With help from two partners, the City of Seattle Office of Immigration and Refugee Affairs has complied a spreadsheet that can help you determine what benefits a person is eligible for based on their immigration status.   The spreadsheet no substitute for legal advice, but is rather intended as a… Read more

If you are a small business or nonprofit with 50 or fewer employees, you can make an appointment for a free 60-minute legal consultation to discuss issues you may be facing a a result of COVID-19.  The consultations are being organized by Communities Rise and will take place via telephone… Read more

On Thursday, May 7 from 10AM to 12:30PM (PST) speakers from the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), and Employment and Training Administration’s Office of Unemployment Insurance will provide information about changes and updates to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES)… Read more

In light of COVID-19, Thomson-Reuters is offering 20 hours of free Westlaw Edge access to KCLL patrons.  While you will need to register, there is no commitment and no credit card is required.  This offer is available until June 30th.  Here’s what you need to do: White Space White Space… Read more

Washington State governor Jay Inslee has extended his “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” emergency order to May 4, 2020.  Read details about this extension and the governor’s original order here. For more information about Washington State’s response to the COVID-19 situation, including current COVID-19 infection statistics, information about travel, and information… Read more

The Northwest Justice Project has added a new law resources page to WashingtonLawHelp regarding COVID-19.  It currently includes the following categories of information: Understanding the Basics Court Schedule Changes and Closures Health Care and Insurance Paid Leave School Info Unemployment Your Job and Coronavirus Read more

On Monday, February 12, the Seattle City Council unanimously passed a new ordinance that will significantly restrict residential evictions during the winter.  Council Bill 119726, if signed by the Mayor or allowed to pass into law without her signature, will prohibit Seattle landlords from evicting low- and moderate-income tenants for… Read more

The QLaw Foundation of Washington is sponsoring a new, free, full-representation legal clinic called Family Matters to help LGBTQ families get legal orders affirming their legal parental relationships to the children they are raising. Assistance will be provided by both attorneys and social workers and will vary in length depending… Read more

The New Hope Act (Chapter 331 of the Laws of 2019) became effective on July 28, 2019 and makes substantial changes to the rights and procedures for clearing criminal misdemeanor and felony conviction records in Washington State. Among these changes are improved notice requirements for the Department of Corrections and… Read more

Recognizing that the legal process can be confusing and intimidating, the Washington State Attorney General’s Office has an a program called the Office of Military and Veteran Legal Assistance which helps active service members and veterans find legal assistance programs. The Office’s web site includes links to legal assistance events… Read more

The King County Bar Association, sponsor of the Neighborhood Legal Clinics, has posted a useful checklist for preparing to attend a session at one of their legal clinics.  To make the best use of your time please: 1. Decide on the desired outcome or goal. 2. Schedule an appointment at… Read more

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An in-depth article in the Seattle Times takes a look the laws and rules that permit collections firms to make life painful for debtors in Washington State.  With the addition of court-sanctioned fees and the highest post-judgment interest rates in the county, lawmakers are finally taking another look the industry.… Read more

The King County Office of Public Defense has announced a new initiative to help people remove eligible convictions from their record.  Eligibility depends on the type of conviction (many misdemeanors and non-violent Class B & Class C felonies) as well as the amount of time that has passed since the… Read more

The Washington State Employment Security Department has announced that Federal workers furloughed due to the partial shutdown of the Federal government may apply for unemployment benefits.  Interested workers can apply online or by phone at 800-318-6022.  They will need to provide verification of their wages in the event ESD cannot… Read more

Many Seattle homeowners are unaware that their property may have restrictive covenants (dictating what types of people can own the property) attached to it that are based on outdated, unenforceable and racist policies from the past.  But beginning January 1st of 2019, homeowners can ask the King County Recorder’s Office… Read more

Thanks to LeighAnne Thompson, Reference Librarian at Seattle University School of Law, our site now has copies of the following legal research guides, presented as infographics created with Piktochart. Many people are visual learners so using the infographics format leverages this fact and can help people better understand information, even… Read more

