By Frank Zeccola LCD Graduate Fellow
If you are just starting your career in the law as a solo or at a small firm, or even if you’re an old pro, the San Francisco Law Library offers you a range of tools—from Lexis Advance WestLaw Next, Hein Online, FindLaw, Fast Case, California Cases, and much more—completely free of charge.
This is a great opportunity for lawyers who want to do legal research for free.
Further, the library provides reference assistance through its reference and support staff to all patrons for their legal research needs—so if you need help researching an issue, just ask at the front desk.
The library collections and in-house databases are open to all. Public access computers are available up to two hours per day for free use of Westlaw, Lexis, Fastcase, CEB OnLaw, HeinOnline and other databases at the library for legal research. Borrowing privileges are available to San Francisco attorneys, law firms, judges, and government officials. An Interlibrary Loan Retrieval Program is available to solo practices, small firms, and larger law firms.
The San Francisco Law Library is located near mid-Market and the Civic Center between 7th and 8th Streets, across from the UN Plaza. The address is 1145 Market Street, 4th Floor.
It is open Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The San Francisco Law Library is an autonomous agency established by state law in 1870. It was the first county law library in the state of California, and the model for the statewide county law library system.
The Library’s mission is to provide the judiciary, the public, the bar, and city, county, and state officials free access and use of legal reference materials in order that they may conduct their legal affairs and preserve their legal rights.
Next time you’re downtown, stop into the Law Library to check it out—and if you have an issue you need researched, come down to the Law Library and take advantage of all of its great opportunities.
