http://www.loc.gov/mods/v3 http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/v3/mods-3-2.xsd
xxii, 274 pages : illustrations ; 28 cm.
Library Journal: Part-time law librarian Tucker and lawyer and librarian Lampson, both teachers at San Jose State Univ. SLIS, wrote this book to help public librarians assist patrons with legal questions. They provide an overview of the primary sources of legal information followed by a section on conducting reference interviews, with emphasis on the important differences between being a navigator for a patron and offering legal advice. There is a good discussion of basic legal research techniques and several chapters that deal with answering specific legal questions in such areas as employment law, family law, estate planning, criminal law, and lawsuits. The format is well thought out - highlighted boxes in each of the sections recap the resources discussed, illustrate a key concept from the narrative, or point to developments in legal resources worth monitoring. Appendixes include a glossary, a summary of reliable online tools, and a state law resource compilation. VERDICT Librarians will love this - it reflects how legal information is organized as well as how it will be used. It will also appeal to lay researchers who need to understand the legal system.
List of figures -- Foreword / Mike Eisenberg -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Part 1: Foundation: Legal Information Overview -- Structure of the legal system in the United States -- Getting started finding legal information -- Fifty-one legal systems -- Rule of threes -- Three types of primary law -- Three branches of government -- Legislatures enact statutes -- Administrative agencies promulgate regulations -- Courts make case law -- Three levels of courts -- Trial courts -- Intermediate Appellate Courts -- Final Appellate Courts -- Conclusion -- Secondary sources and practice materials -- Secondary sources generally -- Secondary sources: In print -- Legal encyclopedias -- National legal encyclopedias -- Localized legal encyclopedias -- Treatises -- Practice materials and forms -- Loose-leaf services -- American Law Reports -- Legal periodicals -- Law reviews/journals -- Legal newspapers, magazines -- Restatements -- Secondary sources: Pay-for-view databases -- Secondary sources: Free online access -- Conclusion -- Finding Federal Law: legal information in the Federal system -- Introduction -- General secondary sources for Federal Law -- American Law Reports-Federal -- Practice and procedure and form books -- Treatises -- Resources recap -- Free web sources for Federal Law -- Government sites -- Educational institutions' sites -- Private company sites -- Resources recap -- Primary law: U S Constitution -- Secondary sources on Constitutional Law -- General sources -- Print -- Websites -- Resources recap -- Primary law: Federal statutes -- Pending legislation -- Websites -- Current statutes -- Print -- Websites -- Resources recap -- Primary law: Federal cases -- United State Supreme Court -- Print -- Websites -- United States Courts of Appeal (aka "Circuit Courts") -- Print -- Websites -- United States District Courts -- Print -- Websites -- Other Federal Courts -- Bankruptcy -- Print -- Websites -- Resources recap -- Primary Law: Regulations (Administrative Law) -- Print -- Websites -- Resources recap -- Primary law: Federal Court Rules -- Print -- Websites -- Resources recap -- Conclusion -- Finding state and local law -- Introduction -- All-in-one websites -- Resources recap -- State constitutions -- Resources recap -- State statutes -- Statutory codes -- State session laws -- Court decisions interpreting statues -- Resources recap -- State Administrative Law -- State Regulatory Codes -- State Regulatory Registers -- Court decisions interpreting Administrative Law -- Resources recap -- State Court decisions -- Opinions from Trial Courts Or Courts Of Limited Jurisdiction -- Finding State Appellate Court decisions in hard copy -- Finding State Appellate Court decisions for free online -- Resources recap -- State Court rules -- Resources recap -- State Executive materials -- Resources recap -- Other State-specific resources -- Resources recap -- Local Law: Primary sources -- Resources recap -- Tribal Law and Federal Indian law: Primary sources -- Resources recap -- Part 2: Preparation: Understanding Legal Information Needs -- Legal research basics -- Deciding what legal information is needed -- Reference interview for legal information needs -- Legal information versus legal advice -- Resources recap -- Techniques for finding what is needed -- Jurisdiction -- Secondary sources -- Citations: Known item searching -- Keyword and subject searching for Case Law -- Hard-copy tools for Case Law subject searches -- Online databases for Case Law subject searches -- Keyword subject searching for Statutes and Regulations -- Resources recap -- Building on what is found -- Pearl growing: Finding one good case, then more like it -- Pay-for-view services: Lexis and Westlaw -- Updating -- How much is enough? ; who can help me further? -- Resources recap -- References -- Resources beyond the public library -- Law libraries -- Resources recap -- Free legal help -- Resources recap -- Alternative dispute resolution -- About mediation -- ADR organizations and resources -- Resources recap -- Choosing a lawyer -- Resources recap -- Conclusion: Knowing the community --
