Collection
About the Collection
The Law Library currently maintains an estimated
250,000 print volumes housed at four locations and has access to
numerous materials through our Electronic
Resources. The Library maintains an extensive collection of
California and United States legal materials, such as statutes and
codes, administrative regulations, case law, and secondary legal
resources. As a selective Federal
Depository Library and California
State Document Depository Library, the Law Library maintains
a collection of United States and California State government documents
and makes them accessible to the public in print and electronic
formats. For specific information on what resources are available
at a particular branch, please contact the branch
directly.
Return to Top
Collection
Development
The Law Library’s collection is constantly reviewed
and updated to provide patrons with the most relevant and authoritative
practice guides, in addition to our extensive primary source materials.
We welcome your suggestions and recommendations for adding to the
Law Library’s collection. If you would like to recommend a
legal treatise for the Law Library to purchase, you may complete
the Material Request form
and submit it to any branch
for consideration.
Return to Top
California Collection
The Law Library and all its branches maintain a
large selection of California legal materials in print and electronic
format including both Deering's and West's annotated codes, administrative
regulations and case reporters. The Main Library keeps the older
editions of these annotated codes and the administrative codes for
historical research purposes. The California collection also includes
detailed practice guides on specific law subjects. These guides,
written specifically for attorneys to aid them in their everyday
law practice, include checklists, forms and instructions on various
legal transactions and court filings. In addition to attorney practice
guides, the Library also carries popular self-help titles to assist
patrons who are self-represented.
The Library is a California Appellate Brief Depository.
Although we no longer house print briefs, we have access to an extensive
California Brief collection through our electronic databases and
microfiche collection. Please ask a reference librarian for assistance
in determining if we have the Appellate or California Supreme Court
Briefs you are interested in locating.
Return to Top
Federal Collection
The Law Library and all its branches maintain a
large selection of United Stated legal materials in print and electronic
format including the United States Codes, Code of Federal Regulations,
Federal Registers, U.S. Supreme Court Reporters, Federal Reporters,
Federal Supplements, Federal Rules Decisions, Bankruptcy Reporters,
and subject-specific Federal Government agency rulings and decisions.
This collection also includes a number of attorney practice guides
on specific federal law topics with sample language to use for various
legal transactions and court filings. In addition to attorney practice
guides, the Library also carries popular self-help titles to assist
patrons who are self-represented.
Return to Top
Legal Periodicals
The Law Library maintains a collection of print
and electronic law reviews, state bar journals, legal newspapers
and current awareness newsletters. Electronic access to the legal
periodical collection is available through the Online Catalog and/or
several of our E-Resources. Library
members are able to access our LegalTrac database from offsite.
Please ask a reference librarian for guidance and assistance in
determining the best resources for the legal periodicals you are
interested in locating.
Return to Top
MCLE Materials
The Law Library carries Minimum Continuing Legal
Education (MCLE) materials in the required subject areas and on
specific areas of law practice in CD and DVD format. Library members
may check out MCLE materials from the library. All patrons can listen/view
MCLE materials within the library. A listing of all MCLE materials
located at the Main Library and at the North County Branch is available
in our Featured Item
Lists. In addition to offering self-study MCLE materials the
library also offers several participatory MCLE classes
and events.
Return to Top
Microform Collection
The Library’s microform collection includes
California legislative bills and session laws, assembly file analysis,
appellate court briefs, California Supreme Court briefs and historical
legal materials. We also carry United States legislative materials
including the Congressional Record, Federal Register, and Congressional
House and Senate Bills and Reports. Other United States materials
include the Code of Federal Regulations and Supreme Court briefs.
Historic materials for other states include selective codes and
session laws.
Return to Top
Other States Collection
The Library maintains a limited collection in print
of legal materials for the other 49 states in the U.S. plus the
District of Columbia. These legal materials include state reporters,
digests, the state attorney general’s opinions, annotated codes,
court rules and a limited selection of practice guides. The Library
keeps current print copies of the statutes and court rules for the
following seven states: Arizona, Delaware, Nevada, New York, Oregon,
Texas and Washington. The current statutes, court rules and case
reporters for ALL states are available through the Library’s
electronic subscription to Westlaw and Lexis (visit our E-Resources
page to access these resources at the Library). The Library maintains
a collection of early state statutes for all states prior to 1900
in print. For historic resources please ask a reference librarian
for assistance in accessing our collection.
Return to Top
Reference Collection
The Library’s general reference collection
includes a wide array of legal research aids and finding tools such
as dictionaries, directories, encyclopedias, law digests and citators.
Return to Top
Self-Help Law Materials
The Law Library carries an extensive selection of
law books written for non-attorneys and self-represented litigants.
These materials guide patrons through the legal process by providing
explanations and instructions on how to handle a case, from initial
court filings to enforcing judgments.
Return to Top
Electronic
Resources
The Law Library provides access to an extensive electronic
collection including several electronic
legal databases. These databases provide access to statutes,
case law, legal and transactional forms and legal treatises covering
both Federal and state laws.
In addition to the electronic legal databases mentioned above, other
useful and frequently used websites are searchable via our online
catalog system, as is our extensive collection of California
State and Federal electronic government documents. The reference
librarians have also compiled a list of Web
Resources for frequently requested law-related websites.
Return to Top
Archival
and Special Collection
The Law Library maintains numerous archive materials.
Specifically, we house California and Federal codes, court rules
and jury instructions for historical research purposes. We also
maintain an archive of materials relating to the history of California
and the history of the San Diego Legal Community. If you are looking
for a rare book or for historical legal information, please contact
a reference librarian for assistance.
Return to Top
|
