This Week in the Law Library …

This week in the Law Library we’re introducing 1Ls to legal research and sources of legal authority, how to research secondary sources, and cases and citators. We’re also teaching technology in law practice, and highlighting Law School Success resources.

This Week’s Research Sessions

Tuesday, August 29, 2023

Lawyering I, sec. 2

Susan Boland, Associate Director & Ashley Russell, Instructional & Reference Services Librarian
Room 135
9:00am – 10:25pm
Researching Secondary Sources

Lawyering I, sec. 3

Laura Dixon-Caldwell, Instructional & Reference Services Librarian
Room 145
10:40am – 12:05pm
Introduction to Legal Research & Sources of Legal Authority

Lawyering I, sec. 5

Susan Boland, Associate Director & Ashley Russell, Instructional & Reference Services Librarian
Room 230
10:40am – 12:05pm
Researching Secondary Sources

Technology in Law Practice

Shannon Kemen, Legal Technology & Research Instructional Services Librarian
Room 107
11:10am – 12:05pm

Lawyering I, sec. 1

Laura Dixon-Caldwell, Instructional & Reference Services Librarian
Room 145
1:30pm – 2:55pm
Introduction to Legal Research & Sources of Legal Authority

Thursday, August 31, 2023

Lawyering I, sec. 4

Ronald Jones, Electronic Resources Instructional Services Librarian
Room 135
10:40am – 12:05pm
Researching Secondary Sources

Lawyering I, sec. 3

Laura Dixon-Caldwell, Instructional & Reference Services Librarian
Room 145
10:40am – 12:05pm
Researching Case Law & Using Citators

Technology in Law Practice

Shannon Kemen, Legal Technology & Research Instructional Services Librarian
Room 107
11:10am – 12:05pm

Lawyering I, sec. 1

Laura Dixon-Caldwell, Instructional & Reference Services Librarian
Room 145
1:30pm – 2:55pm
Researching Case Law & Using Citators

Lawyering I, sec. 6

Susan Boland, Associate Director & Ashley Russell, Instructional & Reference Services Librarian
Room 170A
1:30pm – 2:55pm
Researching Secondary Sources

Library Services on Labor Day

American flag with tools in background

The Law Library Service Suite will be closed Monday, September 4th. Law students, faculty, and staff will have their 24/7 access to physical spaces and to electronic databases but circulation and reference services will not be available.

Featured Study Aid

In this expanded and reorganized edition, an introductory survey of research strategies is followed by discussion of major secondary sources, treatment of the sources of U.S. law created by each branch of government, chapters on specialized resources for litigation and transactional practice, and an overview of international and foreign law. Other new features include a deeper look at search algorithms and executive branch lawmaking. Sample illustrations are included throughout, and an appendix lists hundreds of major treatises and topical services by subject.

Featured Database

US Law Week on Bloomberg Law

United States Law Week provides nationwide coverage of major cases and key legislative, regulatory, and pre-decisional developments in all areas of the law. Of particular note for those looking for topics to write on for a journal, it provides a round up of circuit splits.

Featured Videos

Sources of Law & Legal Authority Video Part 1

This video discusses sources of law and legal authority among the different branches of government and looks at the weight of different primary law authority. The video is 8:11 minutes long and features closed captioning and a table of contents.

Research Strategy & Documentation Part 2 Video

This video continues the Research Strategy & Documentation process by discussing the research process, tracking your research, documenting your research, and turning in your research. The video is 6:30 minutes long and features closed captioning and a table of contents.

Featured Guides

Research Strategy & Documentation

Law School Success Display & Links

2023 study aids display

This month’s display in the Law Library Services Suite, Room 110, is all about resources to help you succeed in law school. The display was curated by Senior Library Assistant, Rhonda Wiseman. Feel free to browse and use the books on display.

The selected resources below are available through the Law Library’s study aid subscriptions and address learning strategies and basic law school skills. Use these study aids to help you succeed in law school!

Advanced Reading for Law School

Available via CALI (if law students have not created a CALI account and need the school authorization code, contact a reference librarian). Law students are excellent readers, and this skill will lay the foundation for success throughout life. However, reading in law school requires more precision than previous educational activities. This lesson will deepen individuals reading skills specifically within the context of legal reading. This lesson also includes video commentary from the author that expands on the material in the lesson.

