Some people think that law libraries exist exclusively for lawyers, but in truth, they exist to serve anyone.

The Psychological Study of Social Issues notes that legal socialization is a right of every United States citizen.

“As a U.S. citizen I feel it is my right and responsibility to know the law after serving decades in prison,” said Corey McNeil, a former SQ resident. Speaking of K–12 education, he added, “There is a need for a blended standard curriculum in civil law and criminal [that is] long overdue.”

Public law libraries are vital for the American public’s understanding of the law. Access to legal information provides citizens with an appreciation of how judicial decisions affect public policy, while also shaping civic engagement.

There are legal/law dictionaries, and they cover definitions for every legal term and aspect of the law. The Latin phrase Lex salut du people est la supreme loi, translates to, “safety of the people is the highest law.” If the people don’t know law libraries exist or where to access them, then communities are not as safe as they could be with wider dissemination of this knowledge.

The American Association of Law Libraries recommends standards to state courts and county law libraries. This section helps to guarantee that legal information and archived case law is available to the public in law libraries across the United States.

The Law Library Company was America’s first law library. Founded in Philadelphia circa 1802, it is now known as Jenkins Law Library, according to AALL Spectrum.

The California legislature enacted statutory provisions in 1891 for the establishment of law libraries for attorneys and the public. California is made of 58 counties, 56 of which have law libraries in operation. This public resource affords people access to legal material, as the California Constitution so expresses in its Declaration of Rights; Article 1; Section 7(a), dually conveying matters of legal socialization.

Civics begins in a nation’s school system. Generation Citizen is a nonprofit that teaches “action civics” to middle school and high school pupils. It’s curriculum helps students identify public safety issues and tackles matters like gang violence.

Public law libraries are legal public institutions. According to San Quentin Senior Librarian Gabriel Loiderman, legal public institutions are resources that play a role in the development of young citizens.

The United States Supreme Court of 1977 ruled in Bounds v. Smith that incarcerated people have the right to access to the judiciary. This signaled recognition of the constitutional rights of incarcerated persons. It also meant they could seek redress. In the 1996 ruling Casey v. Lewis, the United States Supreme Court handed down the opinion that correctional institutions must provide access to law libraries for incarcerated and lay persons. The ruling also stated that people can be aided by their peers.

 “Civics matter to know about the structure of federal and local governmental institutions,” said San Quentin Sergeant F. Benes. “To know our constitution is vital because your rights lay within that document.” 

“Learning your basics such as language, math, [and] financial literacy should be taught to build, good habits, and socialization to starting life.”

The rights and responsibilities of all American citizens are tied into public law libraries. They are the adhesives that bridge and bond the social capital networks that make up our communities. Legal redress is a right of every citizen. Educated citizens keep societies much safer.