About the Law Library | Law Library of Congress | Research Centers | Library of Congress (original) (raw)

We offer a wide variety of legal research classes on topics of U.S. legal research, as well as foreign and comparative law. Learn more

Rare Book Collections

The Law Library’s collection of rare books consists of approximately 90,000 volumes of books and bound manuscripts, many issued prior to 1801. Learn more

Law Library Reading Room

A staff of law librarians are available to help during your visit to the Law Library Reading Room. Learn more

Digital Collections

Many Law Library collections such as the U.S. Reports, Statutes at Large, Code of Federal Regulations, and Law Library Legal Reports are available online. Learn more

The mission of the Law Library of Congress is to provide authoritative legal research, reference and instruction services, and access to an unrivaled collection of U.S., foreign, comparative, and international law. To accomplish this mission, the Law Library has assembled a staff of experienced foreign and U.S. trained legal specialists and law librarians, and has amassed the world's largest collection of law books and other legal resources from all countries, now comprising more than 2.9 million items.

While research appointments are not required for the Law Library Reading Room, they are encouraged, especially when requesting materials held offsite. You can request an appointment here.

In Custodia Legis - the Official Blog of the Law Library of Congress

Location

Library of Congress
101 Independence Ave, SE
James Madison Building, LM 242
Washington, DC 20540-3219
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Hours

Public Hours
Monday through Saturday
8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Retrieval service ends at 4:00 p.m.
Closed Sundays & Federal Holidays
Request a research appointment