Located at 3715 Central Ave in Memphis TN,  the Law Library offers students, faculty, and the public a wide collection of over 250,000 volumes of books and microforms including statutes, court reports, digests, encyclopedias, treatises, loose-leaf services, periodicals, and government documents.  Some of the most significant comprehensive collections are:

• Codes and court decisions for all states.
• Law reviews of all American law schools.
• English and Canadian statutes and court reports.
• U. S. Supreme Court records and briefs on microfiche.
• Reports and hearings of the U. S. Congress.

The Law Library was appointed a selective depository library for U.S. government publications in 1979.   Earlier federal documents, as well as state documents of interest to attorneys, have been acquired in book form or on microfilm.  In addition to the Law Library, law students have access to the McWherter Library, which is the general library on the University of Memphis campus, and to its various departmental branches.

Arrangement of the library

A floor plan of the library showing locations of various types of materials is available at the library desk. With the floor plan is an Alphabetical Location Guide showing locations of frequently used sets. Although most of the Law Building has three floors, the library has five stack levels. The library has lower ceilings than other parts of the building and has a basement level. The five library levels are identified by the letters A, B, C, D, and E.

"B-level" is the main floor of the library. The entrance to the library is on B-level near the student lounge. The main desk houses the reserve collection and the staff provides circulation and reference services from this area.  Many frequently used materials, such as legal encyclopedias, are shelved on this floor along with most monographs and loose-leaf services.  A complete collection of Tennessee statutes and court reports is shelved on "Tennessee Row," along the west wall on B-level. Up the ramp on "Old B-level" is the shelving area for American treatises and textbooks. Most periodicals, including law reviews, are housed in the periodical section on B-Level. These are arranged alphabetically by title. Because librarians have peculiar rules for determining "title" for filing purposes, you may need to consult the Periodical Location List at the library desk from time to time. Foreign periodicals and those dealing with international law are housed on E-level, the top floor.

"A-level," the basement level of the library, contains federal and state codes, documents and court reports including the National Reporter System.  Loose-leaf services for tax and labor law are shelved in the Federal Reading Room on A-level. Other loose-leaf services are shelved in an alcove near the treatises on the main floor.

The top three floors of the library, levels C, D, and E, are smaller than levels A and B. To reach the top floors, go to "Old-A" or "Old-B" (i.e., up the ramp on A or B) and then use the elevator or the stairway.  C-level has a Tigerlan lab and microforms.   Level D contains monographs and storage of older editions of monographs and other historical material.  Level E contains the foreign and international collections.

Outline of Library Arrangement

• A Level - Federal and State Codes, Reporters, Digests, Regional Reporters, American Digest, A.L.R., U.S. Government Documents
• B Level - Library Entrance and Main Desk, Periodicals, Monographs, Reference Books, Tennessee Collection, Photocopiers, Restrooms
• C Level -Tigerlan Lab and Microforms
• D Level - Monographs and Historical Material
• E Level - Foreign and International