Common Law Basics: What Faculty May Assume You Know

Available via CALI (if law students have not created a CALI account and need the school authorization code, contact a reference librarian). A basic introduction (or refresher!) about sources of law, court structure, and precedent.

Metacognition

Available via CALI (if law students have not created a CALI account and need the school authorization code, contact a reference librarian). This lesson focuses upon the concept of metacognition and teaches you how to enhance your understanding about how you learn to better improve your study, organizational, test-taking and self-assessment skills with the goal of improving your performance in law school.

Note-Taking in Law School 101: The Basics

Available via CALI (if law students have not created a CALI account and need the school authorization code, contact a reference librarian). This lesson will walk you through things to consider before setting “foot” (physically or virtually!) in a law school doctrinal classroom. You’ll learn about how to listen for and capture the most important information, how to maximize your note-taking efficiency by using symbols and shorthand, and the various software options available for taking notes. It is recommended by the author that this lesson be completed before Note-Taking 101: Case-Based Content, which tests your note-taking skills in practice.

Note-Taking in Law School 101: Case-Based Content

Available via CALI (if law students have not created a CALI account and need the school authorization code, contact a reference librarian). This lesson, intended for incoming and current 1L law students, guides participants through the process of note-taking in law school classes with a focus on case-based information. Using a series of cross-doctrinal audio lecture examples and integrating periodic checks for understanding, students have the opportunity to develop their note-taking skills and practice categorizing the pieces of case-based information.

This Week in the Law Library …

This week in the Law Library we welcome everyone back, introduce 1Ls to legal research and sources of legal authority, teach technology in law practice, train Law Review cite checkers, and highlight useful law school survival resources.

Happy 1st Day of Classes!

Welcome back everyone!

Law Library Hours & Services

Law Library Circulation Desk

Library Access

Building doors are unlocked Monday – Friday 8am – 5pm. Law students, law faculty, and law staff have key card access 24/7. Please contact Justin Ellis, Law Library Circulation Manager, if you have trouble accessing the building with your UC Bearcat Card.

Circulation hours

Monday — Friday 8:00am – 6:00pm
Closed Saturday and Sunday
Closed Monday, Sept. 4th

Research & Library Help

Take advantage of librarian expertise! Schedule an appointment, email us, or stop by our offices. We’ll be happy to help with suggestions for sources and tips. Also, don’t forget the Library’s Web page and many research guides.

Library Study Areas

Library seating is found throughout the law school building. Most seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Check out our Virtual Tour of the Law Library!

Basement

A limited number of carrels and tables are available in the basement where the law stacks are.

1st Floor

Four group study rooms are available on this floor: 101, 103, 163, 165. They are for law students only and can be reserved through TWEN. Reservations can be made in 2-hour increments for up to 4-hours per student, per day. Keys are available for check-out at the Circulation Desk.

2nd Floor

Library seating on the second floor includes the Law Library Reading Room (Room 270) and group study rooms 227, 271, 273, 275, 276, and 277. Study rooms are for law students only and can be reserved through TWEN. Reservations can be made in 2-hour increments for up to 4-hours per student, per day. Keys are available for check-out at the Circulation Desk.

4th Floor

The fourth floor library seating includes carrels in the Quiet Reading Room (Room 445).

5th Floor

The fifth floor library seating consists of open study space in room 545.

Lockers

Please email Justin Ellis, Law Library Circulation Manager, for a locker assignment.

This Week’s Research Sessions

Tuesday, August 22, 2023

Technology in Law Practice

Shannon Kemen, Legal Technology & Research Instructional Services Librarian
Room 107
11:10am – 12:05pm

Thursday, August 24, 2023

Lawyering I, sec. 2

Susan Boland, Associate Director & Ashley Russell, Instructional & Reference Services Librarian
Room 135
9:00am – 10:25pm
Introduction to Legal Research & Sources of Legal Authority

Lawyering I, sec. 4

Ronald Jones, Electronic Resources Instructional Services Librarian
Room 170A
10:40am – 12:05pm
Introduction to Legal Research & Sources of Legal Authority

Technology in Law Practice

Shannon Kemen, Legal Technology & Research Instructional Services Librarian
Room 107
11:10am – 12:05pm

Lawyering I, sec. 6

Susan Boland, Associate Director & Ashley Russell, Instructional & Reference Services Librarian
Room 170A
1:30pm – 2:55pm
Introduction to Legal Research & Sources of Legal Authority

Law Review CiteChecker Training

Susan Boland, Associate Director
Room 230
5:00pm – 6:00pm

Friday, August 25, 2023

Lawyering I, sec. 5

Susan Boland, Associate Director & Ashley Russell, Instructional & Reference Services Librarian
Room 230
10:40am – 12:05pm
Introduction to Legal Research

Study Aids

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.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. For more information on accessing our study aids, view our Introduction to Study Aids video.

