Bennett Jones Law Library

The Bennett Jones Law Library welcomes students and legal researchers to explore our many and varied resources.

About Us

The Bennett Jones Law Library is a quiet study area with a collection that includes sets of statutes and case law, law journals, books, and reference sources to use or borrow. We also subscribe to many legal databases and have access to hundreds of non-legal electronic resources. There are many guides to help with your legal research, with reference assistance available via email or by appointment.

Study Environment

As the Bennett Jones Law Library is a quiet study area, please keep conversations short and at a low volume. The 1st floor and Mezzanine are quieter than the 2nd floor as the staff members assist patrons with circulation and research questions on that floor. We ask that you silence your phone and take calls outside to respect the people studying around you.

The Bennett Jones Law Library offers a variety of study spaces, including tables, carrels, and group workrooms. The library has 10 group workrooms on the Mezzanine and 2nd floor which can be used by all UCalgary students. Law students are able to book workrooms up to one week in advance, and all students can access workroom bookings at the Taylor Family Digital Library.

Where is it Located?

Murray Fraser Hall 2340 | 2500 University Dr NW Calgary, AB T2N 1N4

Ph: 403.220.3727

lawlib@ucalgary.ca

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Collections

Our collections focus on the common law jurisdictions of Canada, the UK, US, Australia and New Zealand as well as international and comparative law.

The Bennett Jones Law Library subscribes to many legal databases and has access to hundreds of non-legal electronic resources. Access to the legal electronic resources is from the Legal Databases link on the Bennett Jones Law Library webpage.

Technology

Computer lab provides 20 workstations with access to word processing, library and legal databases, and the Internet.
Five workstations located in the reference area.

Special Collections

The Ernest S. Watkins Rare Book Collection is named for a man well known for his contribution to Alberta's legal profession, its legal history and the life of the University of Calgary Law School. The Special Collections holds some of Mr. Watkins personal and business correspondence, legal documents, photographs, political speeches and other related material.

The Law Library collection consists largely of the following:

18th- and 19th-century English and pre-1900 Canadian materials
A copy of each graduate thesis from the University of Calgary Faculty of Law
An almost-complete collection of the Canadian Parliamentary Guide from 1909 to 1995
All items in the collection are listed in the Library catalogue. Many of the titles are available in the regular Law Library collection as reprints. Later editions are available online.

Law Library privileges

Access and Borrowing Privileges

Students from other institutions are welcome to visit the Bennett Jones Law Library, use our collections, and seek research assistance from the reference personnel. Most Alberta and Canadian university students will also be able to borrow books from the University of Calgary libraries, in accordance with various reciprocal agreements. Please make arrangements to receive these privileges with your home institution before visiting our library.

Study Environment

The Bennett Jones Law Library is a quiet study area, please keep conversations short and at a low volume. The 1st floor and Mezzanine are quieter than the 2nd floor as the staff members assist patrons with circulation, technology and research questions on that floor. We ask that you silence your phone and take calls outside to respect the people studying around you.

All University of Calgary students are welcome to use the facilities, collections and services of the Bennett Jones Law Library.

Work Spaces

All students may use the carrels and tables located on the 1st and 2nd floors for study purposes and the computers located in the computer lab and reference area. All students may also use available group workrooms located on the mezzanine and 2nd floors; however, students may be asked to vacate the room by law students who have reserved the room. The Mezzanine level is considered as preferred seating for law Students, so non-Law students may be asked to move to another section in the library if all the tables on the Mezzanine are in use.

Study Environment

The Bennett Jones Law Library is a quiet study environment. Please keep conversations short and at a low volume. The 1st floor and Mezzanine are quieter than the 2nd floor as the staff members assist patrons with circulation, technology and research questions on that floor.

Do not use cell phones in the Bennett Jones Law Library. Take your cell phones outside of the library if you are having a conversation.

Legal Databases

The databases that the Bennett Jones Law Library subscribes to are available to every member of the University of Calgary community. We have campus-wide licences to two premier Canadian legal databases, Lexis Advance Quicklaw and Westlaw Canada. See our complete database listing on the Bennett Jones Law Library website by clicking on the Legal Database link.

There are two databases included on our database list which are restricted to the Law faculty members and students, and which are marked “UofC Law School Only.” These databases are provided by the vendors directly to the Faculty of Law and their usage is restricted to persons associated with that Faculty. They are included on our database list for convenience for the Law students and faculty members. The campus-wide version of Lexis Advance Quicklaw and Westlaw Canada is very similar to the password-protected versions of the databases the Faculty of Law have access to.

Tours and Training

Tours and legal database training are available through the law library, either provided by reference staff or legal database trainers. For any research assistance and/or library instruction in effective search strategies for library databases and the Internet, please contact lawlib@ucalgary.ca.

Booking Workrooms

There are a variety of study and work spaces available for law students in the Bennett Jones Law Library. There are both individual carrels and tables on the 1st floor and tables on the Mezzanine and 2nd floor. The Mezzanine is considered priority seating for law students; however, non-Law students should be asked to vacate the space only if all tables are in use.

Law students may also use the group workrooms in the Bennett Jones Law Library. The rooms can be booked online up to a week in advance. All University of Calgary students, faculty and staff can also book workrooms in the Taylor Family Digital Library.

Study Environment

Do not use cell phones in the Bennett Jones Law Library. Take your cell phones out of the library if you are having a conversation.

Databases and Passwords

Most legal databases do not require passwords and can be accessed from the Legal Databases link on the Bennett Jones Law Library webpage. The two premier legal databases, Lexis Advance Quicklaw and WestlawNext Edge, are available to students, faculty and staff of the Faculty of Law only and do require passwords to access them. First year law students will receive passwords to these databases at the beginning of January, as they begin the legal research component of Fundamental Legal Skills. We also have a campus-wide version of WestlawNext Edge which contains the same content as the Faculty of Law version but does not require a password.

Tours and Training

If you are interested in participating in a guided tour of the Bennett Jones Law Library please email lawlib@ucalgary.ca. We will be happy to set up a group library orientation for students new to the Faculty, whether you are on an exchange or visiting as a letter of permission. Tours of the law library and training sessions by legal database trainers are offered for first year law students enrolled in Fundamental Legal Skills. Other database training is also available through the law library, either provided by reference staff or legal database trainers. The Workshop and Events page will host online registration for tours. For any research assistance and/or library instruction in effective search strategies for library databases and the Internet, please contact lawlib@ucalgary.ca.

Moot Teams

Moot teams get exclusive use of a shared discussion room for the duration of their moot preparation. A key may be issued to one member per team who must complete the Key Request Form obtained from the Bennett Jones Law Library Service Desk. The key must be returned upon termination of the moot or upon request by library staff. A key to the room is also available at the Circulation Desk during regular operating hours only. There is a charge of $15.00 for lost keys.