Legal Practice Tools

A legal treatise is a book or set of books on a legal topic that are written by experts. Sometimes students get confused between "treatise" and "treaty."   A treatise is a scholarly book or set of books about a legal topic. It is a secondary source. A treaty is a primary source legal agreement between countries. A good treatise is thorough, explaining and even critiquing, the law. A treatise can be an extremely useful secondary source for research because it gathers such detailed information on a particular legal topic or issue into one publication. 

If you practice in a certain area of law, you will become familiar with the well-known and highly respected treatises in that area. If you are unfamiliar with an area of law, consult a research guide on that area of law written by a law librarian.

Indexes

Table of Contents

Many treatises are updated by pocket parts or supplements.  Some treatises, known as "loose-leafs" are updated by new pages being inserted into a binder.

There are many treatises available through Lexis, Westlaw, and Bloomberg Law.

You can use OneSearch to see if a book is available in our library or another UC library. 

1. If a book you want is in our library, please go to the location, retrieve the book, and check it out at the Circulation Desk. Note that if your pick-up location and request location are the same, the request is not processed. In other words, if a book is available in the law library, do not request it. Instead retrieve the book yourself and check it out.
2. If a book you want is at another UC Library, you can either go to that location or request it to be sent here. To request a book from another UC Library:

• Click on the book and when the record page opens, sign in as a UC Students and Staff using your UC credentials if you have not already signed in.
• Under Get It, you should see a Request link (you will not see this link until you sign in). Click the Request Link.
• Select your Pickup Location: Law Library will be one of the options in the drop-down menu
• Click on the Send Request button.

1. If a book you want is not available at UC, you may be able to find and borrow it through the OhioLINK. To get a book from OhioLINK:

• Click on the book and when the record page opens, sign in as a UC Students and Staff using your UC credentials if you have not already signed in
• Click the Get it for me from other libraries link
• then click the Get It button under Get it from OhioLINK. 
• Select your Pickup Location: Law Library will be one of the options in the drop-down menu
• Click on the Send Request button.

The book will be delivered to the Law Library and we will deliver it to you when it arrives. Be aware that it may take 7 or more days to arrive. Note that even if checking out a book for a UC journal, YOU and not the journal are responsible for that book. Be sure and renew and return your books as needed. Check your account to see when books are due or renew books at My Library Card.

If a book you want is not available in in OneSearch at a UC or OhioLink Library, you will need to submit an Interlibrary Loan Request.

• Find the book in WorldCat (use the box below for a simple search, use the WorldCat Advanced Search for more search options).
  • To access advanced WorldCat, you will need to authenticate. 
• Fill out an ILL form with the information you found in WorldCat. Note that the Law Library does not use ILLiad at this time.

Some books may be available via Google Books.  Primarily, these are books within the public domain.  Limited previews may be offered for other books.  If you need a copy of a book found through Google Books, please check WorldCat and fill out an Interlibrary Loan Request.

Available to Law Students only (see a reference librarian if you do not have a CALI activation code).