ABSTRACT 

This study evaluated the legal information sources and services in law libraries in federal universities in the South-South, Nigeria. It was guided by eleven objectives, from which eleven research questions and null hypotheses were developed. The design of the study was descriptive survey. The study was carried out in South-South zone of Nigeria. The population of the study was 3564 persons consisting of 133 lecturers, 3431 students and 20 librarians. The sample for the study was 713 persons comprising 133 lecturers, 560 students and 20 librarians. The study adopted a multi-stage sampling technique precisely purposive-proportionate-disproportionate stratified-cluster sampling techniques. A 149-item structured questionnaire titled Legal Information Sources and Services Evaluation Questionnaire (LISSEQ), and a 59-item structured observation checklist titled Online Public Access Catalogue and Observation Checklist (OPACOC) was used for collection of data. Three experts validated the instruments. A coefficient index of 0 .81 and 0 .78 was obtained for LISSEQ and OPACAOC using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Statistics, after a pilot survey was conducted with 30 respondents at the faculty of law library, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, in Anambra State. The researcher, through the help of four (4) research assistants administered 713 copies of the questionnaire to the respondents, 704 copies were retrieved, giving rate of 98.7%. The data collected were analysed using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation and real limit of numbers for answering research question while Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The study discovered types of legal sources available in law libraries, these include complete set of laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN), State laws, Law reports, Government publications, law textbooks, journals etc ,The findings of the study   revealed legal information services available in law libraries, such  include general reference services, Current Awareness Services (CAS), photocopying services, routing of current periodicals, legal research services etc ,The study also found legal information services that were effective to include, current awareness services, selective Dissemination of information, Routing of current periodicals, indexing and abstracting, photocopying services. It was found that legal information sources in the law libraries were current and were adequate. It was recommended that the federal government and other educational stake holders should provide adequate funds; government should make their reports and publications available to law libraries, as well as encourage local publishers to publish law books to reduce cost of acquisition of foreign books; the library management of the various universities should see to it that inter-library loan services are encouraged among law libraries.