Utah State Law Library

Last month we blogged about the free film screening of Last Will and Embezzlement at the Salt Lake City Public Library. If you missed the screening, you can still see the panel discussion that followed the film, which is available on the SLCtvmedia YouTube Channel. The panel discussion featured Mary Jane Ciccarello, Director of the Utah State Courts' Self Help Center, Nan Mendenhall, Director of Utah's Adult Protective Services division, and Sgt. Michelle Ross of the Salt Lake City Police Department. Panelists discussed how their agencies educate the public and work to prevent elder abuse in Utah.

If you want more information about the Court Visitor Volunteer Program, which organized the film screening, visit www.utcourts.gov/visitor or contact Karolina Abuzyarova at 801-578-3925.

Posted by Joanne Vandestreek at 08:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Utah Office of the Property Rights Ombudsman helps resolve property rights disputes and helps citizens understand land use and property rights laws. Their website has recently been redesigned. From the new home page you can find quick links to popular links, including:

• laws about land use and eminent domain,
• how to request mediation or arbitration from the office, and
• advisory opinions, which are legal analyses of land use questions, prepared by attorneys, that explore how a question might be decided by a court.

  Posted by Joanne Vandestreek at 04:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If you are involved in a Utah divorce case and you need to take your divorce education classes, be aware that there may be companies that advertise online divorce education classes. They may also promise to print a certificate of completion of divorce education classes. You should avoid these scams.

The only divorce education classes that satisfy the courts' Divorce Education Requirements are the classes developed by the Utah State Courts. The Courts' website lists dates and times for in-person classes throughout the state, fee details, and information on how to ask the court to waive the divorce education requirements.

Posted by Joanne Vandestreek at 08:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A new free app has been developed to help you track the Utah State Legislature's bills and resolutions that are proposed and passed during legislative sessions. It's called Watch Utah Legislature Bills, and it's compatible with both Apple and Android mobile devices.

With this app, you can search for and subscribe to bills and receive notifications when any status change has occurred, whether it passed a committee, was read, or received a vote.

You can download this app from iTunes or from Google Play.

Posted by Joanne Vandestreek at 08:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The law library, and all Utah State Courts offices, will be closed on President's Day, Monday, February 18. Regular library hours (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) resume on February 19.

Utah city and county government offices are also closed on President's Day as well as many public libraries.

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One of the most popular gifts to buy for Valentine's Day is jewelry. If you do plan to purchase jewelry for that special someone, check out the jewelry buying tips from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). This page includes important questions you should ask when you're at the store and what to watch for in online stores.

If you have a complaint about the jewelry you purchased, the FTC recommends trying to resolve it with the seller first. If you're not satisfied with the results, you can contact the FTC, the Better Business Bureau, the Attorney General's office, or the Jewelers Vigilance Committee, a non-profit organization supporting ethical practice in the jewelry business.

Posted by Joanne Vandestreek at 08:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The University of Utah's S.J. Quinney School of Law has a new publication: Utah OnLaw, a online supplement to the Utah Law Review. You can access each article's abstract and full text for free. If you are interested in submitting an article for this publication, create an account and follow the author instructions.

See our Law Reviews Online post for more information on Utah law school publications that are available online.

Posted by Joanne Vandestreek at 03:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Utah State Courts' 2013 Annual Report to the Community is now available on the Courts' website. The report notes several court achievements, including:

• Positive results from the 2012 Public Trust and Confidence Survey of Utah residents.
• Successful public programs such as the Court Visitor Volunteer Program and the Self Help Center.
• The implementation of e-warrants in child welfare proceedings.

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