All About the Cobb County Law Library
The Cobb County Law Library became a reality in 1965 after the Cobb County Bar Association and the Judicial Circuit authorized the creation of a free public law library for use by lawyers, judges, and the general public. The Law Library served as a county department until 1990 when it was separated and became an official department of the Cobb County Judicial Circuit.
Under state law, the Municipal Court Law Library is the responsibility of the Chief Judge of that Court; the State Law Library is a division of the Supreme Court of Georgia; the Court of Appeals Law Library is a division of the Court of Appeals of Georgia; and the Law Library for the Northern District of Georgia remains a unit of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia .
The Cobb County Law Library derives its existence from the Code of Georgia Annotated §36-15-2 which states:
(a) There shall be maintained in each judicial circuit by the judges thereof a law library for the free use of the judges, their court personnel, the practicing members of the bar in the circuit, and the general public.
(b) The law library shall consist of (1) All Georgia legal research material to and including the Georgia Code Annotated for at least six years prior to the current year, together with the U.S. Supreme Court Reports, Lawyer’s Edition (U.S. Sup. Ct. L.Ed.) for at least ten years prior to the current year, and all other legal research material which, in the opinion of the judges of the circuit, will be beneficial to the above-mentioned users. (c) The law library shall keep up to date all Georgia revised statutes, Georgia Code Annotated, and U.S. Supreme Court Reports, Lawyer’s Edition, as provided in subsection (b) of this section. Cobb County Commission Resolution Material 2a(11).
How to Access the Law Library
The Cobb County Law Library is located within the Circuit Court building at 70 Haynes Street, 2nd floor in the Justice Center. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Except for Court holidays, the Law Library is open Mon to Fri at 8am – 12 noon, 1-5:00pm. They are closed for lunch from noon to 1:00 p.m. All legal research services are free of charge; however, current membership in the State Bar of Georgia or Cobb County Bar Association is required. Membership privileges extend to attorneys who have their principal offices outside of Georgia (reciprocal membership), as well as Mediators and Corporate Counsel.
What Collections and Resources You’ll Find
The Cobb County Law Library provides an array of resources that appeal to a variety of legal professionals. While the legal books alone are impressive, the library also subscribes to digital resources and databases that meet the needs of practitioners, scholars, students and the general public.
The law library provides access to primary, secondary and federal legal materials. As you would expect from a law library serving a large county, the collection is extensive. Currently, the law library houses 78 shelves of Georgia State law, 71 shelves of Federal law and 80 shelves of miscellaneous books.
Legal professionals can utilize the library’s free subscription to legal reference and research databases that are good for a range of purposes. The library currently subscribes to the Georgia Compilation of Selected Laws and the Georgia Appellate Practice (MACO). The law library is also linked to the Judicial Council website which has information on all Georgia counties’ rules of court. The attorneys and judges of the Cobb County Superior Court, Juvenile Court, State Court and Magistrate’s Court can access both the online Westlaw Classic and Westlaw Next Legal Research resources. The Georgia Superior Court Clerks’ Cooperative Authority provides free access to Odyssey Pro for lawyers who need to access statewide trial court filings. The law library also offers Wi-Fi for guests who want to bring their own devices and do legal research online.
Not only does the law library have a wealth of general resources, it also provides access to a variety of resources specific to Cobb County that includes a number of physical publications as well as access to online resources. For instance, the law library subscribes to Cobb County Juvenile Court and Cobb County State Court Practice, both by Matthew Bender & Company Inc. The Atlanta Bar Association offers a number of valuable resources that can be accessed through the law library, including The local bench bar also makes selections of forms and subscriptions available through the law library. Those include collections like: The Cobb County Law Library is open to the public, but attorneys and judges have the ability to sign up for a library card that gives them free access to a number of premium research and training resources.
Services Offered at the Law Library
Located in the Cobb County Superior Court Courthouse, the Cobb County Law Library is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Law Library’s staff provides live assistance in legal research and library services in English and Spanish. Librarians offer a variety of services to help the public:
Self-help materials are available on a wide range of legal matters including children and family law, court procedures, estates, personal injury, property ownership and management, contracts, neighborhood and community participation, consumer questions including bankruptcy, guardianship, financial institutions, real estate, landlord/tenant law, and taxes.
