Did you know Washington County has a Law Library?
Located conveniently in the Washington County Courthouse in Stillwater, the Law Library offers various services for residents and attorneys. Law librarians can help provide legal information and reference, find court forms, and offer limited assistance to attend remote court hearings. They also connect residents with other legal and advocacy organizations for additional support.
The Law Library also organizes Legal Advice Clinics, led by volunteer attorneys, to advise residents maneuvering the Washington County judicial system. Through this program, residents can access free half-hour consultations with a volunteer attorney from the Washington County Bar Association.
Legal Clinics are available on the following topics:
- Civil Legal Clinics – can assist in areas such as default judgment, housing and eviction, judgment collection, consumer issues, conciliation court, and automobile title transfer.
- Criminal Legal Clinics – can assist in areas such as traffic tickets, the criminal process, criminal expungement, and DANCO orders.
- Family Legal Clinics – can assist in areas such as marriage dissolution, child support, domestic abuse, paternity issues, child custody, visitation, spousal maintenance, and name changes.
Meet the Law Librarian!
Washington County Law Librarian Suzi Stephenson is experienced in connecting with individuals of various backgrounds and cultures. She started her career teaching English in Hangzhou, China, before earning her degree in librarian and information services. Her background working in libraries throughout the Twin Cities gives her a wide knowledge of available legal resources.
Stephenson is passionate about helping residents access the support they need to navigate the court system. She describes her work as having two priorities: giving legal reference, which can range from getting court forms to looking up case law to finding legal resources and information, and providing legal clinics. In addition, she reads and attends training to stay on top of legal changes and issues.
Stephenson wants residents to know that Law Library resources are available to anyone in the county, and staff are available to assist with any concerns residents may have. “It doesn’t have to be legal – we also assist with tax questions or insurance,” she says. “Even if we don’t have the resources here, we usually can find them.”
Original source can be found here.
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