CRRL Public Law Library - Recently Updated Pages

Attorney Consultation

sgravel — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 12:48:47 CDT

Free Law Consultation
Use this web site for a 30 to 45 minute free consultation with an attorney. Click on the Virginia link for a list of local attorneys.

Personal Injury and Medical Malpractice

sgravel — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 09:52:28 CDT

Web Sites

Virginia Code
Title 8.01 Chapter 21.1 provides Medical Malpractice laws for Virginia.

Expert law
This web site offers general information about medical malpractice.

Findlaw
Medical Malpractice information can be found at this site.

Personal Injury
You may also want to check out personal injury information.

LexisOne
Search case studies, opinions, legal forms and more at LexisOne.com

Legal Encyclopedia
Organized by Nolo Press, a well-known publisher of law material, the website provides a general overview of legal issues including pesonal injury.

Medical Malpractice Research Using Westlaw

sgravel — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 19:37:08 CDT

Medical Malpractice Powerpoint Presentation
This link takes you to Media Fire, the web site that hosts the power point presentation. Click on the name of the presentation and at the next screen click on the yellow bar with the text "click here to start download."

Legal Careers

sgravel — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 08:10:29 CDT

Law Librarian Careers
The American Association of Law Librarians has a Jobline with a listing of law librarian positions open nationwide.
Hieros Gamos
You can search for jobs by specific location. Paralegal and attorney job postings are presented. The website provides a wealth of other legal information.
Find Law
Find Law provides the opportunity to search for a variety of legal careers nationwide.
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association provides career information to members of the ABA.
PSLawNet
Public Service career information for law school students, recent graduates and attorneys.
Career Builder
Search for legal jobs at Career Builder narrowing your search to legal positions and your preferred location.
USA Jobs
Use this site to search for legal positions with the government.
Craigs List
Search for jobs by location from Craigs List. Click on the location you are interested in, then jobs and then legal.
Linked In
After signing up for a Linked In account you can search for jobs by geographic location as well as type of job.

Resume Assistance
If you have a library card with the Central Rappahannock Regional Library you may access our databases. In the Testing and Education Reference Center you will find a database that will help you draft your resume. You can find our databases at http://www.librarypoint.org/articles_databases

Resume Help
The Resume Help website offers advice on resume writing, cover letters, interviewing skills and other information for those seeking employment.

Legal Aid

sgravel — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 19:22:18 CDT

Rappahannock Legal Aid
Rappahannock Legal Aid's web site provides information on the services they offer, eligibility requirements and how to apply for services using the hotline program with Potomac Legal Aid. The hotline number is (540) 374-9101.

Legal Research Resources

sgravel — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 18:13:31 CDT

Legal Information Services to the Public
This guide provides a general introduction to legal research for nonlawyers.

Legal Resources For Residents Of Virginia
Many resources are available for legal research both at the Central Rappahannock Regional Library (CRRL) and on the Internet. At the CRRL Law Library you will find a core collection of Virginia materials including the Virginia State Code, Michie’s Jurisprudence, a legal encyclopedia for Virginia and West Virgina, Virginia Reports (Supreme Court of Virginia decisions), Virginia Court of Appeals Reports, Virginia Circuit Court Opinions (selected opinions only), Virginia and West Virginia Digest, self-help books on a number of different topics, texts and treatises which contain information on a specific topic as it applies to Virginia, self help books, court rules, and form books. In addition Westlaw is available online in the law library.

Internet Resources

Beyond LexisNexis and Westlaw
Provides links to research guides federal law, dictionaries and more.

Public Library of Law
Search US Supreme Court and Courts of Appeals opinions, cases from all 50 states back to 1997, federal statutory law and codes from all 50 states. Powered by Fastcase.

PreCydent
Search US Court opinions.

Altlaw
Search for opinions from federal courts and search the US Code.

Code of Virginia
State Laws

Virginia Administrative Code

County And Municipal Codes
Click on the map of Virginia and then select the county to search the county code.

U.S. Court Of Appeals Fourth Circuit
Search for opinions, rulers and procedures and other information. The court calendar is also available at this website.

Search Virginia Supreme Court and Virginia Court of Appeals Opinions
Search for Supreme Court and Virginia Court of Appeals cases beginning in 1995.

Workers’ Compensation
Search opinions from the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission.

Supreme Court Of Virginia Opinions
List of Supreme Court Of Virginia Opinions in reverse chronological order.