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

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.

Featured Study Aid

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. 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 librarian.

There are over 400 CALI lessons dealing with First Year topics. You can also browse lessons tied to a specific casebook.CALI also publishes a selected number of free e-books. Of particular note are the Federal Rules.

Featured Database

Preview of United States Supreme Court Cases on HeinOnline

Preview is an eight-issue subscription publication that provides, in advance of oral argument, expert, plain-language analysis of all cases given plenary review by the Supreme Court. Preview Issues 1-7 precede the Court’s seven argument sessions from October to April. Published in July following the close of the Court’s term at the end of June, Preview Issue 8 reviews the term using a combination of charts, statistics, case summaries, and essays.

Featured Videos

Sources of Law & Legal Authority Video Part 1

This video discusses sources of law and legal authority among the different branches of government and looks at the weight of different primary law authority. The video is 8:11 minutes long and features closed captioning and a table of contents.

Sources of Law & Legal Authority Video Part 2: Hierarchy of Case Law

This video focuses on the hierarchy of case law and looks at the federal court system and several different state court systems. The video is 7:30 minutes long and features closed captioning and a table of contents.

Featured Guides

1-L Survival Guide
This guide provides vital information on library resources and services for first year law students.

LLM Survival Guide
This guide provides vital information on law library resources and services for LL.M. students.

Law Student Guide to the Law Library
This guide provides an overview of the Law Library for law students.

Law School Success Display & Links

2023 study aids display

This month’s display in the Law Library Services Suite, Room 110, is all about resources to help you succeed in law school. The display was curated by Senior Library Assistant, Rhonda Wiseman. Feel free to browse and use the books on display.

The selected resources below are available through the Law Library’s study aid subscriptions and address learning strategies and basic law school skills. Use these study aids to help you succeed in law school!

Applying Law by Bradley J. Charles

This book, available through the Lexis Nexis Digital Library study aid subscription (Lexis Overdrive), teaches students the skill of applying law to fact—the skill that determines law-school grades and effective advocacy after law school. The author explains with examples and exercises nine reasoning techniques that the justices of the United States Supreme Court primarily use. The nine reasoning techniques come from classifying arguments in every sentence from an entire year’s worth of their cases.

Cracking the Case Method, Legal Analysis for Law School Success

This book, available through the West Academic study aid subscription, provides an in-depth examination of these critical topics: 1) how the case method relates to Socratic-style questioning, and 2) how it helps develop analytical skills. It provides semester-long strategies for learning how to “think like a lawyer” by getting the most out of reading judicial opinions, attending classes, outlining, and preparing for exams. The analytical framework that helps students read appellate court cases to focus on legal issues, legal principles, and judges’ reasons for adopting and applying those principles. Twenty examples illustrate this analytical framework; these examples discuss essential legal principles from first-year courses and use judicial opinions often assigned in these courses. The text discusses how to develop case briefs and use them to prepare for class discussions, outlining, and exams—with illustrations drawn from two sample annotated briefs; the major types of legal argument—with illustrations drawn from cases; how to use class discussions to practice legal analysis, demonstrated with annotated excerpts from actual first-year class discussions; how to prepare for exams, covering outlining, analyzing hypotheticals, creating checklists and flowcharts, and practicing exam-taking skills.

Critical Reading for Success in Law School and Beyond by Jane Grise

Reading cases and statutes is challenging for students and attorneys. However, everybody can learn critical reading strategies and become effective legal readers and advocates. This book, available through the West Academic study aid subscription, identifies the reading strategies used by expert legal readers and presents the strategies in a systematic sequence. It is written in an easy to read style with lots of examples. Readers will learn: the purpose for reading cases, how to read with focus, case structure and important civil and criminal procedure terms, techniques for understanding complex text, strategies for identifying the parts of a case, how to brief a case, legal analysis skills such as analogical reasoning and case synthesis, and strategies for reading statutes. The second edition adds chapters that address reading on screens and techniques for reading bar prep materials. The second edition also has a seventeen part video series with PowerPoint slides. Each video introduces a reading strategy, provides helpful tips, includes a short student exercise, and gives students the opportunity to self-assess their proficiency.

