Blog Post  Notes from the Library: Law Libraries of Plymouth County (August 2025)

Resources spotlight: Plymouth Zoom Room

Have an upcoming Zoom virtual hearing? Need a quiet place to connect? The Plymouth Law Library, with the support of the Southeast Housing Court, is excited to offer a new "Zoom room" in the Plymouth Law Library. Our private space has a computer with Zoom installed, as well as a camera and microphone setup. Headphones are available upon request. This space can be used by anyone with court business and library staff is happy to assist patrons trying to connect to the Southeast Housing Court and Superior Court Lawyer of the day programs. If you bring your own device, we can help you connect to Wi-Fi too.

Please reach out to the Plymouth Law Library with any questions.

Community events

Law Librarian Office Hours at the Brockton Public Library

• When: Every Thursday from 3PM to 4PM
• Location: Brockton Law Library, 304 Main St, 3^rd Floor, Feinberg room, Brockton, MA

Plymouth County Probate and Family Guardianship Clinic

• When: August 20^th, September 3^rd, and September 17^th from 1PM-4PM
• Location: Plymouth Law Library, 52 Obery St., Suite 0117, Plymouth, MA
• Contact: Please reach out to the Plymouth Law Library for more information.

Suggestions for future events

Have an event idea? Want to present at a movie night or community talk? Reach out to Jazz or Emily to get the conversation started.

What's new at the Brockton & Plymouth Law Libraries?

A monthly round-up of the newest titles and updates available at the Brockton and Plymouth law libraries!  

See a title of interest that’s not at the library closest to you? No problem!  We can have any book from any Trial Court Law Library delivered to the library branch nearest to you for pick-up and drop-off. 

Massachusetts (Both locations)

• Massachusetts Probate Manual, 6^th ed., 2025, MCLE
• Massachusetts Personal Injury Law Sourcebook and Citator, 2025, MCLE
• Workers’ Compensation Practice in Massachusetts, 5^th ed., 2025, MCLE
• Guardianship and Conservatorship in Massachusetts, Rel. 25, LexisNexis
• LexisNexis Practice Guide: Massachusetts Alternative Dispute Resolution, 2025, LexisNexis
• LexisNexis Practice Guide: Massachusetts Real Estate Litigation, 2025, LexisNexis
• Massachusetts Practice: Uniform Commercial Code Forms Annotated, Vol. 26-27B, 2025 updates, Thomson Reuters
• Massachusetts Practice: Consumer Law, Vol. 35-36A, 2025 updates, Thomson Reuters
• Massachusetts Practice: Tort Law, Vol. 37-37A, 2025 updates, Thomson Reuters
• West’s Massachusetts Civil Actions and Procedure, 2025, Thomson Reuters
• West’s Massachusetts Motor Vehicle and Traffic Laws and Regulation, 2025, Thomson Reuters
• West’s Massachusetts Probate Law and Rules, 2025, Thomson Reuters

General/Federal

New at both locations

• Prince’s Dictionary of Legal Abbreviations, 8^th ed., 2025, William S. Hein & Co.
• Corbin on Contracts, Spring 2025 supplements, LexisNexis

New in Brockton

• Consumer Credit Regulation, 4^th ed., 2025, NCLC
• Best Practices for E-Discovery: A Practical Handbook, 2025, American Bar Association
• The Legal List: Research on the Internet, 2025, Thomson Reuters

What we do

There are 15 Trial Court Law Libraries located across Massachusetts to serve the legal research needs of the courts, attorneys, and the general public.

The Trial Court Law Libraries are free and open to everyone who lives, works, or goes to school in Massachusetts. We are committed to providing legal reference services and legal research assistance to all.

Library cards are free! Our card will work at all 15 law library locations and provides access to materials in the libraries as well as to some databases from your home or office.

We provide the following services to the public:

• Help locating legal resources
• Provide online assistance via email, chat and document delivery
• Instruction in the use of print and digital resources
• Verify legal citations
• Locate and obtain resources in other law libraries through inter-library loan service
• Deliver documents, such as cases, by email and mail
• Locate legal forms
• Referrals and contact information for community resources, legal assistance programs, and social service agencies

Virtual services

Can’t make it into the law library? We can bring the law library to you! We are happy to help you with all of your legal information needs directly from your home or office. Ask us a reference question over the phone or send us an email and we can send you relevant case law and book chapters electronically. If you have a legal citation, we can send you the document with the Lexis Shepard’s Report or West Law’s KeyCite.

How to contact the Trial Court Law Libraries

• Call or email your local law library
• Chat with a law librarian
• Statewide email reference and document delivery
• Text a law librarian at 866-885-6277 (866-885-MASS)
• Zoom with a law librarian

In-person services

Patrons who visit the Trial Court Law Libraries in person have access to the full range of services we offer. In the libraries, patrons can browse and borrow from each location’s full print collection, as well as request and pick up/drop off print materials borrowed from any of the Trial Court Law Libraries across the state. Every location also has patron computers with free access to Westlaw, Lexis, VitalLaw, HeinOnline, and multiple databases provided by Social Law Library. Free public wi-fi and printer/copier/scanner access are also available. Last but not least, every location is staffed by knowledgeable law librarians who can assist you with finding resources that meet your needs.

We look forward to seeing you soon.

About the authors

Emily Morin-Martel is the Head Law Librarian of the Plymouth Law Library. Questions or requests can be sent to: plymouthlawlibrary@jud.state.ma.us.

Jasmine ("Jazz") Bonanca is the Head Law Librarian of the Brockton Law Library. Questions or requests can be sent to: brocktonlawlibrary@jud.state.ma.us.