Public Libraries, Legal
Information, and Access to
Justice: Part 2
Legal Resources for the Public
Librarian: How to Survive Legal
Questions on the Reference Desk
Laura Mancini, MLIS
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Director- Library Services for Oakland
County
Administrator of the Adams Pratt Oakland
County Law Library
Only public law library in southeast
Michigan
Serves 40,000 people a year, over 70% of
them are members of the general public
General Sources
Free Electronic Resources
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Legal Information Institute
http://www.law.cornell.edu
Features links to constitutions, statutes,
regulations, court opinions by jurisdiction
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Findlaw
http://www.findlaw.com
Includes sections for the layperson, legal
topics and laws for all 50 states
Free Electronic Resources
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Michigan Courts Self Help Center
http://courts.michigan.gov/scao/selfhelp/s
elfhelphome.htm
Includes information on court procedures
and official court forms (which are only
SOME of the forms used in Michigan
Courts)
Free Electronic Resources
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State Bar of Michigan Online Legal Help
Center
http://www.michbar.org/generalinfo/librari
es/selfhelp.cfm
Contains links on sources for different
topics in the law, finding a lawyer, and
researching Michigan law
Free Electronic Sources
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Michigan Electronic Library (MeL)
http://mel.org/legal
New Legal Gateway. Information on
courts, administrative decisions, finding
legal assistance, legal resources, federal
and multistate legal resources, Michigan
legal resources, statutes and regulations
Cheap Legal Print Sources for the
Layperson
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Nolo Press
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Books available on a wide variety of topics including
many of the subjects where individuals most
commonly represent themselves
Written by attorneys or experts in the subject matter
Average Nolo Book retails for about $30.00
http://www.nolo.com
Caution patrons about Formbooks. Will the forms be
accepted in Michigan Courts?
Cheap Print Sources for the
Layperson
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Sphinx Publishing
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Books available on a wide variety of topics
including most subjects where individuals
commonly represent themselves
Written by attorneys or experts in the subject
matter
Average Sphinx Book retails for about $25.00
http://www.SphinxLegal.com
Caution patrons about Formbooks. Will the
forms be accepted in Michigan Courts?
Laura’s Favorite Print Sources for
the Layperson
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Unmarried Parents Rights (Sphinx)
Represent Yourself in Court (Nolo)
How to Make a Michigan Will (Sphinx)
Every Tenant’s Legal Guide (Nolo)
Beat Your Ticket (Nolo)
State of Michigan Free Guides
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Most are available for download at
http://www.legislature.mi.gov under the
publications menu
Print copies to distribute to your patrons
are also available from your State
Representative- Call them!
Laura’s Picks: Free State of
Michigan Guides
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Friend of the Court
Changes and Choices: Legal Rights of
Senior Adults
Tenants and Landlords a Practical Guide
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All are Michigan specific in their coverage
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Useful and Inexpensive
Sources for Popular
Self-Help Topics
Family Law
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The Michigan Divorce Book: A Guide to
Doing an Uncontested Divorce Without an
Attorney by Michael Maran
Unmarried Parents’ Rights (and
Responsibilities) by Jacqueline D. Stanley
Michigan Parenting Time Guideline
http://www.courts.michigan.gov/scao/reso
urces/publications/manuals/focb/pt_gdlns.
