Library Guides: Academic Success: Study Aids, Exam Prep, and More: Study Aids / Supplements

What are Study Aids?

Study aids (also referred to as supplements) are intended to assist students in a variety of ways. Students can use study aids to acquire a broad overview of a topic, review and better understand specific concepts, and test the application of concepts. Unlike casebooks, study aids provide explanations, analysis, practice questions, and model answers.

This page lists the various study aids that the law library has purchased for your use.

How to Use Study Aids in Law School (ABA)
Using Study Aids Wisely to Maximize Learning within Time Restraints
Amy Jarmon, Texas Tech Univ. School of Law

Electronic Study Aids

The law library subscribes to three electronic study aid platforms, Lexis Digital, West Academic, and Wolters Kluwer (WK).

Lexis Digital Library

What Can I Find on Lexis Digital Library?

Four study aids series: Mastering, Questions & Answers, Skills & Values, and Understanding. Select Browse Library to easily locate all four series.
Primary and secondary materials for DC, MD, and VA, and major treatises such as Moore's Federal Practice and Corbin on Contracts.

What Features Are Available?

Download titles, highlight, annotate, export annotations, print, and create tags. Your homepage automatically saves opened books and annotations for easy access.
Download the Lexis Digital app on your phone or tablet to read books offline. The first time you use the app, you need to enter this code: catholiclaw

How Do I Access?

Bookmark the link below. Login using your Use your CUA network account.

LexisNexis Digital Library

West Academic

What Can I Find on West Academic?

Over twenty study aid series, including Acing, Short & Happy, High Court Case Summaries, and Exam Pro
Audio lectures: Sum & Substance and Law School Legends
Audio books for select series
Quizzing feature (Exam Pro)
Academic and career success books

What Features are Available?

Create a West Academic login to download titles, highlight, take notes, print, and save favorites.
Download the app to your phone or tablet to access titles and audio lectures on the go.

How Do I Access?

Bookmark the link below to access using your CUA network login.
Remember, you must create a West Academic login to download titles, highlight, take notes, and save favorites.

West Academic Study Aids

Series Guide - West Academic Study Aids

Wolters Kluwer (WK)

What Can I Find on WK?

Nine study aid series, including Examples & Explanations, Emanuel Law Outlines, Glannon Guides
Video and audio: In Other Words series
Academic, bar, and career success books

What Features are Available?

Create a WK login to download titles, print, highlight, and take notes.
Download the app to your phone or tablet for access on the go. Follow the instructions below.

How Do I Access?

Bookmark the link below to access using your CUA network login.
Remember, you must create a WK login to download titles, print, highlight, and take notes.

Wolters Kluwer (WK) Study Aids

WK Study Aids - App Instructions

Print Study Aids

Batelle Labs has been testing library materials to determine how long COVID-19 survives.. On June 22, they released results that concluded that after 3 days the virus was no longer detected on books and DVDs. The law library will be putting a process in place that will quarantine library materials for a minimum of 72 hours after they have been handled.

Unfortunately, the need for a 3 day quarantine means that reserve materials will not be available for students as in the past.

Print study aids will not be available. All of the law library's print study aids, with the exception of the Aspen Student Treatise series, are available electronically.

Acing Series
The Acing Series uses a checklist format with sequential questions that help students fully evaluate a subject. The books also present numerous hypothetical problems and sample answers. This series is particularly helpful for exam preparation.
Aspen Student Treatise Series
These titles are meant to supplement your casebook by helping you to focus on the essentials of each subject. Coverage of each topic is comprehensive, with clear descriptions and analyses.
Emanuel Law Outlines
This series contains outlines, summaries, and Q&A (essay and multiple choice). Some titles are keyed to major casebooks. All titles have a cross reference table of cases for all of the leading casebooks.
Examples & Explanations series
This series offers hypothetical questions complimented by detailed explanations that allow you to test your knowledge of the topic and compare your own analysis. A series of problems at the end of each section or chapter assist you in testing your understanding. Answers are provided for these problems.
Hornbooks
Hornbooks are in-depth texts that address the major questions in specific areas of law. Hornbooks are not suitable for cover to cover reading. Hornbooks do usually cover cases used in law school classes. Use the table of contents, index, or table of cases to focus on your particular questions.
Mastering Series
This series includes features designed to improve learning and retention of each topic. At the beginning of each chapter, a Roadmap introduces the chapter and provides readers with an overview of the material that will be covered. Checkpoints at the end of each chapter enable readers to review key concepts. A Master Checklist at the end of each book reinforces what has been covered and helps readers identify any areas that need review.
Questions & Answers Series
Each title in this series contains multiple-choice and short-answer questions arranged topically, with questions comprising a comprehensive practice final exam. Each multiple-choice question is accompanied by a detailed answer that indicates which option is the best answer, and why. Each short-answer question is accompanied by a short model answer.
Short & Happy Guides
The Short & Happy series take difficult subject matter and make it accessible and easy to remember. They provide clear explanations, logical sequencing of the material, colorful acronyms, metaphor and imagery.

