UC Berkeley School of Law Library – Boalt Hall

Not sure about the book selections — I’m no lawyer or law student — but I used to study for the Mcat here. This was the quietest, cleanest library I encountered in my 30 something years of life! Even though food and drinks are allowed people are responsible enough to keep it that way.

This library is quite subpar. It does not offer a variety of sources for the research I wish to conduct. The available parking is atrocious. And the tables do not have a sufficient quantity of electrical outlets for laptop computers.

Gorgeous library to study at (or pretend to study). Eating is permitted in the reading room which is a plus.

It sure do have a purty mouth. During my final exams, I’ll occasionally hide myself away. It’s not so glamorous, it’s actually pretty scary. My human contact ratio goes down to zero in the course of 12 hours. But sometimes, you really need a supplement and the bookstores are all closed.
So on Sunday, I decided that I was going to pretend to be a Boalt Law student. Sunday was beautiful. It must also be when the really weird people go to the library to study non-​law things. A really passive aggressive needy Asian girl sat at my table after I’d been there for a few hours and even though we never interacted directly, I could feel the oppression. First, she sat down and made herself comfortable. Then she made her boyfriend scoot down so there was a seat between them and they took up the whole length of the table. Second, she decided to have a snack now that she was in the library. And a drink. From several different stainless steel insulated cups. Third, her boyfriend had some serious nasal problems because when he breathed, it sounded like a throwing a pebble in a blender.
The main reading room is very attractive. It has high ceilings and huge windows and ugly people. I would not say it’s the most effective use of the space. And it has a bit of that MIT library feel, the really really big one that I never went to for some reason.
And the bathrooms. Were. Shiteous. I have never smelled something so foul before in my life. I wanted to go to the corner of the renovations and hide behind some yellow tape while I did my business. It was terrible. Even the Berkeley Public Library was cleaner than this.
I used my little supplement for a while, and then I thought about making xerox copies of some pages but decided against it. It was 16¢ per photocopy. Do I look like I’m made out of Boalt?
I just wish the people there did not smell so bad…

Living in San Francisco proper and using public transportation to the UC Berkeley School of Law Library is never easy, but it can be… interesting.
The first visit required actually finding the building. This presented much needed exercise, excellent sightseeing opportunities, and exposure to numerous social and political groups via an outdoor information fest (and why not? Berkeley is a great place to get whatever your traditional or freaky polemic on).
First impression of the library is that it is of a plain Jane quality compared to some other law libraries visited that are of a fresher Kate Spade type. That said, UC Berkeley School of Law Library has everything that the student of law needs for study and research. Also, I have always found the staff to be helpful and pleasant whether I am desperately searching for the nearest restroom or an esoteric text.

This is like the third best library on campus, the new East Asian Art Library is the greatest, but the law library has really good hours. From Sunday-​Thursday, they’re open until midnight and they closed at 10:00 p.m. on Friday. They close at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday. Plus there is a community service officer on duty if you need them to walk you outside or to the bus.
This place can get busy during midterms and finals like all libraries but people usually don’t have trouble getting a seat or study carrel. At 5:00 p.m. the I.D. checker is stationed at one entrance so only law students can get in.
The reference desk has people to help you even on the weekends starting at 1:00 p.m. If you get hungry Café Zeb is around the corner. If you come to the patron services desk asking for a closed reserve book then please just have the call number on hand. It makes it easier for the both of us! Or at least remember the title or author correctly…

Awesome chairs for napping. To all you law students studying at the library on Friday Feb 22^nd from 12−2pm, I apologize for my snoring… I hope you weren’t studying for finals or something. Definitely a deciding factor whether I will apply to here or not.

All of the lawyers-​to-​be need to litigate to get some breezy windows in the computer labs. I’ve seriously left there not knowing if it was night or day, raining or sunny, Sunday or Monday.
In the words of Sandra Day O’Connor, that’s just an ‘undue burden.’

Haha I’m working here right now actually… I will help you find a book and tell you when it’s due back by =)
This is the best library on campus, and most undergrads don’t even know what at gem it is in the UCB library world. You can bring in «non-​noisy/​odiferous» food and drinks and say hi to me: D According to the rules, loud foods include «carrot sticks, apples, or cheetos»… «And of course, no cornnuts or nachos, which violate both the no loud food and no odoriferous food rules.» Do people still eat corn nuts???
Undergraduates are kicked out at 5pm, but grad students and law students can stay until midnight. Check out the website for full hours, though. It’s right across from the international house if you ever need a coffee/​tea/​wine fix. I-​house is open until 12 AM too so it’s a match made in heaven.

Here is the deal… I used to work at the Law Library. not checking IDs (those lucky bastards) or even being the cute girl who checks your books out for you.
Nope, I was an accountant. Eeks.
The nice part was that I was able to lurk about the library, and as a result found one of my favorite, and least known or used study spots on campus.
First off, during the day it may be crowded. It is used as a place for meetings for the law student groups sometimes, but after 5pm, it is a hidden gem of a study room. The reading room (I can’t recall the specific name. but it is the one right on Bancroft that you can peer into if you want to freak out the people in there heheeheh) was ALWAYS empty.
For some reason, many don’t seem to find this place. Perhaps it’s because they lock the doors after 5pm, and in order to access the building you have to go through the library.
Well, children, the secret is to look like you’re going to the library up the stairs, but actually go down the hall like you’re suddenly making for the bathroom and then go the long way to the reading room.
It is quiet, well lit, has couches, tables and chairs and outlets for those late night paper writing sessions, and is close to I-​house so you can sneak in food while studying.
For 4 years I used this place as my own. No crowded libraries with the sleeping masses, elbow to elbow carrals, rustling, pen tapping, humming, giggling crowds. Nope.
I had this gem to myself, and I think if you’re lucky, you may have found it after me. Lots of good memories of study groups, gummy bears, dolmas, highlighter mishaps, and late nights.
*disclaimer… I was in college over 4 years ago so the rules and the accessibility may have changed*

I’m a collector of good workspaces, and this is one of the best. Because Boalt Hall is a professional program its facilities are first rate, and because it is connected to UC Berkeley — a public U — everything, including the law library is open to the public.
The main room has great natural light, high ceilings, large worktables with bright desklamps, and very comfortable chairs. It also closes late (midnight, Sun.-Thurs), and those using the library are typically hard at work, which tends to rub off.
When you start to fade or need a break, around the corner in the same building is Ramona’s, a café run by the same folks that own Caffe Strada. Ramona’s serves good espresso and drip coffee and very good salads and sandwiches. There is also a nearby patio where you can catch some fresh air.
The law library is my typical fallback when a major project is coming due.
Two minor drawbacks:
One, because the interior of the main reading room is all wood, it smells a bit like a sauna. It is not an unpleasant smell, but it is unusual.
Two, and this is a real drawback, I find the bathrooms to be pretty gross. Nine times out of ten, the men’s room urinals, and often the toilets, haven’t been flushed. Also, more often than not I’ve seen Boalt Hall students arrive, use the bathroom, and leave without washing their hands. I find I have to create a paper towel buffer before I touch anything.
(Personally, I find this to be a bit funny and ironic. Boalt Hall students ask to be taken seriously, are studying to enter an elite profession, yet many can’t clean up after taking a shit.)