Special Collections: Mills Law Collection

The Mills Law Collection was bequeathed to the Mount Vernon Public Library by Justice Isaac Mills. Justice Mills had a private practice in Mount Vernon in the early 1900s. He also served as a Westchester County Supreme Court judge. Justice Mills' son, LeRoy, also an attorney, held his father's private legal collection until his own death in 1938. It was at that time that the legal libraries of both, which comprised approximately 4100 volumes, were given to Mount Vernon Public Library. The law collection continued to grow due to occasional gifts by the Mount Vernon Bar Association and other interested individuals. Today, the Library maintains the largest collection of law materials available in any Westchester public library.

The Mills Law Collection is available for use during library hours. None of the materials in this collection may be checked out.

The librarians at Mount Vernon Public Library are available to assist patrons in using the Mills Law Collection; however, the librarians do not offer legal advice or counsel. The following list of titles are included in the Mills Law Collection:

New York State

  1. New York Jurisprudence 2nd – Consider this to be the “legal encyclopedia” for New York.
  2. Carmody & Waite 2nd -- Encyclopedia of civil practice and criminal procedure with forms in New York.
  3. West’s New York Digest 3rd and 4th – This is the index to New York State Statutes and Cases.
  4. Laws of New York – New York State Statute.
  5. McKinney’s Session Laws of New York -- This work serves as a permanent repository of the New York statutes.
  6. McKinney’s Consolidated Laws of New York Annotated – This is an annotated version of the New York State Statute.
  7. West’s McKinney’s Forms – Legal forms for the State of New York. McKinney’s Consolidated Laws of New York Annotated does not include legal forms. The forms are published in a separate set of books.
  8. Bender's Forms for the Civil Practice – Forms for New York Civil Practice.
  9. New York Supplement 2nd Series – For New York State cases.
  10. New York Miscellaneous Reports -- Cases decided in the courts of record of the State of New York other than the Court of Appeals and the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.
  11. Appellate Division Reports of the Supreme Court – Report from the intermediate appellate court of New York State.
  12. New York Reports Court of Appeals – Report from the highest court of New York State.

Federal

  1. American Jurisprudence 2nd -- Consider this to be the “legal encyclopedia” of United States.
  2. United States Statutes at Large -- Official source of the laws and resolutions passed by Congress.
  3. West’s Federal Practice Digest 4th – Used to locate Federal cases.
  4. United States Supreme Court Digest (Lawyer’s Edition) –This is the index for United States Supreme Court cases.
  5. American Law Reports 3ed (ALR) -- Clarification are based upon cases that represent emerging, unsettled or changing areas of the law or legal issues.
  6. United States Code Annotated – This is an annotated version of the United States Code or Statutes.
  7. United States Supreme Court Reports (Lawyer’s Edition 2nd Series) -- For United State cases.
  8. Federal Supplement 2nd – Is a case law reporter in the United State district court.
  9. Federal Reporter – For United State cases.

New York State Regulation

Official Compilation of the Codes, Rules and Regulations of the State of New York (NYCRR) -- Contains state agency rules and regulations adopted under the State Administrative Procedure Act (SAPA).

Federal Regulations

Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) -- Is the codification of the general and permanent rules and regulations published in the Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government.

Administrative News

New York City Charter and Administrative Code Annotated – This is the text of the New York City Charter and the New York City Administrative Code with court decisions from the time of the enactment of the Code and Charter.

United States Code Congressional and Administrative News -- Contain new federal laws, Congressional Committee Reports, Signing Statements, Presidential Proclamations, Executive Orders, Reorganization Plans, President's Messages, Federal Regulations for the U.S. Federal government, Proposed Constitutional Amendments, Federal Court Rules and Sentencing Guidelines.

General Materials

  • Black’s Law Dictionary
  • Bouvier’s Law Dictionary
  • Colonial Laws of New York
  • Criminal Trial Techniques (3 Vols.) by F. Lee Bailey & Kenneth J. Fishman
  • Drafting New York Wills: Laws and Forms, 3rd Edition (2 Vols.)
  • Lawyers Cooperative Practice Guide
  • Martindale-Hubbell law Directory
  • Martindale-Hubbell International Law Directory
  • New York Evidence-Proof of Cases, 2nd Edition (3 Vols.)
  • New York Landlord and Tenant: Including Summary Proceedings, 4th edition
  • New York landlord and Tenant: Rent control and Stabilization, 2nd edition

Legal Associations:

Westchester County Bar Association
300 Hamilton Ave., Suite 301
White Plains, NY 10601
Phone #: (914) 761-3707
Fax #: (914) 761-9402
E-mail: wcba@bestweb.net

New York State Bar Association
1 Elk St.
Albany, NY 12207
Phone #: (518) 463-3200
Westchester/Rockland Paralegal Association
P.O. Box 668
New City, NY 10956

Westchester Black Bar Association, Inc.
333 Mamaroneck Ave., PMB 219
White Plains, NY 10605
Phone #: (914) 667-8338
Fax #: (914) 667-0751

Miscellaneous

The Legal Aid Society – Federal Defender Division
White Plains – Southern District
300 Quarropas St.
White Plains, NY 10601
Phone #: (914) 428-7124
Fax #: (914) 997-6872
Westchester County Legal Referral Service
300 Hamilton Ave.
Ste. 301
White Plains, NY 10601
Phone #: (914) 761-5151

Useful Legal Websites

  1. FindLaw – Searching local lawyers and forms all in one place. http://www.findlaw.com
  2. LegalEngine.com – provide variety of legal information. http://www.legalengine.com
  3. LegalZoom Legal Documentation Service – Created by top attorneys, LegalZoom helps you create reliable legal documents for most ordinary issues for free.http://www.legalzoom.com
  4. Law Practice Forms – This is a quick and easy way to find free forms online. It also offers great checklists. http://www.lectlaw.com//forma.htm
  5. Nolo.com – Self-help law source with a variety of information and forms in various areas of law. http://www.nolo.com
  6. US Legal Forms – Forms have to be purchases but you can get a preview of the forms. http://www.uslegalforms.com
  7. The Virtual Chase – offers index legal research. http://www.virtualchase.com
©2010 Mount Vernon Public Library    Contact Information
Design: GO2 Media Design, Inc.