Part 3: Information: Specific Legal Questions -- Lawsuits -- Framework for questions in this area of law -- Getting started -- Resources recap -- Finding answers to frequent questions -- Process of a lawsuit -- Legal procedures and forms -- Pretrial stages of a lawsuit -- Evidence -- Trial process -- Juries and jury instructions -- Appeals -- Resources recap -- Family law -- Framework for questions in this area of law -- Getting started: a checklist -- Finding answers to frequent questions about relationships -- Questions about marriage -- Questions when unmarried and living together -- Questions about divorce -- Resources recap -- Finding answers to frequent questions about children -- Questions about parenting plans -- Questions about child support -- Resources recap -- Finding answers to frequent questions about domestic violence -- Resources recap --Finding answers to frequent questions about adoption -- Resources recap -- References -- Landlord-tenant -- Framework for questions in this area of law -- Getting started -- Finding answers to frequent questions -- From tenants -- From landlords -- Resources recap -- Epilogue -- Wills, Estate Planning, and Probate -- Framework for questions in this area of law -- Getting started -- Understanding key terms -- Finding answers to frequent questions -- Resources recap -- Debts, collections, and credit -- Framework for questions in this area of law -- Multistate matters -- Matters involving contracts -- Getting started -- Debtor: Basic starting information -- Creditor: Basic starting information -- Facing foreclosure -- Finding answers to frequent questions -- Resource recap -- References -- Bankruptcy -- Framework for questions in this area of law -- Federal Law governs -- Currency: Be sure you have the most recent information -- Getting started -- Finding answers to frequent questions -- Resources recap -- References -- Employment and unemployment -- Introduction -- Getting started -- Resources recap -- Framework for questions in employment discrimination -- Finding answers to frequent questions about employment discrimination -- Resources in employment discrimination -- Resources in employment discrimination -- Primary sources: Federal Law of employment discrimination -- Primary sources: State statues in employment -- Discrimination -- Do-it-yourself publications in employment -- Discrimination -- Resources recap -- Framework for questions in unemployment compensation -- Finding answers to frequent questions about unemployment compensation -- Resources in unemployment compensation -- Primary sources: Federal statues about unemployment compensation -- Primary sources: State statutes about unemployment compensation -- Do-it-yourself publications in unemployment compensation -- Resources recap -- Framework for questions in worker's compensation -- Finding answers to frequent questions about workers' compensation -- Resources in workers' compensation -- Primary sources: Federal statutes in workers' compensation -- Primary sources: State statutes in workers' compensation -- Do-it-yourself publications about workers' compensation -- Resources recap -- Framework for other employment law questions -- Wages and hours -- Wrongful discharge -- Workplace privacy -- Resources recap -- Conclusion -- Criminal law -- Framework for questions in this area of law -- Getting started -- Finding answers to frequent questions -- Rights of the accused -- Crimes and criminal codes -- Criminal procedure -- Criminal defenses -- Resources recap -- Part 4: Collection: Building A Basic Collection Or Website -- What's online, what's not, and when to use what -- Introduction -- Primary law -- Secondary sources -- When to use print sources -- When to choose free or pay-for-view online databases -- Comparing and combining print, free online, pay-for-view repositories -- Conclusion -- Evaluating the trustworthiness of websites and self-help law books -- Introduction -- Jurisdiction -- Statutes -- Regulations -- Case law -- Obsolescence -- Domain -- .Gov -- .edu -- .org -- .com -- Scope of coverage -- Authorship -- Authority -- Additional resources -- Self-help law books -- Conclusion -- Creating a library webpage and basic legal collection -- Deciding what your library needs -- Building a basic website of local legal links -- Topical "clusters" for your site -- Shortcuts: Mega portals and piggybacking -- Linking to (and from) your OPAC -- Easy tools for website creation -- Building a basic print collection-on a shoestring, or no string, budget -- Secondhand book sources -- Hand-me-down books sources -- Do-it-yourself book publishers -- Final words -- Resources recap -- References -- Appendix 1: Glossary -- Appendix 2: Recommended legal resources online -- Appendix 3: State law resources online -- Index -- About the authors.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
How-to-do-it manuals for libraries ; no. 174