Event:

Legal reference can be intimidating, but with the right mindset and some foundational knowledge, any librarian can experience success in this area. There have been major societal and financial changes that have resulted in many citizens turning into pro se litigants (i.e., individuals who represent themselves without the assistance of an attorney). Without a law office, many pro se litigants turn to libraries to provide assistance and resources. This session is designed for librarians with any level of experience or legal knowledge base. 

The learning objectives of this session include:

1. Learn about how the federal and state legal systems are structured, and then connect that knowledge with reference assistance.  2. Understand and be able to apply the basic principles of providing legal information in a library setting.
3. Learn some basic strategies for conducting a legal reference interview. 
4. Review free legal resources that are available for libraries and patrons. 

Franklin Runge has been the State Law Librarian for Montana since January 2023. After practicing law for a number of years in Boston, Massachusetts, he transitioned to law librarianship, where he started his career in academia. He has twelve years of experience in providing legal reference and teaching legal research.

Register for the 2023 MSL Fall Workshop - use this link if you haven't already registered to attend.