Interlibrary Loan FAQs

Answers to the most commonly asked questions about Georgetown Law ILL.

Can Primary Law Publications and Documents Be Obtained for Georgetown Law Library Patrons?

Primary law materials are publications that contain the text of laws, orders, decisions, rules or regulations issued by a governmental entity or official from one of the branches of government.

The Georgetown Law Library should carry many of the common published primary law materials. Law Library patrons may:

Entire print volumes, or microfilmed reels, of primary law, such as codes, regulations or case reports, are not loaned by ILL-participating libraries. However, sections within a code or regulation volume, or a specific case opinion in a reporter, may be obtainable as scans through the Law Library ILL service. Georgetown Law Library patrons may submit an ILLiad PDF Request Form with an unambiguous citation for the specific code, regulation or case opinion.

Microfilm reels containing federal case briefs and court documents may be requested through the Law Library ILL service but the chances of a successful loan is slim. Georgetown Law Library patrons may have to visit the library(ies) that carry the microfilm reels.

Case briefs and court documents, regardless of format, that are only housed in court houses or at the National Archives & Records Administration (NARA) cannot be obtained through Law Library ILL service. Anyone who needs such materials should contact the court clerk office or NARA directly for availability and reproduction services, or visit NARA in order to find and make scans of the documents.