pdf
Family Law Continued
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Michigan’s Friend of the Court: Support,
Custody, and Visitation for Michigan
Children
http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/
publications/friendofcourt.pdf
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Grandparents’ Rights: Your Legal Guide to
Protecting Your Relationship with Your
Children by Traci Truly
Landlord Tenant
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Practical Guide for Landlord and Tenants
http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/
publications/tenantlandlord.pdf
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Tenants and Landlords: A Practical Guide
http://www.michiganlegalaid.org/library_cl
ient/housing/tenants__landlords__a_practi
cal_guide/html_view
Landlord Tenant Continued
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Every Landlord’s Guide to Finding Great
Tenants by Janet Portman
Renter’s Rights: The Basics by Janet
Portman and Marcia Stewart
Every Tenant’s Legal Guide by Janet
Portman and Marcia Stewart
Bankruptcy
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US Bankruptcy Court for Western District
of Michigan
http://www.miwb.uscourts.gov
Contains information on how to file for
bankruptcy without an attorney
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Glossary of Bankruptcy Terms
http://www.bankruptcydata.com/glossary.htm
Bankruptcy Continued
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US Courts: Bankruptcy Resources and
Forms
http://www.uscourts.gov/FederalCourts/B
ankruptcy/BankruptcyResources.aspx
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The New Bankruptcy: Will it Work for
You? By Stephen R. Elias
How to File Chapter 7 Bankruptcy by
Stephen Elias, Albin Renauer & Robin
Leonard
Debtor/Creditor Law
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Michigan Attorney General
http://www.michigan.gov/ag/
Information on Consumer Fraud
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Consumer Protection Resources Guides
http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/
publications/ConsumerProtection.pdf
Debtor/Creditor Law Continued
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The Complete Credit Repair Kit by Brette
McWhorter Sember
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Solve Your Money Troubles: Debt, Credit
and Bankruptcy by Robin Leonard and
Margaret Reiter
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Getting Paid: How to Collect from
Bankrupt Debtors by Stephen R. Elias
Elder Law
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Medicare
http://www.medicare.gov/
Elder Law of Michigan
http://www.elderslaw.org
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ABA Commission on Law and Aging
http://www.abanet.org
Elder Law Continued
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Changes and Choices: Legal Rights of
Senior Adults
http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/
Publications/ChangesAndChoices.pdf
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Long-Term Care: How to Plan & Pay for It
by Joseph Matthews
Immigration
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis
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Becoming a U.S. Citizen: A Guide to the
Law, Exam & Interview by Ilona Bray
U.S. Immigration Made Easy by Ilona Bray
How to Get a Green Card by Ilona Bray
and Loida Nicolas Lewis, updated by Ruby
Lieberman
Immigration Continued
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Fiancé and Marriage Visas: A Couple’s
Guide to U.S. Immigration by Ilona Bray,
updated by Ruby Lieberman
Foreclosure
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Michigan Attorney General
http://www.michigan.gov/ag/0,1607,7164-34391-180413--,00.html
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Federal Trade Commission: Foreclosure
http://ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/ho
mes/rea04.shtm
Foreclosure Continued
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Michigan State Housing Authority
http://www.michigan.gov/mshda/0,1607,7
-141-45866_47905-186987--,00.html
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HUD Avoiding Home Foreclosure
http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/hcc/fc
/
Stop Foreclosure Now by Lloyd Segal
Social Security
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Social Security Online
http://ssa.gov
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AARP Social Security Center
http://www.aarp.org/work/social-security/
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Win Your Social Security Disability Case
By Benjamin H. Berkley
Social Security Continued
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Social Security, Medicare and Government
Pensions: Get the Most Out of Your
Retirement & Medical Benefits By Joseph
L. Matthews with Dorothy Matthews
Berman
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The Social Security Benefits Handbook by
A. Tomkiel III
Veterans
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Veterans/Benefits & Services
http://www.va.gov
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National Veterans Legal Services Program
http://www.nvlsp.org
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Project Salute
http://www.law.udmercy.edu/academics/v
etclinic/nat_tour.php
Veterans Continued
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Veterans Benefits and Services: Federal,
State, and Local Programs for Veterans
Past, Present, and Future
http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/
Publications/Veterans.pdf
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For Service to Your Country: The Insider’s
Guide to Veterans’ Benefits by Peter S.
Gayton and Marian Edelman Borden
Wills and Estate Planning
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Planning for your Peace of Mind: A Do-ItYourself Guide to Medical and Legal
Decisions
http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/
publications/peaceofmind.pdf
How to Make a Michigan Will by Edward A.
