Law Resources

You do not need a library card or a reservation on the Internet computers for access to government websites.  All government websites are accessible from any Catalog Computer in all Spokane City Libraries.

Basic Rights

Spokane City Charter explains the organization and powers of the city government.

Spokane County Government structure and FAQ.

Washington State Constitution on our Washington State Law Resources page.  

United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights (the first 10 constitutional amendments) and Constitutional Amendment numbers 11-27 on the  National Archives website.

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Common Legal Questions

Washington Law Help provides guidance for common legal questions and Forms for representing yourself in court, Washington State pattern forms, and resources in many languages;  Links to other states, Guides to free legal services providers in your locale, and a Glossary of legal terms.  Another site that offers advice on how to prevent and solve common legal problems is lawforWA.org 

Washington Bankruptcy Law will help explain the federal bankruptcy process and issues as they pertain to Washington residents.

Criminal Law:  To find the penalties for certain crimes in Washington State, look in Title 9 and Title 9a of the RCW.

Lawyer-Related Issues:   Martindale-Hubble Law Directory online provides a Lawyer Locator to find the credentials of more than one million lawyers and firms.   See also:  Locating Lawyers Online, a site from LLRX.com.  And try  Avvo.com  a website that rates and profiles lawyers.

Consumer Issues:  on the Washington State Attorney General’s site.

The Northwest Women's Law Center publishes legal rights education materials for the general public about family law and other consumer subjects.

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Law on the Internet

Here are some good starting points when looking for legal information on the Internet.

ABA directory of programs providing free civil legal services to the poor, a directory of Pro Bono Programs by state.

American Law Sources Online (ALSO). "A useful compilation of links to free online sources of law for the US and Canada".

Findlaw - a comprehensive set of legal resources on the Internet.

Guide to Law Online from the Library of Congress.

One of the most comprehensive legal web sites is Hieros Gamos.

LegalWA.org  includes links to:
•    Washington State Supreme and Appellate Court Decisions:   recentdecisions, and the full text of Washington Reports (1889 to 1939) andTerritory Reports (1854 to 1889).
•    Revised Code of Washington and Washington Administrative Code
•    Washington State County and City Municipal Codes

Legal Information Institute from the Cornell Law School is a major provider of public legal information.

National Consumer Law Center:  Advocates for low-income consumer issues and provides basic information on the most critical consumer issues.

National Indian Law Library is a public law library devoted to federal Indian and tribal law.

National Senior Citizens Law Center provides consumer information on assisted living and Medicare Part D.

National Women's Law Center focuses on major concerns of women and girls, including family economic security, education, employment opportunities, and health.

Nolo.com. Law for the non-lawyer. They often refer to their books, some of which the library owns.

The Washington State Law Library  provides a webpage of useful starting places for Legal Research on the Internet .  

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