Articles Posted in Legal Self-help Community

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How Did We Answer That?

We had a patron whose mother died in Kentucky. This was during the pandemic so travel from Oregon to Kentucky was not very practical. His sister still lived in the area, so he contacted us asking for ideas on how to help his sister with the estate. He wanted to do some research on finding a lawyer, being an executor of the will, and if there was anything he could do to help remotely.

Even though he was interested in Kentucky procedures, there were still some things we could point him to here in our library that he could read and let his sister know about. There are many NOLO books (which both law libraries and public libraries usually carry) dealing with wills and estate planning. Since NOLO books are not state specific these were a good primer for the patron and his sister. In Oregon we have access to NOLO books online thanks to the State of Oregon Law Library. A public library may have information about a similar problem in another state.

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A patron came in who had lost her father. She knew she needed to do something about his estate but had no idea where to start. A friend had told her she might not need to file anything with the court. She wanted to know what to do and if the court needed to be involved.

First, we pointed her to resources, such as law dictionaries, to explain a couple basic terms.

  • Probate is the court process of appointing, and overseeing, someone to administer an estate, identify heirs, inventory assets, pay debts, and distribute the remaining property. This process is handled by the Probate Department of the court.
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If you are facing eviction there are some resources to help.

First, reach out to Legal Aid’s Eviction Defense Project; use the form or phone number on their website.

Second, check out Legal Aid’s Landlord-Tenant legal information and the Oregon State Bar’s information on landlord-tenant law. Their websites can help answer some of your questions.

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Ken Svengalis has published a 2nd edition (2022) of his “A Layperson’s Guide to Legal Research and Self-Help Law Books” — and it’s half the price of the first edition.

“A Layperson’s Guide to Legal Research and Self-Help Law Books” can now be purchased at the Author Reputation Press bookstore. (Paperbound edition ($49.95) and an eBook edition ($24.99).)

Note 1: Please do NOT purchase this 2nd edition from Ken’s former website, NE Law Press, where only the previous edition of the Layperson’s Guide is for sale. (Ken’s 2021, 25th edition, of his “Legal Information Buyer’s Guide” is still for sale from the NE Law Press website.)

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Recommended reading for anyone who thinks more tech, online forms, and better legal design will substitute for professional legal services, i.e. People Need Lawyers (and lawyers in public service need more support):

“They Had Access, But They Didn’t Get Justice: Why Prevailing Access To Justice Initiatives Fail Rural Americans,” by Michele Statz, Hon. Robert Friday, and Jon Bredeson, published in:

Georgetown Journal on Poverty Law and Policy, Volume XXVIII, Number 3, Spring 2021, 321

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The Oregon State Bar (OSB) is requesting feedback on their proposal on licensing paralegals:

“… to provide some legal services that currently only lawyers may provide….”

Read the OSB summary of the proposal, view the video, and link to the questionnaire:

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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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VINCheck® Lookup at NICB

The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) has a publicly accessible, free VINCheckⓇ service. Click through services may not be free.

What is a VIN? It’s an acronym for Vehicle Identification Number.

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The national Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) is not the only federal insurance program that exists to protect people who are injured after receiving specific (aka covered) vaccinations.

Visit the VICP website and read the FAQ page to find answers to questions like:

“Will the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program provide compensation to individuals injured by COVID-19 vaccine?”

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U.S. Representative Nadler (D-NY) introduced this bill in Congress on 7/19/21, with bipartisan co-sponsors. The bill has been referred to the Judiciary Committee. You can track its progress from Congress dot gov:

H.R.4501 (2021): To provide for the establishment of the Office for Access to Justice in the Department of Justice, and for other purposes.

Action: 7/19/2021 Introduced and then Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary

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