Courtesy Pass Policy
(One-day passes issued Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm)
Organized in 1803 as a private, nonprofit, member-managed research institution to support the legal research needs of its dues-paying subscriber-members, the Social Law Library was incorporated by the Legislature in 1814 to serve also as a special governmental library with a mandate to provide Massachusetts state and federal public officials in the Judicial, Legislative and Executive branches with research assistance in performing their Constitutional duties.
Because it is a private institution, access to the Library and its collection and services is restricted to its Subscriber-members and Governmental members and generally is not available to the members of the public. For the statutory basis for this status, see Why is the Social Law Library not Open to the Public Generally?
The Library’s collection is an advanced practice resource developed and intended for use by those trained in and engaged in the practice or administration of law rather than for use by members of the general public, for whom there are Massachusetts public libraries with legal collections of sufficient scope to cover most situations they would encounter. These libraries include:
The State Library of Massachusetts
The Trial Court Law Libraries:
Library of the United States Courts In the First Circuit
For more detailed information, see Where to Access Legal Materials, HERE
However, if there are specific resources within the Library’s collection that a non-member requires, but has been unable to locate elsewhere, upon completion of a Non-Member Request for Reference Assistance and consultation with a member of the Library’s professional Reference Staff, he or she may be referred to a public library where such resources can be obtained or, if there is none, be issued a one-day Courtesy Pass for access to the Library.
Courtesy Pass Rules
1. General Rule. Non-members will not be granted access to the Library’s premises or use of its collection and resources.
2. Exceptions to General Rule.
a. Non-attorneys.
1. Pro Se Litigants. Pro se litigants who demonstrate a showing of need for specific resources that are contained in the Library’s collection and that are unavailable at any Massachusetts public library will be issued Courtesy Passes (see Courtesy Passes, § 4, below).
2. Casual Visitors. Members of the general public who do not request admission to the Library’s premises for the purpose of engaging in legal research (e.g., for a tour of the facilities) may be admitted without Courtesy Passes.
3. Academic Researchers. Non-members who request access to the Library’s collection, including rare books and archives and other specific resources that are unavailable at any Massachusetts public library, for the purpose of conducting historical or other academic research will be issued Courtesy Passes.
b. Attorneys.
1. Attorneys Engaged in Research. Non-member attorneys actively engaged in legal research and who demonstrate a showing of need for specific resources that are contained in the Library’s collection and that are unavailable at any Massachusetts public library or law school library at which they have usage privileges will be issued Courtesy Passes (see Courtesy Passes, § 4, below).
2. Casual Visitors. Attorneys who do not request admission to the Library’s premises for the purpose of engaging in legal research (e.g., for a tour of the facilities in contemplation of becoming members, or who are awaiting a scheduled argument or hearing) may be admitted without a Courtesy Pass.
3. Administration.
a. A non-member who requests access to the Library and the use of its collection will be asked to complete a Non-Member Request for Reference Assistance form.
b. If the response to the Non-Member Request for Reference Assistance form identifies specific resources that are contained in the Library’s collection and that are unavailable at any Massachusetts public library (or, in the case of a non-member attorney, at a law school library at which he or she has usage privileges), a Courtesy Pass will be issued.
c. If the response to the Non-Member Request for Reference Assistance form does not identify any specific resources that are contained in the Library’s collection and that are unavailable at any Massachusetts public library (or, in the case of a non-member attorney, at a law school library at which he or she has usage privileges), the non-member will be provided with a copy of the Where to Access Free Legal Materials pamphlet and directed to the nearest library at which the non-member may obtain the desired resource(s).
4. Courtesy Passes.
Except in the case of academic researchers, a Courtesy Pass is valid for one calendar day’s admission only and cannot be renewed except in exceptional circumstances in the discretion of the Library’s Executive Director or his/her delegate. In concert with the public hours of the John Adams Courthouse, courtesy passes are available from Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm. A Courtesy Pass issued to an academic researcher is valid for that period of time upon which the Executive Director or his/her delegate and the researcher agree to be reasonably necessary for the completion of the research and may be renewed if additional time is shown to be required.
Also see Why is the Social Law Library not Open to the Public Generally and Where to Access Free Legal Materials.