Material Check Out Privileges
All TJSL alumni are welcome to use library materials within the library. Alumni may also check out circulating books for 30 days provided a free library card is obtained upon verification of graduate status. Contact Torin Andrews (tandrews@tjsl.edu; 619-961-4206), or Hadas Livnat (hlivnat@tjsl.edu; 619-961-4294) to obtain a library card.
Free Westlaw Access
We are happy to offer alumni free access to Westlaw. The program, called WestPac (Westlaw Patron Access), allows access to case law, statutes, and regulations from all fifty states and all federal jurisdictions, as well as major federal, multistate and California secondary sources. Some California secondary sources include the full range of Rutter Group and Witkin practice guides and treatises, and the Miller and Starr sets. WestPac also includes access to KeyCite, which allows researchers to determine whether a case or statute is still good law.
Ask how to access WestPac at either of the circulation desks.
Reference Services
Alumni are able to call on the significant expertise of the reference librarians. We offer a wide range of reference services to include helping to identify subject area resources, formulating research strategies, and using library materials. Our only limit is that we cannot perform research (by law). To receive reference help, you may use AskThom, our live chat service (http://www.tjsl.edu/library/askthom), contact Catherine Deane (cdeane@tjsl.edu; 619-961-4339), Torin Andrews or Hadas Livnat, or ask for help at the fourth floor reference desk.
Remote Access to ThomCat, the Library's Online Catalog
The library allows for remote access to our online database of library holdings, ThomCat (http://tjefl.iii.com/). ThomCat may also be accessed from the school homepage (http://www.tjsl.edu), under the library menu.
MCLE Credit
The library has purchased several MCLE tapes, which are available for checkout in the fourth floor library lobby area. In addition, library staff occasionally provides training that satisfies the requirements for MCLE credit. Watch the Alumni Newsletter for MCLE information.
Library Mini-Classes
Throughout each semester, the reference staff presents short classes on sundry legal research tasks, such as finding case law and statutes, how to Shepardize, or how to search in ThomCat, our online library catalog. Alumni are always welcome to attend these 10 to 20 minute sessions. Several of these classes are available from the school Web site on a video on-demand basis (http://www.tjsl.edu/library/research/tutorials). Watch the Alumni Newsletter for a schedule of the live classes.
Legal Research Boot Camp
As time permits, the library reference staff teaches a two hour print-based legal research boot camp. Boot Camp consists of research in federal and California case law, administrative law, statutes, digests, legal encyclopedias, ALRs, practice guides, court motions and pleadings, practice and court forms, and court rules. There is also a boot camp for free legal Web resources. Watch the Alumni Newsletter for a schedule of these classes.
Suggest Purchases
Alumni purchase requests are encouraged. Contact Leigh Inman (glinman@tjsl.edu; 619-961-4278) with your requests.
Interlibrary Loan
TJSL students, faculty, and alumni needing books that are unavailable in the library collection may request an interlibrary loan. Contact Hadas Livnat (hlivnat@tjsl.edu) for your interlibrary loan request.
Access and Circulation Policies
See Using the Library (http://www.tjsl.edu/library/using-library) for more about access and circulation policies.
