State Law Library

  • As an integral unit of the Virginia Supreme Court, the Virginia State Law Library seeks to provide the highest quality customer-oriented library service that will contribute to the mission of the Supreme Court of Virginia, the Court of Appeals of Virginia and the legal community. This is accomplished through the identification and use of an increasingly broad range of available media and technology. The Virginia State Law Library is a reference collection serving the research needs of the justices of the Supreme Court of Virginia and their staff, the judges of the Virginia Court of Appeals and their staff, the office of the Governor, members of the General Assembly, judges of other courts, and practicing attorneys in good standing. (See, §42.1-64 Virginia Code Annotated.) The court, at its discretion, expanded the above user group to include paralegals working under the supervision of an attorney, and law students. While library staff members do respond to telephone, mail and e-mail requests received from all those who inquire, the library proper is not open to the general public.

    • State Law Librarian - Gail Warren
      Phone - (804) 786-2075
      E-mail - LawLibrary@vacourts.gov
    • Hours of Operation -  Monday through Friday: 8:15 a.m. - 4:45 p.m. (Excluding State and Federal holidays)

  • Committee oversees the preservation of the history of Virginia’s Judicial System.

  • Explore the rich history of Virginia's appellate courts through brief histories and the stories of the men and women who have served on the Supreme Court of Virginia and the Court of Appeals of Virginia.

  • Links to a wide variety of resources that offer access to Virginia and federal legal information, information about Virginia state and local government, Virginia law schools, national judicial organizations and more.

  • Librarians are available to assist with the location and use of library materials, both print and electronic. In response to questions received from members of the public, we are happy to direct you to sources of legal information or to your nearest local law library, to provide material for a school assignment, or refer you to state agencies providing information on a specific topic. It is unlawful for library staff to complete in-depth legal research for members of the public, provide legal advice and interpret information appearing in legal publications.

    If you have questions about your particular legal situation, consider seeking the advice of an attorney. Virginia Lawyer Referral Service will provide the name of an attorney who will meet with you for thirty minutes for a $35.00 fee. Their toll-free number is 1-800-552-7977.

    Information about free and low cost civil litigation information and services in Virginia is available at Virginia Legal Aid. Their Web site includes an eligibility calculator to assist an individual in determining eligibility for legal assistance based on residency and income.

  • The library collection includes the National Reporter System, all fifty state statutes and session laws, U.S. statutes and federal legislative materials, government documents and over 300 periodical subscriptions. The library retains all superseded volumes and annual pocket parts to the Virginia Code Annotated. A growing collection of titles in the area of judicial administration includes publications of the National Center for State Courts, as well as titles distributed by the State Justice Institute to the Office of the Executive Secretary and donated to the library.

    As a service to all library customers, the Librarian seeks to maintain a comprehensive collection of Virginia law and law-related materials. Virginia specific resources include the records and briefs corresponding to published opinions of the Virginia Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, CLE publications distributed by the Virginia Law Foundation and an extensive collection of Virginia legal treatises. The collection complements the general legal collections held by private law firms in the Richmond area, the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals Law Library and the William T. Muse Law Library at the University of Richmond.

    Selection and retention of materials in the law library is made pursuant to a written collection development policy. This policy ensures responsible management of the library's fiscal resources and reflects the legal research needs of the library's primary customer group, the Virginia appellate judiciary.

    For our primary customers, Interlibrary Loan provides access to materials not a part of the library collection. Interlibrary Loan services are available to all Virginia Supreme Court and Virginia Court of Appeals employees, as well as employees of the Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission and the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission. Duration of the loan period and any restrictions on use are set by the lending library. Since 2003, the law library has housed the Supreme Court of Virginia Archives, collecting, maintaining and preserving a range of papers, documents, photographs and other materials related to the court and its history.