❶ I recently needed a specialized court form from Maricopa County Superior Court titled “Defendant’s Financial Statement.” It was not available online or from the clerk’s office, Initial Appearance Court or Pretrial Services. I called a law librarian at the Maricopa County Law Library who quickly located the form and emailed it to me. Sure, I could have wasted hours creating a similar form or trying to find a nearby court that had some, but it was so much easier to call a law librarian and have him email it to me.
❷ In another example, a client had been told by the Tarrant County Clerk’s office in Texas that there was a legal form in a Texas law book she could use to have her misdemeanor conviction expunged. A few minutes of internet research revealed that the only available online form was for arrests that didn’t result in any charges or convictions. I emailed a Texas law librarian who emailed me the relevant statute and form — which confirmed that there was no way for her to have her misdemeanor conviction expunged. Once again, a law librarian saved me from wasting valuable time on what would have been pointless legal research.
❸ Lastly, doing online research to find the exact language of a state or federal law more than 10 years old can be very frustrating. Even if they’re available online, I always fear that I’m not finding everything. This time, I showed up in person at the Arizona State Capitol Research Library to research what turned out to be 27 amendments to A.R.S. Section 13-3821. The law librarian cheerfully showed me where the law books were and how to use them. Another employee copied the relevant parts while I waited. Talk about service!
