Legal Reference for Librarians

In recent years the number of Americans who have decided to handle their own legal affairs without the help of a lawyer has skyrocketed. Ranging from people writing their own wills or drafting a contract to those trying to represent themselves in court, they’re going to public and academic libraries for answers. As both an attorney and a librarian, Healy’s background makes him uniquely qualified to advise library staff on providing users with the legal information they seek, and in this handbook, he:

• Provides a concise orientation on legal research, including strategies for finding information quickly and a handpicked compendium of the best resources
• Offers guidance on how to provide advice on legal research while steering clear of liability
• Covers federal legal reference as well as all 50 states, with a comprehensive list of web-based legal resources

• Library staff can provide valuable and ethical legal reference guidance with the practical guidance in this book.