Self-Represented Litigants

The Maryland State Law Library, one of the largest public law libraries in the State, offers several unique resources of interest to legal researchers:

• An extensive set of self-help legal materials from publishers, such as Nolo Press
• Free access to the Westlaw legal database from Library computers. Westlaw is not available to users outside of the Library.
• A comprehensive collection of Maryland case law, statutes and regulations
• Secondary source materials, such as the Maryland Law Encyclopedia

Importantly, the Library also operates the Maryland People's Law Library website, which provides additional legal information in plain language. The State Law Library also works with its counterpart libraries in the Circuit Courts--note that some of these libraries may provide legal resources closer to your home.

The State Law Library offers reference assistance via e-mail and phone. This means that we can point you to books and databases that might be helpful to your search. However, the Library staff cannot provide you with legal advice, that is, apply the law to your specific circumstances. For details on how we can assist see our Guidelines for Legal Information Service to the Public.

The Library is open 8 am to 4:30 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; 8 am to 9 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays; and 9 am to 4 pm on Saturdays. The Library's staff stands ready to assist you and looks forward to your visit.