Legal Reference
Though legal issues can feel intimidating for library staff, public libraries are well positioned to help patrons with civil legal questions by providing more access points to legal information and services. A wide range of resources and examples are available to help support library staff in both connecting with local and regional experts, and developing their own skills in answering these essential reference questions.
Learn more about WebJunction’s previous project, Improving Access to Civil Legal Justice through Public Libraries, and access the free four-part course series, Creating Pathways to Civil Legal Justice, available in the WebJunction Course Catalog.
Most Recently Added
Understanding Eviction and How Libraries Can Help
Publish Date: News / 18 November 2021
Learn how you and your library can better connect people to eviction-related information and services.
Library Partnership Saves Family From Eviction, Secures Over $7K in Unpaid Unemployment Benefits
Publish Date: News / 20 October 2021
Facing eviction, temporarily out of work, and with no stable income, Theresa Morgan was at her wit’s end, desperate to keep a roof over the heads of her four children, until she learned she could find help in a seemingly unlikely place – the Library....
Libraries as Legal Aid Connectors in Eviction Crisis
Publish Date: News / 5 October 2021
As part of the Improving Access to Civil Legal Justice initiative, OCLC’s WebJunction will deliver resources that focus on strengthening library staff’s ability to respond to eviction questions with confidence and close the justice gap in their commu...
Mobile Library Law Center Launches
Publish Date: News / 9 September 2021
As the Lawyer in the Library program continued its expansion throughout Maryland, it received a big boost in August 2021 when Baltimore County Public Library debuted its Mobile Library Law Center. "We are proud to be the first library system in ...
Civil Legal Programming: Libraries Bridging the Justice Gap
Publish Date: Webinar / 22 July 2021
In this webinar explore effective and creative library programming that connects patrons to the civil legal resources and information they need.
Taking Civil Legal Programming to the People
Publish Date: News / 23 June 2021
While many libraries have had to limit in-person services during the pandemic, the importance and demand for civil legal information related to unemployment or eviction continues to be a pressing concern. A national moratorium on evictions is expecte...
Learning Groups for Creating Pathways for Civil Legal Justice Courses
Publish Date: News / 10 June 2021
While the four Creating Pathways to Civil Legal Justice courses are designed for the individual, self-directed learner, they also can be used as the core learning content for a group learning experience with peers – from a small, self-organized group...
Bridging the Gap Between Public Libraries & Law Libraries to Improve Access to Justice
Publish Date: News / 18 May 2021
The struggles low-income people face in accessing justice are well documented. These struggles have inspired advocates to search for innovative ways to effect meaningful change. One of the more exciting developments in recent years is the focus on th...
Podcast: The Role Libraries Play in Closing the Justice Gap
Publish Date: News / 5 January 2021
WebJunction and the nonprofit Legal Services Corporation (LSC) partnered to deliver national online training for public library staff to strengthen access to civil legal justice through public libraries. LSC launched a podcast called Talk Justice, wh...
Civil Legal Assistance in Natural Disasters: A Role for the Library
Publish Date: News / 11 November 2020
In the aftermath of a natural disaster, civil legal issues abound. In these stressful situations, when many people have lost so much, they are also faced with untangling legal questions that can be confusing and ever-changing. If property is damaged,...
