Historical Print Resources at the Law Library

Submitted by Sherry Taylor on Tue, 01/30/2024 - 13:07
Revised Statutes of Missouri

More often than you might think, we receive a request from an attorney looking for an older version of a Missouri statute that they cannot find online.  The Law Library has sets of the Missouri Revised Statutes dating back to 1879.  If you ever need to compare a new statute to its older version, please visit our library and check out our collection.   We also have print volumes of the Missouri Session Laws dating back to 1836.  For the digitally savvy, these session laws can also be found online at https://mdh.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/molaws   

Here’s a list of some of our print resources with historical legal significance that may be hard to find online.  See our catalog at: https://stllawlib.bywatersolutions.com/

  • Missouri Rules of Court (1983 to present)
  • Missouri Revised Statutes (1879 to present) 
  • Missouri Session Laws (1836 to present)
  • Missouri Supreme Court Briefs (1950-82)
  • Federal Criminal Code and Rules (1985 to present)
  • Federal Civil Judicial Procedure and Rules (1985 to present)
  • Revised Code of St. Louis (1887-1980)
  • St. Louis City Board of Aldermen Minutes (1830-1970)
  • Illinois Court Rules and Procedure (2000 to present)

There are several reasons why these older statutes and laws are important to lawyers.  There are instances where the older version may apply to the current issues at hand, but also the older laws can help determine the legislative intent of the evolving legislation and the older laws might also help determine how the legislation has been enforced.

Please feel free to browse our catalog or give us a call and we can help you find the resource that you need.