Tag: lawlibrary

Categories
lawlibrary Pro Bono Self Represented

MVLS Annual Report

Established in 1981 to meet Maryland’s unmet civil legal services needs, the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service is a private, non-profit legal services provider that serves Marylanders throughout the state. The Law Library’s partnerships with MVLS include the weekly Ask A Lawyer in the Library Program at the Law Library, the monthly Foreclosure Clinic at the Law Library, the monthly Ask A Lawyer in the Library Program at the Glen Burnie Regional Library, and the Personal Bankruptcy Clinics (select dates) at the Law Library. With 80% of low-income Marylanders representing themselves in court for civil matters, the Law Library’s partnerships are vital to promote access to justice for Marylanders. To learn more about MVLS, check out their 2015 Annual Report, which is available here.

Categories
lawlibrary

Online Databases in the Limelight – Bloomberg BNA*

Online databases can be invaluable, time-saving  tools to any legal researcher as they provide organized access to a wide array of legal resources as well as sophisticated search tools.  Many online databases, including fee-based databases, are available at the Law Library, free of charge, to library patrons.  This month, the blog will feature six of the online databases available at the Law Library.

The Law Library provides library patrons with free access to the Bloomberg BNA (Bureau of National Affairs) legal database.  While there is a great deal of overlap between the resources available on Bloomberg BNA and WestlawNext and LexisNexis, which we highlighted earlier this month, Bloomberg BNA materials are only available on Bloomberg BNA.  These BNA materials include the following.

  • United States Law Week provides searchable access to Supreme Court opinions, Supreme Court Practice and Federal Appellate Practice.
  • Family Law Reporter provides a weekly roundup of family law developments and trends.
  • Criminal Law Reporter provides an overview of trends, development and issues in criminal law.
  • Lawyer’s Manual on Professional Conduct provides news and guidance regarding attorneys’ ethics and professional conduct.
  • “Slices” of Labor and Employment Law: The Americans with Disabilities Act Manual, which provides news and guidance related to ADA issues, developments, and state law compliance, and the Employment Discrimination Report, which covers developments in the procedural and substantive aspects of employment discrimination law, are the two resources the library has available through this database.

Can I access Bloomberg BNA at the Library? Yes! The Law Library offers FREE, in-person access to Bloomberg BNA.

How to use Bloomberg BNA in the Library? You can access Bloomberg BNA from any of the public access computers available at the Law Library.

What to do if you need help with Bloomberg BNA? Please ask for help at the Law Library’s service desk. We can provide technical and research assistance.

Can I access the Law Library’s Bloomberg BNA subscription from home? No. The Law Library’s current subscription permits in-person use at the library only.

For more information about understanding legal research, including the difference between primary and secondary legal resources, check out these research guides.

*This blog post is an update of a blog post previously published on December 30, 2014.

Categories
lawlibrary Legal Technology

Online Databases in the Limelight – HeinOnline*

Online databases can be invaluable, time-saving  tools to any legal researcher as they provide organized access to a wide array of legal resources as well as sophisticated search tools.  Many online databases, including fee-based databases, are available at the Law Library, free of charge, to library patrons.  This month, the blog will feature six of the online databases available at the Law Library.

Do you want what’s on the computer screen to match what was printed? Are you interested in accessing historical articles? If so, then HeinOnline may be the online database service for you! Launched in 2000, HeinOnline is the largest, image-based legal research database with full-text and page images of law review articles, treatises and primary sources of law.  HeinOnline users can search for specific resources or browse one of the database’s many collections.  For example, you can browse the Law Journal Library collection and see a listing of a specific Law Review’s articles, organized chronologically. Or, if you are interested in railroad case law from the 1800s, you can search HeinOnline’s Early American Case Law collection.

In addition, the Law Library’s subscription now includes the ABA Law LIbrary Collection Periodicals! Through this database, library users have digital access to 98 ABA titles, including ABA Journal, ABA Journal of Labor & Employment Law, Family Law Litigation, Mass Torts Litigants, Products Liability, and Trial Practice. A complete list of publications is available here.

Why use HeinOnline? Can’t I access the same information through LexisNexis or WestlawNext? Yes, there is overlap between the resources available on HeinOnline and the resources available on the WestlawNext and Lexis.  However, there are two big reasons why you may prefer to use HeinOnline over WestlawNext and LexisNexis.  First, HeinOnline is an image-based database. This means that you can see page images of documents, including graphics, which match the print versions of the resources.  Second, HeinOnline has a greater focus on retrospective historical coverage, meaning that you can find older documents that may be unavailable in the other databases.  

Can I access HeinOnline at the Library? Yes! The Law Library offers FREE, in-person access to HeinOnline.

