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The University of Texas at Austin

Jamail Center for Legal Research Tarlton Law Library The University of Texas School of Law

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.

Spiegel, Lexicon, 1554
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:

History of the Collection


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