Virginia Court Of Appeals Opinions
List of Virginia Court of Appeals Opinions in reverse chronological order.
Virginia's Freedom of Information Act
Need to know if the information you seek is a public record? Check out the Virginia Freedom of Information Act and other information available on this website.

Central Rappahannock Regional Law Library

sgravel — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:40:08 CDT

Law Library Mission Statement

The Central Rappahannock Regional Public Law Library, a part of the Central Rappahannock Regional Library, provides access to information about laws and legal procedures to the general public, attorneys, and the judiciary. The library develops and maintains a collection of books, legal periodicals, and online databases accessible from public computers. The law librarian offers classes to familiarize our customers with our collection, as well as instruction in the use of our online databases and the Internet for legal research.

Location

The Central Rappahannock Regional Law Library is located on the lowest level of the Headquarters Branch of the Central Rappahannock Regional Library, 1201 Caroline Street, Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Hours

Customers have access to the law library all hours that the public library is open.

Monday-Thursday, 9:00-9:00
Friday & Saturday, 9:00-5:30
Sunday, 1:00-5:30

The law librarian is available during the following hours:
Monday, 12:00 to 9:00; Tuesday-Thursday, 9:00-5:30; Friday, 9:00 to 12:00 (temporary hours on Friday)

Attorneys may request twenty-four hour access. Attorneys should contact the law librarian for an explanation of this service.

Law Library Telephone: (540) 372-1144, ext. 238

Click here for the policies pertaining to CRRL's legal information services.

Pro Se Divorce Information

sgravel — Wed, 27 May 2009 13:47:21 CDT

Pro se means that a party to a lawsuit is representing himself or herself. As with all legal issues, we highly recommend that you hire an attorney. Resources for finding an attorney can be found at the end of this document. You are not required to hire an attorney. If you decide to proceed pro se, remember that you must follow the same rules as if you had an attorney. Library staff cannot give you legal advice nor can court personnel. We cannot tell you which forms you need to use, nor can we assist you in completing the forms. There are no fill-in-the-blank divorce forms. The following resources will provide information about the divorce process in Virginia and will also give you sample forms which you may retype with your specific information.

A Sampling of Print Resources at the Library:
File for Divorce in Maryland, Virginia or the District of Columbia by James J. Gross Provides divorce law for Virginia and includes sample forms.
How To File Your Own Divorce by Edward A. Haman Provides general information about the divorce process. Appendix provides limited information specific to each state. Sample forms, not specific to Virginia are provided.
Divorce Yourself: The National No Fault Divorce Kit By Daniel Sitarz Provides general information about the divorce process. Appendix provides limited information specific to each state. Sample forms, not specific to Virginia are provided.
Code of Virginia 1950, Annotated State law of Virginia. You may want to read the divorce laws to familiarize yourself with the process. Many other print resources area available at the public library.
Family Law Theory and Practice With Forms

Internet Resources
Divorcenet A great resource for information about divorce law. It offers specific information for each state.
Potomac Legal Aid Provides information about legal aid services including divorce. You will find a divorce pamphlet under the Helpful Information link that provides a basic guide to divorce in Virginia. Contact Potomac Legal Aid at 618 Kenmore Avenue, Suite 2A, 540 374 9101 to determine eligibility for legal aid services. Contact Potomac Legal Aid and ask about monthly educational clinics on uncontested divorce matters. Under the Resources link, click on manuals and read the Pro bono Uncontested Divorce Clinic Handout. Also, check out the various pamphlets under Resources. There is also an online intake application.
Rappahannock Legal Aid
Rappahannock Legal Aid is the location where people will go for services. Rappahannock Legal Aid is located at 618 Kenmore Avenue, Suite 1A, 540-371-1105.
Legal Services of Northern Virginia In the Family Law section you will find information about divorce in Virginia. If you type divorce in the search box you will get a link to Overview of Divorce in Virginia, a pdf document that provides information about starting a divorce in Virginia, including what to include in your complaint for divorce.
Fairfax County Divorce Brochure Fairfax County offers a Pro Se Divorce Brochure. Follow the link on this website. Information is provided for the divorce procedure. Be aware that the information provided is for Fairfax County. If you are filing in a different county you must comply with the requirements of the county where you are filing.
Prince William County Divorce Information Prince William County provides a six month separation and a one year separation divorce packet for people wishing to file pro se. As with the Fairfax County information, be aware that you need to comply with the requirements of the county in which you are filing.
Women's Law
This web site provides useful information for women facing divorce, abuse, custody and other issues. You can find resources by state.
Virginia Code - Domestic Relations
Search Title 20 for Virginia laws pertaining to divorce.