Select titles are available as audio books. To locate, select Type under Filter Results and select Audio.
Understanding Series
This series provides in-depth analysis of the central concepts and issues for each subject.

Audio and Video Study Aids

West Academic

Audio Lectures

Physical CDs for Sum and Substance and Law School Legends are located in the Reference Room and can be checked out for 1 week with 1 renewal. For online access, click the links below, or click the "series" tab from within West Academic Study Aids.

Sum & Substance Audio Lectures
The Sum & Substance audio series presents the essentials of each subject in a clear, time-saving format. Includes quick reference indexing, allowing you to quickly locate all topics in the recording, and informed exam tips to help maximize your performance.
Law School Legends Audio Series
This series features renowned law school professors explaining entire subjects in one concise lecture. Each lecture covers the important concepts for each subject, and how a student can use the concepts to answer any question a professor might ask in class or on the exam.

Audio Books

West Academic audio books are available for select High Court Case Summaries, Short and Happy Guides, and Career Guides.

West Academic Audio Books

Wolters Kluwer

In Other Words - these series cover fundamental topics in law. Each lecture is written and presented by a law professor or legal practitioner.

Study Aids Keyed to Casebooks

Casenote Legal Briefs
High Court Case Summaries
Select titles available as audio books. To locate audio, select Type under Filter Results and select Audio.
Legalines

Emanuel Law Outlines

Restatements

Restatements are secondary sources that seek to create a uniform "restatement" of the legal rules that constitute the common law in a particular area. They are written by the American Law Institute (ALI), a prestigious legal organization composed of noted professors, judges and lawyers. They are not binding legal authority.

Each Restatement consists of a set of topical volumes, which contain the actual "black letter" legal rules and drafters' commentary, and a set of Appendix volumes, which contain summaries of cases which have adopted or interpreted the Restatement rules.

To locate Restatements, do a keyword search in the law library catalog.

Study Aids Finder

Study Aids Finder
This resource lists library study aids by topic.

Study Aids by Type (Case Briefs, Outlines, Problem-Based, etc.)

Key to abbreviations used below:

LD: Lexis Digital Library
WA: West Academic Online Study Aids
WK: WK Online Study Aids
P: Print (on reserve at the circulation desk)

Treatises

These series provide comprehensive explanation and analysis. They are more detailed than other types of study aids.

Aspen Student Treatise series (P)
Concise Hornbooks (WA, P)
Examples & Explanations (WK, P)
Hornbooks (WA, P)
Mastering series ( LD, P)
Understanding series (LD, P)

Case Briefs

Case briefs summarize the law, facts, and analysis of the cases students are assigned in course casebooks. Many are keyed to specific casebooks. Commercial case briefs are not a substitute for reading and briefing assigned cases.

Casenote Legal Briefs (WK)
High Court Case Summaries (WA)
Legalines (WA)

Outlines

These titles focus on black letter law and legal rules. They often include exam tips and sample questions. Some outlines are keyed to specific casebooks. Commercial outlines are not a substitute for creating your own outline.

Black Letter Outlines (WA)
Emanuel Law Outlines (WK, P)
Gilbert Law Summaries (WA, P)
Quick Reviews (WA)

Overviews

These titles provide a concise narrative explanation of the major doctrines in each substantive area of law, and offer a good introduction to key concepts and legal terminology.

Inside series (WK)
Jumpstart (WK)
Nutshells (WA, P)
Short & Happy Guides (WA, P)

Problem-Based

These series include problems/ questions and model answers relating to the area of law being discussed. These are good for exam preparation.

Acing series (WA, P)
Emanuel Crunchtime (WK)
Exam Pro (WA)
Examples & Explanations (WK, P)
Friedman's Practice Series (WK)
Glannon Guides (WK)
Questions and Answers (LD, P)

Skills-Based
Skills & Values series (LD)

This series explores topics important in law practice. Each chapter includes exercises designed to help students develop problem-solving skills for issues they might face in practice