The Smith County Law Library’s mission is to provide access to legal information and information services to the general public, legal community and court staff of Smith County.

The library is under the direction of the Smith County Bar Association’s Law Library Committee and Smith County Commissioners Court. Resources in the library include legal information, such as case law, litigation guides, statutes and other print material, in addition to LexisAdvance and other online sources. The library strives to provide information in ways that are reliable, efficient, respectful and economical.

The Smith County Law Library is open to attorneys, judges and the general public at no cost. County law libraries in Texas make legal research materials available to the public. Because it is a research library, books and materials may not be taken out of the library. The Law Library pays particular attention to the area of Texas law and documents. We also have U.S. statutes and cases, however we do not have state law from other states. Computers are available with access to the internet to search other legal sites.

The public is welcome to come in to do their own research. Law Librarians are here to assist in using available materials. Law librarians are not attorneys and cannot:

• Give legal advice;
• Interpret statutes, cases or regulations;
• Choose language for legal documents;
• Select forms or aid in filling them out; or
• Answer legal questions

Smith County Law Librarians can direct pro se litigants to the materials that may be helpful in finding answers to legal questions. We may also be able to refer you to other sources or agencies which might be able to help. The staff can direct you to where certain materials may be found in the library, but whatever forms you should or may choose to use in a legal matter is left solely to your decision. There are no standard forms, those found in the books are guidelines for making forms and were written under the assumption that they would be used by attorneys. Please do not ask the Librarians for advice or help in filling out forms. The best advice we can give you is to read the information or instructions. Please remember that the staff is PROHIBITED BY LAW from giving legal advice.

Smith County does not have a reference attorney on staff. There are no attorneys available for consultation by pro se litigants. If you need an attorney, you may wish to contact the State Bar of Texas Lawyer Referral Service. The telephone number is 1-800-252-9690. The attorneys who are listed in this service have agreed to an abbreviated (30 minute) consultation appointment for $20. Many attorneys advertise in the telephone book and list their areas of expertise. If an attorney’s office cannot assist you, ask if they can refer you to an attorney that may be able to help you.

Location

Basement of the Smith County Courthouse
100 N. Broadway Ave.
Tyler, Texas  75702

Fees:

Copies and Print-Outs: 25 cents per page
Notary Service: $5.00 per signature
Fax:  50 cents per page – local and $1.00 per page –long distance 

Hours of Operation: 

Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.
(the library closes for lunch from noon – 1:00 p.m.)