Joining the Library

IALS Library welcomes applications from scholars, legal professionals and researchers worldwide.

Postgraduate researchers (PhD and MPhil students) and academic staff from any university in the UK or around the world are welcome to join the Library and admission is completely free.

Legal practitioners may use the Library on payment of a fee. Specialist document supply services are available for law firms, barristers' chambers and independent lawyers.

Postgraduate students and researchers can now apply using our new online application form.

• Access for Academic Researchers
• Access for Individual Fee Payers
• Access for Legal Professionals
• Information on the Document Supply Service for subscribing practitioners
• Library Admissions, Fees and Service Charges

Academic Legal Researchers

IALS Library welcomes visiting legal researchers from any university worldwide. To apply for membership you just need to complete and submit one of our application forms and supply proof of your current academic status and registration. (IALS and the School of Advanced Study's own students, staff and fellows can apply for a SAScard).

Members of academic staff and postgraduate research students (PhD, MPhil) 

• From University of London on proof of registration (e.g. current student card)
• From other universities with a letter of introduction confirming current registration
• From their tutor or department administrator (for each academic year).
• Non-university researchers with legal training are admitted on payment of a fee.

Postgraduate taught-course students (e.g. LLM students) are not normally admitted, except those registered at the following University of London colleges under a current arrangement with IALS: Birbeck College, King’s College London, London School of Economics, Queen Mary University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies, University College London.

University of London undergraduates may get limited temporary admission on recommendation by letter from their tutor or law librarian. The letter should state that the student needs access to consult specialist materials in a particular area of foreign or international law that are not available at their college library. It is not necessary to list the specific items to be consulted. IALS reserves the right to re-direct the student to another, more appropriate, library for their needs.

Students taking professional / vocational examinations are not admitted.

Services for the Legal Profession

An institutional subscription scheme is available to law firms, sets of barristers' chambers, legal departments of commercial organisations, government departments and other institutional users. A subscription entitles any member of the firm, chambers or department to make personal use of the Library and to use the document supply services. Click here for current subscription rates.