Bronx County Courthouse

The Richmond County Bar Association is dedicated to advancing its members’ professional development, promoting the highest standards of excellence in the practice of law and facilitating access to legal services for the Richmond County community.

The New York Law Institute is the oldest law library in New York City. It is the only circulating law library in the City and is open to contributing members of the New York Bar, as well as to scholars of history and the law. The Library holds over 300, 000 volumes, permanently shelved on three floors of the former Equitable Building at 120 Broadway. The collection's more frequently requested materials have recently been electronically cataloged, offering Institute members on-line, dial-in access 24 hours a day. The balance of the collection is currently being added to the electronic system. In addition, most volumes can be delivered to the member's office within the same day - a service provided by no other law collection in the City. Serving individual attorneys, law firms, and libraries throughout the metropolitan area, The New York Law Institute Library offers a full range of services that facilitate - and make more effective, efficient, and economical - the practice of law in this city. In 1828, nineteen of New York's most distinguished lawyers, including Peter A. Jay, Chancellor Kent, Edwards Pierrepont, Prescott Hall, James W. Gerard, John R. Dos Passos, William C. Whitney, and Charles O'Connor, met at the American Hotel at the corner of Barclay Street and Broadway. One goal of this assembly was the creation of a comprehensive, circulating library of books in every area of the law. The result was The New York Law Institute and the beginning of a tradition of building and conserving the Institute Library - a collection of legal and historical materials that is now one of the nation's finest law resources. The New York Law Institute is dedicated to the continuous enhancement of its services to members, the assurance of the continuity of its collection, and the protection and preservation of that collection. The recent installation of the electronic catalogue is one instance of the Library's commitment to enhancing services for its members. Our expanded research assistance capabilities and our prompt volume and document delivery, further evidence our commitment to New York's legal community. We will continue to expand existing services, and to develop new ones, for the benefit of all our members. The Library remains keenly aware of its ongoing responsibility to maintain the continuity of its collection, including all state and national reference materials. It is also committed to the protection and conservation of its collection of letters, documents, and volumes of historical and scholarly significance, including many rare and unique editions.