DuFour Law Library Blog

The Law Library's hours for Easter Break (April 17 - April 21) are as follows:

Thursday, April 17: 10am - 6pm
Friday, April 18: 10am - 6pm
Saturday, April 19: 9am - 5pm
Sunday, April 20: CLOSED
Monday, April 21: 10am - 9pm

For a complete listing of the Law Library's hours of operation please click here.

A new database has been added to our HeinOnline collection: “Immigration Law & Policy in the U.S.” This database is a compilation of the most important historical documents and legislation related to immigration in the United States, as well as current hearings, debates, and recent developments in immigration law. Also includes access to Board of Immigrations Appeals (BIA) Precedent Decisions.

You can find the database on the Law Library's Research Database page. 

The US News & World Report Law School rankings began publication in 1987, although for the first few years only the top 20-25 law schools were included. Beginning in 1993, and running through 2002, Catholic Law was not assigned a numerical ranking and instead was assigned to a quartile or tier. Starting in 2003, the top 100 law schools were ranked, and more recently the top 176 schools have been ranked. The dates below refer to the publication year of the ranking not the edition.

Information compiled with the assistance of Graduate Law Library Preprofessional, John Ruela.

The Law Library now offers the Alumni Room (Room 233) for alumni who need a space to work in the library. When not in use by Catholic Law alumni, this space may be used by current law students as a Drop In Study Room. 

Alumni may reserve this space by contacting csl-ref@cua.edu.

For more information about services the Law Library provides for alumni, check out our Alumni Services page.

Each year the staff of the Kathryn J. DuFour Law Library compile the written scholarship of the Law School's faculty and students from the previous year in the form of a retrospective brochure.  The brochure for 2024 has recently been released and includes faculty presentations made throughout the year.

Past editions of the brochure are available on the Law Library Publications guide.

In 1987, Congress designated March as National Women’s History Month, creating the opportunity to celebrate the vital role of women in American History. Below are just a few resources concerning women in the legal profession.

Books in the Law Library

There is a Women's History Month display in the lobby of the law library. It features titles found within the law library's collection. The display will be available from March 1 - April 4.

Women's Legal History Project

This website, hosted by Stanford Law School, contains a "searchable database of articles and papers on pioneering women lawyers in the United States." Also included are web resources and an extensive bibliography of women in the law.

HeinOnline Women and the Law Database

This database "brings together books, biographies and periodicals dedicated to the role of women in society and the law. This unique collection of materials provides a convenient platform for users to research the progression of women's roles and rights over the past 200 years."

ABA Commission on Women in the Profession (CWP)

As the national voice for women lawyers, the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession forges a new and better profession that ensures that women have equal opportunities for professional growth and advancement commensurate with their male counterparts.

ABA CWP Resources

The Commission serves as a clearinghouse of information relevant to women lawyers, including statistics, articles, reports, research, and organizations.  Learn more about these resources below.

The Law Library's hours for the week of Spring Break (March 9th - March 15th) are as follows:

Sun - Thurs: 10am - 9pm
Fri: CLOSED
Sat: 9am - 5pm

For a complete listing of the Law Library's hours of operation please click here.

With the Law Review Write-On Competition fast approaching (March 7th - March 16th) you might want to take this opportunity to brush up on your legal citation skills.  To help you the staff of the Law Library have put together this guide.  The resources in this guide include interactive citation exercises, citation manuals, as well as links to extensive guides put together by other law schools around the nation.  Students have found the “Lexis Interactive Citation Workstation” particularly helpful.

Good luck in the competition! 

Study Aids are designed to assist in your legal studies by providing explanatory material, giving context on a legal topic, or clarifying  confusion. The Law Library subscribes to three study aid publishers: West Academic, Aspen Publishing, and Lexis Digital Library.

The Law Library maintains the Online Study Aid Finder, containing the most current study aids across all three publishers, and is organized by legal topic, from Administration Law to Trusts and Estates. It's a one stop shop for all the study aids on a specific legal topic.

Also check out the Law Library's charts that break down Study Aids by Category and Study Aids Timing to get a better understanding of the benefits of each type (i.e., treatise, outline, multiple choice, etc.) of study aid and which type of study aid will assist you best during the semester. These charts are located on the Academic Success: Study Aids, Exam Prep, and More LibGuide under the “Study Aids / Supplements” tab.

The Kathryn J. DuFour Law Library celebrates Black History Month with the installation of an exhibit honoring this year's theme, African Americans and Labor. 

A collection of books focused on this year's theme is available in the lobby of the library. The collection includes both physical books and links to electronic resources. Additional books are available via Collections. (link available through February 2025)