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Homeowners’ Associations Law: A Beginner’s Guide

Posted by: Barbara Bavis

Often, our topic choices for our Beginner’s Guide series are pulled from questions we receive at the reference desk and via our Ask a Librarian service.  The topic for this Beginner’s Guide, the law regarding homeowner’s associations, is no exception to the rule, as we have fielded questions about this area of law for many …

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The Administration of a Probate Estate: A Beginner’s Guide

Posted by: Barbara Bavis

This post is coauthored by Barbara Bavis, instructional librarian, and Robert Brammer, senior legal information specialist We frequently receive reference requests for resources related to the administration of an estate. In this Beginner’s Guide, we will direct you to general and state-specific resources that concern probate administration. If you are interested in resources for drafting a will, please …

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Locating a State Constitution: A Beginner’s Guide

Posted by: Barbara Bavis

This post is coauthored by Barbara Bavis, instructional librarian, and Robert Brammer, senior legal information specialist One of our most frequent requests from patrons is for assistance with their constitutional research, particularly with regard to state constitutions.  While the best resource for information is likely the state library and/or state archives of the state that created the constitution …

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Locating Real Estate Forms: A Beginner’s Guide

Posted by: Barbara Bavis

This post is coauthored by Barbara Bavis, instructional librarian, and Robert Brammer, senior legal reference specialist. We frequently receive requests for assistance with real estate law, particularly in finding real estate forms.  The legal requirements for such forms and agreements can be extensive, and as such, researchers can turn to treatises, legal encyclopedias, and legal form books …

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Drafting a Will: A Beginner’s Guide

Posted by: Barbara Bavis

This post is coauthored by Barbara Bavis, instructional librarian, and Robert Brammer, senior legal reference specialist Contemplating end-of-life issues is not anyone’s favorite topic, but it is important to do so in order to ensure your final wishes are carried out. As such, it is not surprising that our patrons show an interest in these matters, which …

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The Law of Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation: A Beginner’s Guide

Posted by: Barbara Bavis

June is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Pride month, and as such, it seems the perfect time to highlight resources that address the legal issues surrounding gender identity and sexual orientation in the United States. While these issues are frequently talked about as if they fall into a singular category, they bleed into multiple …

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Lemon Laws: A Beginner’s Guide

Posted by: Barbara Bavis

This post is coauthored by Barbara Bavis and Robert Brammer, senior legal reference specialists. In response to our last post on consumer protection law, we determined there was additional interest in “lemon laws.”  Lemon laws are defined by Black’s Law Dictionary as statutes “designed to protect a consumer who buys a substandard automobile, usu[ally] by …

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Consumer Protection: A Beginner’s Guide

Posted by: Barbara Bavis

This post is coauthored by Barbara Bavis and Robert Brammer, senior legal reference specialists. Consumer protection touches on a number of areas of law, and as such, has been broadly defined by Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary as “[f]ederal and state laws established to protect retail purchasers of goods and services from inferior, adulterated, hazardous, and …