Finding An Attorney Virginia State Bar Lawyer Referral The Virginia State Bar Association offers a lawyer referral service. Prepayment of a nominal fee is required for your initial consultation and then you will be referred to an attorney who can assist you.
Martindale Hubbel Martindale Hubbel offers a free online service to search for attorneys in specific geographic areas as well as by practice area.

Classes

sgravel — Mon, 04 May 2009 15:43:43 CDT

It's Your Law Library!
Tour the Law Library and learn about all the great resources available.
Mondays: 6:30-7:00 p.m.
Thursdays: 2:00-2:30

Basic Legal Research
Two hour session provides the basics for starting a legal research project.
First Tuesday 10:00-12:00

Introduction To Westlaw
Learn all the great resources available to you in our Westlaw Database.
First Monday 7:00-8:00

Legal Research on the Internet
Learn about legal research sources you can access from the library or your cmputer at home.
First Monday 8:00-9:00
Second Wednesday 2:00-3:00
Third Friday 10:00-11:00

Fundamental Forms
This one hour session will show you all the resources the library offers that provide examples of business and legal forms.
Third Monday 7:00-8:00

Bankruptcy

sgravel — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 09:44:01 CDT

Filing Bankruptcy Without An Attorney
This site provides information on the bankruptcy procedure for individuals filing without an attorney.

Bankruptcy Forms
Official Bankruptcy Forms can be found here.

Find A Form

sgravel — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 13:48:23 CDT

Need a form for business or legal work? We do not have fill in the blank forms, but we have resources available for you. At the Headquarters Branch, sign up for the computer with access to Westlaw. In Westlaw there are several places to search. In Westlaw, always begin by opening a table of contents to search for forms. Begin searching in Virginia Practice found on the first screen under the heading Treatises, Forms, CLE's & Other Practice Materials. Open the Table of Contents and then expand the section you need by clicking on the + sign. For example, Business Entitles has business forms, divorce forms will be found in Family law. Virginia Practice Real Estate Closings has Quitclaim Deed forms. In the Virginia Practice area you will also see a link to All TOC. In the All TOC section under Federal Primary and Secondary sources you will find West's Federal Forms. Under the General Secondary sources search in Am Jur Legal Forms, Am Jur Legal Forms Tax Guide, Am Jur Pleading & Practice Forms, Nichol's Cyclopedia of Forms, and West's Legal Forms.

Frequently Requested Forms*
*Many of these forms can be completed online and then submitted to the court. THE COURT WILL NOT ACCEPT FORMS THAT ARE PRINTED OUT AND THEN COMPLETED WITH THE HIGHLIGHTED AREAS VISIBLE.

Change of Name (Adult)
Instructions Change of Name Adult
Change of Name (Minor)
Instructions Change of Name (Minor)
Petition for Expungement
Instructions Petition for Expungement
Certificate of Assumed or Fictitious Name (Business)
Warrant In Debt Small Claims Division
Instructions Warrant In Debt
Bill of Particulars (Small Claims Court)
Petition for Restoration of Driving Privileges
Instructions Petition for Restoration of Driving Privileges
District Court Form List
The forms in this list can be found in a three ring binder marked Forms above the law librarian's desk at the Headquarters Branch. Patrons may make a photocopy of the forms.

Websites
Lexisone
A limited number of free forms are available at this web site. You must register to access the forms and they do ask you to complete the forms immediately.
Federal Government Forms
This government web sites provides tax forms, small business forms, social security forms, veteran forms and FEMA forms.
Internal Revenue Service Forms
Virginia Tax Forms

Print Resources
101 Law Forms for Personal Use
Virginia Forms
Virginia Practice Series Real Estate Closings
Criminal Procedure Forms
Landlord Tenant Handbook
Business Entities
Family Law Theory Practice With Forms
File for Divorce in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia
17th Annual Family Law Seminar: difficult issues and practical solutions
Virginia Family Law

This is a sample of the books available at the library. In the law library, check other CLE (Continuing Legal Education) books. These are the blue three ring binders located on the spinner in the law library. In the Quiet Reading Room, browse the Nolo Press books located on the wall under the window.

