Mon - Thu: 7:30 am - 10:30 pm
Fri: 7:30 am - 9 pm
Sat: 10 am - 7 pm
Sun: 10 am - 10:30 pm
Holiday and other special hours are posted on the home page.
The entrance to the Golden Gate University School of Law Library is located on the first floor of our San Francisco Campus
Since 1983 the Law Library has been closed to the general public, except for those individuals seeking government documents as outlined below. It serves the Golden Gate University law school and some members of the Golden Gate University community and select groups of outside patrons including members. Generally, all patrons entering the Law Library must use a current Golden Gate University Law Library access card to enter through our security gate.
MS Tax students may access the law library to use tax materials or to study.
Any questions or concerns related to this policy should be directed only to Michael Daw, Associate Dean of the Law Library or Audrey Ching, Assistant Dean of the MS Tax Program.
The law library website provides links to a variety of websites of interest to legal researchers. The online public access catalog provides links to documents that are available online. Access to fee-based databases is restricted to law students and faculty.
The law library provides wireless Internet access for law school students and faculty. All others may use the public access computers which provide Internet access but do not provide printing capabilities. Most of our study carrels are wired for Internet access.
Access the Library's Online Catalog
Golden Gate University Law Library has been a selective Federal depository since 1979, as well as a depository for selected government publications of the State of California. Our in-house collection includes documents published by the judiciary, the Department of Justice, the Environmental Protection Agency, Executive agencies, the Department of Labor, as well as many others. Golden Gate University Law Library complies with Title 44, §1911 of the United States Code by allowing the general public entrance to the law library without charge to use the depository materials. Our online catalog also lists many government documents available over the Internet. Our website links suggest the best sites to find government information available online for federal, state, international, and foreign levels of government. We also provide direct links to the Federal Depository Library Program Electronic Collection.
Members of the public seeking entrance to the Golden Gate University Law Library for the purpose of accessing government documents must sign a log-in binder at the Circulation Desk. A Reference Librarian is available during Reference Desk hours to assist the public in the use of government documents.
Visit the Government Documents Page
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. All the information is available on our Library Services page.
The information below should provide you with everything you need to know about our Law Library. Information includes basic library rules, inter-library loan policy, and an overview of who is eligible to access our library.
The Law Library is open to Golden Gate University law students, faculty and staff. University students needing access to legal materials may use the collection, but do not have access to group study rooms, hard-wired carrels, or computers and printers. GGU ID must be shown upon entry. Admission is also available to the general public for the purpose of accessing federal and state depository materials. Paid memberships are available to other members of the community; please ask at the circulation desk or see the Access section of this page for more information.
Golden Gate University Law Library is a Federal Depository Library and complies with Title 44 of the United States Code by allowing the general public entrance to the law library without charge to use the federal depository materials. Patrons who wish to use government depository materials are asked to sign in at the Circulation Desk and indicate which material they are going to use. There is a computer near the Reference Desk dedicated to Government Documents use.
You must have a valid GGU ID card or Membership Card to borrow materials. Most Law Library materials do not circulate. Since law libraries are primarily reference collections, only a small percentage of the collection can be checked out. Circulating materials are generally loaned for two weeks, and may be renewed twice if no other patron has requested the material and they are not overdue. Overdue charges apply; please ask at the Circulation Desk for details.
Use of the computer labs is restricted to Golden Gate University law students only. You may be asked to show ID while using the labs.
Neither food nor drinks are allowed in the computer labs. This policy is strictly enforced.
Group study rooms are located on the lower levels of the Law Library. Reservations in advance are not permitted; study rooms are checked out on a first come, first served basis. There is a two-hour time limit for each room, although they can be renewed for another two hours if no one else is waiting. A "group" consists of two or more persons. These rooms are available for the use of law students only.
Patrons seeking copies of a title on microform (fiche or film) must request them in advance. Copies will be made by our staff and emailed as PDF documents or printed and held for pick up. Printing incurs a charge of 12 cents per page.
Fill out the Microform Request Form and fax to us at 415-512-9395.
Membership categories include corporate, individual, and nonprofit organizations. A non-transferable Day Pass is also available for $10. The Day Pass does not confer borrowing privileges. Please contact the Circulation Desk for information, or see the Membership information under the Access section above.
Please silence your cell phone in the Law Library.
Increased surveillance due to the passage of the USA Patriot Act and the investigation of computer crimes has resulted in library visits by law enforcement officials. However, it is the library's duty to protect the privacy of its patrons. These guidelines have been developed in the event that the Golden Gate University Law Library encounters a visit by law enforcement officials.
Any time law enforcement officials visit the Law Library, immediately ask for identification. If it takes place during normal office hours, please notify the Library Director or the Assistant Director.
Associate Dean and Director, Professor
415-442-6682
mdaw@ggu.edu
BA, History and Political Science, Valparaiso University; JD, Valparaiso University; MLIS, San Jose State University.