How to use HeinOnline in the Library? You can access HeinOnline from any of the public access computers available at the Law Library.

What to do if you need help with HeinOnline? Please ask for help at the Law Library’s service desk. We can provide technical and research assistance.

Can I access the Law Library’s HeinOnline subscription from home? No. The Law Library’s current subscription permits in-person use in the courthouse only.

For more information about understanding legal research, including the difference between primary and secondary legal resources, check out these research guides.

*This blog post is an update of a blog post previously published on December 9, 2014.

Categories
lawlibrary Legal Technology

Online Databases in the Limelight – LexisNexis*

IMG_1894
Here is one of the computers in the Law Library with access to LexisNexis.

Online databases can be invaluable, time-saving  tools to any legal researcher as they provide organized access to a wide array of legal resources as well as sophisticated search tools.  Many online databases, including fee-based databases, are available at the Law Library, free of charge, to library patrons.  This month, the blog will feature six of the online databases available at the Law Library.

Lexis is one of the biggest players in the world of legal publishing and online legal research.  Lexis offers LexisNexis, a platform for searchable databases with access to a wide array of primary resources, such as federal and state statutes, federal and state regulations and case law, as well as secondary resources, such as encyclopedias, treatises, journal articles and form books.*  

There is a myriad of tools, resources and services available through Lexis.  Some of the most popular secondary Maryland resources available through our LexisNexis subscription are Pleading Causes of Action in Maryland  and MICPEL’s Marital Settlement Agreement Form. In addition, LexisNexis provides Shepard’s Case Citations, which identifies all published cases and other sources that cite (e.g., refer to) the case being reviewed by the legal researcher and provides additional information, such as the reason why the later case cited the case at hand.  This is important information to have as later cases can affect the value of the case at hand or later cases may better address the matter being researched.  In addition, the Law Library’s subscription includes document delivery services (e.g., email, print, PDF downloads, RTF downloads) so that users can access certain resources after the online session has concluded.

Can I access LexisNexis at the Library? Yes! The Law Library offers FREE, in-person access to LexisNexis. As access to LexisNexis can be cost-prohibitive to attorneys and self-represented litigants, the Law Library provides free access to meet its users’ legal research needs.

How to use LexisNexis in the Library? There are three computers designated for public LexisNexis access in the law library. Each computer has a small sign indicating the availability of LexisNexis. You do not need log-in information — simply double-click on the LexisNexis icon on the computer’s desktop.

What to do if you need help with LexisNexis? Please ask for help at the Law Library’s service desk. We can provide technical assistance (e.g.,  how to get started, how to use and search the database) as well as research assistance (e.g.,  how best to formulate your search, which resources to target for more refined searches).

Can I access the Law Library’s LexisNexis subscription from home? No. The Law Library’s current subscription permits in-person use at the library only.

*This blog post is an update of a blog post previously published on December 2, 2014.

**For more information about understanding legal research, including the difference between primary and secondary legal resources, check out these research guides.

Categories
lawlibrary Legal Technology

Online Databases in the Limelight – WestlawNext*

IMG_1889
Here’s a snapshot of one of the computers in our computer room with WestlawNext access.

Online databases can be invaluable, time-saving  tools to any legal researcher as they provide organized access to a wide array of legal resources as well as sophisticated search tools.  Many online databases, including fee-based databases, are available at the Law Library, free of charge, to library patrons.  This month, the blog will feature six of the online databases available at the Law Library.

Thomson Reuters is one of the biggest players in the world of legal publishing and online legal research and is the publisher of WestlawNext, a platform for searchable databases with access to a wide array of primary resources, such as federal and state statutes, federal and state regulations and case law, as well as secondary resources, such as encyclopedias, treatises, journal articles and form books.**

There is a myriad of tools, resources and services available through both WestlawNext.  One of the most popular services provided through WestlawNext is KeyCite, which is an online case citator service. KeyCite identifies all published cases and other sources that cite (e.g., refer to) the case being reviewed by the legal researcher and provide additional information, such as the reason why the later case cited the case at hand.  This is important information to have as later cases can affect the value of the case at hand or later cases may better address the matter being researched.  In addition, document delivery services (e.g., email, print, PDF downloads, RTF downloads) are available through the Law Library’s WestlawNext subscription. This means that users can access certain resources after the online session has concluded.

Can I access WestlawNext at the Library? Yes! The Law Library offers FREE, in-person access to WestlawNext. As access to WestlawNext can be cost-prohibitive to attorneys and self-represented litigants, the Law Library provides free access to meet its users’ legal research needs.

