The Opinion was the student newspaper of the University at Buffalo School of Law, published continuously from Fall 1949 until Spring 2000, then sporadically until Fall 2015. This collection contains every issue of The Opinion that exists in the University Archives, Charles B. Sears Law Library Law School Archives Collection, and on microfilm.

The volume numbering changed several times over the course of publication, and is not sequential throughout the run. Additionally, some issues are misidentified on the cover. Sequential numbering is used for all titles, with any discrepancies noted in the issue description.

The following issues are missing from the print archives and microfilm and are either not present in this collection or are incomplete:

• Volume 2 Number 3 (1950-51) missing
• Volume 8 Number 2 (1957-58) missing
• Volume III Number 2 (1963) missing
• Volume 46 Number 6 (April 1, 2009) incomplete

Notes on the numbering system: The volumes from 1949-50 to 1961-62 are numbered 1 to 11. In 1962-63, the numbering system was changed to Roman numerals, apparently by mistake, starting with III and continuing to X (1969-70). In 1970-71, it was changed back to Arabic numbers, starting with 11. Volume 38 appears to have begin with Number 2 (September 15, 1997). In 1998-99, just before the paper's 50th anniversary, the discrepancy in numbering was noticed and Volume 39 became Volume 50 with Number 3 (September 21, 1998). This continued until 2001-02 (Volume 54). There was no volume in 2000-01. Volume 52 was left empty. In 2002-03, the numbering was changed again, to Volume 41. Numbering continued in this sequence until Volume 48 (2010). There was no volume in 2006-07, but no volume number was skipped. The paper closed in 2010 after the final issue, Volume 48, Number 1, but came back for one issue in 2015-16, which was again numbered Volume 48, Number 1.