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Washington Practice Materials

Updated Sept. 26, 2006.
Prepared by Nancy McMurrer; updated by reference intern Jocelyn Kennedy.

Legal Research Guides

 

Note: Many of the works discussed in this guide can be found in the Law Library's Reference Area. Superseded or older editions of Washington practice materials may be found in the Classified Stacks, Special Collections--Washington, or the Compact Stacks.
 


Research Guide

Washington Legal Researcher's Deskbook 3d. KFW75.W37 2002 at Reference Area & Reference Office. See Chapter 4, Practice Materials, for a more complete discussion and an annotated subject list of titles.

Encyclopedic Coverage

  • Washington Practice. KFW80.W3 at Reference Area. Westlaw: WAPRAC.
  • Washington Lawyers Practice Manual. KFW80.W27 at Reference Area.

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Forms: Contracts, Wills, Real Estate, Business, Etc.

Forms: Practice and Procedure (Complaints, Motions, Pleadings, Etc.)

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Looseleaf Services and Treatises

Subject-specific books written by local experts are great sources for those practicing in the state. They cover diverse subjects: environmental law, family law, criminal law, etc.

Some of these treatises are called "deskbooks." Many, though not all, of the Washington-specific deskbooks are published by the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) and are written under the auspices of its Continuing Legal Education (CLE) or particular practice-area committees. A list of WSBA deskbooks can be found on its website. Table of contents of these books can be accessed for free on the WSBA website.

In the Law Library, many of the WSBA deskbooks are found in the Reference Area. WSBA deskbooks and CLE materials are also available online through Loislaw, a subscription legal database. LexisNexis includes a small collection of subject-specific Washington treaties (Washington > Treatises & Analytical Material).

For descriptions of Washington sources, arranged by subject, see Chapter 4, Practice Materials in the Washington Legal Researcher's Deskbook 3d. KFW75.W37 at Reference Area & Reference Office.

Popular Works

Books written for nonlawyers can provide a quick overview of an unfamiliar area of the law. See the list at Books Written for Nonlawyers in the Gallagher Law Library. Two publishers focus on books for nonlawyers: 

The Washington Bar Association publishes pamphlets for lay people on a wide variety of subjects.

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State Court Rules

  • Rules Practice. KFW80.W3 v. 2-4B at Reference Area. Westlaw: WAPRAC-RP
  • Washington Rules of Court Annotated. KFW529.A197 at Reference Area.
  • Washington Court Rules Annotated. KFW529.A196 at Reference Area.
  • Washington Courts website. Rules updates are also be found in the Washington Reports advance sheets.

Local Court Rules

Includes the rules of superior, district, and municipal courts.

  • Local Rules of the Superior Court, Washington State. KFW529.A32 at Reference Area.
  • Washington Court Rules: Local Rules KFW529 .A198 Local at Reference Area for most recent rules.
  • Rules of the District and Municipal Courts in Washington. KFW529.A2 at Reference Area.
  • Local rules for the King County Superior Court
  • Washington Courts website includes court rules for municipal, district, and superior courts.

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Benchbooks

Benchbooks are guides used by trial judges during litigation. For example, there is a benchbook for judges of district and municipal courts that covers procedures in criminal trials: Criminal Benchbook, Courts of Limited Jurisdiction, KFW583.5.W37 at Reference Area. See Chapter 4, Practice Materials in the Washington Legal Researcher's Deskbook 3d, KFW75.W37 at Reference Area & Reference Office, for descriptions of other benchbooks.

Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Materials

Some CLE program materials cover specific subjects that are evident by looking at their titles, for example, Grandparents and Other Relatives Raising Children: A Conference About Laws and Resources (KFW104.A75G73 2001 at Classified Stacks). Other CLE materials cover a range of topics not so apparent, for example, 73 Ways to Win (KFW8915.S48 2001 at Reference Area).

Although it is no longer updated, you may find CLEDEX  helpful (KFW61.C54 at Reference Area). It indexes individual chapters in Washington CLE materials published between 1984 and 1999.

Other ways to identify relevant Washington CLE materials include:

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Indexes to Law Reviews and Other Periodicals

LegalTrac is the best, most comprehensive index to law review articles published since 1980. It is available through the Law Library's Legal Databases & Indexes page.  This commercial database is available to UW students, faculty, and staff and to users who visit a UW library. Available to subscribers on LexisNexis: Legal Resource Index and Westlaw: LRI.

The Current Index to Legal Periodicals indexes law review articles before they appear in LegalTrac. The last 6 weeks are available on the web to users who visit the Law Library. CILP is also available in print (K33.C87 at Reference Area) and on Westlaw: CILP.

Print indexes include:

  • Index to Legal Periodicals and Books. K33.I5 at Reference Area.
  • Current Law Index. K33.C88 at Reference Area.
  • Subject Index to Washington Law Reviews, 1970-1994. KF8.K85 1994 at Reference Area.

Newspapers

  • Local business and general-coverage newspapers. For a list of daily and weekly newspapers in Washington, see the Washington State Yearbook, JK9230.W38 at Reference Area & Reference Office. Current issues of several of these daily or weekly newspapers are available through Refdesk.com.
  • Washington State Newstand indexes and provides text of major Washington newspapers. This commercial database is available through the UW Libraries Research Databases to UW students, faculty, and staff and to users who visit a UW library.

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Bar Association Journals

  • Washington State Bar News. KF332.W3W354, current issues at Reference Area
  • De Novo. WSBA Young Lawyers Division. KF332.W3W359d, current issues at Reference Area
  • Bar Bulletin. King County Bar Association. KF334.S4S4196, current issues at Reference Area

Bar Association Newsletters

Sections of the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) publish newsletters, for example, the Environmental & Land Use Law News Letter, KF332.W3 W359e at Classified Stacks. Descriptions of the WSBA sections are available at its website.

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Directories

  • Washington State Yearbook. JK9230.W38, current at Reference Area & Reference Office. Directory information for all levels of government in Washington.
  • State of Washington Online Telephone Directory and Internet E-Mail Directory
  • Attorneys Red Book for Washington State. KF192.W3A87, current at Reference Office. Annual directory of lawyers and basic government offices.
  • Resources. KFW76.5.A2A134, current at Reference Area & Reference Office. A WSBA publication including a directory of attorneys, which is available online.
  • See also the People-Finding Guide.

Ethics

  • Resources. KFW76.5.A2A134, current at Reference Area & Reference Office. Includes formal and informal ethics opinions by the Washington State Bar Association with a subject index. These opinions are also available on the WSBA website.
  • Code of Professional Responsibility is included in Washington state court rules volumes.
  • See also the Washington State Ethics Opinions legal research guide.

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