1L Resources, Tips and Tools: Introduction & Library Access

Brooklyn Law School's librarians created this guide to highlight many of BLS Library's resources to help you succeed in your first year of law school. 

Tip: Within a guide box (such as: Casebooks: Civil Procedure), sources appear "newest to oldest."  We want to encourage students to use current versions of available sources.

Also, you might wish to:

• Access BLS proxy server instructions to enable off-campus use of many ebooks, ejournals & databases, including Aspen Learning Library (a searchable collection of digital study aids)
  • Later in summer 2025, BLS Library will adopt OpenAthens.  This will simplify remote access to BLS Library's digital resources.
• Browse our collection of nearly 60 legal research guides
• Review tools that discuss citing to sources
• Browse our video tutorials for instructions on how to use BLS Library's resources
• Read answers to frequently asked questions about BLS Library

We want to help!  Contact us to obtain more information about library sources and services:

• Email us: askthelibrary@brooklaw.edu
• Text us: 718-734-2432
• Chat with us during reference coverage hours
• Schedule a research session with a BLS reference librarian

This LibGuide was last substantively updated:

On: June 3, 2025

At: 2:33 PM

By: Jean Davis

Tip: Click here to view "Opening Hours" for BLS Law School's 250 Joralemon Street building + Hours When BLS Library Staffs Its Circulation Desk + Hours When BLS Librarians Provide Reference Help.

When are BLS Law School and BLS Library (250 Joralemon Street) generally open for student use?

Generally, during the year: The gates open at 6am and close at midnight.  BLS students have access to the 250 Joralemon Street building and to BLS Library from 7am–midnight. 

During reading period, finals & the two weeks before the bar exam in July: The gates open at 6am and close at 2am.  BLS students have access to the 250 Joralemon Street building and to BLS Library from 7am–2am.