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.
Appointments are optional, but encouraged. To help us better serve you, request a research appointment to ensure collection material is accessible during your visit to the Library. Request a research appointment here. The Library of Congress asks all visitors to follow our COVID-19 health screening protocols, which are based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and the Office of the Attending Physician of the U.S. Capitol. For additional instructions, see the Researcher Scheduling page.