Wills

sgravel — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 13:46:27 CDT

There are many resources available in the library to search for information on preparing a will.

Print Resources:
Estate Planning In Virginia
AARP Crash Course In Estate Planning
Wills
Nolo's Simple Will Book
Virginia Forms
Find examples of Wills in Volume 4 of Virginia Forms. Check the index in the back of the volume.

Internet Resources
Retirement and Wills
MSN Money website offers information about retirement and wills including a quiz to test your knowlege of wills to help you decide whether to hire an attorney.
Wills & Estates
Nolo Press, a California publisher answers questions about wills and estates.

Library Databases
Westlaw
Sign up for Law Computer 3. Click on the Westlaw Icon. Click on any table of contents. At the next screen in the upper left hand corner you will find All TOCs. Click on All TOCs. Click on General Secondary Sources and Forms. Scroll down and click on West's Legal Forms. Scroll down and click on Elder Law. Click on forms for examples and information about wills.

Foreclosure Information

sgravel — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 12:58:39 CDT

INTERNET RESOURCES

HUD Guide to Avoiding Foreclosure
The Department of Housing and Urban Development provides information on avoiding foreclosures, as well as information on the forclosure process. It includes links to other web sites, including state-specific foreclosure information.

Avoiding Foreclosure -- Virginia
Information provided by HUD specific to Virginia.

Virginia Foreclosure Prevention Task Force
Information provided by the Virginia Foreclosure Prevention Task Force, created by Govenor Kaine, in November 2007.

PRINT RESOURCES

Foreclosures: Defenses, Workouts and Mortgage Servicing
From The Consumer Credit and Sales Legal Practice Series, provides information on foreclosure proceedings.

Debt Collection for Virginia Lawyers: A Systematic Approach
This Continuing Legal Education title discusses foreclosure procedures as well as other debt collection procedures.

Legal Research On the Internet

sgravel — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 13:38:55 CST

Internet Resources

Public Library of Law
Search US Supreme Court and Courts of Appeals opinions, cases from all 50 states back to 1997, federal statutory law and codes from all 50 states. Powered by Fastcase.

PreCydent
Search US Court opinions.

Altlaw
Search for opinions from federal courts and search the US Code.

LexisOne
You must log in but some information is free. There is a fee attached to other services. You can search opinions, state codes and more.

Code of Virginia
State Laws

Virginia Administrative Code

County And Municipal Codes
Click on the map of Virginia and then select the county to search the county code.

U.S. Court Of Appeals Fourth Circuit
Search for opinions, rulers and procedures and other information. The court calendar is also available at this website.

Search Virginia Supreme Court and Virginia Court of Appeals Opinions
Search for Supreme Court and Virginia Court of Appeals cases beginning in 1995.

Workers’ Compensation
Search opinions from the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission.

Supreme Court Of Virginia Opinions
List of Supreme Court Of Virginia Opinions in reverse chronological order.

Virginia Court Of Appeals Opinions
List of Virginia Court of Appeals Opinions in reverse chronological order.

Virginia's Freedom of Information Act
Need to know if the information you seek is a public record? Check out the Virginia Freedom of Information Act and other information available on this website.

Search Engines
Fee Fie Foe Firm
Use this search engine to search law firm websites and find articles, newsletters, resumes and more.

PORTALS

Legal Information Institute (Cornell University)
Provides basic information on different subject matters as well as a portal to basic documents such as statutes and regulations.

Washlaw
Another law school web site that is a portal to other legal information on the Internet.

FEDERAL LEGISLATION & ADMINISTRATIVE MATERIALS

Thomas
Find federal legislation, committee reports, public laws, the Congressional Record as well as highlights of other significant documents.

FirstGov
This site consolidates government web pages; includes useful on the various branches and agencies of the Federal Government.

U.S. Code
At this site, Cornell provides a table of contents to help with a search of the U.S. Code.

Code of Federal Regulations

Federal Register
Coverage includes 1994-present.

Freedom of Information Request
This site provides a form that allows you to generate a letter to either a specific state government or the federal government under the Freedom of Information Act. Provides a list of agencies that are subject to the Freedom of Information Act.

Miscellaneous

Nolo's Everybody's Legal Dictionary

FindLaw's "Search the Legal Dictionary"

Basic Legal Citation
Provides legal citation format.

Virtual Chase
Information on how to do legal research.

Hieros Gamos
Legal directories, expert lists, jobs and more.

