Represent Yourself

1
Represent Yourself

• The Basics
• of
• Law Reference
• for
• Laymen
• Librarians
• Presentors
• Joan Blaylock
• Grace Van Houten

2
Scope of Program

• Knowledge
• Learn how the law works to gain confidence
• Resources
• Discuss common legal research resources
• Reference Interview
• How to approach the patrons needs without
  providing counsel.

3
Structure of GovernmentElementary Concepts

• Constitutions
• Levels of Government
• Federal, State Local
• Branches of Government -
• Executive, Legislative Judicial
• Administrative Agencies
• 4th Branch of Government

4
Lawmaking Bodies

• Legislative
• Creates
• Statutory
• (Codified)
• Law
• Session Laws
• Code

Agencies Create Administrative Law Rules
Regulations
Judiciary Creates Common (Case) Law Decisions
Executive Branch Issues Decrees by Order, Fiat,
and Special Authority.
5
Legislative

• Laws become codified
• United States Code (USC)
• Florida Statutes
• Print version has index
• Citations by Chapter and Section
• Online topically arranged
• Citations by Title, then Chapter and Section
• Ordinances

6
Lawmaking Bodies

• Legislative
• Creates
• Statutory
• (Codified)
• Law
• Session Laws
• Code

Agencies Create Administrative Law Rules
Regulations
Judiciary Creates Common (Case) Law Decisions
Executive Branch Issues Decrees by Order, Fiat,
and Special Authority.
7
Administrative Agencies

• Create Rules and regulations that have the power
  of law
• Code of Federal Regulations
• Florida Aministrative Code
• Print with index
• Online difficult to use
• Refer to Statutes to find state agency with
  authority

8
Lawmaking Bodies

• Legislative
• Creates
• Statutory
• (Codified)
• Law
• Session Laws
• Code

Agencies Create Administrative Law Rules
Regulations
Judiciary Creates Common (Case) Law Decisions
Executive Branch Issues Decrees by Order, Fiat,
and Special Authority.
9
Judiciary

• Court Structure
• Decisions, a.k.a. opinons make up Case Law
• Rules of Courts address procedure

10
Court Structure

• Final Appellate Court
• ( Court of Last Resort)
• Appellate Court
• (Reviews Decisions to Ensure
• Law Correctly Applied)
• Trial Court
• (Determines Facts of Case
• Reaches a Decision)

Intermediate Appellate Court
11
Federal Court Structure

• Supreme
• Court
• US Court of Appeal
• (or Circuit)
• US District
• Court

12
Florida Court Structure

• Supreme
• Court
• Circuit
• Court
• County
• Court

District Court of Appeal
13
Judiciary

• Court Structure
• Decisions, a.k.a. opinons make up Case Law
• Rules of Courts address procedure

14
Judiciary

• Court Structure
• Decisions, a.k.a. opinons make up Case Law
• Rules of Courts address procedure

15
Select Resources

• Primary
• Code
• Rules and Regulations
• Rules of Court
• Decisions
• Reporters
• Shepards
• Web Sites

• Secondary
• Dictionaries
• Encyclopedias
• Citation Manuals
• Self Help Guides
• Web Sites

16
Resources

• Dictionaries
• Blacks Law Dictionary
• Biebers Dictionary of Legal Abbreviations
• Wests Spanish-English/English-Spanish Law
  Dictionary
• Encyclopedias
• American Jurisprudence
• Corpus Juris Secundum (CJS)
• Florida Jurisprudence
• Citation Manuals
• The BluebookALWD Citation Manual

17
Self-Help Guides

• Why use them
• Scope topic, laws, forms/formats, jurisdiction
• Authority legal professionals, publishers
• Currency laws
• Audience pro se litigants

18
Reference Interview

• Advising the Patron
• The patron is not your client
• Be a librarian
• Educate
• Ask open ended questions
• Know the resources and how they work
• Refer patrons to as many resources as might be
  useful

19

• Grub first, then ethics.
• Bertolt Brecht, German dramatist (1898-1956)
• Thank
• you
• for
• attending.