Articles Posted in County & Municipal Law Resources

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How did we answer that? Public Records and Finding a Will

We received a public records request through the County’s online public records portal. The question was whether the County had a relative’s will. There are two questions here: what is a public records request for, and how can I find a relative’s will.

A public records request is any attempt to get access to a record of a government or public entity. In Oregon, state law provides a broad right of access to records generated by or for public entities. The Attorney General has a Public Records and Meetings Law Manual. That explains Oregon’s laws in greater detail. Many public entities have a portal where you can submit a public records request. If not, you should be able to contact the entity. Some records may already be easily available. For example, city or county codes or ordinances, or public meeting minutes, may already be on the organization’s website.

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As COVID restrictions ease across Oregon, the state’s circuit courts are resuming in-person trials. We have been getting questions about serving on a jury. Each county circuit court has their own procedures and rules, so it is always a good idea to contact the circuit court directly to get answers to your questions. Here are some sources that I found online that answered some of those questions.

The Oregon State Bar has a Juror handbook which answers in plain language many questions a prospective juror may have.

On the Oregon courts webpage they have posted a Juror Orientation video. It has comments from judges, attorneys, and former jurors about jury duty and re-enactments of parts of jury selection and a trial. There is also a FAQ section on the site about jury duty in general (not county-specific information) and a section on court etiquette.

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How did we answer that?

By Paula Simon

We had a younger patron come into the library who was interested in the process to become emancipated from their parents. What is emancipation? According to the Washington County Juvenile department, emancipation means “that a 16- or 17-year-old person can be given certain rights and responsibilities of an adult or 18-year-old person.”

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The Washington County Law Library now offers eBook access to a variety of legal titles, including some key Oregon legal research materials. The pilot project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the State Library of Oregon.

County residents can sign up for access to the eBooks via the Law Library’s website and can contact the Law Library’s “Virtual Information Desk” with any questions. After the initial sign up, the Law Library’s eBooks may be accessed online or by using the LexisNexis Digital Library app from the app store.

Located in downtown Hillsboro, the Washington County Law Library strives to enhance equal access to justice by making sure legal information, resources and tools are available and accessible to everyone. As stated by Law Librarian Lee Van Duzer, “We’re really pleased to be able to make these materials more available to the public. Now people have another way to find the resources they need to be successful in whatever legal challenges they’re facing.”

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They should! There are lots of ways to learn: e.g. while in a public sector job that takes an active role in the agency’s budget process, by working for an elected official, by volunteering on a government committee or for a non-profit that takes part in a local or state government budget process, or, even by reading and self-study.

For example, there is a “Local Budgeting Manual,” among many other useful training and guidance documents on public websites for anyone who wants to learn about budget timelines, requirements, and laws.

From the Local Budget Law page of the Oregon Department of Revenue:

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Visit the Oregon Judicial Department’s website for updates. Oregon Circuit Court websites will have Circuit Court-specific information for jurors, lawyers, and anyone else who has business to transact with the courts.

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Green lanes, Blue markings, White stripes, Circles, and Arrows: What’s a driver, pedestrian, bicyclist, and other foot or wheel propelled person to do in order to comply with “experimental” local traffic laws?

Portland, Oregon, is one of a few cities experimenting with Bus-Only lanes, painted bright red. The city’s webpage describing the experiment has lots of useful info including maps with circles and arrows:

“Federal Highway Administration experiment with Red Pavement Markings

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I heard 3 people last week (and countless others before last week) on radio news and podcasts make erroneous statements about what Metro does.

This is nothing new. I’ve heard these mangled Metro descriptions for almost 2 decades. There is zero excuse for this. There is even a not-bad Metro Wikipedia article for heaven’s sake.

So, Metro Homework for You Radio / Podcast / TV People:

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July 10, 2017, Meeting announcement:

Accessibility and ADA and the new Multnomah County Courthouse

In 2020, Multnomah County will open a new downtown courthouse. Please join the project and design

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From the Law Office Manager website:

The County Law Library: Don’t overlook this free and valuable legal resource


“According to just about every legal management article, webinar, or podcast, the landscape of the legal market in the past few years has changed—dramatically. Clients, it seems, are firmly in the driver’s seat. And with an abundance of legal service providers, these clients are demanding efficient and cost-effective solutions, leading many firms to rethink their infrastructures and find innovative ways to do more with fewer resources.

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