Legal Research Tools
As an undergraduate student, legal research can seem daunting. The Journal aims to de-mystify this process and empower undergraduates to utilize the various databases and other tools at their fingertips. These tools are specifically oriented toward UCLA students and take into account specific datasets and platforms that UCLA subscribes or provides its students access to.
The majority of these tools require you to either be connected to UCLA Wifi or be using the UCLA Virtual Private Network (VPN) for off-campus access. For more information on how to download and configure the UCLA VPN to your operating system, see here.
This is only a brief list of useful resources. For more comprehensive guides see the UCLA Law Library’s guide Legal Research for Undergraduates. See also this helpful page from the Law Library which provides links to other legal research guides and certain free online legal research tools.
Nexis Uni
Easy-to-use legal research platform developed by LexisNexis for students. One of the best platforms for case-law research, providing access to nearly all U.S. federal and state cases. Content also includes most major U.S. law reviews and legal publications as well as news and media articles concerning a variety of legal cases on the state and federal level. Requires UCLA VPN for off-campus access.
HeinOnline
Largest specialized online database of legal materials. Content includes law journal articles from around the world including all major U.S. publications and many major publications from other countries, specific decisions of U.S. federal administrative bodies, early English case law dating as far back as the fourteenth century. Requires UCLA VPN for off-campus access.
JSTOR
Humanities and social science research database. Contains content from many leading legal publications from the U.S. and around the globe. It is also useful for non-legal materials that may be beneficial to a legal argument such as the history behind a particular issue, social science studies on the effects of a particular policy, or the political considerations behind a legal issue. Limited access off-campus; requires UCLA VPN for full access off-campus.
UCLA Hugh & Hazel Darling Law Library
The library of the UCLA School of Law boasts extensive collections of the highest quality research materials in nearly all areas of law, including a great number of publications not available online. In order for UCLA undergraduate students to visit the Law Library, they must book a time slot here. Students should show their BruinCard and an email confirming their booking when entering the Law Library. Students with a booking may enter anytime after the start of their booking and stay in the Library for as long as it is open that day and may re-enter the Library at any time after the start time of their booking. Non-UCLA students are subject to more restricted access policies.