Clicklaw Training Presentation

Presentation objectives

This presentation is meant to help trainers/presenters provide a concise and short overview of Clicklaw. It provides you with a PowerPoint presentation, notes, tips and examples that you can adapt for your audience. By the end of the slides, participants will be able to describe different ways to search for legal information and help on Clicklaw, highlighting:

• Common Questions
• HelpMap
• the Clicklaw Blog
• Clicklaw Wikibooks
• How to contact Clicklaw with feedback/questions

Slide 2 Courthouse Libraries BC Programs

Courthouse Libraries BC provides four programs that help the public. Clicklaw is just one piece and this slide provides an overview of all four.

Clicklaw

Clicklaw doesn't create legal content, but rather, provides access to resources from various PLEI organizations across BC.

Clicklaw Wikibooks

Clicklaw Wikibooks are collaboratively developed, plain-language legal publications that are published online and can be easily printed.

LawMatters

Every single public library in BC has a legal collection, developed with assistance from Courthouse Libraries BC. Each collection is unique, based on community needs. They include print copies of many of the Clicklaw Wikibook titles. LawMatters also provides training for public librarians and community legal information forums, among other projects.

Courthouse Libraries BC

At Courthouse Libraries BC locations, services include:

• Public access computers
• Access to subscription databases to look up case law and other legal tools
• Access to collection – public can use during hours that we’re open (Can pay for photocopying, but can’t borrow…)

CLBC's goal is to get you started in a good direction and help you use tools and our collection to find legal information that will help you with your legal issue.

Slide 3 Clicklaw

http://www.clicklaw.bc.ca Clicklaw is a website that provides access to hundreds of public legal education and information (PLEI) resources in BC. Contributor model – PLEI producers collaborated on the concept development for the site, and provide information about their own resources on the site. Why it’s a good place to start – trusted, current content, kept up to date by contributors and Clicklaw editors.

Provide an example of a time you used Clicklaw to provide legal information to a client - try to use an example that resonates with your audience.

Slide 4 Searching Clicklaw

Clicklaw is mobile-friendly and you can search for legal information in 5 ways:

1. Keyword search
2. By topic
3. Using the common questions
4. By language
5. By location (on the HelpMap)

Acknowledge that everyone is different, people have different search preferences for online information. The taxonomy/terminology uses plain language that the public would use to describe their legal issue, rather than complex legal terminology. You can sort results by relevancy, most viewed, alphabetically, and the date the resource was last reviewed for currency.

Before your presentation, test out some examples to demonstrate searching Clicklaw that resonate with your audience by searching live on the Clicklaw site. If you’re not getting the search results that you’d expect during your test, contact editor@clicklaw.bc.ca and we can work together to improve the findability of the resources for your example.

Example outline of conducting live searches using the 5 different methods:

Keyword search

• Searches the resource details page (not the actual resource)
• Good if you already have a particular term in mind

Browsing by topic

• Taxonomy/terminology developed collaboratively by contributors
• Language that the public would use to describe their legal issue, rather than language that lawyers would use
• Select a topic, and you can further narrow your search using sub-topics
• Ability to select more than one topic

Common questions

• From home page, or from search results teaser
• Preferred by many users – provides a very brief overview of the legal topic, and suggests good starting points. Helps to knit together the resources produced by multiple contributors, and provide a pathway to the information.
• Remind your audience that we welcome suggestions for more common questions – if there’s a question you get all the time, let us know!

By language

• Many PLEI resources and some services are available in other languages.
• Access the languages via the header, filter on the search results page, or in the resource/service description
• Resource description page provides direct link to material in other language
• Includes a link to English version too so you can review the information you’re giving to your client.

By location

• For the HelpMap service, you can see what’s available in a particular community.
• Especially useful if you’re helping a client from another community
• Also good to see what’s in your own community
• The HelpMap also links to the Find Someone to Talk to page to find personal help.

Slide 5 Common Questions and HelpMap

Common Questions are FAQs that Courthouse Libraries BC frontline staff create, based on real life questions that are repeatedly asked by the public. Often, they are good starting points and some contain more substantive information, like many of the questions related to probate. HelpMap Services are clinics, phone lines, and other services where your client can talk to a real live person about their issue.

Slide 6 HelpMap Example

An example of a service listing on the Clicklaw HelpMap.

Slide 7 Clicklaw Blog

Sign up for the Clicklaw blog mailing list to stay updated with legal information: events around BC, webinar and in-person training opportunities, new resources and services, and more!

Slide 8 How to Sign Up to the Clicklaw Blog

Click on the Menu Icon on the top right of the Clicklaw Blog page, then click Subscribe, enter your email and click Subscribe again. You can also follow Clicklaw on Facebook and Twitter.

Slide 9 Clicklaw Wikibooks

If Clicklaw is like Google + the law in BC, Clicklaw Wikibooks is the Wikipedia counterpart. They resemble Wikipedia because they use the same platform. They can only be updated by pre-approved lawyers and other writers (not just anyone can go in and change something). This means the content can be kept very current.

Recap Trusted, current legal information and services that you can find through Clicklaw. Information is maintained by contributor organizations and Clicklaw editorial team.

Wrap up Now you can

• Describe different ways to search for legal info and help on Clicklaw and HelpMap
• Know how to contact Clicklaw with feedback/comments.

One way to do this is by asking people to tell you what they’ve learned or to share one take-away from today. For example, ask "Who can name one way to search for legal information on Clicklaw?" Chocolate incentives work well. Invite questions and feedback – if you can’t find the answer or don’t know the answer, just say that and ask if we can follow up with them.