Reference librarians are available to answer research questions and assist in developing research strategies for law-related questions. All reference librarians have Master's degrees in Information Science and many have J.D. degrees as well. Many reference librarians have areas of specialization and can recommend appropriate print and electronic resources.
Reference librarians are available to help Library users locate information and to provide assistance in legal research methodology. However, they may not provide substantive advice or interpret legal materials for the benefit of Library users.
The reference desk is located on the main floor of the Library. During the school year, the reference desk is staffed from 8am until 8pm Monday through Thursday; from 8am until 6pm on Fridays; and from noon until 6pm on Saturday and Sunday. More limited reference hours are offered during the summer and intersession period. Please consult the Library's opening schedule for current reference schedule and hours or call the circulation desk at 471-7726.
Reference questions may be asked in person at the reference desk or by phone to (512) 471-6220. Reference librarians are also available to answer brief, ready-reference questions via email. Librarians cannot do research or provide legal advice. Reference questions should be addressed to .
The foreign and international law office, located on the 6th floor of the Library, is available for specialized research assistance in areas such as treaty research, the law of non-U.S. jurisdictions, private international law, and the law of international bodies such as the European Union or the Organization of American States. Jonathan Pratter (, (512) 471-7260) is the foreign and international law librarian.
The Library has been a government depository library since 1965, and maintains a wide variety of Congressional and administrative agency material. The government documents' collection, located on the 5th floor of the Library, is especially useful for researching the legislative history of federal statutes. Barbara Bridges, the government documents' librarian, is available to provide reference assistance in this collection. She can be reached at or at (512) 232-3805.
Rare books and special collections is on the 6th floor of the Library. The rare book collection is particularly strong in Texas law and its legal heritage in Anglo-American, Mexican, Spanish, and Roman law, and has an outstanding collection of early law dictionaries. Manuscript and archive collections include documents and records of The University of Texas School of Law, and the papers of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Tom C. Clark. These collections are open to the public, but an appointment is highly recommended since these collections are non-circulating. To arrange an appointment please contact , or (512) 471-7263.