Identity Theft

sgravel — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 13:34:36 CST

Questions and concerns about identity theft? Check out these web sites:

Onguard On Line
Find tips from the federal government and the technology industry to help you guard against internet fraud, help you secure your computer and protect your personal information.
Identity Theft Center
Nonprofit group that provides information to help you understand identity and prevent identity theft. It includes a section for teens.
Identity Theft 911
Provides research, newsletters, and alerts about scams.

Law Blogs

sgravel — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 12:34:20 CST

General Interest Law Blog
http://www.concurringopinions.com/
Law Professor Blogs
http://www.lawprofessorblogs.com
Southwest Virginia Law Blog
http://swvalaw.blogspot.com
Virginia Criminal and Traffic Law

Wall Street Journal Law Blog

Westlaw Tutorial

sgravel — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 14:15:31 CDT

All items in red

Enter the following search in the search box: Dog canine /s sniff! /p drug mari*uana cocaine “controlled substance”

Westlaw requires phrases to be enclosed in quotation marks. A space between words that are not enclosed in quotation marks is read as an “or” and Westlaw will retrieve all documents containing either one of the words. The “/s” and “/p” are connectors that stand for “within the same sentence” and “within the same paragraph”. ! is a root expander and * is a wild card. Sniff! Will retrieve sniff, sniffing, sniffed or sniffer. The * in mari*uana allows for the variant spellings of either marijuana or marihuana.

Step 3 Click on the search button. A list of citations to the cases that were retrieved will be displayed with your search terms highlighted in yellow. The cases will be listed in reverse chronological order when you run a “Terms and Connectors” search. Notice that there is a red flag next to some of the cases. This indicates that the case has some negative history that may affect its precedential value. On the right side of your screen you will find annotations that most closely match your subject as well as “West Key Numbers” to provide additional sources for finding more cases on your subject.

Step 4 Move forward in your search results until you get to the blue hyperlinked case Ouellette v Commonwealth

Once you open the Ouellette case, you will now see links to “Links for 2004 WL 1607048” and “Result List.” Click on “Links for 2004 WL 1607048” to see the information provided. You will see that you can “Keycite” the case from this screen. The “Result List” link takes you back to the complete list of cases retrieved by your search.
Step 5 We are going to do a Natural Language** search about sniff dogs in the context of students and school lockers. Most of the relevant cases are from federal courts. On the first screen, under cases, select “All Federal Cases.”
Step 6 Now click on Natural Language Enter the following natural language search into the search box: can sniff dogs or sniffer dogs be used to search students or school lockers

The retrieved documents are ranked by statistical relevance, with the document most closely matching the description ranked first. All the search terms do not necessarily need to appear in the document, and some terms are weighted more heavily than others, depending on factors such as how frequently the term appears in the database. Step 7 Click on “Search” to retrieve your search results and highlighted search terms. Now click on the blue hyperlinked title of your first document. Browse through your document using the Term arrow or the Best arrow at the bottom of the page. Additional Information for Part I. * Boolean Logic is a complete system of logical operations creating search terms for databases, internet sites, etc. Below is a small chart illustrating the three basic search terms and their uses:

OR allows more than one term to be searched	Requires at least one of the terms to appear in the document Use to broaden your search. The more words entered, the more results you get.
AND (default search term)	Because AND is the default expression it only needs to be typed if you are using multiple Boolean operators with (). Use to limit your search. The more times that you write AND the fewer documents you get because you are adding criteria.
NOT allows you to exclude certain information	Use when you have decided that certain information is not relevant to your search

** A natural language search allows you to enter a description of the main concepts of an issue in Standard English
II. Find a Case by Citation
Step 1 Click on Find&Print at the top of the screen.

Enter the following citation in the box labeled “Find by citation” that appears in the left frame: 242 Va 459 Click on the go button. Your find search pulls up the case Federal Insurance Co. v Starr Electric Co, decided by the Virginia Supreme Court on November 8, 1991. *Be aware that you can print up to 20 citations at a time by typing the citations in the search box and using a semicolon between citations. OR To find out which cases, reports, and other publications you can look for in use the second “Find This Document by Citation.”
Step 1 Go to “Find This Document by Citation” and click “go.”
Step 2 On the left screen, click “Publications List.” Step 3 On the right screen, make sure your cursor is in the “Starts with” circle. Then type the phrase “Virginia Reports.” Be sure to check that the “Publication Country” icon on the left screen is set to US- United States. “Virginia Reports” should be the first result yielded in blue.
III. Find Case by Party Name
Step 1 Click again on Find& Print at the top of the screen Click on the “Find a Case by Party Name” link in the left frame. The search screen will have two boxes where the names of the parties are to be entered. (Only one party name needs to be entered if that is all the information you have.) Step 2 We are looking for a Virginia case “Tigrett v Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia.”
Type the name Tigrett in the first box and Rector in the second box*.

