Riesenfeld Rare Books Research Center

Rare book

The University of Minnesota Law School’s Stefan A. Riesenfeld Rare Books Research Center holds one of the outstanding collections of rare legal books in the United States. The books form the Arthur C. Pulling Rare Books Collection, more than 25,000 volumes of rare and special texts printed from the fifteenth through twentieth centuries. The Collection is a resource for the study of American and English law and history, as well as continental and other law, and is open for the use of students and visitors.

The Pulling Collection is housed in the convenient facilities of the Riesenfeld Center, including its reading room and modern exhibit space. The Center is also home to the Law School Archives, documenting the Law School’s notable history and the work of its faculty. Beyond research, the Center supports exhibits, events and programs related to its collections, as well as teaching at the Law School.

We invite visitors to explore the menu at left, to learn more about the Pulling Collection and the Law School Archives, and to discover the award-winning digital collections, exhibits and publications that are available through this site.

Riesenfeld Blog

Tuesday, April 18: Celebrate Clarence Darrow's Birthday!

April 15, 2023
Join us in the Law Library lobby on Tuesday, April 18, to celebrate Clarence Darrow's birthday!  Come out and pick up cake,…

Wednesday, April 5: Rare Books Open House!

April 2, 2023
Come out to the Riesenfeld Center's April open house, this Wednesday, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.!Enjoy snacks and drinks, and see…

West Publishing and the History of Westlaw

March 13, 2023
Some of the great achievements in the history of legal publishing have been made in St. Paul, Minnesota, and around the Twin Cities.…