Law libraries
Law libraries
Law libraries are a great resource if you are representing yourself, or if you want learn about the law.
Law libraries usually have self-help legal books. These books are written for people who are not lawyers and give you tips on how to handle your case.
In addition to self-help legal books, you can read the laws and cases interpreting the laws. You can also find practice guides written for lawyers that provide more detailed information than self-help legal books. If you're confused where to start, ask the librarian for help. They can't give you legal advice, but they can suggest things that may be helpful, like materials on reserve or at the reference desk.
Often, law libraries have printers, so you can print out legal information, including legal forms you may need to fill out and give to the court.
Alameda County Bernard E. Witkin Law Library 125 Twelfth Street, Oakland, CA 94607 (510) 208-4832 https://lawlibrary.acgov.org/ |
Orange County Public Law Library 515 North Flower Street, Santa Ana, CA 92703 (714) 338-6790 http://www.ocpll.org/ |
Amador County Law Library 530 Sutter Street, Jackson, CA 95642 (209) 223-6400 https://www.amadorgov.org/departments/library/law-library |
Placer County Law Library librarian@placerlaw.org |
Butte County Public Law Library 1675 Montgomery Street, Oroville, CA 95965 (530) 538-7122 http://www.buttecountylawlibrary.org/ |
Plumas County Law Library 514 Jackson, Quincy, CA 95971 https://www.plumascounty.us/217/Law-Library |
Colusa County Law Library https://www.countyofcolusa.org/988/Colusa-County-Law-Library |
Riverside County Law Library lawlibrary.riverside@rclawlibrary.org |
Contra Costa County Public Law Library 1020 Ward Street, First Floor, Martinez, CA 94553 (925) 646-2783 http://www.cccpllib.org/ |
Sacramento County Public Law Library 609 9th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 874-6012 https://saclaw.org/ |
Del Norte County Law Library 450 H Street, Crescent City, CA 95531 (707) 465-8634 |
Law Library for San Bernardino County Rancho Cucamonga Branch: 8409 Utica Avenue, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730 (909) 944-5106 Victorville Branch: 15455 Seneca Road, Victorville, CA 92392 (760) 243-2044 |
El Dorado County Law Library 550 Main Street, Suite A, Placerville, CA 95667 (530) 626-1932 http://www.eldoradocountylawlibrary.org/ |
San Diego County Public Law Library 1105 Front Street, San Diego, CA 92101 (619) 531-3900 http://sandiegolawlibrary.org/ |
Fresno County Public Law Library 1100 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 600, Fresno, CA 93724 (559) 600-2227 https://www2.co.fresno.ca.us/9899/default.asp |
San Francisco Law Library sflawlibrary@sfgov.org |
Glenn County Law Library 525 West Sycamore Street, Willows, CA 95988 (530) 934-6455 |
San Joaquin County Law Library 20 North Sutter Street, Stockton, CA 95202 (209) 468-3920 https://sjclawlibrary.org/ |
Humboldt County Law Library 812 4th Street, Room G04, Eureka, CA 95501 (888) 724-4821 https://www.publiclawlibrary.info/ |
San Luis Obispo County Law Library |
Imperial County Law Library 939 West Main Street, El Centro, CA 92243 (760) 482-2271 https://imperialcourt.org/LawLibrary/ |
San Mateo County Law Library |
Inyo County Law Library https://www.inyocounty.us/services/library Independence Branch: 168 North Edwards Street, Independence, CA 93526 Bishop Branch: 210 Academy Avenue, Bishop, CA 93514 *Legal research through LexisNexis available at Bishop Branch location (760) 873-5115 |
Santa Barbara County Law Library McMahon Branch: 1100 Anacapa Street, 2nd Floor, Santa Barbara, CA 93101 Santa Maria Branch: 312 Cook Street, Santa Maria, CA 93454 (805) 346-7548 |
Kern County Law Library |
Santa Clara County Law Library |
Kings County Law Library 1400 West Lacey Boulevard, Building 4, Hanford, CA 93230 (559) 852-4430 http://www.countyofkings.com/services/law-library |
Santa Cruz County Law Library |
Lake County Law Library 175 Third Street, Lakeport, CA 95453 (707) 263-2205 https://www.lakecountyca.gov/486/Law-Library |
Shasta County Public Law Library |
Lassen County Law Library 2610 Riverside Drive, Susanville, CA 96130 (530) 251-8189 |
Siskiyou County Public Law Library https://www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/library/page/library-yreka-legal-assistance |
Los Angeles County Law Library 301 West First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 (213) 785-2529 http://www.lalawlibrary.org/ |
Solano County Law Library 600 Union Avenue, Room 300, Fairfield, CA 94533 (707) 421-6520 https://solanolibrary.com/hours-and-locations/law-library/ |
Madera County Law Library 121 North G Street, Madera, CA 93637 (559) 675-7871 https://www.maderacounty.com/government/madera-county-library |
Sonoma County Public Law Library |
Marin County Law Library |
Stanislaus County Law Library |
Mariposa County Law Library 4978 10th Street, Mariposa, CA 95338 (209) 966-2140 |
Tehama County Law Library 545 Diamond Avenue, Red Bluff, CA 96080 (530) 529-4583 x 108 https://www.co.tehama.ca.us/government/departments/law-library/ |
Mendocino County Law Library lawlib@pacific.net |
Tulare County Public Law Library lawlibrary@tularecounty.ca.gov |
Merced County Law Library lawlibrary@countyofmerced.com |
Tuolumne County Law Library |
Mono County Law Library (760) 934-4777 https://www.monocolibraries.org/programs/law-library Mammoth Branch: 400 Sierra Park Road, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546 Bridgeport Branch: 94 North School Road, Bridgeport, CA 93517 |
Ventura County Law Library |
Monterey County Law Library https://www.co.monterey.ca.us/government/government-links/law-library#ColumnUserControl3 Monterey Branch: 1200 Aguajito Road, Room 202, Monterey, CA 93940 (831) 264-4207 Salinas Branch: 142 West Alisal Street, Suite E-107, Salinas, CA 93901
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Yolo County Law Library |
Napa County Law Library Michael.Blend@napa.courts.ca.gov |
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Nevada County Law Library |
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Chat with a law librarian
California's county law libraries have created an online service that lets you chat live with a law librarian. The librarian can suggest free online legal resources, recommend books and research techniques, and answer factual questions. Law librarians can't give you legal advice.
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Click here to
Chat with a law librarian
Research Guides
Some law libraries have research guides that list books with information about your legal issue. Ask your law librarian for a research guide. There are also some research guides online:
- Berkeley Law Research Guides
- UC Law San Francisco Research Guides
- UCLA Law Research Guides
- San Diego Law Library Research Guides
- San Francisco Law Library Research Guides