How to use WestlawNext in the Library? There are two computers designated for public WestlawNext access in the law library. Each computer has a small sign indicating the availability of WestlawNext. You do not need log-in information — simply double-click on the WestlawNext icon on the computer’s desktop.

What to do if you need help with WestlawNext? Please ask for help at the Law Library’s service desk. We can provide technical assistance (e.g.,  how to get started, how to use and search the database) as well as research assistance (e.g.,  how best to formulate your search, which resources to target for more refined searches).

Can I access the Law Library’s WestlawNext subscription from home? No. The Law Library’s current subscription permits in-person use at the library only.

*This blog post is an update of a blog post previously published on December 2, 2014.

**For more information about understanding legal research, including the difference between primary and secondary legal resources, check out these research guides.

Categories
lawlibrary Pro Bono Self Represented

Ask a Lawyer In the Library: Wednesday Wrap-up

photo 1 (3)
Thank you, Chris!

The Ask A Lawyer In The Library program is a civil, non-family law, self-help program sponsored by The Anne Arundel Bar Association and the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service. Every Wednesday, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., you can talk with a volunteer attorney for up to 20 minutes. No appointment is necessary, but sign-up is required at the law library’s information desk. Sign-up begins at 10:45 a.m., and time slots are determined by a lottery. For more information, please see http://circuitcourt.org/legal-help/lawyer-in-the-library.

On Wednesday, December 9, 2015, the Law Library hosted another successful Ask A Lawyer In The Library program. Thank you Chris Boucher for volunteering and providing this service to the public. Four people were able to meet with the attorney to discuss issues related to foreclosure, contracts, wills and injunctions.

It is helpful to prepare for your session with the attorney.  Here are some helpful tips:

  • Write a list of specific questions for the attorney.
  • Bring any paperwork and information related to the case.
  • Organize any paperwork from most recent on the top to oldest at the bottom.
  • Identify all deadlines.
  • Prepare a timeline of the legal issue.

If you would like to research your issue prior to your session with the attorney, please come find us at the Law Library’s information desk.  We are happy to assist you.

More information about the program is available at http://circuitcourt.org/legal-help/lawyer-in-the-library. The Ask A Lawyer In The Law Library program is a limited legal advice service. The program is not a substitute for representation. If you need an attorney to represent you, you can contact the Anne Arundel Bar Association’s Lawyer Referral and Information Service.

Categories
lawlibrary Pro Bono Self Represented

Ask a Lawyer In the Library: Wednesday Wrap-up

Mike Ragland
Thank you Mike!

The Ask A Lawyer In The Library program is a civil, non-family law, self-help program sponsored by The Anne Arundel Bar Association and the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service.  Every Wednesday, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., you can talk with a volunteer attorney for up to 20 minutes.  No appointment is necessary, but sign-up is required at the law library’s information desk.  Sign-up begins at 10:45 a.m., and time slots are determined by alottery. For more information, please seehttp://circuitcourt.org/legal-help/lawyer-in-the-library.

On Wednesday, December 2, 2015,  the Law Library hosted another successful Ask A Lawyer In The Library program.  Thank you Mike Ragland and Jack Paltell of Bell, Ragland, Gauges & Paltell, for volunteering and providing this service to the public. Six people took part in the program and were able to speak with the attorneys to request assistance on issues such as estates, foreclosure, school transfers, mortgages and contracts. The next program date is Wednesday, December 9, 2015.

poster-paltell (1)
Thank you Jack!

Are you an attorney interested in volunteering with the Ask A Lawyer In The Library program?  If so, please contact the law library. Attorney volunteers must be admitted to the Maryland Bar and be in good standing on the Client Security Trust Fund list.

More information about the program is available at http://circuitcourt.org/legal-help/lawyer-in-the-library.  The Ask A Lawyer In The Law Library program is a limited legal advice service.  The program is not a substitute for representation.  If you need an attorney to represent you, you can contact the Anne Arundel Bar Association’s Lawyer Referral and Information Service.
Categories
lawlibrary Pro Bono Self Represented

Ask A Lawyer In the Library – Wednesday Wrap-Up

Paul Farmer
Thank you Paul!

The Ask A Lawyer In The Library program is a civil, non-family law, self-help program sponsored by The Anne Arundel Bar Association and the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service. Every Wednesday, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., you can talk with a volunteer attorney for up to 20 minutes. No appointment is necessary, but sign-up is required at the law library’s information desk. Sign-up begins at 10:45 a.m., and time slots are determined by a lottery. For more information, please see http://circuitcourt.org/legal-help/lawyer-in-the-library.

Today, November 25, 2015, the Law Library hosted another successful Ask A Lawyer In The Library program. Paul Farmer of Gormley Jarashow Bowman LLC, our volunteer attorney, assisted 5 people with issues such as contracts, litigation procedure, real estate, credit card fraud and employment (non-compete agreement). The next program date is Wednesday, December 2, 2015.

