Legal Reference for Librarians

In recent years the number of Americans who have decided to handle their own legal affairs without the help of a lawyer has skyrocketed. Ranging from people writing their own wills or drafting a contract to those trying to represent themselves in court, they’re going to public and academic libraries for answers. As both an attorney and a librarian, Healy’s background makes him uniquely qualified to advise library staff on providing users with the legal information they seek, and in this handbook, heProvides a concise orientation on legal research, including strategies for finding information quickly and a handpicked compendium of the best resourcesOffers guidance on how to provide advice on legal research while steering clear of liabilityCovers federal legal reference as well as all 50 states, with a comprehensive list of web-based legal resourcesLibrary staff can provide valuable and ethical legal reference guidance with the practical guidance in this book.

As both an attorney and a librarian, Healy’s background makes him uniquely qualified to advise library staff on providing users with the legal information they seek.

In recent years the number of Americans who have decided to handle their own legal affairs without the help of a lawyer has skyrocketed. Ranging from people writing their own wills or drafting a contract to those trying to represent themselves in court, they’re going to public and academic libraries for answers. As both an attorney and a librarian, Healy’s background makes him uniquely qualified to advise library staff on providing users with the legal information they seek, and in this handbook, heProvides a concise orientation on legal research, including strategies for finding information quickly and a handpicked compendium of the best resourcesOffers guidance on how to provide advice on legal research while steering clear of liabilityCovers federal legal reference as well as all 50 states, with a comprehensive list of web-based legal resourcesLibrary staff can provide valuable and ethical legal reference guidance with the practical guidance in this book.

Table of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgmentsPart 1 Legal and Ethical IssuesChapter 1Who Is Asking Legal Reference Questions, and Why Does It Matter?Chapter 2Parameters of Legal Reference ServiceChapter 3Tips and Tools for Serving the Pro Se Library UserPart 2 Legal Research BasicsChapter 4The Structure of Law and the Legal Research ProcessChapter 5Secondary Legal ResourcesChapter 6Statutes and ConstitutionsChapter 7Case LawChapter 8Regulations and Administrative LawAppendix: Online Legal ResourcesIndex