law library: Library Services
- Submit a Question to a Reference Librarian via our email form.
The reference desk which is located across from the circulation desk as you enter the Law Library is staffed daily. All of our reference librarians have either a J.D., a Masters of Library Science, or both.
The types of questions that our librarians can help you with include:
- Legal research
- Locational
- Lexis/Westlaw/Internet/CD-ROM searching
- Using the library online catalog
- Some non-legal research
The reference area includes many legal and non-legal reference sources including dictionaries, encyclopedias, citation guides etc. Nearby computer terminals also provide access to the online catalog and the Internet. The computer labs in the law library are restricted to current law students.
What is Interlibrary Loan?
Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is a formal cooperative agreement among libraries to share material with, or provide photocopies to, other libraries. If you are unsuccessful in locating the research items needed in the law library, you may initiate an ILL request. Once we verify that we do not have the item you need in our collection, we can request it be sent here from another library.
Who may use the Interlibrary Loan?
GGU Law Library provides ILL to faculty, staff, and currently enrolled students of GGU Law School. Alumni, corporate members, and non-registered students are not eligible.
What materials may be borrowed?
Interlibrary Loan will not order textbooks which are currently being used by classes at GGU Law School and are on the GGU Bookstore textbook list. Books and photocopies of journal and newspaper articles are easily obtained from most libraries.
How much time does it take for my ILL request to arrive?
The turnaround time involved in requesting and receiving varies depending upon the location and availability of the item(s). You should allow at least a week to two weeks from the time you turn in your requests. If the item is only available out-of-state, it may take longer. We do not request material from lenders outside the United States.
Are there costs involved?
Most transactions are free, however ILL service for GGU Law Library borrowers is on a cost recovery basis. That means that the borrower will be responsible for any lending or photocopy charges that may be assessed by the lending library. Borrowers will also be charged overdue fines for books not returned on time.
Please Note: If a student fails to return an ILL book to the library, the registrar's office will withhold your diploma and/or transcripts until the book is returned or replacement costs to the lending library are paid.
How do I request a book or article?
To request a book or article be delivered to you, please fill out the GGU LAW SCHOOL INTERLIBRARY LOAN FORM
If you have any questions or problems, please contact Ledja Cullen, ILL Librarian, at 415-442-6689 or email at: lcullen@ggu.edu.
What information do I need to request a book or article?
When you fill out the online form, you will be asked for the following information:
- Your Full Name
- Student ID Number
- Phone Number
- Email Address
- Complete Citation Information for the Items Being Requested
- Book: Author, Title, Year of Publication
- Article: Author, Article Title, Publication Title, Volume, Issue/Number, Date, Page Number
How will I know when my material has arrived?
You will be notified by e-mail when the item you have requested arrives. Once notified, you may pick up the material at the Circulation Desk. Tell the staff at the Circulation Desk you have been notified that interlibrary loan materials have arrived and are being held for you. Over the cover of the book will be a GGU Law Library date due slip telling you when the book needs to be returned to the library. Please do not remove this slip. Photocopies are yours to keep.
Where do I return books?
Please return all ILL books to the Circulation Desk in the Law Library. Please do not return photocopies, they are yours to keep.
The Law Library invites prospective members to consider the economic advantages of vastly expanding their law library resources through participation in Golden Gate membership program. Golden Gate University School of Law alumni may join at a reduced rate.
Our Membership Brochure and Application are available in PDF format:
Golden Gate University Law Library Memberships may be purchased in the following categories:
- Individual Members ($450.00 annual fee)
Attorney, corporate officers and others may apply for individual membership. Corporate or firm librarians are not eligible for individual membership. One membership card for a designated individual is included. This card is not transferable. Borrowing privileges are permitted in accordance with the Law Library loan policies.
- Institutional Members ($1,000.00 annual fee)
Law firms, corporations, and businesses may apply for institutional membership. Four membership cards are included with this membership and the card may be used by anyone within the institution. Borrowing privileges are granted only to those persons carrying membership cards and in accordance with the Law Library loan policies. Additional cards are available at $150.00 each.
- Non-Profit Organization Members ($250.00 annual fee)
Nonprofit public interest and other legal services organizations or government agencies may apply for nonprofit organization membership. One membership card is included with this membership and the card(s) can be used by anyone within the institution. Borrowing privileges are permitted in accordance with the Law Library loan policies. Additional cards are available at $150.00 each.
The following services are provided for members:
Database Searches Reference librarians provide consultation on the applicability of electronic information sources to a member's research needs.
Telephone Information Library holdings will be checked upon telephone request. Telephone reference services, cite checking services, and paging services are not available.
Photocopy Service Members may request and be billed for photocopies. Requests may be made in person during Library hours or by telephone from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Request made before 3:30 p.m. are ready by noon the next day for pickup or mailing. (Requests submitted on Friday are available the next Tuesday.) If requested material is unavailable, notification will be given by telephone on the morning the materials are due.
Monthly Billings Include:
- Standard Fee: Up to three items per day will be photocopied for members at a stack search and per-page charge. Complete citations are required.
- Research Fee: A research fee is charged if the photocopy request citations are incomplete or incorrect.
- Same-day Service Fee: When schedule and staffing permit on weekdays, rush orders for same-day copying are accepted. The same-day service fee is charged in addition to the standard fee.
Terms of Membership
Fees are payable annually, and membership may be purchased at any time during the year. The expiration date appears on the membership card. A membership card must be displayed for an individual to gain access and privileges. Membership requires application and advance payment of the fee. The Law Library retains the right to refuse membership and to determine the appropriate category of membership for applicants. Membership in the Law Library of Golden Gate University is separate and distinct from General Library membership, with no reciprocal privileges. Membership may be terminated at the discretion of the Law Library. Nonpayment of charges for 60 days and non-return of borrowed materials for 10 days are grounds for termination. In the event of membership termination, the Law Library will provide a pro-rata refund of the fee, minus any outstanding charges.
Membership cards remain the property of Golden Gate University Law Library. A substantial replacement fee is charged for lost cards.
Alumni Library Privileges
Graduates of Golden Gate University receive a discount on membership fees. Contact the Law Library for more information.
Further Information
For further information about Law Library services, contact the Law Library or e-mail Mohamed Nasralla: mnasralla@ggu.edu.
Faculty may request that the Law Library purchase specific titles by sending an email to the Collection Development Librarian, Janet Fischer, at jfischer@ggu.edu. We do our best to fulfill requests that fall within our Collection Development guidelines.
Please note that we do not purchase case books or text books.
Golden Gate University Law Library is committed to fostering faculty scholarship and publishing.
The library offers the following services to full-time faculty:
- Aid in topic selection
- Preemption checking for a topic you select
- Customized research summary derived from preemption check
- Personal assistance to set up alerts, clips, and RSS feeds
- Training for research assistants
- Help locating non-legal scholarly articles to support your research
- Access to items the library does not own through interlibrary loan
Further information is available on the TWEN site. All full-time faculty have been added to the TWEN course "Faculty Scholarship."
Law Library alumni may use the law library free of charge for two years following graduation, including:
- access to databases from the public terminals (but NOT Westlaw or Lexis)
- access to the reading room and study space (group study rooms are for currently enrolled students only)
Alumni access does NOT include:
- access to Westlaw or Lexis
- access to the computer labs
After two years from graduation, law alumni may purchase a law library card for the nominal fee of $25 per year.
To obtain a card, bring a completed Application for Law School Alumni Library Card to the circulation desk for processing.