Services for Students

The Charles B. Sears Law Library spans the second to third and fifth to seventh floors of O'Brian Hall, with the entrance on the second floor. The second and third floors are open to all UB community members and visitors, while the fifth to seventh floors are reserved for UB Law faculty and students (JD/LLM/JSD). The fourth floor is not Library space.

The library is not responsible for personal items left unattended.

All students are expected to adhere to the UB Libraries General Conduct Rules and Regulations. Any student found responsible for committing misconduct is subject to disciplinary sanctioning, up to and including permanent revocation of library privileges. 

The Law Library offers a limited number of study carrels for independent study. The study carrels are restricted to currently enrolled UB Law students (JD/LLM/JSD), and the following policies are meant to ensure equitable access to these study rooms. Please be advised that the following procedures and rules are subject to change as the need arises.

• Reservation Policy: No reservations are allowed. Study carrels are first-come, first-served.
• Checkout: You must present your SUNY UB ID card at the 2nd floor service desk to check out a study carrel key, and you are the only person permitted in the room while it is checked out to you. You are responsible for ensuring the key is returned at least 15 minutes prior to the library closing or when you are finished using the room. You are responsible for ensuring that the study carrel door is closed and locked after use to prevent unauthorized use of the room. Study Carrels are not soundproof, so noises may be heard outside the room. Please be considerate of others.
• Lost and Overdue Keys: If the key is lost or stolen, you will incur a replacement fee of $100. Study carrel privileges will be revoked until the replacement fee is paid or the key is returned. Repeated failure to return a key or violation of any of the above checkout policies may result in the revocation of study carrel privileges.
• Security: The library is not responsible for personal items left unattended in the study carrels.

The Law Library also offers conference rooms for group study. The conference rooms are restricted to currently enrolled UB Law students (JD/LLM/JSD), and the following policies are meant to ensure equitable access to these rooms. Please be advised that the following procedures and rules are subject to change as the need arises.

• Reservation Policy: Conference rooms may be reserved for a time slot on the day the room is needed. One student can make a reservation for their group, but a minimum of two group members must be present to check out the key at the service desk. All members of the group must be named at the time of reservation and/or check out. Reservations will be canceled 10 minutes after the start of the reserved time slot if two members of the group have not arrived to check-out the key. No reservations may be made prior to the day the room is needed.
• Checkout: You and another member of your group must be present at the start of your reservation time slot to check out the key. You must present your SUNY UB ID card to check-out the key. You are responsible for knowing the names of everyone in your group. You are responsible for ensuring that the key is returned at the end of your two-hour loan period. Fines will accrue if the key is not returned. You are responsible for ensuring that the door to the conference room is closed and locked after use to prevent unauthorized use of the room.
• Lost and Overdue Keys: A late fee of $10 per hour will accrue for overdue keys. If the key is lost or stolen, a replacement fee of $100.00 will be incurred. Repeated failure to return a key at the end of the reservation or violation of any of the above checkout policies will result in the revocation of conference room privileges.
• Security: The library is not responsible for personal items left unattended in conference rooms.

As a student, you are welcome to explore our collection of study guides in print (on the 2nd floor) and our online study guides. 

• Aspen Learning Library (e.g., Emanuel Law Outlines, Glannon Guides, Examples & Explanations)
• LexisNexis Digital Library (e.g., Questions & Answers, Understanding Law)
• West Study Aids (e.g., Nutshells, Hornbooks, Sum & Substance)

Both platforms offer online books and audio files. 

In need of a charger for your phone or laptop? Visit the front desk on the 2nd floor. If you need other technology, check out what we have at Silverman Library to borrow. 

Past Law School Exams that have been made available for electronic access by faculty members can be found by following the link and authenticating using your UBIT username and password.

In the Past Exams folder, you will find a listing of folders by Class Title. Within Each Class folder there will be a folder by Faculty Name. Within a specific Faculty member’s folder, the exams are arranged by Year and Semester.

• UB Law IT: Law-IT can assist with classroom technology and online teaching applications. They will also work with University partners to provide you with support for computing and classroom instructional technologies. Please reach out with any questions! Law-IT is located on the second floor of the law library.
• Scanner: There is a scanner located on the second floor for students, faculty and staff (JD/LLM/JSD). Additionally, there is a printer/scanner available on the fifth floor. 
• Printing: Each JD/LLM/JSD student receives an annual allocation for printing. Please see UB School of Law Mobility Print for more information. Additionally, there are UB Print Anywhere stations located at kiosks across campus. Finally, on the fifth and seventh floors, printers supplied by Lexis are available for use.
• Workstations: There are law school workstations available on the second, fifth, sixth, and seventh floors. These are connected to printing and also provide access to LAW ONLY databases. There is an accessible workstation available on the second floor (left of the stairs) and an accessible workstation located on the fifth floor. Finally, there is a UB workstation for UB students available on the third floor.
• UB IT Student Technology Guide: This page is a dashboard to connect to platforms such as Zoom and UB Learns; contains service guides for connecting to UB’s Wi-Fi and Networks; and provides links to software to download to your personal computer (e.g., EndNote).