by David Batista, Public Services Coordinator, Rutgers-Camden School of Law Library Law Library Information:
All of the Library's bound periodicals (law reviews, law journals, bar journals, etc.) are shelved on the fourth floor, as are the indexes to those periodicals. Recent, unbound issues are kept on Reserve behind the Circulation Desk.
There are two major indexes to U.S. law related articles and the Library subscribes to both of them:
Index to Legal Periodicals (ILP) is the oldest of the two indexes, beginning coverage in colonial times (back then it was called Jones/Chipman). Today it indexes about 250 titles, mostly the major academic journals. This series can be found on the index shelves north of the stairwell on the fourth floor.
Current Law Index (CLI) is the more comprehensive of the two major legal periodical indexes. CLI indexes more than 800 titles, but its coverage begins in 1980. This set can also be found on the index shelves north of the stairwell on the fourth floor.
It usually takes from three to nine months for a published article to be indexed. For more recent articles you must examine the new issues of each title or look at the University of Washington's Current Index to Legal Periodicals.
In both ILP and CLI, articles are indexed by subject, author, book reviewed, and case discussed (often only the most famous cases).
If you are searching by subject, it is a good idea to start by making a list of all of the subject terms that you can think of that describe what you are looking for. Write the terms in a vertical column down the left side of the page. Across the top of the page from left to right add the index volume titles you search. These titles will form the column headings of your search grid. As you look through the indexes you will probably come across other related or alternative subject terms; add these to your subject term list. When you have searched a particular term in an index volume check it off on your search grid. Checking off each term as searched will help you keep track of which terms were searched in which volumes as you add more terms to your list.
As mentioned above, both indexes have separate sections for articles reviewing books and for articles discussing single cases (these are usually called "case comments"). If you are searching for either of these types of articles, start your search in the year that the book was published or the case decided and move forward. Articles on books and cases usually do not begin to appear until six months to a year from the date of publication/decision.
Periodical citations in these indexes are formatted as follows: title of article, author(s) name(s), volume number, periodical title (usually an abbreviation), pages of article, date of periodical issue. Title abbreviation lists can be found in the front of each issue of the indexes along with explanations of the index's policies and coverage.
The bound periodicals are shelved in alphabetical order with the exception of the tax journals which are shelved in the last row of the periodicals area. The Library does not subscribe to every title that is covered in ILP or CLI. To see if the Library owns a particular title, search the online catalog or examine the shelves. If a volume is missing from the shelf check at the Circulation Desk to see if the missing item has been checked out (NOTE: ONLY law journal and law faculty members are allowed to borrow periodicals).
If an issue or volume is missing, and is not charged out, interlibrary loan can probably obtain a copy of the article you need. Interlibrary loan usually takes from two to six weeks from the time you fill out the request until you receive the material. If you are a Rutgers Law School faculty, student, or staff you may order material by filling out an interlibrary loan form available at the Reference Desk. If you are a non-law Rutgers faculty, student, or staff interlibrary loan service is available through the Paul Robeson Library on the Camden Campus. If you are a non-Rutgers patron interlibrary loan is available through your local public library (or school library if you are a student elsewhere).
To photocopy an article you will need change (the machines will take quarters, dimes, and nickels) or a photocopy debit card. The Library does not provide change, however, there are change machines near the entrance to the Library and in the basement. Photocopy cards (NOTE: the photocopy card itself costs 50) can be purchased from a vending machine mounted on the wall just inside of the Library entrance on the third floor. The photocopy card is reusable and when empty can be loaded with more copies in the same machine where it was purchased. The photocopy cards will also work in the copy machines in the Robeson Library. There are four photocopiers on the third floor and one photocopier on each of the upper floors.
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