The primary two-point hydrogen-bond contact of p-substituted benzamidinium cations to benzoate anions in [D 6 ]DMSO forms a salt bridge as described by a classical Hammett relation. At carboxylate: amidinium proportions greater than 1:1, amidinium hydrogen atoms external to the salt bridge associate to carboxylate. This complementary interaction of four protons and four lone pairs of the amidinium ± carboxylate salt bridge creates closure of the hydrogen-bonding network in 3-amidinium benzoate. Structural characterization of this solid shows that the primary amidinium ± carboxylate interaction of the salt bridge, which leads to zigzag tapes, is augmented by lateral hydrogen bonding, forming ladder structures of oppositely oriented salt bridges. The ladders crosslink tapes, thus setting the three-dimensional structure of the system. We have exploited this secondary hydrogen-bonding interaction to construct layered magnetic solids based on the salt bridge formed between 3-cyanobenzamidinium and 2,2,4,4-tetramethylpyrroline-N-oxyl-3-carboxylate. In this solid, the nitroxyl radical moiety participates in the hydrogen-bonding network, truncating salt bridge ladder formation by capping (salt bridge) 2 ladder segments. These segments are linked to each other via the secondary hydrogen-bonding interaction of the salt bridge to form isolated linear chains of nitroxyl radicals running diagonally within the layer. Magnetic susceptibility studies show that the nitroxyl spin can propagate through the secondary hydrogen bond. When a water molecule in the solid formed from benzamidinium and 2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-3-carboxypyrroline-1-oxyl interrupts the pathway, magnetic coupling of the spins is obstructed. These results show that the hydrogen bonds external to salt bridges can both set structure and mediate magnetic organization, establishing the salt bridge as a useful synthon in the design of layered magnetic materials.Keywords: crystal engineering´hydrogen bonds´layered compoundś magnetic properties´supramolecular salt-bridges [a] Prof.