The Law Library collection

Welcome to the Law Library!

This is a brief introduction to the Law Library collection.

The print collection – how it’s organised, how to use it

Primary material is grouped by jurisdiction (i.e. the country to which the primary material
applies). Within each jurisdiction there is a pattern: statutes (acts); regulations; official law
reports; general law reports; tribunal decisions; legal encyclopaedias & digests.

Textbooks are grouped together (classified) by subject. Each book is given a call number
based on the classification plus some additional filing letters and numbers. Use the
Catalogue to search for relevant material (by author/title/subject). Note down the call
number to locate those books. And browse other books with that classification.

Most journals and law reviews are grouped together at K/211 (7th floor South Tower) and
filed alphabetically. Recent issues may be on Reserve. Journals about international law are
at KC/2. Use an online index like LINX or LegalTrac to identify articles.

Quick reference material is at K, adjacent to the Desk. Particularly useful for dictionaries
and style guides.

The Reserve collection (8th floor) is a subset of the main Library and contains recent issues of
some journals and law reports; photocopies; textbooks; looseleaf services (contain
commentary, legislation and case notes). If you're not sure what else is there, just ask.

The table overleaf lists some law subjects and their classification numbers. It also gives an
overview of the classification scheme and where to find those sections in the Law Library.

The online collection

Online resources cover the same types of material that we have on the shelves – legislation,
case law, articles, some encyclopaedias and texts. Of particular note for New Zealand are the
Brookers databases (full-text NZ statutes and regulations, Briefcase & LINX for recent NZ
case law), and the LexisNexis NZ databases. Access these via the Law Subject Guide.

Access to material not held in our collection is via Borrow Direct or Document Delivery. Ask
about these at the Desk.

University of Otago Library. August 2009

Law Library classification scheme

By subject – starting points for browsing By classification and library location

Advocacy: KL93 K: Quick reference books, including dictionaries

Administrative law: KM300 and guides to abbreviations th
Banking: KN303 8 floor by the Desk
Civil liberties: KM201
Civil procedure: KN350
Commercial: KN250 K211: Journals 7th floor South Tower
Comparative: KB100
Company: KN261
Comparative law: KB100 – this section compares the
law (including specific subjects, like family law) KA: Jurisprudence
of different legal systems – some useful stuff here 7th floor
Competition: KN266 KB: General & comparative law Central Tower
Conflicts: KC2000
Contract: KN10 KC: International law (incl. journals)
Criminal: KM500
Criminology: KB300
Drafting court documents: KN383
Environmental: KN94; see also resource management KF: Primary sources, UK
8th floor
Equitable remedies: KN230
Evidence: KN390 & KM600 KG: (1-220): Primary sources, Australia South Tower
Family: KN170
Intellectual property: KN111
Insurance law: KN290
International: KC KG: (301-360): Primary sources, NZ 8th floor
International human rights: KC200 Central Tower
Jurisprudence: KA
Labour: KN190
Law & medicine: KN185
Law & psychiatry: KN155.3 KH: Primary sources, Canada & US 6th floor
Legal ethics: KL82
Legal history: KL400
Maori land law: KN63.9 M3
Negotiation: KL93.5
Personal injury: KN181.25 KL: Common law generally, 9th floor
Planning: KN96 including legal history
Property: KN50 South Tower
Public: KM28, KM78 KM: Public law, including public & criminal
Research & writing: K79
Resource management: KN80
Restitution: KN20.2
Securities regulation: KN304.1 KN: Private law, including contract,
Sentencing: KM585.9 torts, property, family, labour, 9th floor
Tax: KM335 commercial, practice & procedure Central Tower
Torts: KN30
Transport law: KN323 KR-KV: Other legal systems, including EC
Vendor & purchaser: KN70
Wills & trusts: KN125 (wills); KN210 (trusts)

Need help?
Library staff can help you find legislation, cases, books, articles; use online and print
sources; plan your research process; get material from Reserve and from other libraries. Just
ask. At the Desk, by the entrance on the 8th floor. Or phone us: 03-479-8837.
University of Otago Library. August 2009