Expert Learning for Law Students by Michael Hunter Schwartz & Paula J. Manning

The third edition of Expert Learning for Law Students, available through the Lexis Nexis Digital Library study aid subscription (Lexis Overdrive), is a reorganization and rethinking of this highly regarded law school success text. It retains the core insights and lessons from prior editions while updating the materials to reflect recent insights such as mindset theory, attribution theory, chunking for use, and interleaving learning. The text includes exercises and step-by-step guides to engage readers in the process of becoming expert learners—including specific strategies for succeeding in law school.

Learning Outside the Box: A Handbook for Law Students Who Learn Differently

This book, available through the Lexis Nexis Digital Library study aid subscription (Lexis Overdrive), provides research-based learning strategies for law students who learn differently. If you are a student who has been diagnosed with a learning disability or if you simply have a unique learning style, you may need to outline differently, read cases differently, and approach law school in a more active, engaged, and efficient manner. This book offers learning strategies grounded in empirical research to help law students who learn differently maximize their academic success.

Spotlight on UC Law Scholarship

As the new school year begins, it’s a great time to check out some of the excellent work UC Law Faculty and Students have been producing. You can view faculty scholarship at the The College of Law Scholarship and Publications repository.

In addition to faculty scholarship, check out our Student Run Journals.

The Immigration and Human Rights Law Review (IHRLR) 

The University of Cincinnati Intellectual Property and Computer Law Journal (“IPCLJ”) 

The University of Cincinnati Law Review 

 

 

This Week in the Law Library …

This week in the Law Library we welcome our 1-L students, transfer students, and those taking short courses; provide additional summer legal research tips; and cover selected success guides to law school.

Welcome!

We’re so glad you’re here!

Law Library Orientation

Join us on Thursday, Aug. 17th from 9:00am – 10:00am in room 160 for an introduction to the law library and library resources.

Hours & Access

Law Library Circulation Desk

Building doors are unlocked Monday – Friday 8:00am – 5:00pm except during University of Cincinnati holidays. Law students, faculty, and staff have 24/7 access with their UC Bearcat ID cards.

Library Circulation Desk Hours This Week

Monday – Friday: 9:00am – 5:00pm

Fall 2023 Hours

Monday – Friday: 8:00am – 5:00pm; Law students 8:00am – 6:00pm (except during fall break which will be 8:00am – 5:00pm)
Monday, Sept. 4 – CLOSED
Thursday, Nov. 23 – Friday, Nov. 24 – CLOSED

Law School Success

5 Resources to Help Prepare for the Year Ahead

The resources below are available through the Law Library’s study aid subscriptions. For more information on accessing our study aids, view our Introduction to Study Aids video and our 1-L Study Aids page on the 1-L Survival Guide.

1L of a Ride by Andrew J. McClurg

This book, available through the West Academic study aid subscription, covers topics such as pre-planning, top student fears, first-year curriculum, the Socratic and case methods of teaching, effective class participation, top habits of successful students, essential study techniques, legal research and writing, exam strategies, maintaining well-being, and much more. Combines anecdotes, comments from law students, empirical research, and authentic samples of signature documents from the 1L experience, including exam questions, Socratic dialogue, and student case-briefs, class notes, and course outlines. McClurg is an award-winning professor who has taught at six different law schools.

Coming to Law School: How to Prepare Yourself for the Next Three Years by Ian Gallacher

This book, available through the Lexis Nexis Digital Library study aid subscription (Lexis Overdrive), demystifies law school and the process of studying the law. The book shows how study skills such as case briefing, taking notes in class, and preparing exam outlines are interrelated and how an incoming student can practice them before coming to law school, making the transition from prospective to actual law student easier and as painless as possible. The book also contains information about many practical issues, including the law school process, how to do well in a summer job, and taking the bar exam.

