About the Law Library
Legal Research Institute
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
Congress.gov
Congress.gov is the official website for U.S. federal legislative information. 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.