The King County Law Library’s 2017 Annual Report is here.  Highlights include discussions of our expanded Subscriber Program services, a new lunch-time CLE series and the remodel of our web site. Read more

The Washington State office of the ACLU has posted helpful “Can I Vote?” flowcharts to help people with criminal convictions figure out if they are eligible to vote.  The flowcharts are written in seven languages–English, Chinese, Korean, Oromo, Spanish, Somali and Vietnamese.  A person convicted as an adult of a… Read more

This past session, the Washington State Legislature passed SHB 2822, Chapter 176 of the Laws of 2018, to address growing problems with people misrepresenting ordinary animals as service animals.  In addition to changing the definition of “service animal”, the new law also creates a civil penalty for misrepresentation of a… Read more

The disconnect between the perceived value of public libraries–particularly in the eyes of influencial policy-makers–and the vital role they play in supporting the social infrastructure of a civil society is real.  And it’s something that anyone concerned about equity, open access, and diversity should be prepared to confront.  So says… Read more

King County Bar Association’s Volunteer Legal Services program has launched a new service for low-income people trying to vacate criminal conviction records.  The ultimate goal is to reduce the barriers to employment and housing created by convictions.  To be eligible to participate, you must be low-income and your most recent… Read more

The Northwest Consumer Law Center offers programs to provide affordable legal help with foreclosure, bankruptcy, debt collection, credit reporting issues, automobile purchases and student loan issues.  To be eligible for this assistance you must be a Washington State resident and your total household income – before taxes, expenses, deductions, etc.… Read more

During the 2018 Regular Session, the Washington State legislature passed Senate Bill 5598, Chapter 183 of the Laws of 2018, which adds a procedure for grandparents and other relatives to petition the court for visitation rights.  The new law amends RCW 26.10.160, repeals 26.09.240 and adds a new chapter to… Read more

This article, Motor Vehicle Repossessions: Consumer Debt Advice from NCLC, is the third in a series of articles from NCLC (National Consumer Law Center) that provide advice for families in financial difficulty. The Consumer Debt Advice series, targeted directly to the consumer, includes information about legal rights and best strategies… Read more

Real Change released Seattle’s The Emerald City Resource Guide in April 2018. This new pocket-size resource guide is intended to help homeless people navigate a spiderweb of resources in King County. You can download The Emerald City Resource Guide here. A common refrain in homeless services is that Seattle’s strength… Read more

This article, Dealing with Medical Debt: Consumer Advice from NCLC, is the first in a series of articles from NCLC (National Consumer Law Center) that provide advice for families in financial difficulty. The Consumer Debt Advice series, targeted directly to the consumer, includes information about legal rights and best strategies for… Read more

Representing yourself in court is a complicated process and can be overwhelming. In this workshop, you will learn the basics of the civil lawsuit process with a focus on court rules, court procedures, forms, scheduling, and deadlines. Attendees will be granted access to a password protected website with additional information… Read more

Beginning Monday, April 2nd, the Seattle library branch, located inside the King County Courthouse, will observe new hours of operation: Monday – Friday: 8:00am – 4:30pm Please note that these changes will affect the Seattle library branch only. Should you have any questions about these upcoming changes, please do not hesitate… Read more

Representing yourself in court is a complicated process and can be overwhelming. In this workshop you will learn the basics of the civil litigation process with a focus on court rules, court procedures, forms, scheduling, and deadlines. Attendees will receive blank copies of some of the most commonly used civil… Read more

On Sept. 5, 2017, the Trump Administration announced that it would be ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program as of March 5, 2018. Update – January 16, 2018: USCIS has posted instructions on how it will begin accepting DACA renewal applications in response to a federal judge’s… Read more

The Washington State Supreme Court and the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) have published proposed changes to the following rules and are seeking comments:     RPC 1.6 — Confidentiality of Information RPC 7.3 — Solicitation of Clients RPC 8.4 — Misconduct APR 8 — Nonmember Lawyer Licenses to… Read more

