Massachusetts Courthouse, including Trial Court Law Libraries and Court Service Centers, as well as the Social Law Library, are closed to the public due to COVID-19.
MBLC has partnered with the Social Law Library, the Massachusetts Trial Courts, including the Trial Court Law Libraries and Court Service Centers, to provide legal reference continuing education to librarians. This partnership has also drawn on help from the Massachusetts Access to Justice Commission and the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute.
Our goal is to provide public librarians with the tools they need to help patrons find legal assistance, prepare themselves for court appearances, including completing court forms, locate legal reference materials in print and online, and understand the availability of lawyer referral services..
If you need to find out your password, please contact answers@mblc.state.ma.us and provide your name, position and library affiliation.
Providing Access to Justice for Public Library Patrons : Navigating the statewide Trial Court Law Libraries & Court Service Centers, With specific illustrations addressing family and housing proceedings—including evictions is scheduled for Wednesday, February 10, from 3-4pm EST. Registration instructions will appear here shortly (01.08.21)
The COVID Eviction Legal Help Project (CEHLP) is tentatively scheduled to provide a webinar on Wednesday afternoon, February 24. More information will be forthcoming soon.
In addition to the Massachusetts webinars, you also have access to a parallel set of trainings through WebJunction. WebJunction has partnered with the nonprofit Legal Services Corporation with a series of trainings and webinars. A May 27 post in OCLC's research blog Hanging Together extensively documents some of the lessons learned to date.
Attorneys Rochelle Hahn, Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, provides an overview of key legal-help websites when assisting patrons presenting landlord-tenant problems. Attorney Gordon Shaw, Community Legal Aid, then walks through specific scenarios, such as eviction notices, bad housing conditions, and rent increases, showing how these web resource can guide patrons to the specific information and legal help resources based on geography, income levels and other factors.
Recorded 12.02.20
This website, and other programs of the MBLC, is funded in part with funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, a federal agency that fosters innovation, leadership, and a lifetime of learning.