The Law Guide: The Law Blog

Welcome to Law Library 101 & Legal Research 101: The foundations to a promising career in law

Joseph Chi-Lon Marler

Assistant Officer - Law Library

Welcome to Law Library 101 & Legal Research 101: The foundations to a promising career in law

Without the ability to correctly support a view or argument with relevant statutes or case law, it is as if you were building a house on sand. Even when your reasoning is sound, if it rests on shaky foundations without thorough legal research, entire arguments risk collapsing.

To help incoming law students (or even those who need a refresher), we would like to introduce our new Law Library 101 and Legal Research 101 guides. Your first port of call for helping you navigate the complexities of legal research in taking full advantage of the relevant resources available at HKU.

Law Library 101: Your Gateway to Legal Resources

Starting your journey in law can be both exciting and overwhelming. Law Library 101 is designed to help you in a way that is easily digestible and accessible, providing key information to empower you in using our library effectively.

Key points of interest in the Law Library 101 guide:

• Finding Books and Articles: Learn how to locate essential texts and articles pivotal to your studies. Our library houses a wealth of legal resources, both online and in print, and this guide will help you access them efficiently.
• Past Examination Papers: Easily access past examination papers through ExamBase to enhance your preparation for assessments.
• Book a Space: Get step-by-step instructions on how to reserve discussion rooms, study tables, and other facilities in the Law Library and across HKU Libraries more generally.
• Library Trainings: Explore various training sessions designed to enhance your research skills.
• FAQs and Virtual Tour: Familiarise yourself with the library layout and policies through our virtual tour and frequently asked questions section.

Legal Research 101: Mastering the Practice of Legal Research

Understanding the law requires more than just memorising statutes and cases; it demands a solid ability to conduct thorough and effective legal research. This is where Legal Research 101 steps in.

Key points of interest in the Legal Research 101 guide:

• Primary and Secondary Sources: Learn the difference between primary and secondary sources. This guide will help you find legislation, case law, and secondary materials like encyclopaedias and journal articles that provide valuable commentary on legal issues.

• Decoding Legal Abbreviations: Navigating legal documents can be challenging due to the number of different abbreviations used in citations. Legal Research 101 offers tools to help you decode these abbreviations, ensuring that you can interpret legal materials with ease.
• Self-Assessment Quiz: Test yourself with our quiz game using the 50:50, Audience, or Tip options to assist you in finding the right answers. A fun way to reinforce your newfound research knowledge!

In summary, both the Law Library 101 and Legal Research 101 guides are designed to provide a supportive framework for your legal studies. Whether you are entirely new to the common law system, uncertain about Hong Kong-specific legal materials, or completely new to law, these resources are here to help you at the foundation of all your legal work to come.