Mary Searles and Kathy Fletcher present valuable legal reference information at the 2012 NHLA Fall Conference. Web page screenshots and links are included. Thank you, you two Law Librarians Extraordinaire!

1. LEGAL REFERENCE
FOR PUBLIC LIBRARIANS
Kathy Fletcher, UNH Law Library
Mary S. Searles, NH Law Library
NHLA Fall Business Meeting
November 8, 2012
Gunstock Mountain Resort, Gilford, NH

2. THE THREE MAGIC WORDS …

3. THE JOY OF COOKING APPROACH
READ ABOUT THE LAW
THEN READ THE LAW

4. TYPICAL LEGAL RESEARCH
PROCESS
1. Formulate the legal question
2. Categorize the question
 Federal/state/local
 Civil/criminal
 Procedural/substantive
3. FIND BACKGROUND RESOURCES = READ ABOUT THE LAW
4. Read the statutes, cases, regulations

5. JOY OF COOKING APPROACH
1. FIND BACKGROUND RESOURCES = READ ABOUT THE LAW
2. Formulate the legal question
3. Categorize the question
 Federal/state/local
 Civil/criminal
 Procedural/substantive
4. Read the statutes, cases, regulations

6. http://www.d
oj.nh.gov/co
nsumer/sour
cebook/inde
x.htm

7. JOY OF COOKING APPROACH
1. FIND BACKGROUND RESOURCES = READ ABOUT THE LAW
2. Formulate the legal question
3. Categorize the question
 Federal/state/local
 Civil/criminal
 Procedural/substantive
4. Read the statutes, cases, regulations

8. LEGAL REFERENCE IS JUST
REFERENCE

9. TOOLS: LIBRARY CATALOGS

12. TOOLS: ONLINE RESEARCH LINKS

13. http://bit.ly/ZnnZsB

14. http://library.law.unh.edu
/freelegalsources

15. TOOLS: RESEARCH GUIDES

16. http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/

17. http://law.lexisn
exis.com/infopr
o/zimmermans/

18. http://lib.law.washington.edu/ref/guides.html

19. TOOLS: NH LAW ABOUT …

20. http://www.nhpublaw.org/

30. HOMEWORK
 Send your patrons’ questions
 Let us know about problems with the site
 Let us know what’s helpful and what’s not
msearles@courts.state.nh.us

31. QUESTIONS?
KATHY FLETCHER
Kathy.Fletcher@law.unh.edu
MARY SEARLES
msearles@courts.state.nh.us