Finding Your Voice in Law School

This book, available through the Lexis Nexis Digital Library study aid subscription (Lexis Overdrive), strategies for succeeding in law school and beyond. Many college graduates aren’t prepared for the new challenges they will face in law school. Intense classroom discussion, mock trials and moot courts, learning the language of law, and impressing potential employers in a range of interview situations—it sounds intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. Finding Your Voice in Law School offers a step-by-step guide to the most difficult tests you will confront as a law student, from making a speech in front of a room full of lawyers to arguing before a judge and jury. It also explains how to lay a strong foundation for your professional reputation.Communicating effectively—with professors, at social gatherings, with supervisors and colleagues at summer jobs, and as a leader of a student organization—can have a lasting impact on your legal career.

Get a Running Start: Your Comprehensive Guide to the First Year Curriculum

This book, available through the West Academic study aid subscription, covers all the major concepts taught in each of the courses most commonly offered in the first year of law school: criminal law, torts, civil procedure, constitutional law, property, and contracts. Features include: an introductory chapter offering advice on how to structure a successful preparation and study process starting with the summer before law school and running straight through exams; insiders’ advice from successful law students and recent graduates on class preparation, course selection, career development, and managing the stress of law school; short lessons that provide readers with an introduction to the major concepts for a day or week of law school classes in 10-15 minutes; complete course coverage that will allow readers to get a global overview of a first-year law course in the span of an afternoon.

A Weekly Guide to Being a Model Law Student by Alex Ruskell

This book, available through the West Academic study aid subscription, gives law students weekly checklists explaining the skills necessary to successfully navigate their first year of law school. Each chapter provides a checklist of things to do that week, such as briefing cases, going over notes, outlining classes, or doing practice questions. When a new concept is introduced, this book clearly explains the concept and its purpose and provides examples. It also includes a bank of over 100 short, medium, and long practice questions in six first year subjects.

Summer Legal Research Tips

Previously, we looked at initial steps to take when you get a summer research project, researching secondary sources, the structure and organization of statutory codes and where to find them, statutory finding tools, using citators to validate statutes, researching historical codes, statutory surveys, finding cases, validating cases, general legislative history research, and state and federal legislative history research. This week we will briefly cover researching administrative law.

Federal Administrative Law Research

Any time you have a statutory issue, you will need to find any applicable administrative regulations and update those regulations. You will also want to consult administrative adjudications. Congress creates administrative agencies and delegates to them the authority to act, but they are part of the executive branch. Administrative agencies generate rules and regulations, much like a legislature generates statutes. These administrative rules and regulations help further interpret a statute. Additionally, agencies may conduct hearings and issue decisions concerning matters that fall under their jurisdiction, much like a court. Finally, agencies may also investigate and enforce violations.

E-CFR

Rules that are immediately effective are integrated into the “Electronic Code of Federal Regulations” also known as the e-CFR. The e‐CFR is an unofficial editorial compilation published by the Office of the Federal Register and the Government Printing Office. It is the most up-to-date version of the CFR.

CFR

The official publication of Federal rules is the Code of Federal Regulations that is published annually by the Government Printing Office. The CFR is divided into 50 subject matter titles. Each of the 50 titles are republished each year on a staggered, quarterly basis. Titles 1-16 are revised as of January 1, titles 17-27 are revised as of April 1, Titles 28-41 are revised as of July 1, and Titles 42-50 are revised as of October 1. Each title is divided into chapters usually bearing the name of the issuing agency. At the back of each CFR volume is an Alphabetical List of Agencies Appearing in the CFR, showing the title and chapter where an agency’s regulations are codified. Each chapter is further subdivided into parts which cover specific regulatory areas. Large parts may be subdivided into subparts; all parts are organized in sections, and most citations to the CFR will be provided at the section level.

Finding Regulations

Secondary Sources & Annotated Code References

So how do you find regulations? If you are following the research process, hopefully your secondary source would have given you some citations to regulations when talking about your issue. For example, if we were researching a Fair Labor Standards Act issue of overtime for outside sales employees, we would find references to the applicable regulations in the secondary source, FLSA Employee Exemption Handbook.

Your annotated code also will often refer you to relevant CFR sections. In Westlaw codes, you can find this under Context and Analysis. In Lexis Codes, it is under Research References.

If you are using online sources on Lexis or Westlaw, you can just jump to the hyperlinked CFR citations. If using a print secondary source or code, once you have a citation to a specific CFR section, you can retrieve the section by citation in Lexis and Westlaw just like you would any other document. You can also retrieve it by citation in HeinOnline and you can retrieve it by citation for free at the e-CFR or govinfo.gov.

