Rare Book Collection

The Rare Book Collection supports legal education and research at The University of Texas by collecting and preserving rare law books. The Rare Book Collection has an outstanding collection of Texas legal literature dating from the period of Mexican Independence, through the Republic and into the early twentieth century. This collection is complemented by robust collections of material from all the precursors to Texas law: Roman, Spanish, Mexican, and Anglo-American law.

Lexicon juris civilis, 1554

Specialized collections include a world class collection of law dictionaries. Among the over 200 editions are the Tarlton’s Millionth Volume, – the first English law dictionary ever printed –John Rastell, Exposicio[n]es t[er]mi[n]o[rum]
legu[m] anglo[rum], (London, c. 1530), and the oldest book in the collection, Vocabularius utriusque juris (Strasbourg, 1476). Other specialties include the classics of English common law, the works of John Selden, state constitutional materials, and law related private press editions.

Collection Strengths:

• Texas Law to 1925: Legal texts, constitutions, session laws, legislative journals, and related materials. See Texas Constitutions Digitization Project.
• Legal Dictionaries Collection: Antiquarian law dictionaries 1476-1900. Collection Highlights
• Roman Law: Editions of Corpus juris civilis, and of many well known glossators, commentators, and humanists.
• English Common Law: Nominative reporters, abridgments, statutes, classics of the Common Law.
• John Selden: First or early editions of all John Selden's works. Collection Highlights
• Fine and Private Press Collection: Fine and private press editions of legal and related works. Holdings 2006.

History of the Collection

If you have questions or suggestions about this page, please contact the Rare Books & Special Collections Department.