Yesterday one of our regular patrons (a paralegal who is also
reading for the law -- Washington is one of the few states that still has
a program for clerking in a law office) came into the Reference Office
holding the latest pamphlet of West's Washington Legislative Service and
asked me how to use it.
She had researched an issue and her supervising attorney had
thought she'd done a good job. She had shepardized all her cases and
thought they were good law. BUT the attorney came back from court with
the news that the judge had said the statute was "overruled." The
attorney thought that the legislative service might have the answer, but
he didn't know how to use it, nor did any of the other lawyers in the
office, and the paralegal was eager for me to show her.
Talk about teachable moments! It turned out her statute had been
affected by a law in the 1993 session. The legislature had "declared an
emergency" so the law would go into effect July 1, 1993, but the governor
used his partial veto power on that section, so it went into effect July
25, instead -- but that was still a couple weeks ago. It might have been
painful, but it was a very good demonstration of how you can't stop your
research with the pocket parts -- even though they say they are for use in
1992-1993! (She hadn't noticed the line about how the pocket part only
included laws through the 1992 Regular Session.)
Mary Whisner, Head of Reference Telephone: (206) 543-6794
Gallagher Law Library FAX: (206) 685-2165
University of Washington Internet: whisner@u.washington.edu
1100 NE Campus Pkwy, JB-20
Seattle, WA 98105
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