Michael is Associate Dean and Director of the Law Library. He specializes in International and Tax Legal Research. He joined the library staff at Golden Gate in 1994 and served as the Electronic Formats Librarian until 1999. Before coming to Golden Gate, Michael practiced law, primarily in the tax field and later as litigation support in a landlord-tenant firm. In addition to his library duties, Michael teaches a variety of research courses, including Tax Research (LLM Tax), Graduate Legal Research (LLM, US Legal Studies), eSearch (Advanced Legal Research), and occasionally California Legal Research. He also helps introduce first year students to computer-assisted legal research during their hands-on Lexis, Westlaw, and Internet sessions each spring. He was appointed Interim Co-Director of the Law Library in 2006 and hired as Director effective July 1, 2007.
Assistant Director, Public Services, Adjunct Professor
415-442-6684
mnasralla@ggu.edu
BS, International Relations, Chico State University; BA, History, Chico State University; JD, Golden Gate University School of Law; LLM in International Law, Golden Gate University School of Law.
While in law school Mohamed interned with the Immigrant Legal Resource Center in San Francisco and worked pro-bono for the Center after graduating law school for several years doing mostly asylum and deportation defense. After graduating from law school, Mohamed practiced in a mid-size litigation firm in San Francisco. In 1989 he joined the law library staff and now does reference and research, and oversees the Public and Technical Services Departments. Mohamed has over 20 years of Immigration law experience and serves as a mentor to many Golden Gate law alums who go on to practice in that area. He is a member of the GGU Law faculty and has been teaching GGU law students on exam-writing techniques and various substantive law courses since 1990. He was appointed Interim Co-Director of the Law Library in 2006 and made Assistant Director July 1, 2007.
Reference & Electronic Services Librarian, Adjunct Professor
415-442-6683
jcollova@ggu.edu
BA, Carleton College; JD, University of Minnesota Law School, MLIS, San Jose State University.
Before joining the GGU Law Library staff in 2011, Jodi Collova taught undergraduate legal research and writing courses at John F. Kennedy University and Heald College. Prior to her teaching and library career, she practiced plaintiff-side employment law for two years, litigating national wage and hour class actions. She also volunteered as a supervising attorney at the Legal Aid Society-Employment Law Center in San Francisco. At GGU, Jodi provides reference services in the law library, manages Westlaw and Lexis accounts, maintains the library's research guides, and teaches California Legal Research every semester as an Adjunct Professor. Jodi completed her MLIS degree in 2013.
Collection Development/Government Documents Librarian, Administrator of the Digital
Commons
Interlibrary Loans
415-442-7826
jfischer@ggu.edu
BA, History, College of Notre Dame, Belmont, CA; MLIS, San Jose State University, School of Library and Information Science.
Janet joined the Golden Gate University Law Library staff in June 2002. After receiving her MLIS in 1996, she worked as the Assistant Director at the San Mateo County Law Library until joining our staff. Prior to that, for approximately eleven years she worked in the insurance industry. Along with Collection Development, Government Documents and reference desk responsibilities, Janet also keeps the library's website up to date and is the Administrator for our Digital Commons.
Reference and Electronic Services Librarian, Adjunct Professor
415-442-6520
jpesetsky@ggu.edu
BA, Legal Studies & Conservation and Research Studies, University of California at Berkeley; JD, Willamette University; MLIS, San Jose State University.
Prior to joining the GGU staff, Jennifer worked as a librarian in law firms including Heller Ehrman, Reed Smith, and Morrison & Foerster. In her law firm work, Jennifer has taught courses, given presentations and researched a broad range of issues. She also worked as a librarian in Washington, DC at both National Public Radio and the Law Library of Congress. In law school, she received a Certificate in Dispute Resolution in addition to her JD. Jennifer joined the staff at GGU in the fall of 2011.
Systems Librarian
415-442-6686
hamjadi@ggu.edu
BA, Computer Science, Chaminade University; MLIS, San Jose State University.
Hadi joined the staff of the Golden Gate University libraries in September 2004, after working for more than five years as an educational technology and computer support specialist at Santa Clara University School of Law. Prior to Santa Clara, he held the position of Systems Librarian at the Graduate Theological Union Library in Berkeley.
Technical Services Librarian
415-442-6688
dcastro@ggu.edu
BA, English Literature, San Francisco State University; MLIS, San Jose State University. Library Information Technology Program, CCSF, 2010.
Diana joined the staff of the law library in November, 2007. She completed her Masters of Library Science degree from San Jose State University in 2013. Prior to working at GGU, she worked for a Real Estate Broker in San Francisco doing administrative work, loan processing, and rental property management.
Technical Services Assistant
415-442-3715
scampanelli@ggu.edu
Cataloging Assistant
415-442-3688
sfarmer@ggu.edu
Continuations/Government Documents Assistant
415-442-3687
gkemp@ggu.edu
Serials Assistant
415-442-3696
skorver@ggu.edu
Acquisitions Assistant
415-442-6687
mlam@ggu.edu