This guide focuses mainly on sources of free, online legal information. But sometimes you may need or want information that is not freely available online. In those situations, it might be helpful to visit a local public law library to do research using its books or legal databases. For example, some law libraries offer public access to major legal databases like Lexis or Westlaw.
Here is a list of some law libraries in the Greater Philadelphia area. We included available information (if any) about access to legal databases at these libraries according to their websites. Please reach out to each library directly with any questions about access and to confirm their current hours.
- Bucks County
- Chester County
- Delaware County
- Montgomery County
- Philadelphia County
- Lehigh County
- Northampton County
- Federal Depository Library Directory (FDLD)
Bucks County
Bucks County Law Library
55 E Court Street
Doylestown, PA 18901
215-348-6081
Monday – Friday, 8:30 am – 5 pm
https://www.buckscounty.gov/786/Law-Library
Chester County
Chester County Law Library
201 West Market Street
West Chester, PA 19380-0989
610-344-6166
lawlibrary@chesco.org
Monday – Friday, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
https://www.chesco.org/572/Law-Library
Delaware County
Francis J. Catania Law Library
201 W Front St.
Media, PA 19063
610-891-4462
Monday – Friday, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Free access to Lexis Advance is available on two of the public access computers; documents found therein may be printed or emailed according to the vendors’ limitations.
https://delcopa.gov/courts/lawlibrary.html
Montgomery County
Montgomery County Law Library
One Montgomery Plaza
10th Floor
425 Swede Street
Norristown, PA 19404
610-278-3805
Monday – Friday, 8:30 am – 4:00 pm
The Law Library offers free access to Westlaw, LexisNexis, basic internet, and Microsoft Suite of office programs, along with basic instruction on how to use these computer databases. The library has six computer terminals for online research and word processing.
https://www.montcopa.org/1109/Computer-Access-to-Online-Legal-Research
Philadelphia County
Jenkins Law Library
1801 Market St., Suite 900
Ten Penn Center
Philadelphia, PA 19103-6405
215-574-1500
Monday – Friday, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm
Members of the public can access all of Jenkins’ databases – including Westlaw, LexisNexis, Bloomberg Law, and VitalLaw – when they visit the library.
$5 a day
https://www.jenkinslaw.org/general-public
Lehigh County
Judge Donald E. Wieand Law Library
Lehigh County Courthouse, 8th Floor
455 West Hamilton Street
Allentown, PA 18101-1614
Monday – Friday, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Call 610-782-3385 to make appointments to use the library’s Westlaw or Lexis computers.
https://www.lccpa.org/courtadmin/lawlibrary.nex
Catalog: https://opac.libraryworld.com/opac/home.php
Northampton County
Northampton County Law Library
669 Washington Street
Easton, PA 18042
610-829-6751
Monday – Friday, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Public access computers are available, enabling electronic research via the internet. Additionally, Northampton County Local Rules and Common Pleas opinions are available in a searchable/printable online archive both in the library and on this website. Westlaw online access provides users reference to materials not available in traditional published form.
https://www.nccpa.org/law-library
Federal Depository Library Directory (FDLD)
The U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) through the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) distributes government information free of cost to these libraries, and the libraries provide free access for all users to this information. In addition, information specialists are available at these libraries to assist researchers with locating Federal information. https://ask.gpo.gov/s/FDLD
Pennsylvania Legal Research 101: About the Law and How to Find It 