Law Library

About

The Cook County Law Library serves the information needs of the legal profession, judiciary, self-represented litigants and the public. The library connects residents to timely and authoritative legal resources that promote access to justice for all. 

The main branch of the Law Library is located in downtown Chicago at the the Daley Center and offers all library users an extensive collection of practical legal resources in print and many premier legal databases. Specialized collections include government documents as well as foreign and international law including current and historical materials.

The Law Library has five branch locations at outlying courthouses: Criminal Courts, Bridgeview, Maywood, Markham and Skokie. All library locations are open Monday-Friday, excluding court holidays. Hours of operation for each location are listed at the bottom of this page.

This video can also be found on YouTube.

Mission Statement

To promote equitable access to justice by providing residents, attorneys and public officials with a robust collection of legal information resources and offering high-quality legal research assistance.

Core Values

• Establish and maintain a public County Law Library, including branches, freely available to all licensed Illinois attorneys, judges and other public officers of the County in addition to all members of the public.
• Assist members of the bench, bar, public officials and members of the public with legal research.
• Support access to justice by developing and expanding services for self-represented litigants including increased access to legal information and advice through a self-help environment.
• Identify the changing service needs of the legal profession and public through ongoing client contacts and internal evaluation insuring maximum service in the areas of greatest demand.
• Acquire, develop and maintain a practice-oriented collection of legal research materials in print and electronic format to meet the needs of our diverse patron clientele.