The Law Library offers several workshops including monthly Pro Se Divorce and Family Law and Pro Se probate and Guardianship workshops. The Law Library’s Pro Se Divorce Clinic starts the last Wednesday in January. The workshops answer many general questions about court forms, schedules, and procedures. And the staff assists self-represented litigants in the preparation of Civil and Family Law case files.
In addition to the many legal research resources available through the Internet-based Westlaw system, the Law Library has both Georgia-emphasis and national materials and access to the All-in-One.
On Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9:00 a.m. to noon during the academic year, Georgia State University College of Law offers Pro Se litigation courses in the Cobb County Law Library.
The Pro Se Innovation Project is a partnership between the Council of Superior Court Judges (CSCJ), Institute for Advanced Criminal Justice, Georgia State University, Georgia Legal Services Program and the State Bar of Georgia. This Consortium for implementing Courthouse Pro Se Centers in Georgia is headquartered in Cobb County.
Web-Based Resource Navigation
The online resources made available to library patrons are much like the physical materials in the library, in that they are intended to help users navigate the often murky waters of the legal system. As is common with many online platforms, the availability of technological support for these resources is often hard to come by. Nevertheless, the Cobb County Law Library does have materials available to aid in navigating the online resources available. The resources listed below refer to the most commonly used platforms and materials, and links to more specific platforms are provided as needed.
LexisNexis – Cobb County Law Library subscribes to their premium public access service, Nexis Uni. This service supports legal research and provides access to business, news, academic journals, legal journals, case law, and federal and state codes. Nexis Uni includes Statutes Connect , which provides a link from a case citation to the statute upon which the case is based. It also offers an intuitive text and data mining tool, which can be especially helpful for academic research.
WestlawNext – Cobb County Law Library provides use of the research platform WestlawNext, one of the most comprehensive subscription-based legal research software. Like most legal research software, WestlawNext is complicated but allows for a high degree of specificity. We suggest that users enter a basic search query of either terms or a citation to get accustomed to the platform and the various results it produces. WestlawNext offers a simple but helpful tutorial for first time users, and their help page includes a dedicated space for frequently asked questions.
Georgia Government Databases – The State of Georgia has made certain public databases searchable online. The starting point for these databases is the Georgia Website for State Government.
Events, Workshops and Meetings
The Cobb County Law Library hosts a variety of events and workshops that cater to both legal professionals and the general public. While most events are aimed at practitioners, many are also beneficial for individuals seeking to learn more about the legal process or gain new skills.
Legal Research and Writing Workshops: The Law Library frequently offers workshops on legal research and writing skills. These sessions are designed to help both new and experienced attorneys improve their abilities to conduct effective legal research and draft compelling motions, memoranda, or other legal documents.
Legal Tech Tutorials: As technology continues to play a major role in the legal field, the Cobb County Law Library regularly holds classes and demonstrations on topics such as e-filing, document management, and legal research databases.
Community Legal Education: These seminars are designed to inform the general public of their rights, the legal process, and available community resources. Previous topics have included neighborhood disputes, eviction proceedings, and small claims court procedures.
The Law Library also collaborates with other legal organizations to host events. For example, they may hold joint events with local bar associations, the Georgia State Bar, or other community organizations.
For the most current information on upcoming events and workshops, interested individuals should sign up for the Law Library’s email notifications or check their official website.
Law Library Contact Information and Support
For those who wish to learn more about the Cobb County Law Library or require further assistance, there are several avenues available for contact. The library is staff by both a librarian and an administrative assistant, therefore phone calls and/or emails regarding questions or library assistance inquiries are welcomed and typically responded to the same day if received by 2:00 p.m. For further convenience, patrons can access the law library through the main Cobb County Courthouse entrance on weekdays from 7:30 a.m . until that day’s closing time. (Thursdays and Fridays are part time days.) After-hours visitors may enter through the back of the courthouse maze’s outside gate. Specific library operation hours and additional information is available on the library’s webpage: http://www.cobbcounty.org/clerk/clerksofservices.htm
The Cobb County Law Library may be reached by phone at 770-528-3368. Additional libraries in the Cobb County area include the Marietta Public Library and the Kennesaw State University Welcome Center Library.