Research Databases
Boston College's Law Library subscribes to over 200 legal databases, providing a wide variety of resources. These databases can be accessed from this . 听Law students also have access to , which can be filtered by subject (e.g., biology, social work, gender studies) or database type (e.g., data/statistics, newspapers, market research/industry reports.听听On this page, you can find information regarding legal research, study aids, and recommended databases.听
The Teaching & Research librarians are always happy to consult with you to determine the best databases for your specific research project. Connect with us using any of the methods below.
Email Us
Email us your research questions to lawresearchhelp@bc.edu and we'll get back to you by the next business. You also can call us at 617-552-2971 during our scheduled reference hours.
Request a Research Consultation
You can听听with a research librarian. We can help you get started with a research project or paper, train you on legal databases, give you tips on navigating the Bluebook, or help you locate specific sources. You can choose a specific librarian or the first available.
Chat with a Librarian
To get live help with a research question, you can听听during our scheduled reference hours.
Summer interns/associates and new associates often are tasked with finding the laws on a certain topic across all 50 states (or some subset thereof). An already-compiled survey can be a huge time-saver for this type of project, and the Law Library subscribes to multiple databases that can help:听
- (HeinOnline)
- (贬别颈苍翱苍濒颈苍别)听
For more help, see our BC Law Library Research Guide on .听
Another common assignment in practice is to find the legislative history of a statute in order to discern the intent of the legislature. The legislative history of a law consists of the various documents produced by Congress as a bill moves through the legislative process. Documents include committee reports, debate transcripts, hearings, versions of bills, and more.
- 听Use to search for bill or public law number to see associated documents
- 听听Best when you have a citation to a specific document, eg. committee report
- 听
For more help, see our BC Law Library Research Guide on听.
Drafting documents is an important part of legal practice, whether it鈥檚 drafting motions, complaints, and briefs as a litigator or contracts and other agreements as a transactional attorney. Knowing where to find good sample documents can help you save time and improve your drafting skills.
- 听Standard documents, clauses, etc. by Practice Area
- 听Includes templates and clauses by Practice Area
- 听Search dockets for similar cases to find real-life litigation examples!
- 听听Includes drafting tools, sample agreements, and other practical guidance
- 听Locate additional authority and check citations
For more help, see our BC Law Library Research Guides on and
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For litigators, analytics data such case timing, resolutions, damages, remedies, and judicial findings/rulings can aid in decision-making and strategy. For transactional attorneys, looking at the data points on similar deals and agreements can help in negotiations and provide insights on current market practice.
- 听听Data analytics for ERIA and civil rights litigation
- 听State trial court docket info and analytics
For more help, contact the Teaching & Research Librarians.听
Law school tends to focus on tasks related to litigation practice. The Law Library has a number of resources that can assist you in understanding and completing tasks encountered in transactional practice, including due diligence, compliance, drafting, or corporate formation.
- 听M&A Basics, Commercial Lending, Securities Offerings, and more
- 听SEC Filings, Agreements, M&A data, and more
- 听SEC statutes, rules, regulations and administrative guidance along with SEC filings
- 听Practice notes, forms, checklists, and more in a variety of Practice Areas
- Practice notes, forms, checklists, and more in a variety of Practice Areas
For more help, see our BC Law Library Research Guide on
The Law Library subscribes to multiple sources of study aids for class and exam prep. Before buying an expensive study aid, check out the resources available to you for free!听For more help, see our BC Law Library Research Guide on
Bloomberg Law: Law School Course Resources
Features course-specific resources, including advanced courses, as well as class prep & stress management resources.
West Academic Study Aids
Includes hornbooks, legal outlines, case briefs and exam prep materials and more!
CALI
The Center for Computer Assisted Legal Instruction:听Ask for Registration Code at the Information Desk in the Law Library.
Aspen Learning Library
Includes Examples & Explanations, Glannon Guides, Emanuel Outlines, and more!
Each year one of the "Students' Favorites" is selected to be featured as a top resource. Check back to see if your recommendation is selected next year!
U.S. Code from the House of Representatives鈥� Office of Law Revision Counsel
“I found this free database to be a convenient and easy way to easily search through statutes by their popular names or by their Public Law/Statutes at Large numbers. After learning about it, I have made heavy use of it for Law Review work and some other assignments as well. It has made life infinitely easier when dealing with current and no-longer-in-force statutes.”