Finding Regulations by Subject

If you don’t have a citation from a secondary source or the annotated code, you might also want to look at finding regulations by subject. The CFR has an index. You can access this index on Govinfo.gov and on HeinOnline. Lexis and Westlaw also have a CFR Index. Note that it is not the same index as the one that the Government Printing Office provides. To access the index on Westlaw, simply go to the CFR, look off to the right under Tools and Resources, and select the CFR Index. To access the index on Lexis, begin typing CFR Index in the big search box. When using either the GPO Index or the indexes on Lexis or Westlaw, one helpful hint is to start by looking under the agency or sub-agency. Remember that you can also do keyword searching for regulations. When searching administrative regulations on Lexis or Westlaw, you can add a little precision to your search by using fields and segments.

State Administrative Law Research

Administrative law in the states operates similarly to the federal system, although there will be some differences in terminology, agencies and agency structures, and rulemaking requirements. State legislatures give state agencies the power to create administrative law just like Congress empowers federal agencies. Once you know the state jurisdiction that controls, learn the state law that applies to regulations. This means finding the enabling acts for state agencies and the administrative procedure acts that govern agency process. In Ohio, for example, the Administrative Procedure Act is found in Ohio Rev. Code §§ 119.01 to 119.14. An additional abbreviated rulemaking provision, that does not require notice and comment, is at Ohio Rev. Code § 111.15.

Most states have a state publication similar to the Federal Register (but not necessarily published daily) and that can be called a register, bulletin, or journal. Most states also have an administrative code. A good resource to find state registers and state codes is the website of the Administrative Codes and Registers (ACR) Section of the National Association of Secretaries of State. They link to each state’s “register,” code, and manual.

In Ohio, when an agency intends to adopt a rule, the agency gives public notice of its intention to adopt the rule in the online Register of Ohio at least 30 days before its scheduled hearing on the proposed rule. At least 65 days before adopting the rule, the agency files the notice, the proposed rule, and a rule summary and fiscal analysis with the Secretary of State and the Legislative Service Commission. The agency also files the notice, proposed rule, and rule summary and fiscal analysis with the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review for legislative review. The agency holds a public hearing on the proposed rule. Sixty-six days after filing the proposed rule, and if the time for legislative review has expired, the agency may adopt the proposed rule and file it in final form. The final rule is published in the Register of Ohio and the Administrative Code.

Ohio also has a print publication called The Ohio Monthly Record which gives notice to the public of repealed rules and proposed rules and publishes new and amended rules in chronological order on a monthly basis. The Ohio Administrative Code is divided into chapters, alphabetically, by agency.

Regulations “adopted by reference” are not contained in the Ohio Administrative Code. You must locate the text in other documents. An example of this would be the building code, which incorporates the Ohio Building Code by reference. The Ohio Legislative Service Commission and Ohio Secretary of State can provide the text of the regulations adopted by reference.

 

Just Breathe! Resources for Law Student Wellness

The beginning of a new school year can be a time of high anxiety. Check out our student wellness resources below!

Resiliency & Wellness for Law Students & Lawyers Guide

UC Law Health and Wellness

UC Law Diversity, Equity & Inclusion 

UC Law Academic & Student Affairs Personnel

UC Law Library 1L Success Guide

UC Accessibility Resources 

UC Osher Center for Integrative Health 

ABA Resources for Law Students and Law Schools

Law Deans Clearinghouse for Student Mental Health 

 

This Week in the Law Library …

This week in the Law Library we welcome our LLM students and provide additional summer legal research tips.

Welcome LLM Students

Welcome to our LLM students! We’re so happy that you joined us!

Flags making up a globe

Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay

LLM Introduction to the Law Library

  • Wednesday, Aug. 9
  • 2:00pm – 3:30pm
  • Room TBA

Be sure and check out our LLM Success Guide!

Building and Library Access for Law Students and Faculty

Building doors are unlocked Monday — Friday 8:00am – 5:00pm except during University of Cincinnati holidays. Law students, faculty, and staff have 24/7 access with their UC Bearcat ID cards.

Circulation Desk Hours

Circulation and reference are only available during certain hours. Hours vary during holidays. You can check Library hours at 556-0163 or at https://law.uc.edu/education/library.html. If you need circulation assistance, please contact the Circulation Manager, Justin Ellis.

