Articles Posted in Legal Subject Area Guides

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This OLR blog post has been updated: see Sept. 18th, 2008, post: Traffic Law: How to Beat (or Transcend) Your Ticket

“I got this here traffic ticket …” Law library staff hear this a lot and our patrons have some success with the following strategy, as apparently did this bicyclist who posts this message to Bike Portland dot org. (I saw the story first on Orblogs.)

1) Research the law (your ticket should tell you what the statute or ordinance you were charged under). Most of these laws are online, whether it is an Oregon Revised Statute (ORS) or a local ordinance.

2) Read Nolo Press’s “Beat Your Ticket” (smart, practical, humbling, honest). Your local law library may also have a couple other documents for you to read.

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This link from Shlep to the Montana Public Service Law web site (and their June 19th Corky and Petunia story), brings these thoughts to mind.

We in the law librarian community have always served pro se litigants AND lawyers both of whom can get a bit stroppy, but lately I’m seeing more frustration on both sides. They, and the judiciary, need to duke it out themselves (there is only so much librarians can fix), but they can’t say there isn’t terrific information on the web (e.g. here , and here, and here), and in the law library, for both sides. I always recommend to my pro se litigants who plan to “go to court” (traffic court, small claims, jury trial, etc.) that, among other things they need to do, they should make sure to sit in on someone else’s trial or hearing to see what goes on. I’m amazed at how many find that a novel (but good) idea. Definitely a “duh!” But we all have our blind spots (heaven knows I do).

As for those attorneys who are up against pro se litigants. My heart goes out to you but it is an opportunity for you to talk to your colleagues and the court and the bar association to figure out how to make it work. Pro se litigants aren’t going away. Some states offer more help than others to their pro se litigants. In Oregon, there is help in family court cases, but not much elsewhere in the judicial system and most non-attorneys have to rely on the Oregon State Bar and Legal Aid web pages for information (and the law library of course). It’s a public service opportunity waiting for attorneys and judges to take it on.

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What do local artists do if they need legal or business advice? They do what everyone else does, they read, research, organize, schmooze, and of course, check out what their local libraries have on tap.

I’ve compiled this list of resources for Portland-metro area (and some for further afield). If you know of others that would be useful referrals, let me know. Art law encompasses a vast range of subjects including copyright, property law, international law, censorship, environmental law, sales, taxation, etc., etc., etc., and I couldn’t begin to cover most let alone all of these subejcts. But you have to start somewhere, so, with apologies to Jackie Gleason, “And away we go!” …

Primary Sources of Law, e.g. statutes and case law:

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Dog Law in Oregon (but beware of those cats and ferrets!):

HB 2345 (2007) (engrossed bill here) has passed both chambers of the legislature and appears to be on the way to the Governor (look for the “enrolled bill” in a few days). Here is a summary (from the engrossed bill) and a history (as of today):

“The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor’s brief statement of the essential features of the measure.

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1) My 15 year old has debts. Can his creditors get money from me?
2) How do I seal my juvenile crime record?
3) My 18 year old is dating a 15 year old. Help!
4) What do I have to tell the cops when they stop me at school or while I’m driving?
Public librarians get lots of legal questions from teens and their parents. As is true for many legal questions, some of the answers should come only from attorneys and all should come from trusted legal resources so be prepared to do some reading and maybe some research.

In past posts I’ve blogged about babysitting (including the frequently asked “when can I leave my kids alone?” question) and related legal issues. Today I’ll post about some resources available specifically for teens and their parents. (See recent updates (e.g. 6/15/09), but also click on the Home Alone label in the sidebar.)

As is also true for most legal questions, the specific question and answer at hand is only part of the picture so the research process itself is part of the solution and a learning occasion or teachable moment, whichever side of the reference desk you are on. Parents may think they just want to know what their 15-year old should know before dating that 19-year old, but in the course of finding the legal answer, they can learn an awful lot about parenting, teens, and life in general.

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Did you know that there is a Family Law Facilitator in most Oregon counties and that s/he can help you with a wide range of family law questions on divorce, support, custody, etc. (Adoption questions usually are addressed to the Probate Court, but your Family Law Facilitator could advise you.

The Family Law Facilitator’s primary role is to assist pro se (self-represented) litigants, but the Facilitator is also an excellent source of information for local attorneys (who may also offer to volunteer their services to the Facilitator).

Contact your local county circuit court or the Oregon Judicial Department (OJD) to find out who and where your Family Law Facilitator is. Here’s a link to the OJD Family Law web pages, which has lots of additional information about family law matters.

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Posted at Library Journal:

“The Stanford University Libraries and Academic Information Resources (SULAIR) has launched the “Determinator” Copyright Renewal Database, an online resource to enable users to search copyright-renewal records for books published in the United States between 1923 and 1963, after which copyrights were automatically renewed by the 1976 Copyright Act. “

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Lawyers Set to Argue New Legal Theory in Pet-Poisoning Cases, from Law.com (article by Lynne Marek in The National Law Journal, April 10, 2007)

“Class action litigators and animal law attorneys are joining forces across the country to sue Menu Foods Inc. and pet food distributors over the poisoning of dogs and cats, with some lawyers aiming to set a new precedent in recoveries for pet-owner clients.”

Linked to from Trial Ad Notes (thanks Mary!).

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