We are living in very strange times. The practice of law, in particular, seems perched on notably shaky ground. Court orders are routinely ignored at the highest levels, longstanding norms and precedents are swept away in shadow docket opinions with no explanation of the reason why, and AI assistance that was supposed to be a boon to the overextended attorney has resulted in the public shame of sanctions for several.
At the law library, our resources and services can help take some of the stress out of the daily woes of practicing law. And we can even help you find a good place for lunch when you’re down at the courthouse.
Westlaw
The key to not becoming “that guy” who ends up in the news for dodgy AI research is not to forgo generative AI, but to use it smartly. Yes, AI can be a great tool, but you should always remember that the algorithms are designed to give you the answer you want. It is imperative to run down any arguments and case citations generated by AI in a reputable database. The law library has a very robust Westlaw subscription that includes all state and federal primary law and trial documents, jury verdicts, the full treatise and law review collection, and practitioner sets from every state, including Washington Practice.
Most importantly for the purposes of vetting AI research, we have KeyCite. Every case generated by AI should be run through a citator to ensure that the case not only exists, but that it actually discusses the point of law referenced in the AI-generated citation and tracks with the thread of the argument.
CoCounsel
When using AI for legal research, you are much better off using AI platforms that are specifically designed and vetted for use by attorneys. The law library has licensed public access to Westlaw’s CoCounsel in both our Seattle and Kent branches. CoCounsel is an AI-enabled legal assistant that can review and analyze documents, draft memos, create timelines, analyze contracts and suggest revisions, and even write emails for you in the tone of your choice. You can learn more about CoCounsel and even earn a free CLE credit by watching an Introduction to CoCounsel webinar available here: https://kcll.org/cocounsel-at-kcll.
Remote Access to Legal Research Databases
Lexis Digital
While Westlaw and CoCounsel are available for in-house use only, the law library also offers remote access to a wide array of resources. For library subscribers, our Lexis Digital library includes all the Matthew Bender and Lexis treatises from our print collection, including gold-standard, multi-volume treatises such as “Corbin on Contracts,” “Page on Wills,” “Collier on Bankruptcy,” “Moore’s Federal Practice,” and “Powell on Real Property.”
Within the larger collection, we’ve carved out a special Washington Practitioner Collection that includes all our Washington-specific content in one convenient place. This collection has each of the WSBA Deskbooks including the family law, real property, civil procedure, and appellate practice deskbooks. Also in the collection are “Employment in Washington: A Guide to Employment Laws, Regulations and Practice,” “Washington Business Entities: Laws and Forms,” “Washington Guardianship Law: Administration and Litigation,” “Washington Insurance Law,” and “Washington Law of Evidence,” among others.
Lexis also has Washington-specific Practice Guides that are on par with Westlaw’s Washington Practice series. A few of the many titles available are “Washington Pretrial Civil Procedure,” “Washington Trial and Post-Trial Civil Procedure,” and “Washington Criminal Law.”
In addition to the practice sets, we have Lexis’ “Annotated Revised Code of Washington” and “Washington Court Rules Annotated” available for remote checkout. For those of you who, like me, are big fans of the “KCBA Washington Lawyer’s Practice Manual,” it is available for remote checkout by chapter for your convenience.
In addition to the aforementioned sets and treatises, our Lexis Digital eBook collection also includes the full ABA treatise collection. This wide-ranging collection spans all imaginable topics, including many niche areas, in over 600 volumes.
As one of our subscribers recently said:
I cannot tell you how incredibly helpful the Lexis Digital Library access has been over the past month. I have had to do a significant amount of research, and I found everything that I needed, as well as forms. Research and writing have always been the best part of my job as an attorney, and this makes it so much easier for me to do both efficiently.
VitalLaw
As noted, remote access to Lexis Digital is limited to subscribers, but remote access to VitalLaw is free and available to all. Our VitalLaw subscription encompasses 525 titles covering 22 practice areas. If your practice involves any of the subject areas below, you’ll want to start your next research project by going to KCLL’s Databases and Digital Library https://kcll.org/databases for access. If you are already a subscriber, log on with your library card number. If you are not a subscriber, access VitalLaw by registering for a KCLL library card: https://kcll.org/vitallaw.
|
Expanded VitalLaw Practice Areas Now Available at KCLL
|
|
Antitrust & Competition
|
Labor & Employment
|
|
Banking & Consumer Finance
|
Life Sciences
|
|
Bankruptcy
|
Litigation
|
|
Cybersecurity & Privacy
|
Payroll & Entitlements
|
|
Elder & Estates Law
|
Pension & Employee Benefits
|
|
Energy & Environment
|
Practice of Law
|
|
Family Law
|
Products Liability & Insurance
|
|
Government Contracts
|
Property & Construction Law
|
|
Healthcare
|
Securities – All
|
|
Human Resources
|
Securities – Corporation Law & Governance
|
|
Intellectual Property
|
Securities – Federal & International
|
|
IP – WK Trademark Navigator
|
Telecommunications
|
|
Kluwer Law International
|
Transportation
|
In-Person Resources, and More Online
Conference Rooms
Worried about finding space in the courthouse to meet with clients or attend a hearing? The law library has ample conference room space for short-term reservations for private client meetings, Zoom hearings, or telephone conferences. For longer-term uses such as multi-day depositions or extended trials, we offer full-day conference room rentals and multi-day availability to set up a war room with secure equipment storage and access for the duration of a trial. Rooms can be reserved for a modest fee of $20 per hour for subscribers and $35 per hour for non-subscribers. Conference rooms that are not reserved are offered on a first-come, first-served basis at no cost. See our Conference Room webpage for more information: https://kcll.org/conference-rooms.
Free CLEs and Workshops
We offer a variety of CLEs and workshops on interesting topics. Some of our recent CLEs have included Bike Law, The Holy Rollers Love Cult, Citing Slavery, and Executive Order 9066. Keep an eye on our events calendar https://kcll.org/events and subscribe to our newsletter to stay in the know. Go to our Contact Us webpage https://kcll.org/contact-us and scroll down to the Get Updates! link.
Good Eats Around the Courthouse
No one does their best work on an empty stomach. Let us help you find a tasty nosh near the courthouse. Our intrepid Outreach Services librarian has ventured around downtown eateries to give the scoop on all things delish. Her reviews include a link with a walking map to show the distance from the courthouse: https://kcll.org/newsletter-cates-bites-landing-page.
Learn More About How KCLL Can Help You
There is no need to despair; we are here to help you. To learn more about all the resources and services the King County Law Library offers, visit us at https://kcll.org. If you have questions, contact the King County Law Library at services@kcll.org.
