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Library Study Aid Resources

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You should use study aids to supplement, not replace, the work you already do in your classes. Through this research guide, you can learn about the print and online study aids available from the library.  Online study aids offer several benefits, including multiple students using the same resource simultaneously, 24/7 access, interactive testing, and cutting and pasting information into your course outline. However, if you prefer print resources, our guide categorizes print study aids according to topics of interest to 1Ls and upper-level students. 

Beyond course-specific study aids, other books provide helpful tips on taking exams and handling pressure at law school. You can find these in the collection on the main floor. Some titles include:

In addition to the library’s books, CALI offers tutorials on law school success written by academic support faculty from around the country. These tutorials are grouped into the following categories:  

  • Foundation – What Everyone Assumes I Know (law school lingo, time management);   
  • Class Prep – Before, During, After (active reading, briefing, study groups);  
  • Exams – Preparing and Attacking (IRAC, issue spotting, outlining); and   
  • Reflection – Maintain or Improve on Prior Performance (grit, mindfulness). 

If you have questions about study aids or any other resources, please contact a law librarian or ask questions in the DickinsonLawLib@psu.edu email.

Library Resources for Exam Preparation

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With the end of the academic year rapidly approaching, now is a good time to prepare for exams. Along those lines, you may want to check out our Study Aids Research Guide. You can use this guide to target the types of study aids you need.

Both print and electronic study aids are available. Current versions of many print study aids can be found in the reference collection on the first floor. Please remember that reference materials, including study aids, circulate for two hours.

This is a sampling of our print titles:

If you want to find study aids in a particular series, try a keyword search of the library catalog. Here are some popular series:

If the reference copy of a print guide is unavailable, use the online version. Alternatively, try an older edition shelved in the regular stacks. The loan period for these books will be longer than for reference books.

You can find information about online aids using the research guide. Two popular online series are Short and Happy Guides and the Nutshells, which are part of the West Academic Study Aids collection.

Be aware that you may need an individual account to use some online resources. Follow the instructions in the research guide to set up an account. We will be happy to help if you encounter problems.

Besides subject-specific guides, we also have books on outlining, studying, and exam-taking strategies. Here are a few good examples:

If you have questions about using study aids, please speak with a librarian. You may also submit questions via DickinsonLawLib@psu.edu or the Ask Us box on the library’s webpage.

 

Study Aids

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The library provides access to several study aids that can help you prepare for final exams. Below is a summary of our various electronic study aid packages. You can find these resources on the library’s website. For more information, please see our Study Aids Research Guide.

1. West Academic Study Aids Collection 

Video Overview 

Popular Resources 

  • Gilbert’s Law Summaries—These are outlines. They include examples, exam tips, and visual aids such as charts.  
  • Acing Series—These provide summaries of a particular topic, including checklists for analyzing issues and sample problems with solutions.  
  • Exam Pro—These are a series of practice exams followed by an answer key. There is an option to use an interactive format for answering multiple-choice questions.  
  • Step by Step Guides—These are interactive workbooks designed to prepare students for exams. They include rule statements, fill-in-the-blank spaces to help you learn terminology, short-answer Test Yourself questions, and full-length essay questions with sample answers.

Access

If you are on campus, you can use IP authentication, which means that you don’t need an individual account to access these materials. Having an individual account, on the other hand, enables you to highlight and take notes like you would in a book. Your individual account also allows you to view books and listen to audio titles offline. You can set up your personal account here using your law school email address.  

2. Wolters Kluwer Study Aid Library

(aka the Aspen Learning Library)   

Popular Resources

  • Examples and Explanations—These popular resources provide a series of hypothetical questions accompanied by detailed explanations that help you learn how to apply black letter law concepts. 
  • Emanuel Law Outlines—These outlines cover topics, cases, and black letter law. They include Quiz Yourself tests and exam tips. There is also a capsule summary that allows for a quick review of key topics.
  • Emanuel CrunchTime—These are designed for exam studying. They include flowcharts, capsule summaries, example tips, and sample questions with model answers. 
  • Glannon Guides—These explain legal topics with hypotheticals that illustrate how to apply the concepts. Both the correct and incorrect options are explained. 

Access

If you are on campus, you can use IP authentication, which means that you don’t need an individual account to access these materials. Having an individual account, on the other hand, enables you to save notes, bookmarks, highlights, favorites, share with others, print text, and create shelves. To create a personalized account, log in using the link above and then click “Register” and create your username and password. 

3. CALI 

Video Overview  

Introduction 

CALI stands for the Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction. Almost all law schools in the country belong to CALI, a non-profit organization that offers interactive online lessons and other learning resources.  

