Where to Find Legal Information not Available within your Firm or Chambers
| Author | Emily Allbon/Ian Hunter/Peter Clinch |
| Pages | 219-225 |
Chapter 14
Where to Find Legal Information not Available within your Firm or Chambers
14.1 ENGLAND AND WALES
14.1.1 If you are a solicitor
The Law Society Library:
The Law Society has one of the finest law libraries in the United Kingdom focused on the needs of practitioners and was established in 1832. Solicitor members of the Law Society of England and Wales may visit in person or phone, fax, or email legal information enquiries to the team of experienced law librarians who will look for the information needed. The website contains further information regarding opening hours and contact details. The library has exceptional collections of past editions of practice works going back over 150 years. It also retains every volume published of the standard law library titles: the Halsbury’s publications, Encyclopedia of Forms and Precedents, Atkin’s Court Forms, the White Book and the Green Book. Search Library Search; the law library’s catalogue at:
The library has 11 public access computers, including two for visually impaired users, providing access to Lexis®Library, Lexis®PSL, Westlaw UK, Justis and Public Information Online.
It also provides a document delivery service (Lawdocs) copying from the huge collection of books, journals and law reports. Copies can be emailed, faxed or posted. Charges vary according to the type of material copied. Non-members may use the service at an additional charge.
14.1.2 If you are a barrister
Each of the four Inns has a magnificent library containing publications for the practitioner, featuring comprehensive collections for the ‘home’ jurisdiction and also a selection of other jurisdictions and specialising in particular practice areas. They all offer enquiry services by phone, email and in person, and provide access to a range of databases and other services. Documents (subject to copyright) can be sent by fax, post or email to members of the particular Inn working in private practice outside London, or a member of any Inn when the material is not held by their own library. Barrister, judicial and student members of any of the Inns may use any of the libraries. Below is the website address for each of the Inns’ libraries, with an indication of the specialisations of the collections:
220 Legal Research: A Practitioner’s Handbook
Gray’s Inn:
Specialises in international law, human rights both within the United Kingdom and from wider European and international perspectives. Also the law of Northern Ireland.
Inner Temple:
As well as a 70,000 volume collection on English law, specialises in Scottish and Commonwealth jurisdictions, especially Canada, Caribbean, Hong Kong and the Indian sub-continent.
Lincoln’s Inn:
Specialises in Commonwealth legislation and law reports, especially Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, Africa, Sri Lanka and the Pacific. Also in the law of the Channel Islands and Isle of Man. Noted for its extensive collections of parliamentary materials including: parliamentary papers from 1801 onwards, House of Commons Standing Committee debates from 1983/84 onwards. The English law collection features House of Lords and Privy Council printed cases and appeal documents, which are deposited annually. Chancery practice materials are a speciality.
Middle Temple:
Specialises in European law, both the law of the Community and the relevant law of the member states; a substantial collection of United States law reports, together with Federal and State legislation. In English law the major specialisation is ecclesiastical law – including unreported ecclesiastical court reports.
14.2 SCOTLAND
14.2.1 If you are a member of the WS Society or other local law society
Signet Library:
Provides a range of document supply and research services to members. Collections include an extensive collection of Scottish legislation, law reports, periodicals and practice works including historic editions back to the 19th century, and selections of English, Irish, Northern Irish, European and international law materials. Also provides access to a wide range...
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