About

The Toledo Law Association was incorporated on November 17, 1870, by David R. Austin, Henry S. Howe, Emory D. Potter, Jr., Isaac P. Pugsley, and Joshua R. Seney, for the purpose of creating a subscription/membership law library to serve the bench and bar of Toledo. Shares were sold at $50 each to raise $10,000 to purchase legal texts, furnishings and related items for the library. In addition, members paid a $12 per year subscription fee to support the library. In 1991, dues were raised for the first time since the library’s inception, to their current level: $25.00 annually for new attorneys licensed in the state of Ohio for up to five years, and $50.00 for those in practice for five or more years. 

In 1888, the state legislature passed a bill creating county law libraries. Since the bill’s enactment, The Toledo Law Association Library has served as the law library for Lucas County. The ensuing years saw more legislative changes for county law libraries throughout the state of Ohio, and nationwide. The most significant change to date impacting Ohio county law libraries, occurred on January 1, 2010. On this date, pursuant to ORC 307.51 creating County Law Library Resources Boards, all county
law libraries became county agencies, governed by their respective LLRBs; in turn, the LLRBs form the statewide Consortium of Ohio County Law Libraries.

“… for the advancement of legal knowledge and the better and more convenient discharge of professional duties…”
Mission statement from the Toledo Law Association’s Articles of Incorporation, November 17, 1870.