About Us

Contact Us
Leon E. Bloch Law Library
500 E. 52nd St.
Kansas City, MO 64112
Service Desk: 816-235-1650
umkclawlibrary@umkc.edu

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Self-Help Law Clinic

The Leon E. Bloch Law Library is located within the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law. Since our beginning, we have served the legal research needs of law students and faculty, the wider UMKC community, local bench and bar and members of the general public.

The library also supports the pedagogical needs of law school faculty, providing access to resources, research assistance and in-class research instruction. Spanning three floors, the library’s print and electronic holdings encompass all major areas of legal research and practice. Study tables and carrels are located throughout the library, as are rooms that may be reserved for group work. A comfortable lounge is available for patrons on the main floor.

In 2011 the Tom and Vina Hyde Collaborative Instruction and Technology Library opened on the ground floor, merging print resources with innovative technology. This space houses the Courtney S. Turner Charitable Trust Collaborative Technology Classroom, which includes state-of-the-art technology that facilitates collaborative work.

Mission

We facilitate knowledge creation by students, legal scholars, practitioners and the community through developing, preserving, offering and delivering instruction in diverse and necessary legal information resources and technologies.

Vision

We aspire to improve the use of legal information and technology by law students and faculty, enhance the community of professionalism and scholarship at the law school, benefit the local community and develop expertise among its librarians and staff.

Values

We commit to creating a safe and productive environment for learning and scholarship and to fostering life-long learning and access to justice in those we serve

Key values

We care
We build community
We encourage collaboration
We communicate
We build competence
We create

 

Library policies

  • The Law Library is a research institution and is available to those who need to perform legal research.
  • During the Fall and Spring semesters, library admittance is restricted after 6 p.m. to UMKC law students, faculty, and staff.
  • All UMKC students, faculty and staff who have set up a library account can borrow circulating books.
  • Members of the public are not permitted to remove books from the library.
  • Library staff is not permitted to give legal advice, answer legal questions, assist with the preparation of legal documents or make legal determinations for public patrons. Patrons may not disrupt the work of law students or other patrons by asking legal advice or assistance.
  • Patrons who wish to work together may do so in the reference area and on the second floor. In addition, students may also use the study rooms on the ground floor and ERC for this purpose. In all other areas of the library, patrons are asked to refrain from activity that might disrupt others.
  • Causing a disturbance or engaging in any behavior that interferes with the quiet and safe enjoyment of the library’s facilities and services is prohibited.
  • Patrons should not reshelve materials after use. Instead, please place materials on a nearby book cart so the library staff may reshelve them.

The Law Library is a research institution and serves the community by welcoming the public to perform legal research and use the computers. Guests should be aware that priority for computer access is given to UMKC students, faculty and staff.


Availability

Guests may request permission to use the computers from Circulation at any time up to 30 minutes before the Library closes to the public. Guests are required to provide a photo ID each time they request to be logged on to a Law Library computer. Acceptable forms of ID include driver’s license, state-issued ID card, U.S. Military ID card, passport and college or university ID.

The three workstations adjacent to the computer lab on the first floor are available to guests.

Patrons under 16 will not be logged on unless closely supervised by a parent or guardian. Guests and UMKC users are expected to respect others in the public access computer area. This includes, but is not limited to, treating computer equipment appropriately and limiting noise and disruption. Guest users will not be allowed to change computer settings.


Time Limits

We reserve the right to set time limits for use of the computers. Computers log off automatically after two hours with a five-minute warning. Computers automatically lock the screen after 10 minutes of inactivity. If no one is waiting to use the computer, a guest may be logged on again after the two-hour expiration period.


Resources

Guest users have access to the Internet, the Library’s databases and to some limited software. No printing or copying is available at the UMKC Law Library, but you may scan and email documents or save them to a flash drive.

  • Drinks with lids are permitted
  • Packaged snacks are permitted
  • All other food items are prohibited

Children may not be left unattended in the library. We understand it can be hard for them to sit still, so we are happy to provide crayons and coloring sheets.

Adults who bring children to the library are responsible for the behavior of those children, including any resulting damage or disturbance.

Patrons are expected to take reasonable precautions for any personal property they bring in to the library (i.e., do not leave personal property unattended).

The library maintains a lost and found in the Circulation area. Nevertheless, the library is not responsible for lost or stolen goods.