Page 37 - Pierce County Lawyer - July August 2025

LAW LIBRARY NEWS Free and Useful Legal Databases
Available from Washington Law Libraries
Legal professionals and members
of the public in Washington have
access to a wide array of high-
quality legal databases, many of which
can be accessed remotely from home or
the office. Several law libraries across the
state offer free access to online databases
and resources, including legal treatises,
practice guides, and self-help materials.
This article highlights some of the most
valuable and accessible digital resources
offered by three key institutions:
the Pierce County Law Library, the
Washington State Law Library, and the
King County Law Library.
The Pierce County Law Library also
provides free online access to the NOLO
database of legal books that has dozens of
self-help legal publications and hundreds
of downloadable legal forms. Topics
include business formation, Family
Law, Immigration, Real Estate, financial
planning, and Intellectual Property.
These resources are designed for non-
lawyers and small businesses, offering
plain-language explanations to help users
better understand the fundamentals of
that area of the law before they start to
navigate legal issues independently or in
preparation for consulting an attorney.
Pierce County Law Library
Washington State Law Library
The Pierce County Law Library provides
an extensive Digital Library that allows
users to check out electronic legal
books to read online. The collection of
books covers a broad range of practice
areas. Among the most frequently used
resources are the Washington State Bar
Association (WSBA) deskbooks, which
offer authoritative guidance on topics
such as Civil Procedure, Washington
Appellate Practice, Ethics, Family Law,
Construction, Real Property, and Estate
Planning.
Additionally, the Law Library offers free
online access to the National Consumer
Law Center (NCLC) database. This is
an invaluable series of legal guidebooks
for attorneys, advocates, and self-
represented litigants who are dealing
with Consumer Law issues such as
student loans, mortgage servicing, debt
collection, credit reporting, bankruptcy,
and consumer rights. The database also
includes the
Federal Practice
Manual for
Legal Aid
Attorneys, a
vital reference
for those
involved in
public interest
or pro bono
work.
The Washington State Law Library
also offers a robust Digital Library,
which includes the WSBA deskbooks.
In addition, it provides access to a
large collection of West Academic’s
Nutshell series, which are concise, easy-
to-understand
summaries of
complex legal
topics. Nutshell
titles span a
wide variety of
subjects, including
Constitutional Law,
Trial Advocacy, Tax
Law, Contracts, and
Patent Law.
Legal practitioners
seeking deeper
analysis will also
appreciate having
the Washington
State Law Library’s
Digital Library as
another option for
accessing advanced
treatises, such as
Federal Habeas
Corpus Practice
and Procedure,
Thompson on Real
Property, and
Larson's Workers’
Compensation Law.
B Y S T E P H E N S E E LY
PIERCE COUNTY LAW LIBRARY DIRECTOR
King County Law Library
The King County Law Library provides
online access to VitalLaw, Wolters
Kluwer’s legal information platform.
This resource is particularly well-suited
for practitioners, offering in-depth
legal treatises and practice guides. The
coverage is very broad and includes areas
such as Administrative Law, Mergers
and Acquisitions, business agreements,
Medicare and Medicaid issues, Qualified
Domestic Relations Orders (QDROs),
and Estate Planning. It also offers a
broad selection of forms and checklists
to help with employment and regulatory
compliance issues such as writing
policies for employee handbooks.
Whether you are a practicing attorney,
a legal aid provider, or a member of
the public, we all need reliable legal
information. Washington’s law libraries
step up to meet this need by offering a
wealth of free online legal databases and
resources that are both practical and
accessible.
For more information
Please contact the
Pierce County Law Library
by sending us an email at
pclawlibrary@piercecountywa.gov
or visit our website at
www.piercecountylawlibrary.org
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