The Law Library Association of St. Louis is housed on the 13th and 13th Mezzanine Floors of the Civil Courts Building. The library is just under the pyramidal top and looking out among the Greek columns.
The Civil Courts Building is said to be inspired by the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, which is one of Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The figures at the top of the building have been called griffins or sphinxes. They are aluminum and serve as a lightening conductor for the building. An August 16, 1927, St. Louis Post-Dispatch article entitled “Riddle of the Sphinx Puzzles City Officials” asserted that city officials could provide no explanation for the selection of the sphinx for the figure at the top of the building. However, Francis Duda, a former Law Library board member, and Lawrence Crahan wrote in a St. Louis Bar Journal article that these figures are griffins who exemplify watchfulness and guardianship.
There are many other decorative features and symbols both inside and outside of the building. For a full read of the article by Mr. Duda and Crahan describing the architecture of the Civil Courts Building and the symbolism of its features, go here.
The picture is from the Missouri Historical Society online collections.