WSBA Deskbooks: Library Gems
**WSBA Deskbooks are now available in eBook form for Washington State Law Library registered users. The eBooks are available to check out here. Register for a library account with a Washington address through our catalog. Find out more about the LexisNexis Digital Library eBook Collection here.**
With the ever increasing cost of legal treatises and the continuing shift to digital research, law libraries are sometimes faced with tough decisions when the time comes to update items in the library print collection. With this in mind, the Washington State Law Library continues its commitment to maintaining print copies of the most highly cited items and Washington-specific practice guides such as Washington Practice.
A key component of this core print collection is the deskbook series from the Washington State Bar Association. Comprised of 26 titles, WSBA deskbooks contain practice tips and overviews of laws and legal concepts. These books also provide Washington-specific legal forms. Topics include public records, family law, appellate practice, civil procedure, estate planning and probate. The real property deskbook is a series in itself, with seven volumes covering real estate essentials, causes of action, environmental regulations and more.
Some very useful topics to both the practitioner and pro se litigant can be found in the WSBA deskbooks. Varying aspects of Native American law are treated in Washington Law of Wills and Intestate Succession, the Estate Planning, Probate, and Trust Administration in Washington, and the Washington Real Property Deskbook, Real Property Interests and Duties of 3rd Parties (volume 3). Many aspects of the appeals process are addressed in the Washington Appellate Practice Deskbook, including orders of indigency in the appellate courts. Meanwhile, the Washington Construction Law Deskbook fills a much needed void in Washington-specific construction law treatment. It dedicates two chapters to construction mediation and arbitration.
Because of the high use of these books, the State Law Library keeps multiple circulating copies and a reference copy so that we can always ensure that one will be on the shelf. We have moved many of the current print editions to the stacks in the Main Reading Room, such as the 2019 edition of the Washington Construction Law Deskbook. Second copies of these titles can still be located in the downstairs reading room. You can browse for additional titles in the library catalog.
Should you prefer online research or if every copy is in use, the law library also has access to the online version of the deskbooks through the Fastcase database. You can access Fastcase at the public computers in the Main Reading Room or the downstairs reading room. And if you are not able to make it to the Temple of Justice in Olympia, but still want to check out this great resource, library staff is happy to send treatise sections or the table of contents via email. Stop by the law library today to check out the WSBA deskbooks and all the other gems of our core print collection. (LE)
