Law Library

The mission of the Ramsey County Law Library is to provide the best legal information services to residents, using print and online material in the most cost-effective manner.  Legal information is a basic component of access to justice. 

Guidelines for visiting the Ramsey County Law Library:

• Use of the library is restricted to ensure safety of library patrons and staff.
• Only 5 patrons are permitted in the library at one time. Patrons must wear masks. 
• All patrons much sign in and indicate their time of arrival.
• One on one assistance is limited due to social distancing requirements. Please be prepared to work independently.
• Patrons needing a library computer will be assigned one of three available computers.
• Patrons are allowed a one-hour limit on computers, and thirty minutes if others are waiting.
• Patrons not needing computers may use a table for one hour.
• Library staff will retrieve needed print items for you. Please leave print materials on the table as they need to be quarantined after your use.
• Patrons must use the law library for legal research purposes. General internet searching, YouTube or social media access is not considered legal research. If library staff observe that you are not doing legal research, you will be asked to leave the library.
• These restrictions are effective Nov. 30, 2020 to Feb. 1, 2021 and are reflective of library restrictions in the metro area, pursuant to the Governor’s order and the order of the Chief Justice of the MN Supreme Court regarding the pandemic. Other law library policies and procedures remain in effect.

Procedures during the Peacetime Emergency: The following clinic is held through phone consultation only. Please call the law library at 651-266-8391 after 10 a.m. on the morning of the clinic to schedule an appointment.

If you have a criminal law question, come to the Law Library for a free consultation from a volunteer attorney. Our Criminal Defense Law Clinic occurs every first and third Thursday of the month from 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. at the Ramsey County Law Library.

This clinic is open to all Minnesota residents and there is no income restrictions. Clients sign in at the reference desk and can have up to half an hour of time with a criminal defense attorney. 

Please call the library at 651-266-8391 for further information.

• View Criminal Defense Law Clinic brochure (PDF)

The Minnesota State Law Library's free online catalog contains the Ramsey County Law Library's books and periodicals, and titles owned by the Minnesota State Law Library and metro-area county law libraries as well as some counties in Greater Minnesota.

If "RAMSEY CO. LAW LIB. Main Collection" is listed in the LOCATION line of your search results, the item is at our library.

Call 651-266-8391 for help using the catalog. 

Search the online catalog

Fax 
651-266-8399
$1 per page
The fax machine sends and receives faxes under 21 pages.

Photocopier and printer
Single-sided pages cost 15 cents per page.

Book retrieval
Free of charge

eFiling
The Law Library provides a scanner for attorney eFiling.
Minnesota Judicial Branch eFile & Serve - Quick Reference Guide (PDF)