Welcome to the second installment of this series highlighting free legal research sources.  Last time, we talked about county law libraries in the area with resources available to everyone.  This time, we are going to talk about academic law libraries….which can include your alma mater (and you thought you would be done with law school once you graduated!), but can also include others.  All law school libraries have the basics, and some have special, more focused collections that may be exactly what you need at some point. And, if you are doing historical research (for example, what was the law as it existed on a particular date), law school libraries can be particularly helpful because for many years, the ABA requirements for accreditation involved volume counts which translated into large print collections.  The ABA has modernized those standards, which is one of the reasons that newer, more modern libraries like the one here at UNT Dallas College of Law has fewer print resources. While you are unlikely to be able to access all of the electronic resources at a law school library (even your alma mater) - and very unlikely to be able to access Westlaw or Lexis - there still may be updated print resources that are relevant. For example, our library here has an extensive collection of practice oriented Texas materials.  While our library is only open to current law students, members of the bar, and UNT-affiliated students, faculty, staff and alumni, some law school libraries are open to the public. We have three law schools in the DFW area - UNT Dallas College of Law, SMU, and Texas A&M.

 

Like the county law libraries, an invaluable resource at these libraries is....you guessed it….the law librarians.   While law school librarians have a duty to assist students and faculty first, they generally are also willing to assist guests.  If you have a specific resource in mind, I highly recommend that you check online in the library’s catalog to make sure they have it before you make the trip.  Also, it may be worth a call before you get there to find out what you need to know about opportunity/cost to make copies so you know if you need to bring cash.  Here is how the law school libraries in the area break down in terms of access and location:

 

UNT Dallas College of Law Library

https://lawschool.untdallas.edu/law-library

1901 Main St.

Dallas, TX 75201

214-243-1775

Regular open hours are M-Th 7am-11pm, Fri 7am-5:30pm, Sat 8:30-6, Sun 12:30-5:30

Open to students, faculty, and staff from any UNT institution and members of the bar during any hours that the library is open. Not open to the public.

Access for anyone other than current law students and faculty limited to print materials.

Library catalog available online.

Online research guides highlighting library resources available online.

 

SMU Dedman School of Law Underwood Law Library

http://library.law.smu.edu/

6550 Hillcrest Ave., Dallas, TX 75205

214-768-3383

Regular open hours are M-Th 7:30am-12am, Fri 7:30am-9pm, Sat 9am-9pm, Sun 12pm-12am

Open to members of the bar or local law library association during any regular open hours.

Public access hours are M-F, 9am-6pm

Library catalog available online.

Online research guides highlighting library resources available online.

 

Texas A&M University School of Law Dee J. Kelly Law Library

https://law.tamu.edu/current-students/library/

1515 Commerce St., Fort Worth, TX 76102-6509

817-212-4000

Regular open hours are M-Th 7:30am-12am, Fri 7:30am-7pm, Sat 9am-7pm, Sun 10am-7pm

Open to public during regular open hours, but only until 8pm

Library catalog available online.

Online research guides highlighting library resources available online.

 

But wait, there’s more! Stay tuned next time in the Free For All series for Chapter 3: Texas State Law Library...

 
Tracy Eaton, J.D., LL.M. MS-LS Candidate 2019