Big changes are afoot in the law library’s subscriber program, making it one of the best deals around. Beginning on November 15th subscribers receive the following new subscriber-only benefits:   “Let Us Do Your Research!” With this new service you can hand off your research question to our skilled reference… Read more

Join Deborah Espinosa, documentary photographer and attorney, as she celebrates the conclusion of her collection, Living with Conviction: Sentenced to Debt for Life in Washington State at the Kent branch of the King County Library System on Friday, December 15th from 4pm – 6pm.   Living with Conviction: Sentenced to Debt… Read more

This article was originally published in The Seattle Medium on August 30, 2017. You can read the original version here. Seattle Mayor Ed Murray and King County Executive Dow Constantine recently announced the community organizations that have been selected to use $1.5 million in funding, granted as part of the Legal… Read more

The Eastside Legal Assistance Program (ELAP) Fellowship Program is currently accepting applications for its 2017 – 2018 Family Law Fellowship Program. ELAP’s work centers around providing free, high quality, civil legal services to low-income residents of East King County, and domestic violence legal aid to residents throughout King County. ELAP… Read more

The King County Law Library would like to welcome its two newest Board of Trustees members: The Honorable Susan Amini and Miriam R. Gordon, Esq. Judge Susan Amini was appointed to the King County Superior Court bench on May 2, 2013, by Governor Jay Inslee. Judge Amini was born in… Read more

We have migrated to a new, more user-friendly library catalog! Check it out here. New features include: Mobile Friendly: A responsive mobile-friendly interface, so you can use the catalog on your smart phone. Two-Week Loan Period for Book Checkouts: We have also changed our loan periods – books are now… Read more

Written by Barbara Fister. You can read the original version of this article here. Of all of our cultural institutions, the public library is remarkable. There are few tax-supported services that are used by people of all ages, classes, races, and religions. I can’t think of any public institutions (except… Read more

On Earth Day, April 22, 2017, researchers, educators, students, and citizen scientists all over the world will take to the streets in celebration of science. The March for Science is an international, nonpartisan event organized to “champion robustly funded and publicly communicated science as a pillar of human freedom and… Read more

Subject Matter Forms More than 600,000 up-to-date national and state-specific forms and other drafting resources, including text forms, official PDF forms (eforms), along with checklists and clauses. Examples: Motion for Extension of Time to Answer Interrogatories; Prenuptial Property Agreements; Form Drafting Guide – Checklist – Information to be obtained and… Read more

In response to a recent uptick in immigration enforcement activities around Washington courthouses, Washington State Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary Fairhurst sent a letter to Secretary John Kelly of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security expressing concerns and possible solutions. Full text of the letter can be found by clicking… Read more

A Washington State Bar ethics opinion considered whether it was ethical for Washington lawyers to practice law from a virtual law office. In Opinion 201601, the Committee on Professional Ethics (CPE) offered a well-reasoned opinion in favor of allowing lawyers the mobility and convenience of practicing law from a virtual… Read more

The National Indian Law Library (NILL), in partnership with the University of Colorado Law School Indian Law Clinic, is pleased to introduce the new Tribal Courts Bulletin.  This new bulletin will feature selected tribal court opinions of value to Indian law practitioners, educators, and students.  The Tribal Courts Bulletin will complement… Read more

The CIA recently announced that its CREST tool is now available online.  CREST is an electronic database of records that have been declassified under the CIA’s 25 year program.  While the CREST tool only contains a subset of the declassified records, researchers were previously required to visit the National Archives… Read more

Almost every day, the news reports alarming statistics on opioid use.  In 2015, 229 individuals died from heroin and prescription overdoses in King County alone. The current opioid epidemic is straining the budgets of law enforcement and courts across the country.  Now the city of Everett, Washington has come up… Read more

When you pop open your browser and prepare to do a web search, do you use Google? There is no argument about Google being a reliable and popular search engine. But if you are interested in one that suits your specific interest, search type, or desire to help others, then… Read more

