July, 2023

Published on: July 28, 2023

How do I find Oregon court records?

By Lee Van Duzer

If you need a copy of a file in your case, you can contact the records department of your local court. If you just want to see the docket and list of events or documents, you can use the courts’ online Records and Calendar Search.

Some law libraries have access to the courts’ Oregon eCourt Case Information Network (OECI). That would allow you to browse documents. If you need a copy, you would need to then go to the court records department.

If you want to search for cases without knowing a party or case number, then you need to use a different tool. OECI does not offer a broad search function. Databases like LexisNexis or Westlaw do allow docket searching. This allows you to search through the dockets for key terms. However, you might not be able to view the documents. You would need to get the case number or party name and pull up the case on OECI. Your local law library can help you with this process.

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Published on: July 18, 2023

LexisNexis Digital Library Titles Available from Washington County Law Library

By Paula Simon

The Washington County (OR) Law Library now offers remote access to select titles from the LexisNexis Digital Library. LexisNexis eBooks are a convenient way to do legal research from home or on the go from any internet connected device.

Some of the titles that are in our collection include the ABA Spanish Legal Phrasebook, Employment in Oregon, Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Oregon Rules of Civil Procedure Annotated and Trial: A Guide from Start to Finish.

Books check out for a period of three days and you can make notes and add highlights to a book that will be available the next time you check it out.

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Published on: July 11, 2023

Guardianship of a Minor

By Amy Gregory

How did we answer that? Guardianship of a Minor

I had a patron come in looking for information about becoming the legal guardian of their grandchildren. The parents were no longer available and the grandmother was looking to get legal guardianship of the children, to be able to make legal and medical decisions, and to enroll them into the local school.

In Oregon, the Oregon Judicial Department puts out some forms. The OJD forms are accepted at any circuit (county) court. Additional forms may be available depending on the county/local court. For Guardianship, the state has extremely limited form options. Every county has the option of providing additional forms, guidance, or instructions. As we are in Washington County, our circuit court’s guardianship (called probate guardianship) options are pretty much the same as the state.

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