California State Law Library: Key Tools and Resources

The Witkin State Law Library (official name for the California State Law Library) is located in Sacramento (914 Capitol Mall, 3rd Floor) and serves as a primary hub for California-focused legal research. It offers an extensive physical collection of statutes, cases, regulations, practice guides (e.g., Rutter Group, Matthew Bender), court briefs, and self-help materials. Librarians provide research assistance (not legal advice) via email (csllaw@library.ca.gov), phone, or online form. While much of the premium collection is onsite-only, they link to excellent free online tools for public access.

Recommended Free Online Tools & Platforms

These are directly from or linked by the State Law Library's site (library.ca.gov/law). All are publicly accessible remotely—no login required.

Research Guides: Downloadable PDFs/steps from library.ca.gov/law/guides cover legislative history, online research basics, federal/CA law overviews.

Onsite-Only Premium Access (via State Library or County Affiliates)

• CEB OnLAW: 150+ CA practice guides/forms (onsite at State Library).
• HeinOnline: Journals, cases, statutes (state employees).
• County Law Libraries (e.g., LA Law Library, Sacramento County): Free public access to Westlaw, Lexis, Fastcase. Chat live with librarians via mylawlibrary.org. Best for advanced research—visit nearest for powerful tools without subscription.

No public remote catalog/OPAC mentioned—contact for interlibrary loans.

Quick Start Solution

• For remote/free: Start with leginfo + Courts.ca.gov (covers 80% of basic needs).
• For depth: Visit a county library for Westlaw (faster citators, annotations).

What specific legal topic (e.g., family law, contracts) or research need (statutes, cases) are you tackling? Do you prefer remote tools or are you near a library? Let me refine recommendations!

The Bernard E. Witkin State Law Library (part of the California State Library) is the primary institution for legal research in California. It serves both legal professionals and the general public, though access to its most powerful tools depends on whether you are visiting in person or researching remotely.

Here is a breakdown of the best tools and solutions offered by the State Law Library, along with complementary resources to help you choose the right path for your research.

1. The Core Solution: Bernard E. Witkin State Law Library

Located in Sacramento, this is the "gold standard" for California-specific research, especially for legislative history.

• Location: Stanley Mosk Library and Courts Building, 914 Capitol Mall, 3rd Floor, Sacramento, CA.
• On-Site Tools (Best for Professionals/Deep Research):
  • Westlaw & LexisNexis: Free access to these premium, high-cost databases while on-site. This is the only way for the public to use these professional citators (like Shepard's or KeyCite) for free.
  • CEB (Continuing Education of the Bar): Access to "OnLAW Pro," which contains the most trusted California-specific practice guides and "how-to" manuals.
• Remote/Virtual Tools (Best for the General Public):
  • "Ask a Librarian": You can email (csllaw@library.ca.gov) or call for help finding specific citations or navigating complex research paths.
  • Legislative History Guides: The library provides unique digital guides for tracing how California laws were created, including bill versions and committee analyses dating back to the 1850s.

2. Digital Solutions for Remote Research

If you cannot visit Sacramento, these tools provide high-quality legal information from any device.

3. Solutions for Legal Professionals

For attorneys or law students, specialized tools offer more efficiency than the public State Library resources.

• CEB (Continuing Education of the Bar): The definitive resource for California litigation strategy.
  • Solution: Use CEB Practitioner if you need automated forms and workflows specifically for CA Superior Courts.
• Casetext (CoCounsel):
  • Solution: Best for those wanting AI-driven research. It can "read" your brief and suggest missing cases.
• Fastcase: Often provided for free through the California Lawyers Association (CLA) or local bar memberships. It is a more budget-friendly alternative to Westlaw.

4. Local "Backup" Solutions: County Law Libraries

Every county in California is required to have a law library. If you aren't in Sacramento, these are your best local resources.

• LA Law Library: One of the largest in the world. They offer extensive remote webinars and a "Global Search" tool for their catalog.
• San Diego Law Library: Offers a Digital Law Library (Lexis eBooks) that can be accessed remotely by registered borrowers.
• Council of California County Law Librarians (CCCLL): Use their directory to find the law library nearest to you for free in-person access to Westlaw or Lexis.

Which solution should you choose?

1. Need to see if a law has changed? Use the State Law Library’s Legislative History guides or Leginfo.
2. Representing yourself in court? Use SacLaw.org or the NOLO self-help books (available at most law libraries).
3. Doing professional litigation? Use CEB or a premium subscription to Westlaw/Lexis.
4. Just need to read a specific case? Use Google Scholar or Justia.

Would you like more information on a specific legal topic (e.g., family law, landlord-tenant) or help finding a law library in a specific county?