.  If the provision addresses an area of law about which there is disagreement among jurisdictions, the comment will explain why the Restatement adopts one position as opposed to the other. The "Illustrations" sections of the Restatement provide examples of how a particular Restatement provision would apply in specific factual situations.  Many of these Illustrations are based on actual cases.

You can see what Restatements the Law Library owns by doing a keyword title search in UCLID.

What Is the Understanding Series?

The Understanding series is published by LexisNexis and provides an overview and analysis of legal subjects. It provides less analysis than a hornbook but more than a nutshell. You can see a complete list of the Understanding titles the Law Library owns by doing a series title search in UCLID or clicking on the links below.

1-L Understanding Books

What Are Short Happy Guides?

These study aids take difficult subject matter and make it accessible and easy to remember. They provide clear explanations, logical sequencing of the material, colorful acronyms, metaphor and imagery.

These are available electronically through the Library's West Academic Study Aids subscription. If accessing the online study aids from the West Academic subscription in the law school building, you can just click on the links below or go to https://subscription.westacademic.com. If you want to be able to access them from off-campus or from other parts of campus, create a West Academic account while in the law school building. Once you have created an account and logged in, you can use the links below to access individual study aids for first year subjects.

1-L Short Happy Guides

Other useful study aids that do not fall under the above categories are: