by Jason Giesler, Law Library Intern
Those without access to a professional law library replete with leather-bound books and high- backed chairs need cheaper sources of legal information. Practitioners and interested legal researchers may want to begin their search in an obvious place: the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) website. The WSBA site is an excellent source for all sorts of legal information. Simply click the tab labeled “for Lawyers” and you are on your way to all of the free (or nearly free) information that you can handle.
The WSBA website is a treasure trove for those looking for both state and federal cases and statutes. WSBA members all have access to Casemaker, a free database of cases that contains both state and federal cases. WSBA members and non-members alike will additionally want to examine the page of links to low cost legal resources. The page contains links to free sources for cases, such as LegalWA.org, which includes Washington State and territorial cases dating back to 1854. Additionally, the links page provides links to sites with free information on many other types of topics, including municipal and county ordinances, state statutes, and agency rules.
In addition to the general cases and statutes, the WSBA site also provides access to some additional free resources on more limited topics. For those with ethics concerns, the site contains a link to all of the Rules of Professional Conduct. Recent ethics opinions are also published on the site. Finally, individuals interested in real estate will want to examine the page of real estate forms. Forms range from deeds to powers of attorney for purchasing real estate. All forms can easily be downloaded and modified as they are offered in both word and pdf formats.
0 Comments.