??????????????
Thank you Nathan, Susan and Todd!

Last week, on November 18, 2015, the Law Library coordinated the Ask A Lawyer In The Library program at the North County Area Library in Glen Burnie, Maryland. Four people were able to meet with our volunteer attorneys, Susan Mays, Nathan Volke and Todd Cagwin, to discuss issues such as enforcement of a separation agreement, foreclosure, wills and bankruptcy. The next program date at the North County Area Library is December 16, 2015, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., and sign-up is via lottery at 4:15 p.m. 

More information about Ask a Lawyer in the Library program is available at http://circuitcourt.org/legal-help/lawyer-in-the-library. The Ask A Lawyer In The Law Library program is a limited legal advice service. The program is not a substitute for representation. If you need an attorney to represent you, you can contact the Anne Arundel Bar Association’s Lawyer Referral and Information Service.

Categories
lawlibrary Pro Bono Self Represented

Foreclosure Clinic Wrap-Up

Thank you Shikha!
Thank you Shikha!
Thank you Ellyn!
Thank you Ellyn!

Earlier this week, on November 18, 2015, the Law Library hosted its monthly Foreclosure Clinic! Thank you Shikha Parikh, Ellyn Riedl and the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service (MVLS) for providing this much-needed service to Maryland’s self-represented litigants. Two people met with our volunteer attorney to discuss their ongoing foreclosure matters.

The next clinic date is scheduled for Wednesday, December 16, 2015 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Individuals are served on a first-come, first-served basis, and these consultations are usually twenty minutes. Please sign up, in-person, at the Law Library’s service desk on December 16, 2015.

We recommend that you prepare for your meeting with the attorney. Here are a few suggestions.

  • Bring all your paperwork or other information related to the foreclosure.
  • Write a list of specific questions.Organize your paperwork from most recent on top to oldest on bottom.
  • Write a list of specific questions.
  • Prepare a timeline of your matter, including any deadlines.

If you need assistance prior to December 16, 2015, check out these resources.

  • Civil Justice – Civil Justice provides Marylanders with foreclosure assistance. Check out their website or call them at 410-706-0174 for more information.
  • Foreclosure Mediation Brief Advice Project – This is a free clinic open to homeowners facing foreclosure without legal representation. To speak with an attorney, you can CALL THE HELPLINE at (443) 808-0076 on Mondays and Wednesdays from 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. You can also WALK-IN on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (no new intake after 4:00 p.m.) at the Office of Administrative Hearings, Administrative Law Building, 11101 Gilroy Rd, Hunt Valley, Maryland 21031. For more information, check out our blog post.
  • Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service (MVLS) – MVLS may be able to represent you in your foreclosure matter. Call MVLS at 410-547-6537 for more information.

You can find a list of additional assistance resources at the People’s Law Library.

Categories
lawlibrary Pro Bono Self Represented

Ask a Lawyer In the Library: Wednesday Wrap-up

IMG_1127
Thank you Sam Brown!

The Ask A Lawyer In The Library program is a civil, non-family law, self-help program sponsored by The Anne Arundel Bar Association and the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service. Every Wednesday, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., you can talk with a volunteer attorney for up to 20 minutes. No appointment is necessary, but sign-up is required at the law library’s information desk. Sign-up begins at 10:45 a.m., and time slots are determined by a lottery. For more information, please see http://circuitcourt.org/legal-help/lawyer-in-the-library.

On Wednesday, November 18, 2015, the Law Library hosted another successful Ask A Lawyer In The Library program. Thank you Sam Brown of Hillman, Brown & Darrow, P.A., for volunteering and providing this service to the public. Six people took part in the program and were able to speak with the attorney to request assistance with issues such as correcting a death certificate, contracts, debt collection, wills, estates, tax sales, and unemployment. The next program date is Wednesday, November 25, 2015.

It is helpful to prepare for your session with the attorney.  Here are some helpful tips:

  • Write a list of specific questions for the attorney.
  • Bring any paperwork and information related to the case.
  • Organize any paperwork from most recent on the top to oldest at the bottom.
  • Identify all deadlines.
  • Prepare a timeline of the legal issue.

If you would like to research your issue prior to your session with the attorney, please come find us at the Law Library’s information desk.  We are happy to assist you.

More information about the program is available at http://circuitcourt.org/legal-help/lawyer-in-the-library. The Ask A Lawyer In The Law Library program is a limited legal advice service. The program is not a substitute for representation. If you need an attorney to represent you, you can contact the Anne Arundel Bar Association’s Lawyer Referral and Information Service.