Leave the “Select a Jurisdiction” option below the second box at its default setting of “All U.S. Federal and State Cases. Click on the Go button. Westlaw finds three cases. * Remember to format your cases correctly. Each box should have a different word in it. The program automatically inserts the “vs.” Example: Roe v. Wade. “Roe” should be in the first box, while “Wade” should be in the second. This is not necessary if you only have one party name to enter.

IV. West’s Key Number System.
Step 1 At the top of the screen click on “Key Numbers”
Step 2 Click on the blue hyperlinked “Key Search.” At this point you can search by topic. Click on “Immigration Law.” You can either search all immigration law or select a topic.
Step 3 Click on “Deportation and Removal” and then click on “Habeas Corpus.”
Step 4 Choose a source. Click on the drop down box and select “Fourth Circuit Federal and State Cases.” At this point, West is providing the terms for your search. Notice again the terms are highlighted in yellow.

V. West’s Key Number Digest Outline
Step 1 Click on Key Numbers
Step 2 Select West Key Number Digest Outline
Step 3 This is an outline of West’s Key Number subjects. Expand “Aliens Immigration, and Citizenship” by clicking the plus sign.
Step 4 Expand “Aliens in General”
Step 5 Select “Who Are Aliens” by clicking on the box to the left of the heading (k104)
Step 6 Click search selected at the bottom of the screen
Step 7 Select “Federal” and in the drop down box select “Fourth Circuit.” Notice you can select the order you want from “Most Recent” to “Most cited.”
Step 8 Click on search. This gives you the head notes. To get the full text of the opinion, click on the case name.

VI. Forms in West Law The most efficient way to find forms is by using the Table of Contents that is available for many of the databases. Let’s start with Virginia Practice.

Step 1 At the opening page, scroll down to “Treatises, Forms, CLE’s and Other Practice Materials.”
Step 2 Find “Virginia Practice” and click on the blue hyperlinked “Table of Contents.”
Step 3 Expand* “Family Law.” Expand forms Expand “Bills of Complaint.” Click on the “Bill of Complaint Alleging Separation Grounds” tab.
*To expand any item, click the + button that precedes the title.

VII. Forms Using All TOCs Next we will look at other Table of Contents to find additional forms.
Step 1 While in “Virginia Practice Series Table of Contents” notice the blue hyperlink for “All TOCs” at the tope of the page. Click on “All TOCs.”
Step 2 Expand “General Secondary Sources & Forms”
Step 3 Click on “Am Jur Legal Forms Second Edition”
Step 4 Expand “Aliens & Citizens”
Step 5 Click on “Naturalization Papers lost or destroyed.” Now go back to the All TOC’s list. Other areas to search for forms include Nichols Cyclopedia of Forms and West’s Legal Forms.

VIII. Finding Statutes At the first screen in Westlaw, scroll down to “Statutes and Legislative Materials.” There is a table of contents and an index.
Step 1 Click on the “Table of Contents.” Again, each title expands by clicking on the + sign.
Step 2 Expand “Domestic Relations.” “Expand Divorce, Affirmation and Annulment.” Now, you are able to click on any of the statutes.
IX. Using the Index
Let’s look at the index. At the opening page scroll down to “Virginia Statutes” and click on the index. This is an alphabetical list of common terms you might use when searching for a statute.
Step 1 Expand “Divorce.”
Step 2 Expand “Marriage.”
Step 3 Expand “Desertion.” You will see a list of statutes that have blue hyperlinks. Again you can click on any of the blue hyperlinks and print the statute. Note that the United States Code also has a Table of Contents and an Index. This tutorial should get you started with Westlaw.

OTHER TIPS Clicking on the “I” will provide you the information contained in that database. Clicking on the “Directory” at the top of the screen will provide a list of databases available. Use a table of contents if it is available. The Help link under any search box in terms and connectors explains how to use connectors.

Photo Tour of Law Library

sgravel — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 08:39:46 CDT

Photo Tour
Click on individual pictures to get a description.