The day President Donald Trump announced plans to move forward with construction of a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border and restrict immigration from Muslim-majority countries, Matthew Burnett launched his nonprofit’s new online tool for undocumented immigrants. The Immigration Advocates Network, where Burnett is director, has created immi.org, an online tool… Read more

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is receiving a large amount of attention in the battle over President Trump’s immigration executive order. If some lawmakers have their way, however, then the court could soon be split up into two courts. This weekend, two judges on the Ninth Circuit Court of… Read more

The University of Minnesota library recently launched Umbra Search African American History, a search interface that provides access to over 400,000 digitized materials that document African American history. These are freely available resources that are in the digital collections of more than a thousand partner libraries, archives, museums and other… Read more

Slavery in America and the World: This database is a collection of books, papers, cases, etc. from various donor brought together to give a more rounded view of slavery. You can read more about it here. This database is available through HeinOnline. Art Law: Art Law in a Nutshell, 5th… Read more

Legal Voice has updated the Handbook for Washington Seniors: Legal Rights and Resources for 2016 into 2017. The Handbook is a quick-reference guide covering legal rights, health care, housing, etc. The Handbook answers common questions about the issues seniors are likely to face. The Handbook may also be helpful to the… Read more

Precedential Decisions of Commissioner are published by the Commissioner’s Review Office of the Washington State Employment Security Department. The Decisions are published pursuant to the statutory mandates of the Washington State Public Disclosure Act, specifically RCW 42.17.260, and the Washington State Employment Security Act, specifically RCW 50.32.095. The Precedential Decisions… Read more

How Do I Appeal a Good to Go Penalty This link points to a portion of the King County Superior Court Clerk’s Office web site describing how to appeal the results of unfavorable hearing about a Good to Go toll penalty. Read more

Washington’s Reporter of Decisions has just announced that a new website makes Washington Supreme Court and Court of Appeals opinions available for free.  The Washington State Judicial Opinions Website contains the text of the published appellate opinions dating back to territorial days.  Click here for the site.  For more background… Read more

The Seattle/King County/Snohomish County YWCA, through its campaign “Eliminating Racism, Empowering Women”, sponsors a domestic violence legal advocacy program which provides assistance with issues like obtaining a protection order, completing a parenting plan, starting a divorce process, etc.  The assistance is free of charge.  For more information contact Maria at… Read more

The WSBA Access to Justice Board in partnership the the Administrative Office of the Courts worked together to create forms for family law cases that use simpler language that is easier to understand for non-lawyers. The hope is that these new forms create less confusion and remove some of the… Read more

According to the Washington Secretary of State (SOS): If you were convicted of a felony in a Washington State court, your right to vote is restored automatically once you are no longer under the authority of DOC (in prison or on community custody). If you have questions about your status… Read more

Our State Supreme Court recently appointed Deputy Clerk Susan Carlson as our State’s first female Supreme Court Clerk, replacing retired Clerk Ron Carpenter. The following is excerpted from the Supreme Court’s official announcement: “The Washington Supreme Court’s nine justices have appointed the state’s first female Supreme Court Clerk in Washington… Read more

The Northwest Consumer Law Center, in partnership with the Federal Bar Association, launched a new Pro Se Bankruptcy Clinic at the Federal Courthouse. The clinic is a free walk-in clinic where experienced bankruptcy lawyers will help pro se individuals: Look through forms to catch things that may cause problems for… Read more

On June 9, 2016 Engrossed Senate Bill 6413 was enacted. This bill creates a procedure called “Order of Limited Dissemination” which would prevent tenant screening companies from disclosing an eviction on their report. A judge may sign your order if: You were wrongly named in an eviction/unlawful detainer action or… Read more

Beginning September 1 of 2016, Washington courts may choose to consider unpublished opinions of the Court of Appeals.  While such opinions would still be nonbinding, amendments to GR 14.1 would allow them to be “accorded such persuasive value as the court deems appropriate” – provided the citing party identifies the… Read more