Law Library

Crook County Courthouse

In addition to being a public library, Crook County Library provides county law library services. Our collection provides access to laws, regulations, and interpretation through print and electronic resources, with an emphasis on Oregon and Crook County. Law library resources cover civil and criminal law, including materials on popular topics such as wills and trusts, divorce, child custody, landlord/tenant law, and more.

While we cannot offer legal advice or help you complete legal forms, our staff can point you in the right direction as you conduct your own legal research. We can also make referrals to legal professionals, including low/no cost services. For legal professionals, we offer up-to-date print and electronic resources to help you serve your clients.

***New: Click here for an information page on eviction and related resources.***

Click a link below to skip to specific topic.

Print resources

Our collection of legal print materials include books that can be checked out as well items that may only be used in the building. Highlights of our print collection include up-to-date editions of the following:

  • Crook County and City of Prineville Codes
  • Oregon Revised Statutes
  • Case law from the Oregon Court of Appeals and Supreme Court
  • Oregon State Bar publications
  • Oregon Criminal Defense Lawyers Association publications
  • Building regulations
  • Easy-to-understand legal books from NOLO Press and other publishers.

Electronic resources

We also provide access to a number of subscription electronic resources. Some resources require a library card to sign in or are only available to use in the library. Other resources are openly available or have other instructions for access.

  • Fastcase
    Available to all Oregonians, the Fastcase collection includes the United States Code, United States Supreme Court and Court of Appeals Cases; and  cases, statutes, regulations, court rules, constitutions, attorney general opinions, and session laws for Oregon, Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and Washington.
    ***This resources is provided by the State of Oregon Law Library. Create a free account by clicking here.
  • Gale Criminal Justice collection (Library card required for access)
    A collection of magazines and journals for those who are studying law, law enforcement, or terrorism; training for paralegal service; preparing for a career in homeland security; delving into forensic science; investigating crime scenes; developing policy; going to court; writing sociological reports; and much more.
  • HeinOnline (Available in-library on Law Library computer station only)
    This resource provides access to a number of legal materials in one simple place. It includes US case law, the US code, US law, law dictionaries, access to some legal journals, classic texts, and more. It also has special collections on various topics including slavery, gun regulation, the Pentagon Papers, and more.
  • Legal Information Reference Center/NOLO
    Download legal forms and read legal reference books (including the popular NOLO guides) for free, courtesy of the State of Oregon Law Library. Read the instructions on the linked page for login information.
    *** You will need to create an account with the state library first.
  • LegalTrac (Library card required for access)
    A database of indexes and some full-text for law reviews, legal newspapers, specialty publications, Bar Association journals, and international legal journals.
  • Lexis from LexisNexis (Available in-library on Law Library computer station only)
    Lexis® has the largest collection of case law, statutes and regulations. Plus 40K+ news sources, 83B+ Public Records, 700M+ company profiles and documents, and an extensive list of exclusives across all content types.
  • Oregon BarBooks 
    Digital access to the Oregon State Bar's complete collection of legal publications covering nearly all aspects of Oregon law, written by Oregon legal professionals.
    **You will need to contact the library to get a digital token which provides access to BarBooks on any computer or mobile device.
  • OregonLawHelp.org
    This site is a guide to legal information and free civil legal services for low-income persons and seniors in Oregon. Here you can locate information on a variety of legal issues, as well as information on how to contact programs providing legal assistance in Oregon.
  • State of Oregon Law Library Digital Collection
    These collections provide electronic access to a variety of government publications, published here in partnership with the agency which created them.
  • Westlaw (Available in-library on Law Library computer station only)
    Legal research database aimed at legal professionals featuring state and federal case law with analysis, statutes, regulations, forms, journal articles, encyclopedias, select treatises, and KeyCite.

Legal forms

  • Oregon Judicial Department Forms Center
    These court-approved forms cover various areas of law: family, civil, criminal, protective orders, landlord/tenant, small claims, and more. They are accepted in all circuit courts in Oregon.
  • Crook County Circuit Court forms
    Legal forms specific to Crook County. If there are multiple of the same form listed, choose the one labeled "Crook."
  • Legal Information Reference Center/NOLO
    This resource from the State of Oregon Law Library includes forms from the popular legal publisher NOLO. Once you create an account and login using the instructions on the linked page, look for the "Legal Forms by U.S. State" section on the right. These forms are not necessarily approved by Oregon courts, so you may need to seek professional legal assistance to confirm that they'll meet your legal need.

Bills, laws, and court cases

Need professional legal assistance?

Have you run into a roadblock with your legal issue? Contact one of these organizations for professional assistance.

  • Legal Aid Services of Oregon, Central Oregon office
    541-385-6950 or 800-678-6944
    42 NW Greeley Ave, Bend, OR 97703
    Hours: Mon-Thu, 10:00 AM-12:00 PM & 1:00-4:00 PM
    Provides legal representation and advice to families in Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson Counties whose income is at or below 125% of the federal poverty level. Areas covered include housing, consumer, family law (only cases with domestic violence, disability or language barriers involved), education, employment, government benefits, elder law, and bankruptcy
  • Oregon State Bar (OSB) referral programs
    800-452-7636 or 503-684-3763
    Hours: Mon-Fri, 8:00 AM-5:00 PM
    OSB provides a number of referral services to connect you with a legal professional familiar with your particular issue. These services include the Lawyer Referral Service for general matters, Modest Means program for low-income Oregonians, Military Assistance Panel that gives free legal advice for deployed service members and their families, and free legal advice for young people ages 13-17 through the Problem Solvers program.
  • Crook County Victims' Assistance
    541-447-4158
    300 NE 3rd St, Prineville, OR 97754, Rm. 34 (inside the courthouse)
    If you are a victim of a crime, Victims' Assistance may be able to help you with a variety of legal needs including court assistance, filing restraining and stalking orders, facilitating appointments, seeking financial assistance, and more.
  • Circuit Court information
    Fees, local court rules, and information on facilitation services. Crook County is Judicial District 22.