The Law Library has twelve study rooms available for Law students to reserve for private study, virtual interviews, and small-group collaborations.
Make a study room reservation here.
Law students can also use the Study & Collaboration Lab without a reservation. It is located on the second floor of the law Library, on the opposite side of the wall with the class photos. The lab is reserved for law students and is open during all Law Library hours. It is designed for group work and collaborative discussion. To ensure a productive environment for everyone, please keep your voices at a low volume.
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Who may reserve a study room?
Law Library study rooms are available to UW Law School students. Law faculty, staff, or student organizations who would like to make block reservations for a class, program, or special project, should contact circ@law.wisc.edu.
Undergraduates and other non-Law UW students looking for study room space may reserve study rooms at other campus libraries, such as College or Memorial Library. Reserve a study room at another campus library here.
How do I reserve a study room?
Rooms can be reserved using the online study room reservation system, or at the Circulation Desk. There are two ways to make a reservation using the online system:
- Click on the “Reserve a Study Room” link at the bottom of the grid. A reservation screen will pop up. Fill in the time (up to 2 hours per session), location (choose an available study room) and name your reservation. You can give your reservation any name that you choose. This name will be viewable by others, making it easy for study partners to locate your group. Click “Make Reservation”. You will see a confirmation box pop up, and your reservation appears on the grid.
- You can also click on the grid itself to make a reservation. If you click on a specific study room, that room will be pre-selected for you when the reservation screen pops up. Follow the same directions as above and your reservation will be made.
Can I have extra study room time? What does "My Quota" mean?
To make study rooms available to as many law students as possible, you can reserve up to four hours of study room time (in up to two-hour blocks) each day. Once that quota is reached, you can’t book more time on your own. If you need additional time, please visit the Circulation Desk on the fifth floor. We can check for available rooms and give you extra time if there is space available.
If no study rooms are available, you can use the Study & Collaboration Lab without a reservation. It is located on the second floor directly across from the alumni photos.
Why are some reservations in red (not outlined) and others in green (outlined)?
A red reservation means that the study room key has not been checked out. A green reservation with a thick black outline means that the key has been checked out. This is a quick way to see if your study group already has the key or if a reserved room is available because the key was never checked out.
What is the grace period for picking up keys for a reservation?
You have a 15-minute grace period from the start of your reservation to check out the key. After 15 minutes, your reservation is subject to cancellation, and the room could be given to the next available student.
How do I check in for my reservation?
At the time of your reservation, come to the Circulation Desk with your Wiscard. The library staff will then check the key out to your account for the allotted time.
Study room keys should remain in the Law Library. If you need to step out briefly, please leave your key with a staff member at the Circulation Desk until you return.
Can I cancel a reservation?
Yes, as long as the reservation has not yet started. Doing so will make the room available to others and free up your quota time. Once a reservation has started, only a member of the library staff can cancel it.
How do I reserve a time that has been allotted for a class or project?
Some study rooms are reserved for specific programs or projects, such as On-Campus Interviews or Moot Court. These room are reserved under the program’s or project’s name. Once that reservation has been made, the study room will be reserved only for that class, but broken into smaller time slots that can be reserved by students in that class.
For example, the Office of Career and Professional Development may reserve a room from 9am to 5pm for interviews. Within that reservation, students participating in OCI can make sub-reservations in 15-minute increments by clicking on the reservation name and then clicking on “Reserve” next to each 15-minute increment they would like to book.
Where are the study rooms?
The Law Library’s twelve study rooms are located as follows:
- One room on the fifth floor (just inside the entrance to the Quarles & Brady Reading Room, near the water fountain).
- Four rooms on the third floor:
- Three on the south wing (near the bathrooms)
- One on the east wing (far north side near Bascom Hill)
- Seven rooms on the second floor:
- Three rooms near the Microforms room
- One located across from the elevator, near the Alumni photos
- Three rooms on the east wing (far north side near Bascom Hill)
You can find maps of each floor of the library here. The Circulation Desk Assistant can also help direct you to your study room when you check out your key.
What equipment is available in the study rooms?
Most rooms have a whiteboard and a podium except for 5350, 3370, 2370, 2376, and 2378. Three rooms (2384, 3335, 3339) each also have a monitor with an HDMI cord that can be connected to a personal laptop.
Please contact the Law School Media & AV Services if you need additional equipment in a study room.
Can I eat in the study rooms?
No, eating is not permitted. The Library Code of Conduct applies to use of the study rooms, which includes our Food & Beverage Policy. Beverages may be consumed from closed containers.
Law Library users deserve a clean and quiet atmosphere to study, and insects and rodents attracted by food pose a danger to the library collection.
If I have other questions, who can I ask?
The Circulation Staff is happy to help with the reservation system or answer any questions you have about our study rooms. Feel free to either come to the Circulation Desk on the fifth floor of the library, call us at 608-262-1128, or email us at circ@law.wisc.edu.