Haman and Mark Warda
Wills and Estate Planning
Continued
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The Michigan Estate Planning Book by
Michael Maran
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Guiding Those Left Behind in Michigan by
Amelia E. Pohl and Steven T. Lett
A Will is Not Enough in Michigan by Amelia
E. Pohl and Todd Schmitz
Other Useful Items
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Filing Appeals and Original Actions: An
Appellant’s Guide to Navigating the
Appellate Process
http://coa.courts.mi.gov/pdf/athandbook.pdf
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Setting Aside a Conviction (Expungement)
http://courts.michigan.gov/scao/selfhelp/i
ntro/criminal/setaside_help.htm
Other Useful Items Continued
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Driver License Restoration
http://www.michigan.gov/sos/0,1607,7127-1627_8665_9074-29754--,00.html
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Emancipation of Minors
http://courts.co.calhoun.mi.us/book002.ht
m
Disclaimer
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These sources cannot be considered
authoritative legal sources
They serve as guides to give your patrons
background information on a particular
topic and can help to direct them to their
next steps in the legal process
What to Do When You Can’t Give
Legal Advice
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Try to give some information that can help
the patron progress to next step in solving
their problem
Patron will feel like their time has not
been wasted in visiting the library
Referrals for Legal Assistance and
Advice
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Lawyer Referral Services (Often Includes
Free Consultations)
Legal Services Corporations (Legal Aid)
Law School Clinics (Host One at Your
Library!)
Community Dispute Resolution Program
Centers
Referrals for Legal Assistance and
Advice Continued
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Non-Profit or Community Based Advocacy
and Legal Projects
AAA-Senior Citizens Legal Service
Providers
Don’t Forget Law Libraries!
Access to Justice
Current State of Access to Justice
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Gaps and duplication in the availability of
self-help resources
Electronic sources that do exist are not
interactive
Lack of uniformity in materials, forms,
procedures among jurisdictions
Existing court forms not easily understood
(Motion Form Example Here)
Current State Access to Justice
Continued
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Wide disparity in treatment of selfrepresented from jurisdiction to
jurisdiction
Quote from New Hampshire Chief
Justice Broderick
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“How would you feel if we had a system in
this country where, if you went to an
emergency room with severe abdominal
pain, without insurance, you were told to
use illustrated textbooks on the
bookshelves to diagnose your problem
and the sterilized instruments in the trays
to perform your own surgery?”
Quote from New Hampshire Chief
Justice Broderick Continued
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“All of us would say that system is
immoral. Somehow, when mothers or
fathers are told to fight for custody of
their child or for their health care, their
job, their apartment or their home without
a lawyer, too many think it’s perfectly
alright for them to perform their own
surgery in our courthouses with burdens,
rules and
Quote from New Hampshire Chief
Justice Broderick Continued
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“process they do not understand. Well, it
isn’t all right and we shouldn’t tolerate it in
the greatest justice system in the world.
Justice isn’t just a nice idea, it’s the glue
that keeps our democracy together.”
The Future of Access to Justice in
Michigan
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Solutions on Self-Help (SOS) Task Force
formed by Chief Justice Marilyn Kelly
Comprised of representatives from the
Courts, Bar Associations, Legal Aid
Organizations, Law Schools, and Libraries
Project funded by the Michigan State Bar
Foundation
Michigan SOS Taskforce Goals
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User-friendly, high-quality, statewide
centralized self-help resources
An interactive web site that populates
automated documents/forms with a
powerful search engine, user tutorials,
multimedia and live chat assistance
Spanish and other language content
Michigan SOS Taskforce Goals
Continued
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Develop a triage protocol for referring
persons who really should get a lawyer for
their matter
Have pilot self-help centers that use the
SOS website
Uniform court acceptance of SCAO forms,
improved understandability of forms and
more consistent procedures among courts
Michigan SOS Taskforce Project
Model
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Illinoislegalaid.org
http://www.illinoislegalaid.org
Contains legal resources written for lowliteracy users
Legal information in multiple areas of law
Easy-to-use interactive forms
Foreign Language materials
Illinoislegalaid.org
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Self-Help instructions for common legal
problems
Multimedia training and education
Referrals to free or other legal services
Live chat assistance
Illinoislegalaid.org Continued
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Staffed by self-help centers including
libraries!!!
Michigan SOS Taskforce
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Pilot Program to begin in 2011
Details forthcoming
Final Thoughts on Serving the SelfRepresented
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Remember you can do a lot with the right
tools
Recognize and accept the limits of your
situation
You are not the patron’s only resource and
there are many entities that are prepared
to provide assistance to them
Final Thoughts on Serving the SelfRepresented
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Most important of all, Michigan has a
wonderful network of libraries working in
this area
Don’t hesitate to call upon this network
and develop a support system so that you
can best provide the best service you can
to your patron!