OREGON COUNTY LAW LIBRARY SERVICES

Service to all Oregonians

Oregon county law libraries provide unique legal research services, not available at public libraries, to
all Oregonians including lawyers, pro se litigants, government officials, civil servants, elected officials,
lobbyists, writers, researchers, journalists, public and academic librarians, students, and business owners.

Access to Justice Partner

Oregon county law libraries serve the legal needs of those thousands of Oregon who do not know how
to find legal assistance. Law library staff members keep abreast of current legal services, legal aid
organizations, nonprofit groups, and government agencies that assist people who need legal advice.

Service to the Legal Community

Oregon county law libraries are de facto partners with Legal Aid Services of Oregon (LASO), the
Oregon State Bar (OSB), and dozens of other legal organizations in Oregon that seek to provide all Oregonians
with the legal assistance and the legal resources they need.

Oregon Legal Research Print Collections

Contrary to popular belief, not all legal research materials are online. County law library print law book
collections are used daily to assist our law library patrons. County law libraries purchase primary and
secondary source materials, some of which are provided free to public law libraries in other states.

Online Legal Research Database Searching

17 Oregon county law libraries (plus the State Law Library) individually (or through sharing) have
access to the following Internet legal research databases: CCH Online, Fastcase, HeinOnline, Lexis, LoisLaw,
OED, OJIN, OpenOnline, OSB BarBooks, PACER, RIA Checkpoint, Shepard’s, and Westlaw. County law library
staff members also provide hands-on training to new and experienced legal database researchers.

Oregon Legislative History Collections

Oregon county law libraries pool their knowledge and print, microform, and Internet resources to assist
lawyers and other researchers who need to compile legislative histories of state or federal laws.

Legal Research Expertise and Resource Sharing

Professional Oregon county law librarians provide the highest level of legal research expertise, free, to
all Oregon residents and the Oregon legal community. We pool our knowledge though efficient networking,
locally and nationally, and even internationally, when necessary to find the documents our users need.

Oregon county law libraries share with each other to bring Oregon residents thousands of print and
online legal research resources. No single county law library can provide it all, but by pooling our respective
areas of subject expertise and collection strengths we can find almost anything a legal researcher needs.

Oregon Legal Research Tips and Guides

Oregon county law libraries write legal research guides and newsletters that are used statewide by
attorneys, public librarians, Oregon residents, and the Oregon legal community, including ones on how to find
a lawyer, regional legal-service organizations, and legal research skills.

Law Library & Legal Research Consultation Services

Professional dual-degree (J.D./M.L.S.) Oregon county law librarians provide information on legal
research, legal publishing, legal databases, law library management, law library web sites, blogs, and wiki
management to Oregon State Bar members, other librarians, and to nonprofit organizations.

(Compiled by Laura Orr, Washington County La w Librarian, 10/28/08)