Oregon Legal Research Blog
Oregon has three law schools, and three law school libraries, two of which are private. Each provides a generous amount of service to the public even though their primary mission is to serve their student and faculty research needs. (They also provide invaluable assistance to the Oregon county law librarians.)
Oregon also has a state law library and a network of county law libraries. (There are also law firm and bar association law libraries, but they are for employees and lawyers only.)
If you need to do legal research:
IMPORTANT: To avoid disappointment or travel time: PLEASE TELEPHONE AHEAD or check websites on the day you need to use the law library. Library hours and services change.
2) OREGON COUNCIL of COUNTY LAW LIBRARIES (OCCLL)
a) Oregon county law libraries are open to all.
b) For a description of what you will find in a public law library, see the Washington County Law Library library services page.
c) Oregon county law libraries offer a variety of services, including legal research databases (though you will still need to consult an attorney or engage in further study to find out what you do with the results of your research).
You can find a directory of Oregon county law library databases and other legal research information at the Washington County Law Library What’s New webpage.
3) PUBLIC OREGON LAW SCHOOL LIBRARY
University of Oregon, John E. Jaqua Law Library
a) The Law Library may be used by UO students, faculty and staff, and members of the general public who need to consult specific law materials held by the Library.
b) The reference librarians and peer research assistants (peer RAs – 2nd and 3rd year law students at the reference desk) do not do legal research for members of the public.
c) Reference librarians do assist members of the public by helping them locate legal research materials and by showing them how to use the resources.
d) The reference desk is staffed approximately 40 hours per week by reference librarians and peer RAs.
e) The law library’s primary mission is to serve the research, teaching and scholarship of the law faculty and law students. Reference librarians restrict hours at the reference desk in order to reach their primary clientele through classroom teaching, office appointments, and electronic means.
f) Public patrons may access various databases, including LexisNexis Academic and Westlaw Campus Research, from either of the two public computer terminals in the library Reading Room.
g) There is no attorney reference (fee-based or other) service.
4) PRIVATE OREGON LAW SCHOOL LIBRARIES
a) Boley Law Library at Lewis & Clark Law School
1) The Boley Law Library at Lewis & Clark Law School is open to the public Monday – Thursday 9am – 6pm, Friday 9am – 5pm, Saturday 11am – 5pm (these are the hours a reference librarian is on duty). Summer and holiday hours vary – always best to check their web page to find out specific hours, or call ahead. Reference assistance is provided to everyone with the usual caveats about not providing legal assistance/legal advice.
2) Boley has a Westlaw subscription for members of the public which provides access to primary materials. Most of the library’s other databases (HeinOnline, LegalTrac, BarBooks, CCH and RIA Tax, BNA All, LN Congressional) are available for walk-in users on four legal research workstations. Printing from these databases is $.10/page.
3) Attorney Services, a document delivery service, is available to lawyers (and their support staffs) throughout the state. We deliver materials only to downtown Portland. Details.
b) J.W. Long Law Library at Willamette Law School
1) Willamette Law School is a private law school; its primary mission is to meet the research needs of faculty and students.
2) Members of the public may use print materials in-house. There are no public access computers. However, anyone can access the Law Library’s web page, which has links to a large number of free databases and research guides.
3) Materials that circulate may be signed out if the person is a Willamette alumnus, member of the Bench or Bar, state of Oregon employee, law clerk or has acquired a borrower’s library card from the University’s Hatfield Library upon payment of the current fee.
4) Law library staff provide very limited reference service to the public and no research service.