 Closing Notice
The Library of Michigan will be closed on Monday, August 28, 2023 for a staff in-service and will reopen on Tuesday, August 29.
Moot Court Tour at the State Law Library
Between July 17-21, 2023, Michigan high school students considering a legal career participated in Moot Court in Lansing. This week-long program offers the opportunity to sharpen their research, writing, and public speaking skills with the guidance of law students, attorneys, and court staff. Activities include guest speakers, presentations, small group discussions, writing labs, and practice sessions. Each day’s activities lead up to arguments in the Michigan Supreme Court courtroom. Students from this year’s group also had the opportunity to visit and tour the State Law Library at the Library of Michigan
Nearly 20 high school students and several law school students on July 20 joined Law Librarians Janice Selberg and Eric Kennedy for a tour of the State Law Library. The tour began with a presentation on the State Law Library's history, services, patrons, and types of request the staff receives. It also included a demonstration of some of the Law Library's legal databases along with digital law reviews and journals. The tour also brough the students into the Law Library’s closed stacks collection to see several important items used by the Law Library staff, such as the Michigan Supreme Court Records and Briefs. The students were also brought to the Library of Michigan’s Rare Book Room where Reference Librarian Matt Pacer showcased many of the collection’s rare and unique items.
Discover more about the State Law Library at the Library of Michigan by going to: Michigan.gov/LawLibrary.
 Moot Court students touring the State Law Library and Rare Book Room.
 Michigan Legal Self Help: Tools for Everyday Justice
The Michigan Legal Help website has tools and information to help you understand and manage your legal problems and is available to anyone. Michigan Legal Help is part of the Michigan Advocacy Program, a legal aid organization that provides access to the justice system for those who need it the most and is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Its funding comes from the Michigan Supreme Court, the Michigan State Bar Foundation, and through grants from the State Bar of Michigan, the Legal Services Corporation, and additional organizations.
The initial first self-help centers and the Michigan Legal Help website were both launched in August 2012. The organization has been adding new topics and features to the website, updating the existing content, and helping to open new self-help centers across Michigan. The State Law Library at the Library of Michigan is a Michigan Legal Self-Help Center, with open hours from 10AM to 5PM on Monday through Friday.
The goal of the Michigan Legal Help website is to bring you accurate and trustworthy legal information. The content provided has been reviewed by attorneys and court staff to make sure it is correct. All of the tools that produce forms have been tested many times to make sure everything works correctly. Michigan Legal Help staff checks all of the content regularly to make sure it is up to date. Their mission is to educate the public about their rights and responsibilities under the law and to help website visitors navigate the court system properly and efficiently. If you decide that you need a lawyer or help from a community services organization, the Guide to Legal Help can direct you to resources in your area. Find more information at: MichiganLegalHelp.org/
Note: This Michigan Legal Help website does not give legal advice and is not a substitute for having a lawyer.
Recent Aquisition: 1974 Oakland County Prosecutor's Trial Book
The Library of Michigan recently aquired an interesting and unique item for the State Law Library's collection: the Oakland County prosecutor's 1974 trial book. Found through an online resale website, this one-of-a-kind item is a 332-page manual that also included a spiral bound notebook with handwritten notes. The trial book itself contains an indexed collection of legal terms, their definitions, and corresponding case citations.
An item like this showcases several characteristics of the legal system within both Oakland County and the state of Michigan. The trial book demonstrates the level of preperation necessary by both the county prosecutor and their staff, especially when information is needed immediately during a court's proceedings. While the item itself doesn't pertain to any particular case, it provides a snapshot of the tools used by a prosecutor throughout the course of a trial and represents one of the many items used in Michigan's legal system.
Unique items like this trial book often get discarded as newer ones are generated when subsequent cases change the precedent within the law. If anyone has examples of trial books or similar items that is looking to find them a permanent home, please consider donating them to the Library of Michigan. Find more information about donations to the Library of Michigan at: Michigan.gov/LibraryGift.
 1974 Oakland County Prosecutor's Trial Book
|