Summer 2023 (May 15 – Aug. 20, 2023)

  • Monday – Friday: 9:00am – 5:00pm

Fall 2023 (beginning Aug. 20, 2023)

  • Monday – Friday: 8:00am – 5:00pm; Law students 8:00am – 6:00pm
  • Saturday: CLOSED to non-law students; Law students 10:00am – 1:00pm
  • Sunday: CLOSED to non-law students; Law students10:00am – 1:00pm
  • CLOSED Monday, Sept. 4, 2023

Summer Legal Research Tips

Previously, we looked at initial steps to take when you get a summer research project, researching secondary sources, the structure and organization of statutory codes and where to find them, statutory finding tools, using citators to validate statutes, researching historical codes, statutory surveys, finding cases, validating cases, and began covering legislative history research. This week we continue our coverage of legislative history research.

More Resources for Federal Legislative History

ProQuest Congressional

Sometimes, unfortunately, no one has compiled a legislative history for you and you have to do it yourself. One of the best ways to find legislative history documents not already gathered by someone else is to use the ProQuest Congressional database. This is different from the ProQuest Legislative Insight. You can find the link for this database under the Research Tools & Databases on the Law Library’s webpage. Within ProQuest Congressional, the easiest way is to search by Public Law Number. To get to that search screen click the Congressional Publications link in the top left corner of the page. Then select Search by Number. If you have the public law number or Statutes at Large citation for an enacted law, use those. If you have a bill number for a law that was not enacted, use that.

Lexis

In addition to the selected compiled legislative histories, Lexis also has individual legislative history documents. Search in the Federal Legislative Bill History, Committee Reports, and Congressional Record.

Westlaw

You can also find individual legislative history documents on Westlaw. Instead of clicking on the US GAO Federal Legislative Histories or the Arnold & Porter Legislative Histories, search the Legislative Histories — Congressional Reports, Congressional Record, U.S. Congressional Testimony, and historical public laws.

Congress.gov

You can look up more current legislation on Congress.gov. Clicking on the Actions gives a chronology of everything that happened to the bill in reverse chronological order. There are links to some but not all documents. The more recent your bill or public law, the more likely you are to find links to documents.

Check out our guide on Federal Legislative History for more information and resources!

Researching State Legislative History

The resources available for state legislative history vary widely from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. The General Assembly in Ohio, for example, does not maintain a formal, comprehensive record of legislative activity with respect to a particular piece of legislation as occurs, in the U.S. Congress.

Ohio

Ohio Session Laws

Ohio session laws used to be published in the print Laws of Ohio but in 2006, they discontinued publication. Now the Laws of Ohio are available on the Ohio Secretary of State’s website. You can also find the session laws on the General Assembly’s website. The Laws of Ohio are the official publication of the Ohio legislative enactments. They are the full text of acts, whether codified or uncodified.

Codified vs. Uncodified Laws

Did you know that not all laws are codified? An uncodified law is part of the law of Ohio and is filed in the office of the Secretary of State. However, because it is not a law of a general and permanent nature, it does not appear in the statutes in codified form. Common examples of session laws not codified include: preambles and recitals; provisions that have only local or regional application; provisions that may apply for a limited time; and provisions that may apply to a limited number of circumstances.

Ohio House & Senate Committee Material

Ohio committee material is very scarce. The House & Senate Journals are the best source of procedural actions taken on a bill. They include things like introductions, referrals to committees, committee reports, floor motions, and votes. Unfortunately in Ohio, committee reports are really just simple statements: “The bla bla bla bla committee reports it back and recommends its passage…” House & Senate Journals can be found on the General Assembly’s website. Archived versions going back to 2003 can be found on the General Assembly’s Archives website.

In Ohio, you can use the committee name(s) to request the House of Representative and Senate Committee Files. The Committee Files may contain transcripts of hearings, reports, voting records, copies of bill and reference materials. You can get these through the Ohio History Connection.

Hannah Capitol Connection is a database that we subscribe to where you can access Ohio documents created during the legislative process going back to 1989. It also includes reporters’ notes of Committee activity which you won’t find on the Ohio General Assembly website but those would not be as complete as what you might find through Ohio History Connection.

You can find more information on doing Ohio legislative history research on our Ohio Legal research guide.

Other States

Because each state differs on what legislative history resources are available, it is best to consult a state specific guide for the jurisdiction for which you need to do the research. How can you find such a guide? The Maurer School of Law has a guide to help: State Legislative History Research Guides Inventory.