Community Legal Information Center: Self-help Legal Books

The Community Legal Information Center which is operated by a grant from the Vermont Department of Libraries has around 150 legal self-help books that are available for use by Vermont residents.

Legal self-help books can provide much-needed background information on a topic, or provide-much needed answers to legal issues that arise in life. CLIC's books can help Vermonters decide which form of doing business is best for them, help them write a will, help explain what disability benefits they are entitled to, and what rights they have against debt collectors. They are essential resources for individuals who choose to handle a legal matter themselves.  And for those who choose to work with an attorney, reading on a legal matter before a meeting should enhance their ability to direct the services that they need and want to pay for. 

This guide provides a comprehensive list of CLIC's titles that are available for in-person use or check-out.  It attempts to arrange CLIC's self-help books according to the area of the law that the book addresses. For example, Vermont Court Rules Annotated, is included under the "Civil Court Procedure--Trials and Appeals" tab, The Veterans Benefits Manual is included in the "Military/Veterans" tab, and Special Education Law is found under the "Education Law" tab. For each book included within the legal subject area, there is a blurb summarizing the content of that particular book. 

CLIC does not offer library cards, so we cannot directly check-out books to patrons. But we can send them to the patron's local public library, where the books can be checked out with their local library card. 

Here are the steps:

1.  Patron or local public library contacts CLIC - clic@vermontlaw.edu or (802) 831-1313 - and lets us know what book(s) the patron wants.  If the patron contacts us directly, we need to confirm the interlibrary loan (ILL) request with the local public library. 

2. Once the transaction is confirmed, CLIC sends the book(s) to the local public library with a due date that is 4 weeks from the date that the book(s) are sent to the library. [Note:  The patron can always send an email or call and ask us to renew for another 2 weeks.] 

4. The local library contacts the patron when the book(s) have arrived.  The patron picks-up the book(s) at the local library and checks them out.

5. When the patron is done using the book(s), they are returned to the local library, which returns them to CLIC. 

You can always do a search for CLIC's legal self-help books through the Vermont Law and Graduate School library catalog,  Julien. 

1. On the home page choose "Advanced Keyword Search."

2. Select Location -  "Community Legal Information Center."

3. Enter your search terms.