About Legal Research

The Palm Beach County Library System holds legal materials such as statutes, codes, and regulations for local, state and federal law, with the largest collection at the Main Library. The Library also owns helpful resources such as legal encyclopedias, self-help guides, and books of legal forms. In addition, our Legal Research webpage contains links to a wide variety of online legal resources to assist users with their information needs.

Due to the specialized nature of legal research, legal searches, except for specific citations, cannot be provided because of possible misinterpretation of material by either patron or staff. [Palm Beach County PPM CLO-800, Reference Services, and Florida Statutes 454.23]. Our legal reference policy is based on the American Library Association’s Guidelines for Medical, Legal, and Business Responses at General Reference Desk. Given these guidelines, reference staff will:

• Look up specific citations

• Explain what types of materials are available and show patrons how to use them

• Refer patrons to legal self-help guides

• Refer patrons to outside agencies such as the Legal Aid Society and the Bar Association