A “best practices” checklist to use when starting your research.
Organization of materials within the library
Law libraries organize their materials similarly. Generally the collections are divided as:
- A reserve section, holding heavily used materials such as course outlines and aids, and items placed there by a professor for a specific class. At FIU you request this material from the Circulation Desk.
- Periodicals such as journals and law reviews will normally be shelved separately. At FIU these are on the third floor in alphabetical order.
- A larger general section within the library will hold the majority of the collection. The portions of FIU's collection catalogued under "KF", for U.S. law, are on the second and third floors in call number order.
Specifically, the most common titles used in legal research in Florida and their locations at the Law Library are:
- Most of the Florida materials, the "Florida Collection", are in the first floor stacks. However, the Southern Reporter is on the second floord, and the non-current statutes and regulations are shelved on the third floor in call number order.
- The federal annotated statutes and regulations are shelved on the first floor, as are the national encyclopedias.
- All the case reporters, and the Federal Practice Digest, are shelved by call number on the second floor.
The fastest way to find any source is to speak to a librarian. You can also search the catalog to determine the title’s call number and then speak to a librarian if you need further information. ...hide
Pics, info, and location of the "most used" books used in research
See photos, citation formats and location of all the main titles
mentioned in this guide on these interactive maps of the
You can perform your search using print resources or by searching online. Each method has its advantages. It will be much easier to find the context of related issues in a book. Online searching, on the other hand, tends to give you faster access to more material.
Since you do not know if you’ll have Lexis, Westlaw or Bloomberg Law available once you graduate, or if your client will be able to afford them, you should familiarize yourself with both online and print material use.
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If you have any reference or research questions please come by the reference desk and ask any librarian for help. Our hours are listed, alongside the library hours, here.
You can also use the "Ask A Librarian" button at the top of the left column to send us your reference question.
If you are a law student, the library also offers you research help and other support. You can see a partial list of services we offer you at the library's Student Services page. ...hide