Types of Resources  

  • CALI Lessons—These are interactive tutorials that introduce legal concepts and then immediately test your knowledge of those concepts. More than 1,000 tutorials have been written and peer-reviewed by faculty at CALI member schools. Often, the best way to find a tutorial is to use the Subject Outline.  
  • Law School Success Lessons—CALI includes a terrific collection of tutorials on law school success and legal concepts and skills. 
  • Podcasts—Most CALI materials are interactive lessons. However, they do have a selection of podcasts on contracts, payment systems, secured transactions, law school success, and bar preparation.  

Access 

To use CALI, you must register for an individual account with a registration code. Please contact us if you need assistance accessing CALI.

4. Quimbee 

Popular Resources 

  • Video Lessons with Multiple Choice Questions—These are short videos followed by multiple-choice questions that help you gauge your understanding of the topics covered. The videos come with closed captioning and transcripts.  
  • Essay Practice Exams—These include essay questions, detailed model answers, and a grading rubric.  
  • Flashcards—These flashcards use something called spaced repetition, which means that you rate your understanding of a topic and then the computer’s algorithm uses that rating to determine how often you are tested on that topic. 

Access 

To use Quimbee you must register for an individual account. Please contact us if you need assistance accessing Quimbee.

 5. Lexis Digital Library

Popular Resources 

  • Mastering Series—These provide a clear discussion of topics covered in popular casebooks.
  • Questions and Answers—These include multiple-choice and short-answer questions in a topically arranged format, as well as a practice exam that covers a wide range of topics. There are explanations of multiple-choice answers and model answers for short-answer questions.

Access 

Access is available using the link above or via the library’s website. Download the LexisNexis Digital Library app from the Google Play™ store or Apple Store® to read offline.

 

 

Study Aids

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What are study aids?  Study aids are materials, other than your casebook, that help explain the law.

Study aids can help you by:

  • providing a useful overview of a confusing subject area,
  • identifying the rule of law from a group of cases,
  • double checking your understanding of the material, and
  • offering an alternative explanation or examples to help you make sense of difficult material.

In other words, study aids are meant to supplement, not take the place of, the work that you are already doing in your courses. 

There are many types of study aids.  To help you determine which type of study aid may work best for you, and to help you locate study aids, the Law Library has created a guide for you, which can be accessed through this link.

As a reminder, in addition to print study aids, the Law Library provides you with access to these online study aid products:

  • West Academic Online Study Aids has audio lectures and digital versions of nutshells, hornbooks, treatises, and other study guides.   West Academic Online Study Aids may be accessed through this link on the Law Library’s A to Z Database list.  However, it is recommended that users create an account to take full advantage of all the features available within West Academic Online Study Aids, such as highlighting and note taking.  To create an account, please visit subscription.westacademic.com.  You must use your Penn State-Dickinson Law email address when creating an account.  During the set-up process, you will need to select your school, “Dickinson Law.”  Once you have created an account, you will receive an email asking you to confirm or verify your email address.  This email may end up in your spam or junk folder.
  • Quimbee has video lessons, practice questions/exams, case briefs, and flashcards.  To sign up for Quimbee, visit https://www.quimbee.com/users/organization_sign_up and follow the instructions to create an account.  You must use your Penn State-Dickinson Law email address when creating an account.  After you have created an account, you will receive an email asking you to confirm or verify your email address.  This email may end up in your spam or junk folder.

If you have questions about study aids or any of the other Law Library’s resources, please contact a law librarian.

Study Aids Available at the Library

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The Law Library now provides access to two online study aid products.  Please remember that study aids are meant to supplement, not take the place of, the work you are doing in your courses.

  • West Academic Online Study Aids has audio lectures and digital versions of nutshells, hornbooks, treatises, and other study guides.   West Academic Online Study Aids may be accessed through this link on the Law Library’s A to Z Database list.  However, it is recommended that users create an account to take full advantage of all the features available within West Academic Online Study Aids, such as highlighting and note taking.  To create an account, please visit subscription.westacademic.com.  You must use your Penn State-Dickinson Law email address when creating an account.  During the set-up process, you will need to select your school, “Dickinson Law.”  Once you have created an account, you will receive an email asking you to confirm or verify your email address.  This email may end up in your spam or junk folder.
  • Quimbee has video lessons, practice questions/exams, case briefs, and flashcards.  To sign up for Quimbee, visit https://www.quimbee.com/users/organization_sign_up and follow the instructions to create an account.  You must use your Penn State-Dickinson Law email address when creating an account.  After you have created an account, you will receive an email asking you to confirm or verify your email address.  This email may end up in your spam or junk folder.

In addition to these online study aids, the Law Library has a collection of assorted study aid series in print, which are searchable through The CAT – the library’s online catalog.  These items may be found in The CAT by searching in Library “Dickinson Law” and by keyword or series, i.e., hornbook, concise hornbook, nutshell, etc.

Here are some examples of the types of study aids that the Law Library has in print:

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