Webinar: Assisting Library Patrons with Legal Questions: Legal Reference Interviews, Referrals, Programming, and Outreach

Originally presented July 14, 2021

Do you ever feel panicked when someone asks you a legal reference question?  Are you not sure if you can answer or how much information you can provide?  What can libraries actually do to assist self-represented litigants?

According to the National Center for State Courts, in 76% of civil cases in the United States, at least one of the parties represents him or herself.  Unlike criminal cases where you have the right to an attorney if you cannot afford one, civil cases do not offer this protection. As more people represent themselves in court, more are coming to the library to seek answers to their legal questions. 

In this webinar, Deborah Hamilton focuses on how to handle legal questions from patrons.  She looks at how to do a legal reference interview and what types of information you can provide; how to connect with legal service organizations in the community so you can make good referrals; and discusses possible ideas for legal programs that you can offer to your patrons. 

Click below to experience this webinar as a tutorial. When you continue past the introduction to the webinar, you'll be prompted to log in. We require login to view the whole tutorial so we can provide certificates of completion for your records and for professional development credit. No purchase is required and you can create a Niche Academy account if you don't already have one. The certificate will be available for download when you have completed all sections of the tutorial.