Q. I have a legal issue. How can the library help with my legal research?

Sarasota County Libraries offer some resources to support legal research. However, library staff are not lawyers and as a result cannot offer legal advice, guide or perform detailed legal research, interpret case law or statutes, choose or help fill in legal forms, or recommend a specific lawyer.

The library has several resources which may be useful, depending on your legal issue. These resources include: 

• Legal reference books, including Black’s Law Dictionary, the standard legal definition text, and the Florida Statutes (please note that these items cannot be checked out from the library); 

• Nolo Press books, practical guides to many common legal problems; 

• Our FAQ for help with Gale Legal Forms, a database of printable legal forms prepared by lawyers covering a wide range of topics, also includes legal definitions and explanations of many legal topics (available under the “Legal Forms” section of our Digital Library page); 

• Free, public access computers, which you can use to access online legal resources; see below for some suggestions, or check our FAQ for help finding government documents. 

 If you are navigating the local civil court without a lawyer and need more legal research materials, Sarasota County has a public law library, which offers access to Westlaw, a case law database, and other legal reference materials. The legal self-help center is located in the Judge Lynn N. Silvertooth Judicial Center at 2002 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota FL 34237. The self-help center is open by appointment only; please call (941) 861-8191 for more information or to schedule an appointment. 

Online legal research options 

• Legal forms and some local law records are available through the Sarasota Clerk of the Court website;

• The Florida Legislature maintains a searchable, online version of the Florida Statutes; 

• The United States Code, comprising all permanent federal laws, is available online; 

• Cornell Law School’s Legal Information Institute offers free legal information, including statutes, constitutions, a legal encyclopedia, and a guide to legal citations; 

• Oyez.org archives Supreme Court opinions and some supportive materials summarizing and explaining the cases; 

• Google Scholar indexes academic articles, including from law reviews, and offers free access to case law (make sure to choose the “Case law” option under the search bar); 

• CourtListener’s RECAP project offers free access to some court proceedings.

Finding a lawyer 

If you need the assistance of a lawyer, you can locate a lawyer through the Florida Bar’s lawyer directory, look for low-cost legal options through Florida Law Help, or contact local legal aid organizations. 

Gulfcoast Legal Services provides assistance to low-income clients and specializes in housing, financial stability, family law, and immigration advocacy, among other areas.  

• North county: 1112 Manatee Ave E, 2nd Floor, Bradenton, FL 34208.
  Phone: 941-746-6151 

• South county: 4242 S Tamiami Trail, Venice, FL 34293.
  Phone: 800-230-5920 

Legal Aid of Manasota offers support for low-income clients in housing, family law, guardianship, wills, and more (please note that Legal Aid does not offer assistance in criminal matters).  

• North county: 1900 Main Street, Ste. 302, Sarasota, FL 34236.
  Phone: 941-366-0038 

• South county: 749 Shamrock Boulevard, Venice, FL 34293.
  Phone: 941-492-4631