Internet Sites

Consumer Legal Resources

FindLaw

The one-stop-portal on legal information, includes sections for the public, professionals, and the student. Links to legal topics from adoption to traffic violations. Find a lawyer. Links to all the state bars.

Jurist: Legal News and Research

An excellent set of tools for legal research, especially for law students or those considering entering the profession. Links to new legal developments, cases, famous trials, even law school course pages. From the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.

Lawyers.com

Links to find a lawyer, research legal topics, get legal tips, and live chats with lawyers. You can even send an email which will be forwarded anonymously to local lawyers, enabling you to choose one for professional counsel. Site is user-friendly and is produced by Martindale-Hubbell.

Lawyers.com—Get Legal Tips

Hiring a lawyer? This site is for you! Covers every topic concerning the attorney-client relationship from office personnel, billing and fees, ethics violations, and clients’ responsibilities to legal malpractice. Also included is a message board for lawyer problems and legal malpractice.

Legal Forms

Good basic forms that a consumer or business might need. Very useful and easy to use. Includes wills, living wills, power of attorney, buying and selling, family law for all the states, affidavits, agreements, confidentiality agreements, etc.

National Consumer Law Center

The nation's consumer law expert helping low-income Americans. Updates and general information on topics such as bankruptcy, credit counseling, immigration and debt collection abuse, etc.

Nolo Press: Everyday law for everyday people

Publisher of self-help legal books for the non-lawyer, provides articles on “almost any legal topic” and provides links to other helpful websites. Includes a legal encyclopedia, law dictionary, and financial calculator.

Oregon State Bar

Website has good public legal links. Use “Search” or the “Site Map” to get started. “Disciplinary Information” can be found easily in the “Site Map”. In Oregon, all complaints against lawyers become public record. A member of the public can call the Bar and ask how many “entries” a lawyer has in his/her file and then make an appointment to read the actual complaints and the lawyer's response to the Bar.

Public Records (Free) Sites

Provides a core group of links to FREE government searchable sites along with some important non-government sites. Most free government sites are for informational use only and do not contain personal identifiers like data of birth and social security number.

Washington State Attorney General

Offers a wealth of information on consumer and other legal issues including the Lemon Law. Provides forms on filing a complaint against businesses. Use the “Site Map” to view all listed topics.

Washington State Bar Association

Includes a section for the public, FAQ's, Lawyer Directory for discipline record, problems with your lawyer, and where to find legal help, etc. To get started, click on the “site index”, which will bring up all the topics, or use the general search box on the top.

Washington State Courts

Find court forms, juror website, court opinions, your court date, more.

The Virtual Chase

Teaches users how to do legal research on the Internet, with an emphasis on skills and tips. Also includes legal news, company information, and people finder.

Law on the Web

City and County Codes in Washington State

Links to all municipal and county codes that are available online in the state of Washington.

City and County Codes: by state

Maintains by Seattle Public Library. Links to out-of-state city codes.

Clark County Code

Also in print format (R 348.797 CLARK) at Clark County library branches.

Clark County Code Enforcement

Includes FAQ's, nuisance complaints, building complaints, land use complaints, and environmental complaints.

Constitution of the United States

Includes texts, commentaries, historical texts, and judicial decisions. Includes a link to the non-ratified amendments.

Code of Federal Regulations

Current and historical materials from 1997 to the present are available on this site. Search by keyword, citation, or by CFR title and volume. Also in the library at R 348.73 UNITED.

The Federal Register

Includes presidential documents, federal regulations both proposed and final, and general notices from 1994 on.

LegalWA.org

Includes searchable databases for Washington State Supreme and Appellate Court Decisions, Revised Code of Washington and Washington Administrative Codes, as well as Washington State county and city municipal codes.

Thomas—federal legislative information on the internet.

Excellent source for congressional materials, including bills, public laws dating back to the 93rd congress, the Congressional Record, hearings and committee reports.

The United States Code

Laws of the United States. Read the “Search Tips” section for effective searching. Includes editions since 1994. Also in the library at R 345.21 UNITED.

Vancouver Municipal Code

A codification of the general ordinances of the City of Vancouver, Washington. Also in the library at R 352 VANCOV.

Washington State Legislature

Search for bills, Revised Code of Washington (RCW), Washington Administrative Code (WAC), State Register and Washington Constitution.