The Pennsylvania Law Encyclopedia, Second Edition, published by Lexis, is an in-depth source of legal concepts arranged alphabetically by legal topic. The set is fifty-five volumes and is available at the Allegheny County Law Library (ACLL) in print, through the Lexis online database, and in an e-book version through Lexis eBooks, available on ACLL computers.  

This volume is a thorough source of introductory material used to understand legal concepts.  Each legal subject includes explanations of the actual Pennsylvania law and leads you to the relevant primary (actual law) and secondary (explanations of law) sources quickly.  

The best way to use this source is to start by checking the Index to the set. Look up the topic you are researching and quickly find the topic where it is discussed.  You may want to consider thinking of words that are similar to your topic, as it may be called something different or may be contained in another larger subject area. For example, if you are searching for information about Pennsylvania dog law, it is contained in the broader topic ‘ANIMALS’, which also has more subtopics concerning licensing, livestock, trespassing animals, and more.   

If you need to learn about a new legal topic or want to become more familiar with a legal topic, the Pennsylvania Law Encyclopedia is a great place to start! 

If you would like to borrow a book, you can sign up for a free Allegheny County Public library card here.  

If you are interested in accessing specialized legal information remotely, please consider requesting an Allegheny County Law Library membership. Membership helps to support the Law Library and gives those representing themselves in Court, practicing law, working in non-profits, and others remote access to specialized legal resources. 

If you have any additional questions, you can contact a librarian through email at acll@carnegielibrary.org or by phone at 412-350-5353.