A teaching, research and D.C. practice-oriented law library for the faculty and students of the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law, the Charles A. and Hilda H. M. Mason Law Library is also open to the public.

 

 

The Mason Law Library, on the B Level of Building 39, faces Connecticut Avenue, N.W., and a small grove of ornamental cherry trees, at the corner of Van Ness Street, N.W.  The Van Ness Metro Station at Connecticut Avenue, N.W., borders the campus.  Parking is available on the streets nearby and in the underground UDC Parking Garage, entrance on Van Ness Street. N.W.  The address of the Law Library is 4200 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008; telephone 202-274-7310.

 

 

With a collection of more than 257,000 volumes, the Mason Law Library has a core collection of legal materials to support the Law School’s program, in print and microform.  This collection of primary legal resources includes state and federal statutes, regional and federal reporters, state reporters for the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia; selected state and regional digests; the General Digest; the federal practice digests; international treaties and some materials.  Secondary resources include treatises, some legislative history materials, the major journals of United States law schools, practice materials for D.C., Maryland and Virginia; and a substantial microform collection.  Most print materials in the Law Library are for library use only.

 

 

 

Circulation

 

The Law Library is open to the public but all non-UDC-DCSL patrons must sign in at the Circulation Desk and leave picture identification with the Circulation staff. 

 

The staff provide assistance in locating materials in the Mason Law Library.  UDC staff, administration, and faculty may check out circulating materials at Circulation for two weeks or, for reserved materials, for four hours’ use in the Law Library.  Reserve books may be checked out a closing and kept overnight, returning at 1 hour after opening the next day.  Fines for overdue materials are $1.00 per day and $1.00 per hour, for Reserve materials. 

 

The Law Library’s security system detects materials that have not been checked out and may result in a library staff member examining your bags to be certain all library materials have been properly checked out.

 

 

The Law Library Catalog, Justitia, is accessible on-line at http://catalog.law.udc.edu. Three catalog terminals in the Circulation area allow patrons to find materials in the collection by Library of Congress call number and by location.  The terminals have no printing functions.

 

 

Patrons may access the Internet from the catalog terminals for limited periods of time. 

 

 

One of the online catalog terminals also provides legal research using the Westlaw Public Access database.  There is no print function at the terminals.

 

UDC-DCSL students and faculty may access subscription legal research databases through the School of Law's website.

 

Law Librarians are available to assist patrons who are using the legal research databases.

 

 

The Law Library offers interlibrary loan service to the UDC community.  To request an item, contact the Circulation Librarian at 274-7357.

 

 

Only UDC-DCSL students and faculty may place "holds” on books.  Books may not be recalled from faculty or staff, but they may be recalled from other borrowers after two weeks.  Provide the circulation staff with the call number, title and author of the book you wish to place on hold.

 

 

Two copiers are available to all patrons in the Law Library.  A Law Library card to use the copiers can be purchased for $1.00 at the machine in the Circulation area.  Additional sums can be added to the card as needed.

 

At the Circulation Desk, small lockers in front of the Law Library may be checked out with UDC identification for periods of eight hours.

 

 

Laptop  service related to UDC-DCSL students’ course studies and clinic research is available.  UDC-DCSL students must fill out a request for service form at the Circulation Desk.  Once configured for the School of Law network, UDC-DCSL students may use printers located in the Circulation area and in the Clinic Library.

 

 

The Clinic Library on the second floor is for use by UDC-DCSL students and faculty only.  It includes client interviewing rooms, a small collection of research materials, and comfortable chairs, tables, and carrels for research and study.  Entry requires a passcode.

 

Lost and Found

 

The Law Library keeps lost materials found in the Law Library at the Circulation Desk.  These materials are discarded at the end of the semester.

 

 

Patrons are responsible for taking care of their personal valuables.  The Library staff cannot take care of anyone’s personal valuables.

 

 

The Law Library staff reshelves books.  Patrons may leave materials on tables, carrels, and book trucks.

 

 

Restrooms are located in the hallway leading to the Law Library on the B level of Building 39 and also in the Law Library itself.

 

 

Cell phone users are asked to leave the Library to make or take calls.  A public telephone is situated beside the elevators outside the Library.