Virginia Court Forms

sgravel — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:38:20 CDT

Circuit Court Forms Many forms will be found at this link, including Petition for Expungement which is found under Civil Forms.

District Court Forms Many District Court forms can be found at this site. There is also a Manual of District Court Forms that is in the ready reference area of the law library. A list of these forms can be found on this website and you can then search by form number.

Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court Forms Forms for the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court can be found here.

Basic Legal Research with an emphasis on Virginia Law

sgravel — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 18:11:40 CDT

The purpose of this tutorial is to guide a person beginning legal research on Virginia law. After completing this course you will have a basic understanding of the legal research process.

To begin, you must define your legal question. Consider whether state, federal or local law governs your legal issue. Once you have defined your legal problem, you may want to begin by using a legal research guide to better understand the process and the resources available for you.
This library has many resources both online and in print available for the legal researcher.

LEGAL RESEARCH GUIDES
Internet Resources

American Association of Law Librarians Legal Research Guide
This is an excellent web site that offers a step by step approach to legal research.
Virginia Public Libraries Information Toolkit
American Association of Law Librarians provides a list of resources for researching state law. You can also research other state law resources from this website.
Top Ten Legal Research Resources on the Internet from Appalachian School of Law

Print Resources
This is not a comprehensive list. See the library catalog for other titles at Library Catalog
Legal Research: How To Find And Understand The Law
How To File For Divorce In Maryland, Virginia or the District of Columbia
Family Law And Practice
Landlord Tenant Law In Virginia

Legal Definitions
If you need definitions for legal terms try:
Black's Law Dictionary located in the Quiet Reading Room
Nolo's Everybody's Legal Dictionary
FindLaw's "Search the Legal Dictionary"
Basic Legal Citation

Self Help Guides
Self Help books are another resource available at the library. Many of the self help books are published by Nolo Press and can be found in the Quiet Reading Room. There are also additional circulating copies of many of the titles at all branches of the Central Rappahannock Regional Library.

Print Resources
The library has many self help books including the following:
Represent Yourself In Court
101 Law Forms for Personal Use
For additional titles see the library catalog at Library Catalog

Encyclopedias and other Resources
Another good starting place for legal research is a legal encyclopedia. Legal encyclopedias work the same way as general encyclopedias. The legal encyclopedia for Virginia and West Virginia is Michie's Jurisprudence. Michie's can be found in the law library. The law library also owns American Jurisprudence 2d, an encyclopedia which covers the law on a national basis. Other helpful resources include the Virginia Practice Series with volumes on Business Entities, Virginia Corporations, Family Law: theory and practice and forms to name a few. Search the Library Catalog for other titles. The library owns this series in print format and also has it available through its Westlaw subscription. The library also subscribes to Virginia Continuing Legal Education (CLE) materials. In the library you will find CLE Notebooks on topics such as How To Collect Debts The Law And The Method, Medical Malpractice Law in Virginia, Debt Collection for Virginia Lawyers to name a few. These notebooks are located on the round spinner in the law library.

Online Resources for Codes and Statutes
Use the following resources to locate state, federal and local laws:

Code of Virginia
State Laws

Virginia Administrative Code

County And Municipal Codes
Click on the map of Virginia and then select the county to search the county code.

U.S. Court Of Appeals Fourth Circuit
Search for opinions, rulers and procedures and other information. The court calendar is also available at this website.

Search Virginia Supreme Court and Virginia Court of Appeals Opinions
Search for Supreme Court and Virginia Court of Appeals cases beginning in 1995.

Workers’ Compensation
Search opinions from the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission.

Supreme Court Of Virginia Opinions
List of Supreme Court Of Virginia Opinions in reverse chronological order.

Virginia Court Of Appeals Opinions
List of Virginia Court of Appeals Opinions in reverse chronological order.
Virginia's Freedom of Information Act
Need to know if the information you seek is a public record? Check out the Virginia Freedom of Information Act and other information available on this website.

Finding Case Law
The library's Westlaw subscription is an easy way to search for caselaw. See the Westlaw Tutorial for an introduction to Westlaw. The library also has Virginia Digest in print in the Quiet Reading Room. To use the Virginia Digest, check the Descriptve Word Index for your topic. This will lead you to the volume and section you need which will provide citations for case law. With the citation, you can search on Westlaw for the opinion, or use our print version of Virginia Reports and Court of Appeals opinions.