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In a small community where budgets can be tight and there aren’t law offices on every corner (thank goodness, right?), it can be difficult for people to access the legal help they need. One service that Cook County provides is the Law Library, which can help citizens become their own advocates by connecting them to free legal resources.
The Cook County Law Library was first established by statute decades ago. The resources in the library are funded by a mandatory “law library fee” attached to the filing fee for cases filed in the district court. Under the governance of the Law Library Board of Trustees, which includes the County Attorney, the District Court Judge, a County Commissioner, and at least one local attorney in private practice, the library has undergone much transformation since that time.
You’ll currently find the Law Library on the second floor of the courthouse, in the public area between Probation and Veteran’s Services. It includes bookshelves, computers, and workspaces available to any member of the public during hours the courthouse is open. A printer and a telephone are available for use when conducting research, and the phone is marked with the phone number for the State of Minnesota Law Library, which people can contact for assistance in research.
Law Library users will find the most current versions of the Minnesota State Statutes and Administrative Rules on the shelves at the Law Library, as well as many volumes of books intended for use by non-attorneys in areas of law including landlord/ tenant, neighbor law, bankruptcy, child custody and divorce, and mortgage foreclosure. A rack attached to the wall contains helpful pamphlets and brochures on several topics provided for the public by the State Attorney General’s Office, as well as a printed list of mostly-free legal resources, their phone numbers and email/website addresses.
As technology has changed, much of legal research has moved from review of physical written materials like books to online electronic resources available on the Internet. One valuable online research resource that the Law Library provides the public for free is the LexisNexis research database. On the research computer at the Law Library, users can use LexisNexis to look up court decisions made in appellate courts across the country which may impact how lower courts decide cases. The computer can also be used to access many free online legal resources by double clicking icons set up on the computer desktop.
In close proximity to the Law library research computer is the “Self Help Center” for Cook County. Managed by the State of Minnesota Judicial Branch, the Self-Help Center is where you can fill out and print court forms, get answers to general questions about court process or procedures, and even watch videos under Help Topics. New, in 2021, a third computer was installed in the Law Library space through a CARES Act-funded project of Minnesota Legal Aid. Soon, the “Legal Kiosk” in the courthouse will be available as a way for people to virtually interact with civil legal aid experts.
Please consider the Cook County Law Library a space for you to explore and learn more about the legal topics that affect your life, and pass the word to anyone you know who may need what the Law Library offers.
*During the COVID-19 public health emergency, public access to the spaces within the courthouse is limited, but use of the Law Library is allowed by appointment. Call the Cook County Attorney’s Office at (218) 387-3670 to set up a time to visit the Law Library. You may be asked to adjust your planned time if another user is scheduled to be in the space at your intended time. Face coverings and health screenings are required to enter the courthouse, as well as passage through security screening. County Connections is a column on timely topics and service information from your Cook County government. Cook County – Supporting Community Through Quality Public Service.
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